80/07/0796

Haddox rallies to top CHS teammate in boys 18 finals

By TED DUNNAM
Assistant Sports Editor

Down 6-4 and 3-0, Chuck Haddox knew he was getting more than he bargained for from Cooper teammate Theron Cole.

"He was really playing well. He was getting to everything," Haddox said.

But the Cooper junior-to-be finally raised his game, saw Cole cool off and captured the boys 18 singles title, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, Saturday at the Highway 80 tennis tournament at Rose Park Tennis Center.

Cole was disappointed that he lost, but was happy with his effort.

"I've been working really hard this summer. I've been traveling and hitting with Brandon (Hawk)," Cole said. "I felt like I played real well today. Chuck just came up with the big shots when he had to."

The tournament title was the second in two weeks for Haddox, who won last week in Midland.
"I've really been playing well," he said. "I think I really gained a lot of confidence when I played Nathan Lawrence in Midland. Playing in this heat will get you in shape, too."

In the women's singles division, Abilene High's Meiling Parks advanced to a finals meeting today with former Cooper standout Misty Meyer. Parks downed ex-Cooper star Heather Gibson, 7-5, 6-2.
"My strokes were pretty good today, but I'm lacking good footwork," Parks said. "If my serve is on, I feel pretty confident out there. After I won the first set, I thought I had the edge. Heather started missing a lot of first serves in the second set.

"The heat was really bad. We had one game with a whole lot of deuces that I thought would never end. I like playing Heather because the kind of ball she hits sits up, which is good for me. She doesn't really slice it much and keep it low."

Parks feels she has a good chance to win today against Meyer.

"I have to get the point started and get up to the net," she said. "I don't want to really get in any long rallies with her. If I play like I'm capable, I think I can win. She'll be very tough."

Cooper's Chris Caceres and Jim Ned's Justin Smith will meet in today's final of boys 16 singles.
"I feel like I played very well today," said Caceres, who won two matches in the tournament's largest draw. "It's a sauna out there, and on the court it's even hotter.

"I've played Justin three times, I think, and I've won every time. I just have to go out there tomorrow and concentrate. I have to do that and not think that the match is a cinch for me to win just because I've beaten him before.

"I'm happy with the way things have gone so far because I took off a month and just started hitting a week before this tournament. I feel like I'm pretty much back to where I was in school."
GIRLS
8 singles
emifinals - Sarah Voss, Abilene, def. Alison Gibson, Abilene, 6-1, 6-0; Rachael Henderson, Burleson, def. Kate Denny, Abilene, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Finals - Voss def. Henderson, 6-2, 6-1.
16 singles
Quarterfinals - Tiffany Bolles, Lubbock, def. Shellly Warner, Abilene, 6-3, 6-4; Kadi Kirkland, Abilene, def. Stephanie Brown, Abilene, 7-6, 6-0; Kristen Keeble, Abilene, def. Emily Eagle, Abilene, 7-5, 6-1; Lindsay Smith, Abilene, def. Melinda Woodfin, Lubbock, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
Semifinals - Bolles def. Kirkland, 6-2, 6-3; Smith def. Keeble, 2-6, 6-0, 6-2.
16 doubles
Semifinals - Kirkland-Smith, Abilene, def. Braaten-Eagle, Abilene, 6-3, 6-1; Berry-Brown, Abilene, def. Wu-Han, Abilene, 6-4, 6-2.
inals - Kirkland-Smith def. Berry-Brown, 7-5, 7-5.
14 singles
Semifinals - Rhiannon Torrez, Abilene, def. Lindsay Hagerman, Dallas, 6-0, 6-4; Emily Voss, San Angelo, def. Jaime Murphy, Dallas, 6-1, 6-0.
Finals - Voss def. Torrez, 6-2, 6-4.
12 singles
emifinals - Julie Voss, San Angelo, def. Liz Denny, Abilene, 6-0, 6-1; Alicia Cummings, San Saba, def. Emily Antilley, Abilene, 6-2, 6-0.
Finals - Cummings def. Voss, 6-1, 6-3.
Women's singles
Quarterfinals - Heather Gibson, Abilene, def. Davonne Lewis, Bryan, 6-2, 7-5.
Semifinals - Misty Meyer, Abilene, def. Jennifer Duffy, Cedar Hill, 6-1, 6-0; Meiling Parks, Abilene, def. Gibson, 7-5, 6-2.
3.5 singles
emifinals - Betty Carver, Abilene, def. Shelly Hayes, Abilene, 6-2, 6-3; Kellye Lubke, San Angelo, def. Marsha Moreland, 6-1, 6-3. BOYS
14 singles
Quarterfinals - Marcos Valdez, Midland, def. Nick McClure, Midland, 6-2, 6-3; Kevin Waskow, Abilene, def. Kelson Gist, Midland, 4-6, 7-6, 7-5; Justin Narvid, San Angelo, def. Brian Lake, San Angelo, 6-3, 6-3; Adam Luther, Abilene, def. Aaron Byrd, Abilene, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3.
Semifinals - Valdez def. Waskow, 6-1, 6-2; Luther def. Narvid, 6-1, 7-5.
16 singles
Quartrfinals - Chris Caceres, Abilene, def. Kayne Stroup, Big Spring, 6-3, 6-1; Wesley Hunt def. Matthew Smith, Abilene, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Ryan Robins, Lubbock, def. Justin Hill, Abilene, 7-5, 7-5; Justin Smith, Lawn, def. Travis Adams, Abilene, 7-5, 6-2.
Semifinals - Caceres def. Hunt, 6-3, 6-2; Smith def. Robins, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
16 doubles
emifinals - Coke-Robins, Odessa, def. Farrar-Findley, Andrews, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; Black-Lien, Abilene, def. Keeragool-Eckstein, 6-3, 6-1.
Finals - Coke-Robbins def. Black-Lien, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
18 singles
Semifinals - Chuck Haddox, Abilene, def. Marcus Schultz, Abilene, 6-0, 6-3; Theron Cole, Abilene, def. Joey Stewart, Abilene, 6-2, 6-0.
Finals - Haddox def. Cole, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Men's open singles
First round - Warren Chamakoon, Abilene, def. Ron Elston, Abilene, 6-2, 6-4; Christopher Lewis, Bryan, def. Michael Thomas, Abilene, default; Tim Brasher, Brownwood, def. William Broadnax, Abilene, 6-2, 6-1; Henry Gonzales, Odessa, def. Rob Westman, Abilene, 6-4, 6-2; Robert Fowlkes, Abilene, def. Michael Hansen, Carrolton, default; Morgan Walker, Abilene, def. David Lampert, Abilene, default; Kenneth Peiser, San Angelo, def. Jeremy Hillin, 6-2, 6-2; Chris Stanfield, Abilene, def. Ray Villarreal, San Angelo, 7-5, 6-2.
Quarterfinals - Chamakoon def. Lewis, 6-0, 6-2; Gonzales def. Brasher, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0; Fowlkes def. Walker, 6-3, 6-3; Peiser def. Stanfield, 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.
4.0 singles
Semifinals - Jaime Torres def. Dave Merrill, 6-3, 6-0; John Lien, Abilene, def. Willie Robert, Abilene, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6. Mixed doubles
First round - Parks-Walker def. Rowlkes-Torrez, 6-4, 6-2; Gibson-Chamakoon def. Torrez-Torrez, 6-1, 6-0.