Local Talent Continues To Excel In 2008 BTUSA National Tour
Chris Henderson & Phil Whitesell Defend Home Turf In Beach Tennis USA Charleston Open
Charleston’s own Chris Hendersn and Phil Whitesell (Team HSI) came up big in their hometown, winning decisively against the boys from Clearwater, FL, Mike Edison and Brett Johnson (Team Rhino), in the finals. After having suffered many heartbreaking losses as of late, the Charleston pair seemed to find their old game, looking like the National Champions they once were. The tournament, which brought out many new teams from the Charleston area, also featured some familiar faces, especially that of Team Rhino.
In the first semi-finals match, Edison and Johnson faced two relative newcomers from the Charleston area, Brian Burke and Keith Whittingham. Experience paid off for the Florida team, as they went on to easily defeat their opponents 8-1. In the other semi-finals match of the day, tournament hosts Chris Henderson and Phil Whitesell faced another young team, Bo Crouch, Jr. and Omer Abramovich, also of Charleston. Henderson and Whitesell completely dominated the game, winning 8-0. In a true sign of sportsmanship, however, Henderson and Whitesell played a friendly match with the young duo, giving them pointers in order to encourage them to play in future tournaments.
The final match featured two teams that were expected to make it to the finals, although the winner was still anyone’s guess. Home field advantage proved to help out the Charleston team, who definitely felt the encouragement from their fans. The former champs proved to be too much for Team Rhino, winning their match 8-2 and ensuring themselves a spot in the 2008 National Championship in Long Beach, NY on Labor Day weekend. Both teams are scheduled to compete in the upcoming SoCal Series Slam in Hermosa Beach, CA.
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