The Czech Republic’s Lukas Dlouhy is so nice he won this year’s GHI Bronx Tennis Classic twice.
On Sunday, August 17, in front of a Bronx crowd at Crotona Park, Dlouhy made quick work of Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer, 6-0, 6-1, to take the singles’ title before coming out later in the afternoon to team with fellow Czech Republic native Tomas Zib to edge out Andreas Beck, of Germany, and Martin Fischer, of Austria, 3-6, 6-4 and 11-9 in a tie breaker to win the doubles crown.
“It’s always great to win,” said Dlouhy, of his amazing accomplishment. "In the singles I played 100% and it was great to play doubles. That was a lot tougher.”
The win comes at a great time for Dlouhy, who is slated to compete in the upcoming U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium, from August 25 to September 7.
“The win makes you more confident. All aspects are good right now," Dlouhy added, about his chances during the Grand Slam event.
The GHI Bronx Tennis Classic, which was played from Saturday, August 9, until Sunday, August 17, is a highly anticipated event that serves as a qualifier for the U.S. Open.
Now in its’ 16th year, the event attracts residents from all over the world, who come out to play in the Bronx for their share in a $100,000 purse, split evenly among men and women.
On the women’s side of the action, Elena Bovina, of Russia, defeated Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 6-3 in the first set, and overcame a 5-3 deficit to win the second set 7-5 to take the singles’ title.
Both competitors, at one time in their careers, were ranked in the top 20 in both singles and doubles, with the GHI tournament serving as a comeback after injuries kept them off the court for several months.
"This was a fantastic week and next week is the US Open,” said Bovina. “I hope to keep the win streak going there.”
Also, the women’s double championship featured an all-American final, as Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears, the tournament’s top-seeded team, defeated Angela Haynes and Ahsha Rolle in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, for the crown.
“It was good to play and win together,” said Spears, who has been competing in the GHI for a number of years, as has Kops-Jones.
“This is my fifth or sixth time competing here and [Jones’] 4th time,” Kops-Jones added. “It’s always a great experience, but this win makes it even more worthwhile. Now, we are hoping to be in the main draw next week [for the open].”
In other news, the NYPD continued its dominance over the FDNY, winning its third straight trophy during a charity event that saw GHI make contributions to both agencies’ respective Widows and Orphans Funds.
