Richmond Tennis Association (RTA) at Northern California Championships (USTA Sectionals), January 24-26

The Richmond Tennis Association (RTA) teams brought their A-game to the Sectionals, and although the final scoreboard didn’t land in our favor, the experience was nothing short of inspiring.

The RTA teams had a great weekend; congrats! From all 4 teams - thanks so much to Jon Sutinen, Garry Hurlbut, and Scotty Gelfand for making our weekend a great one; omg putting the schedule together, practice courts, directions, rented BnB, food etc. WOW: cannot express enough gratitude for all you did.

We missed you terribly Jorge and Flor Salinas; we would not have gotten to Sectionals without you!

From intense competition to unforgettable moments, here’s how our teams made us proud.

The 6.5 Team: A Journey of Pride and Resilience

The 6.5 team kicked off their Sectionals journey with fire and determination, winning their first two matches. This set up a highly anticipated showdown against the undefeated Mountain View team, who came in hungry for a victory. The battle was fierce, but despite our best efforts, RTA could not overcome the Mountain View juggernaut, and we were ultimately eliminated.

But here's the thing: this 6.5 team is the most successful Richmond has ever produced. While we didn’t come out on top, we take with us invaluable experiences and a deep sense of growth. Co-captain Fernando Ramos shared his thoughts on the journey: “I saw a group of men come together, playing a sport that we’re all passionate about. We want to continue inspiring the Richmond community. Tennis is a sport that builds character, teaches problem-solving, reduces stress, and boosts self-esteem. This weekend only fueled our desire to help it grow.”

USTA Match results: RTA 2022 18+ 3.5 WOMEN’S

RTA’s 2022 18+ 3.5 women’s team rallies hard to make it to the playoffs! Ranked in 5th place during a very competitive regular season with 8 other teams in the East Bay region, RTA had 2 back-to-back matches that it had to win to clinch third place and compete in the playoffs. With some players out due to COVID infections and injuries, RTA fought hard and won both team matches to secure a place in the playoffs.   On the evening of July 7, RTA faced off against Mervyn Morris in the first round of playoffs.  With home court advantage, it was a battle from the start. Although all our players played lights out and gave it their best effort, unfortunately, RTA fell a bit short losing 2-3. It was a super close match. Although we did not make it to the second round of playoffs, our ladies were committed and dedicated throughout this awesome season. We all played hard, supported and encouraged each other, and most importantly, had a lot of fun. We were proud to represent RTA in the East Bay region this season.    Players on the RTA team include: Megan Abramson Ward, Debbie Chang, Sandrine Chobert, Shauna Hannan, Mizue Kato, Andra Kavuma, Angie Koontz**, Sydnie Koontz, Christy Li, Diane Li, Stacie Maa*, Cindy Mark, April Nguyen, Nu Opapongpand, Natalie Prittenen, Kim Sakaue, Kim Shaw, Judith Silver, Nancy Strahan, Corri Synak, Mindy Williams, and Connie Wong-younger.

*Captain Stacie Maa