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EDWARDSVILLE - The Eighth Annual Edwardsville Futures Tournament meant a lot to the multitude of national/international players, but for area residents, it was also a big deal.
On Sunday, for the Futures singles championship match, a total of close to 500 were in attendance throughout the day, a large amount for that type of event, Edwardsville Futures Tournament Director Dave Lipe said. For local businesses, the economic impact was phenomenal during the Futures run. For youth, Lipe pointed out what a more inspiring way to grow as a tennis player than to watch some of the best rising stars in the sport in the nation/world.
Axel Geller of Buenos, Argentina, topped Sebastian Korda 6-2, 4-6, 7-6, 7-0 in a tiebreaker for the singles title.
Lipe was pleased with how the final went and the tournament itself turned out overall.
“I’m so pleased how the players were,” Lipe said. "I’m so pleased about the huge crowd we had today; I think we had close to 500 (in attendance) – that’s a big number for us.
“We went over 2,500 (fans who came out to see the matches) for the week – these matches were unbelievable. The semis and of course, this final, and the doubles final (a three-set thriller that was won by Nicolas Alvarez of Peru and Liam Caruana of Italy) really got to see great tennis.
“The boys were very hospitable with the fans – you saw them stick around to sign autographs for half an hour afterwards. The guys loved it here and the coaches had a great time here; overall, it was a very positive experience. The final was great, but the entire week was great.”
The ball kids provided some of the most special moments on the court, assisting the players and officials.
“The ball kids were great; it was like playing at a U.S. Open; it was great how fast they picked it up and how fast they learned,” he said.
For area hotels, it was a busy time during the Futures Tourney, especially Lipe said when you have a hotel about 100 feet (the Country Suites hotel next to the EHS center) away from here; it’s an awesome venue. Within a year, there will be a new Marriott Suites located close to the EHS Tennis Center, so the view ahead looks bright for the Futures.
SEE FULL MATCH VIDEO BELOW:
Brent Feeney also contributed to this story.
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