Soyuzivka hosts USCAK-East tennis tournament (07/20/03)

Soyuzivka hosts USCAK-East tennis tournament

KERHONKSON, N.Y. - This year's USCAK-East tennis tournament was held at Soyuzivka, the resort of the Ukrainian National Association, during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The tournament's host and award sponsor was the Carpathian Ski Club (KLK) of the United States. The tennis committee of the Ukrainian Sports Federation of the U.S.A. and Canada (USCAK), in the persons of George Popel, George Hrabec and George Sawchak (chairman), directed the tournament.

Play consisted of four singles groups, men's and mixed doubles. A total of 32 individual matches were played during the weekend event.

In the men's group finals Dennis Chorny outlasted Mark Krasij 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to win that tournament for the record-setting 11th time. It was a very intense, high-quality tennis match applauded constantly by spectators. In the semifinals Chorny defeated young Mykola Stroynick 6-1, 6-0, and Krasij ousted Stefan Sosiak 6-2, 6-0.

Former junior champion Larissa Szczupak became the women's winner this year when she eliminated all opponents by the score of 6-0, 6-0. Young Tania Petrykevych took second place in the group with a win over Svetlana Poleshchuk 6-1, 6-3.

The senior men's final was a repeat of last year's match between Hrabec and Sawchak and, as he did last year, Sawchak won with the score of 6-3, 6-2. In the semifinals Hrabec defeated former champion George Petrykevych 7-6, 7-5, and Sawchak bested Bohdan Kutko 6-0, 6-1.

The junior boys' group played using a round-robin format with Mykola Stroynick winning the event. He defeated a much younger Mikhaylo Szczupak 6-0, 6-0 and Roman Kostyk 6-4, 7-6. Kostyk took second place in the group with his 6-4, 6-1 win over Szczupak.

The men's doubles final match was between the duos of two brothers, Mark and Alexander Krasij vs. Kornylo and Dennis Chorny, with the Chornys winning the close match 6-3, 6-4. In the semifinals the Chornys defeated the team of Sosiak-Sawchak 6-0, 6-3, while the Krasijs emerged victorious over the young team of Stroynick-Kostyk.

The mixed doubles tournament champions were the father-daughter team of Tania and George Petrykevych, who won the final match over Vira Popel and Stefan Sosiak 7-6, 6-1. In the semifinals the Petrykevyches eliminated Ann and Walter Szczupak 6-2, 6-2, and Popel-Sosiak defeated Larissa and Mikhaylo Szczupak 6-4, 7-5.

Consolation group winners were Victor Krasij, Mark's younger brother in men's, Walter Dziwak in seniors, and Larissa and George Hrabec in mixed doubles.

Soyuzivka will again be the site of USCAK singles championships during Labor Day weekend, August 30-September 1. Advance registration is required and should be sent to: George Sawchak, 724 Forrest Ave., Rydal, PA 19046.

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