Blake, Feigelson lead Ulster County champs

Bill Blake and Sofia Feigelson topped the list of champions crowned at the Ulster County Open Tennis Tournament.

Bill Blake and Sofia Feigelson topped the list of champions crowned at this year’s 70th Annual Ulster County Open Tennis Tournament.

The open singles championships were both three-set battles. Feigelson dropped the first set, then rallied to win in a tiebreaker 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6) to defeat Karen Gill for the title.

Blake had to rally twice. He pulled out a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Bradley in the semifinals, then came back to defeat Shawn Holzmann 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the finals.

Vic Ricci captured the men’s senior title with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over TN Thompson. The men’s 3.5 singles crown went to Ed Rogers with his 6-1, 6-2 win over Doug Milford.

Holzmann and Roge Nesbitt battled back to defeat Andrew Constant and Gill 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 for the open mixed doubles championship.

Tom Turco and Carl Frankel won the senior men’s doubles crown. Jay Han and Evan Haruta won the first set in the finals 3-6. Turco and Frankel won the second 6-4, then took a 10-8 super tiebreak for the title.

Mike Hale and Gary Eskow defeated Charlie Lay and Jim Donovan, 6-3, 6-3 in the super seniors doubles final.

Tate Rubinstein and Jesse Chalfin, who upset top-seeded Andrew Constant and Shawn Holzmann 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 in the semis, won the open men’s doubles title in a walkover against Blake and Don Guidi.

The tournament, which is also known as the Dick Smith Memorial, was dedicated this year to Bob Cook.

There was a ceremony on the day of the men’s and women’s singles final to honor Cook — who holds the tournament’s record with nine singles and seven doubles championships. Cook, who was the principal at Rondout Valley High School, died from cancer at age 48 on Jan. 21.