The Fourth of July usually conjures up visions of hotdogs, fireworks and baseball, but this year tennis was the main attraction in Eugene. The Pacific Continental Bank Open Tennis Championships finished on Sunday for the forty-eighth time from the Eugene Swim and Tennis Club with some players with University of Oregon connections doing very well.
Oregon alumni Dominika Dieskova dominated the women’s draw, winning the women’s singles, mixed doubles and placing second in women’s doubles. Then on the men’s side Oregon women’s coach – and Dieskova’s former coach – Paul Reber won in the men’s 35 singles bracket, as well as placing second in mixed doubles with his partner Maja Kovacek.
“I squeaked it out,” an exhausted Reber said after his 6-3, 6-1 win.
Reber also made it to the semi-finals of the men’s open doubles bracket with his partner Nathan Bounds.
Although Oregon players drew the attention, the tournament draws a lot of players from around the region, including some professionals says tournament director Dirk Baker.
“We get a fair amount of semi-pro players and athletes who were playing on the circuit years ago and are now just trying to pick up a little bit extra cash,” he said. “There are also a few current circuit players and top collegiate players. They use the summer as a training time.”
And even though the field isn’t as large as other tournaments, Baker – who is also the head tennis pro at the Eugene Swim and Tennis Club – says that the quality is exceptional.
“We’re around 100-120 in size,” he said. “That’s about average for us. Being down south we don’t get the draws that Portland might, but the depth of the field is good because we offer good prize money.”
In the men’s open singles, ATP player Roman Borvanov of Portland – and Portland Pilot alumni – won 6-2, 6-1 over his doubles partner Angelo Niculescu. They won the men’s double bracket 6-2, 6-2.
But the main story was Dieskova, who was a last minute addition to the PCB Open. The No. 1 seed, Kelsey McKenna, withdrew late on Thursday, and Dieskova was called to step in. She had been playing in Waterloo, Ontario in a tournament, followed by another one in Boston, but she made a plane flight at 5 p.m. on Friday to Portland and drove to Eugene at around midnight.
Just in time for her first match Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
“I made a quick change to my schedule, but it was worth it,” Dieskova said. “I won the event last year and I really wanted to play in the tournament this year too.”
She beat Suzanne Matzenauer 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the women’s final, and with University of Arizona senior Geoff Embry she won the mixed doubles bracket. Dieskova did hit one snag, losing 6-2, 6-2 with partner Emma Daugherty to Sabine and Stephanie Fuchs in the women’s doubles finals.
Dieskova played five years at Oregon, graduating in 2008, and she’s now playing on the women’s professional circuit. The Slovakian native is currently ranked 558 in the world and 372 in doubles. Although she has spent most of her time travelling, she says Eugene is her home here in the states.
“I feel at home (in Eugene),” Dieskova said. “This is my sixth year in Eugene and I know most of the people. I love playing at this club, and there are a lot of people watching who care. Also the money is pretty good. Let’s be honest.”
As to being a professional now, Dieskova said that it’s been great.
“I love it,” she said. “It’s different from college because you’re on your own and everybody focuses on themselves. It gets lonely sometimes because I travel by myself. But I’m enjoying it. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.”
Two college students with Duck ties also competed in the second tournament of the Pacific North West tennis circuit. Embry, who played two years for the University of Oregon before transferring to Arizona, played in the open singles, open doubles and mixed doubles. He won the mixed bracket with Dieskova, and he lost in the finals of the men’s doubles with former UO teammate Ric Mortera to Borvanov and Niculescu. Embry also lost in the semi-finals of the men’s singles to Niculescu.
“It was good,” Embry said of his play. “I felt decent out there. I played last weekend too so I was pretty warmed up.”
Embry transferred to his home state of Arizona to be closer to home. But he says that it wasn’t because of anything wrong with the Ducks.
“I loved it at the UO,” he said. “I wouldn’t trade those two years for anything. The guys on the team and everything was so amazing, it was just that I had to get closer to home. I had a few personal things to do. The other part was that I couldn’t deal with all the rain. I need sun in my life.”
And it was definitely sunny this weekend, where temperatures ran into the mid-90s on Friday and Saturday. But it still didn’t deter from the event, Mortera says.
“I think it’s a well-run tournament, the directors do a great job and the amenities are nice,” Mortera said. “It’s hard to complain. Plus it helps that it’s in Eugene. I don’t have to travel. I’m stuck in Eugene for summer school so I’m lucky it’s here so I can get some matches in.”
The PCB has become the premiere tennis event in Eugene in recent years, and Reber said that having a tournament in Eugene helps get the word out about women’s tennis.
“It’s great playing this whole circuit and being out in the public talking about the team,” he said. “It’s just a great atmosphere here.”
“For the club members and community members it’s a time for them to see a level of tennis that they would normally only see at a professional event or on TV,” Baker added. “So to have it in their backyard throughout the weekend is something they take pride in. The goal is to promote the club and also to attract people to the game of tennis. It’s great for Eugene to have it in town.”
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