Lewis, Hosie among winners at Hodge tennis tourney
Published: August 20, 2012
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Women's Doubles winners Shirley Peters, left, and Patrice Harley make sure the ball returns across the net.
Daily News Photo by THOMAS LAYER Doris E. Hodge Doubles Tennis Tournament winners James Hosie at the net with his partner George Lewis backing him up.
ST. THOMAS - After a renaming ceremony for the Sub Base tennis courts on Wednesday, the Doris E. Hodge Doubles Tennis Tournament started with four days of competition on the courts that now share her name.
George Lewis and James Hosie pulled off a 7-5, 6-1 win over Rudolph Chapman and Darryl Donovan in Men's Doubles to take home the winners' trophies and money. There were six teams in Men's Doubles competition.
Hosie recently moved back to St. Thomas to be near his family and work for an EDC company; he graduated from Antilles School in 1992.
"With him back on island, I wanted him on my team," said Lewis, coached Hosie years ago.
"This was our first time playing together," Hosie said. "George knows these guys, so I listened to what he said about the competition."
To win the Women's Doubles title, Shirley Peters of St. Thomas and Patrice Hall of St. John had to fight though an extended first set to beat Kerri Clifford and Agnes Casimir, 7-6(4), 7-5. There were eight teams in the Women's Doubles category.
Peters and Hall had never played competitively together before, but managed to get stronger the longer they were on the court.
"We needed to get more aggressive for the first half of the second set," Peters said. "After we were down 2-5, we finally got back into it to win the set 7-5."
The duo also competed in Mixed Doubles.
With 11 teams in Mixed Doubles matches, competition began Wednesday and ended when Sacha Gumbs and Kirk Thomas of St. Thomas, who both started their tennis careers under the tutelage of Doris Hodge, defeated Joann Romney of Tortola and George Lewis of St. Thomas, 2-6, 6-2(11-9).
Gumbs and Thomas had only recently again been practicing and playing together.
"Sacha and I grew up together," Thomas said. "It feels like we are brother and sister on and off the court."
Romney donated her second-place prize money to the St. Thomas Racquet Club Youth Tennis Program.
"The Doris E. Hodge Tournament started in 2001 and is named in honor of her passion for tennis, especially doubles," said Sharon Flamon, president of the St. Thomas Racquet Club. "Doris would be very proud with the continued growth of this event and specifically the exceptional turn out for this weekend's matches. This event remains the premier annual doubles event for the St. Thomas Racquet Club."
Hodge traveled extensively to play, watch and support tennis as well as instruct juniors and adult players of all levels, and she represented St. Thomas at national level events. Players she helped bring into the sport are now playing professionally and representing St. Thomas in national competitions.
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