ALTON - Jesse Macias carries a huge tennis name in the Alton area as a tennis coach at Alton High School. Not often does he step forward as a player, but recently in the Riverbend Open, he teamed with his daughter, Hannah, to capture the father/daughter championship.
The tennis tandem topped Ellie and Jason Enos in the finals to capture the title for the second time in three years.
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Jesse Macias, the tournament director, said: “We did not host the parent/child last year because we had so many kids playing multiple events. We just could not schedule it. That was disappointing because every year that we can host the division, everyone has fun and we have a good turnout.”
Eight teams battled it out in the parent/child division.
For many parents, it is the only tournament they play all year.
Macias said “We beat Addie and Tim Sandifer in the first round. I don’t know if Tim has played a lot of tennis in his life but he had a blast and that is what the tournament is all about. Tennis is a great game and if you can enjoy it with your family, all the better.
"The parents always go out to play and have fun, but the competitive side kicks in and you can see the intensity rise in every match. I love it.”
Macias added: “We are going to find room to keep the parent/child division as part of the tournament, it's too enjoyable."