Masters Update: Déjà-Vu in Vancouver

The ITF Masters Tour passed through Vancouver once again in May and a number of familiar faces were hoisting the trophies at the end.  

Canada also had a couple of singles victories on the ITF tour over the last month. 

Let’s catch up with the Canadian tennis players competing on the ITF Masters Tour.    

ITF Vancouver 

For the second month in a row, the ITF Masters Tour made a stop in Vancouver for the BC Masters Provincials, an MT400 event. 

A number of players who won the title at the VLTBC Masters Indoor Tennis Championships in April claimed a second title in British Columbia’s largest city. 

Chandril Sood of India, Glenn Richards, and Steven Yesowick, both Canadian, each won men’s singles titles at both Vancouver events. Khristina Blajkevitch, Kristi Tremble, Elena Audy, and Cora Wills, all of Canada, did the same on the women’s side. 

Read also: Career-Bests for Canadians at Roland-Garros

Two women’s doubles teams won in both Vancouver events, but claimed the title in different divisions. Kateryna Filyus and Bronwyn Muirhead won the 45+ at the first tournament but took home the 35+ in the latter. Andrea Stevens won the 50+ in April and the 55+ last month, winning the doubles with different partners. 

The pairs of Kristi Tremble and Jennifer Tse and Branda Cameron and Cora Wills went back-to-back in Vancouver in the same divisions.  

Read also: Rafael Nadal’s Unforgettable First in Montreal

Three Canadian men, Manuel Calvo, Hannes Blum, and David Fairbotham won both Vancouver events but with different partners. The Soods, Chandril and Lakshit, won the 30+ doubles at both, while John Harvey and Steven Yesowick took home both 70+ doubles trophies. 

At the more recent Vancouver event, Chandril Sood, Blajkevitch, Tremble, Robert Bettauer, and Yesowick all won both the singles and doubles in their age divisions.  

Sheria Stewart and Janice Holloway were the only two players to win titles in different age groups, both claiming a pair of doubles crowns. 

Here is the full list of winners (all Canadian unless otherwise noted):   

The next ITF Masters stop in Canada will be in early June in Mont Tremblant, QC. Later in the month, the tour will pass through Winnipeg. 

Big Month for Wong 

In the month of May, Da Hong Wong of Canada reached an astounding four finals.  

Three of those finals came in doubles, but his one victory was his lone singles final where he claimed the MT100 title in Shijiazhuang, China. Hong did not drop a set on his way to his first ITF singles title.  

Read also: Branstine Returns to Lead Texas A&M to NCAA Title

Gerald Girdler was the other Canadian singles winner in May, picking up an MT100 title on the lawns of Oxford, UK in the 65+ division. It was his first ITF title since 2019. All three of his career titles have come on grass. 

Here is a list of Canadians who reached finals on the ITF Tour (excluding Vancouver) in May (Titles in bold):       

• Da Hong Wong: MT100 Shijiazhuang 55+ men’s singles champion, MT100 Ganzhou 55+ men’s doubles runner-up, MT400 Pattaya 55+ men’s doubles runner-up, MT400 Pattaya 50+ men’s doubles runner-up 
• Gerald Girdler MT100 Oxford 65+ men’s singles champion 
• Jeanette Loakman: MT200 Canterbury 55+ women’s doubles runner-up 
• Mark Thompson MT400 Jackson 65+ men’s doubles runner-up