Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 16, 1994 TAG: 9407160073
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Unless they give one for spirit.
Noon, 50, was one of five entries in the women's open singles division, which started play at Crystal Spring Park on Friday. Noon was derailed by defending champion Lisa Haynes of Clifton Forge, 6-1, 6-1.
Haynes, 28, demonstrated a strong left-handed serve, solid baseline strokes and an ability to charge the net. Periodic double faults were the only chinks in her armor.
But Noon was far from discouraged.
"I felt like I played really well," said the travel agent who took up the game at age 46. "If I quit when I got beat, I would have stopped the first week I picked up a racket."
Noon, who has four children, was PTA president at Mountain View Elementary for three years in the 1980s. After watching her children participate in sports over the years, she decided it was her turn.
Noon chose to enter the open division in this year's Commonwealth Games, although she was eligible to play in the women's 35 class.
"I know who plays in the tournaments," Noon said, "and usually it's the same players who duke it out.
"I thought maybe I would have a better opportunity in the other class. I wanted to play someone who might not be a `duker.' "
No such luck.
"Lisa was a confident, much more polished player," Noon admitted.
But she wasn't feeling remorse.
"I play to get better, not to win," Noon said.
In that context, Noon is reaching her goal. In her four years of competitive tennis, Noon has advanced from a USTA rating of 3.0 to 3.5.
"When I first signed up, I was terrible," Noon said.
After her loss Friday, Noon was playing the role of tennis ambassador.
"I had a great time," Noon said. "I'm sorry I can't play tomorrow. I don't know why more women don't play in tournaments. It's disappointing there aren't more entered in this division."
There were a number of familiar faces surrounding the courts in other divisions Friday. Bud Skeens, Ferrum College's tennis coach from 1964-1984, was interested in a boys' 14 match between the children of two of his former Panther players.
Andrew Haynie defeated Deacon Andrews in straight sets. Haynie's father, Bill, and Andrews' mother, Linda, were tennis players at Patrick Henry High School and at Ferrum.
"I guess that's right," Skeens, 59, said. "Boy that makes me feel old!`
Andrew Haynie later was eliminated 6-1, 6-0 by Harrisonburg's Matt Frakes, the No. 2 seed in the division. Frakes will play Roanoke's Hampton Pasley, the No. 1 seed, in today's championship.
Nearly all the seeded players advanced through Friday's play. The only major upset was in the girls' 18 division, where Norfolk's Katie Brinkman beat Blacksburg's Cara Prupas 6-4, 6-4.
Play resumes at River's Edge and Crystal Spring today at 9 a.m. About 150 players in 21 divisions will have participated when the competition concludes with the mixed doubles next weekend, said Betty Barr, the tournament coordinator.
by CNB