By The TimesLedger
Andrew Chan, of Great Neck, exhibited winning form while defeating Bayside’s Peter Zipf, 6-3, 6-4 in the first-ever men’s singles final of 2002 Bayside Open, held in Crocheron Park this past weekend.
Unseeded Chan upset No. 1 seeded Jan Kofol, of Manhattan, 6-4, 6-4, in a thrilling two-hour quarterfinal match. Kofola, the top-ranked player in the USTA Men’s 50 category, battled with the 16-year-old Chan from the baseline. It was Chan’s touch game around the net that proved too much for the veteran player.
This year’s Bayside Open Tennis Championships attracted a men’s draw largely from the Flushing, Bayside and Whitestone area.
In 2003, the event will become a USTA sanctioned tournament. By having the tournament sanctioned, head tennis pro Greg Bolitsky hopes to “attract not only a larger number of players, but a higher level of competition. “
“It’s great to see some top-notch tennis being played at such a beautiful facility at Crocheron Park,” Bolitsky said. “Since the court and grounds renovations, this tennis facility is without a doubt the nicest public tennis site, not only in Queens, but quite possibly in all of the five boroughs.
“The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation continues to do a great job in keeping this facility in amazing condition,” Bolitsky added.
