By Kim J. Harmon

Akash Lamba and Ritush Venugopal.

No one really expected anything different when it came to the men’s singles final of the 2001 Newtown Open – sponsored by the Newtown Tennis Association – because Lamba and Venugopal were the top two seeds in the tournament and had met in the finals before.

So, it was no surprise when the two men met again.

And Lamba made it two in a row over his friend, winning the 2001 title in straight sets 6-2, 6-3. Lamba had reached the final by virtue of a tough win over Al Turner last Saturday, while Venugopal had to work himself past No. 3 seed Bob Elliott to reach the finals.

On the women’s side, Donna Svendsen defeated defending champion Debra Eddy 6-1, 6-1. Svendsen, the No. 2 seed, defeated Saundra Giulley in the semi-finals while Eddy, the No. 1 seed, defeated Kristin McNiff.

In the men’s 40 singles, Chris Radford (#3) defeated Chip McKee (#4) 6-2, 7-5. Radford had to get by Stephen Olsson in the semi-finals while McKee had to get by Carl Bailey (#2). In the women’s 40 singles, Guiliana Montenegro defeated Kristin McNiff (#2) 6-2, 6-3. It was a nice weekend for Montenegro, who defeated the No. 1 seed, Jana Barry, in the semi-finals.

In the men’s 55 singles, Elmer Adams defeated Stephen Olsson 6-3, 6-2.

In the men’s open doubles, Lamba and Venugopal (#1) teamed up to defeated Elliott and Owen Robertson (#2) 6-0, 7-5. In the women’s open doubles, Nicole Lecher and Gail O’Koniewski (#2) defeated Shirley Avril and Julie Sanderude (#1) 6-4, 6-4.

In the men’s 40 doubles, Steve Owens and Chris Radford (#2) got together and defeated Carl Bailey and Mariano Moran (#1) 7-5, 6-1. In the women’s 40 doubles, Sue Arconti and Joyce Lee (#1) defeated Loretta Bohnen and Denise Dougiello (#2) 6-3, 6-4.

In the men’s 55 doubles, Fred Luedke and Wayne McCormack defeated Robert Feinson and Ed Regner 6-4, 6-0.

And in the mixed doubles,  Douglas Hart and Gail O’Koniewski defeated Glenn Baron and Donna Svendsen in the only three-set match of the finals – 3-6, 7-5, 6-3. Hart and O’Koniewski had to defeated Gene and Lorraine Chappell, the No. 2 seed, in the semi-finals while Baron and Svendsen had to defeat Avril and Sideh, the No. 1 seed, in the semi-finals.

Consolation finals winners included John Hartford (men’s 40 singles), Helen Yee (women’s 40 singles), Judy Lambert and Norma Zwarf (women’s 40 doubles), Lillian Valentine and Sean Hope (mixed doubles), Saundra Giulley and Trudy Meyer (women’s doubles), and Diane Collins (women’s singles).