April 15-19, 2009...

The three time Florida Adult Tournament of the Year Helen Drake Invitational was held last Wednesday through Sunday at Tops'l Beach and Racquet Resort in Destin. Two hundred and sixty (260) players from around the South participated in this year's tournament which is quite remarkable considering the economy. Furthermore, more than half of the players stayed at Tops'l for the tournament.

This year's tournament featured tremendous players in all the divisions and some really remarkable tennis matches. Sixteen Pensacola/Gulf Breeze players played in the event with five of them capturing titles. In a rematch of last year's Pensacola City Clay Court Championships Scott Baehr won the Men's Open Singles titles when he defeated Mobile's Rick Regan 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-1.

Gulf Breeze's Chris Bloomberg and Pensacola's Rick Davis downed the Nashville duo of Steven Riley and Glenn Crouch 6-4,3-6,7-5 to win the Men's 40 Doubles title.

Gulf Breeze's Krysta Edge was a three time winner. She downed Shalimar's Claire Gray 7-5,6-1 in the Women's Open singles and then teamed with Gray to win the Womens' Open Doubles 5-7,6-3,7-6(4) over Erin Gray and Kristin Pfeffle. Then, in one of the best matches of the tournament Krysta teamed with her husband Michael Edge and beat top seeded Rick Boysen (Melborne, FL) and Virginia Langstaff (Albany, GA) 4-6,6-4,7-6(5). The very large and appreciative crowd that watched this match was continuously erupting in applause. Great job Edges.

Pensacola's Brad Davis teamed with Felix Beukemkamp of Niceville to win the Men's 50 doubles consolation.

Other are players to participate included Pensacola's Craig Broome, Chad Cage, Joyce Cook, Mary Day, Scott Harrison, Doug Patton and Debbie Wroten. Gulf Breeze participants included Glenn Lattanze and Keith Thompson.

In addition to great tennis in the world's best place to have a tennis tournament especially if you are staying in a villa next to courts 3 or 6, there was a great party on Friday evening with live music, nice T-shirts, a terrific raffle by the area Lion's Club and courts that were groomed after each and every match. Everyone should try this tournament at least once. You'll go back for sure!