USFE singles champs crowned 48 hours early
Published: July 20, 2012
HEIDELBERG, Germany – Just like that, Vicenza’s Kirk Madgic and Ramsteiners Brett Freedman and Alison Spain became the U.S. Forces Europe singles champions Friday.
Madgic defeated Marc Goulet of Kaiserslautern 6-0, 9-7 to win the men’s masters title, Freedman outdistanced Mateo Sanchez of Heidelberg 6-2, 6-0 for the men’s open title, and Spain blitzed Catherine Thompson of Heidelberg 6-0, 6-1 for the women’s open crown.
All three finals had been scheduled for Sunday, but the small turnout for this year’s U.S. Forces Europe Tennis Championships allowed the singles finals to be played on Day 1 of the oriiginally scheduled three-day event.
Saturday, six men’s doubles teams and two mixed doubles teams are scheduled to begin play at 9 a.m. on the clay courts at the Heidelberg Tennis Center on Patrick Henry Village.
Friday’s schedule encompassed just seven total matches, the majority of them in the men’s masters’ category. Madgic defeated Nate Strong of Heidelberg 6-4, 7-5 in one semifinal; Goulet downed Steve Sanchez of Heidelberg 6-1, 6-3 in the other semi. Strong then downed Steve Sanchez 6-2, 6-3 for third place.
Freedman rode byes into his final; Matteo Sanchez won his semifinal 6-1, 6-4 over Benjamin Falvey of Heidelberg.
Spain vs. Thompson was the lone women's match of the day.
