Those looking for some drama in the finals of the Newtown Open Tennis Tournament last week were treated to the same old, same old. Akash Lamba won his seventh consecutive Men’s Open Singles championship and Giovanna Devercelli won her second consecutive Women’s Open Singles championship.

The Newtown Open – one of the staple tournaments of the Newtown Tennis Association – began play last month. It all came to a head in 11 different divisions last weekend at Dickinson Park with semi-finals and finals matches.

Now, the last time Lamba was not the singles champ was way back in 1997 … when Bob Elliott took the title. The two meeting in the finals was no surprise, considering they were the top two seeds, but Lamba was simply on his game and rolled to a 6-1, 6-1 win.

Lamba reached the finals by defeated Bob Comfort in the opening round, Clesha DaSilva in the quarterfinals, and then sweeping Bob Rebey 6-0, 6-0 in the semi-finals. Elliott earned his way into the finals by defeating Gerhardt Kutt in the opening round, Shawn Stillman in the quarterfinals, and Owen Robertson 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 in the semi-finals.

Since the women’s draw was so small, Devercelli met Donna Lorenz while Atanasoff met Nancy Hamilton in the semi-finals.

Devercelli moved on due to a forfeit while Atanasoff slipped past Hamilton. And then, for the second year in a row, Devercelli won the singles title with a 6-0, 6-0 win.

In other action –

Ryan Adamonis/Alex Andres defeated Gene Chappell/Mark Prizzi in an epic 6-1, 6-7 (&-5), 7-6 (7-2) match for the Men’s Open Doubles title.  In the semis, Adamis/Andres defeated Carl Norbeck/Bill Weiss 6-3, 7-5 while Chappell/Prizzi defeated Chip McKee/Tim Rives 7-5, 6-3.

Georgeann Sutter/Deb Turner defeated Loretta Bohnen/ Denise Dougiello 6-1, 6-2 for the Women’s Open Doubles title. In the semis, Sutter/Turner defeated Jackie Delgado/Anni Jakobsen 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) while Bohnen/Dougiello defeated Carol Duggan/Mary Martinik 7-5, 7-6.

Marc Swanson defeated  McKee 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in Men’s 40 Singles. In a consolation match, Waiming Tim defeated Joe Marshall 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. In the semis, McKee defeated Anello 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5) while Swanson defeated Mariano Moran 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Moran/Tom Nash defeated Ed Becker/Don Farrell 7-6, 6-4 in Men’s 40 Doubles. In the semis, Moran/Nash defeated Ray Buckman/Steve Cornell 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 while Becker/Farrell defeated Keith Butterfield/Ferd Starbuck by default.

Linda Fothe/Giuliana Montenegro defeated Bohnen/ Dougiello 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in Women’s 40 Doubles. Bohnen/Dougiello advanced with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over Meredith Dommu/Joan Paglicuo while Fothe/Montenegro advanced with a 6-2/6-3 win over Shirley Berliner/Susan Brand.

Eileen Frattaroli defeated Wendy Federer 6-4, 6-2 in Women’s 40 Singles. Frattaroli slipped past Montenegro in the semis while Federer slipped past Dommu.

Randy Saadeh/Pat McKay defeated Scott Fiscus/Jeanne Mead 6-3, 6-7 (7-4), 6-4 in Mixed Doubles. Fiscus/Mead defeated Corky Clark/Susan Clark 6-3, 6-3 in the semis.

Elmer Adams defeated Rod Taylor 6-2, 6-3 in Men’s 55 Singles. Adams advanced with a 6-0, 6-2 win over Bob Delfay while Taylor advanced with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ed Regner.

Keith Butterfield/Rod Taylor defeated Billy Starbuck/Gary Bonadio 6-3, 6-3 in Men’s 55 Doubles. Butterfield/Taylor defeated Drew Arnold/Dom Nocturne 6-2, 6-3 in semis while Starbuck/Bonadio defeated Jim Larin/Hugh Lavery 6-1, 6-3.