Locals Take Top Spots in Tournament

When the 44th Annual Manhattan Beach Tennis Open got under way Saturday, singles player Jim Martineau’s racket was the topic of conversation. By the time the tournament ended on Sunday, it was the 49-year-old Rancho Palos Verdes resident's play that had people talking.

Martineau, who played with a double-handed racket, twice upset defending champion Andrew Eklov en-route to claim the men’s open championship Sunday evening despite being 24 years older than his competitor.

“It looks really weird to the normal player,” said Martineau of his specially designed racket. “But the double handle actually functions like a counter weight and keeps you level on your follow through. It's amazing.”

The double elimination tournament format seemed like it would be an advantage for the younger player but it was Martineau who had the much younger Eklov gasping for air by running him back and forth on the baseline.

“It was a war of attrition today,” Martineau said of the grueling road to the championship. “I think I ended up playing about 18 hours of tennis over two days. It was definitely more of a marathon than a sprint.”

Eklov, a 25-year-old Redondo Beach resident who earned All-American honors at Redondo Union High School and played tennis at UCLA, jumped out on Martineau early in the championship match, winning the first three games behind his cannon like serve before Martineau won the next four games and eventually the set, 7-5.

“Mechanics wise, he has one of the fastest serves I have ever seen,” Martineau said of Eklov’s serve. “I won a fast serve contest at the L.A. Open a few years ago with a serve of 144 mph and his serve is definitely faster than that. I would say at least 150 mph.”

Martineau took a 4-1 lead in the second set before Eklov closed the gap to 4-3 by winning the next two games. Eklov simply could not overcome his mistakes though as Martineau was the recipient of many unforced errors.

“I teach my kids all day to keep the ball in play,” said Eklov, who runs clinics for kids in Manhattan Beach. “I think that I got a little tired because those are normally balls that I hit in and I just couldn’t get the ball to stay in.”

Hannah Bartell, a 23-year-old Manhattan Beach resident, steamrolled through the competition on the women’s side to win the women’s open championship. Bartell, a San Diego native who played tennis at Boston University, did not lose a single set on her way to winning the title.

Bartell beat Hermosa Beach resident Kate Buteau in the final, 7-6, and 6-3, to secure the crown. Buteau held the lead for much of the first set tiebreaker but Bartell scored the final four points of the game to take the set and was never really pushed during the second set to capture the title.

“It was a fun day out there today,” Bartell said of playing in the tournament. “I thought she had me in the tiebreaker but I just kept fighting and was able to eventually pull out the win.”

In what was the most entertaining final of the afternoon, Redondo Beach resident Ceci Overholser and Manhattan Beach resident Rebecca Chavira, who play out of the West End Tennis Club in Torrance, outlasted Manhattan Beach residents Janine Bozeman and Patricia Jordan to win the women’s double championship, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4.

Bozeman and Jordan looked like they were on their way to the title after winning the first set and taking a 4-1 game lead in the second set but the resilient Overholser and Chavira would not go away. The pair won the next three games to tie the set at four before Bozeman and Jordan broke their serve and had a chance to serve for the match.

“We had them down 4-1 and let them back in it and then we had the serve for the match but just couldn’t get it done,” Jordan said of the second set. “I think once we lost that set it kind of took the wind out of our sails.”

Simon Peters of Manhattan Beach won the under 40 division while Carter Hedrick of Manhattan Beach won the over 40 division. Manhattan Beach residents Aaron Suplizio and Laurence Gorley won the men’s double division.