QUINCY – Following a first-round bye and a dominant two-set win against Ava Jacobsen, Maura Gottman awaited the winner of the other women’s 3.5 semifinal.
And right before the rain started pouring Saturday at Reservoir Park, Gottman learned who her championship opponent would be – her own sister.
The Palmyra High senior came out victorious over Molly Gottman, 6-2 and 6-4 to win the women’s 3.5 division at the Quincy Open Singles Championships.
“It’s always nice to take home a championship. I feel bad because it was against my sister, but I mean, it also makes it that much sweeter,” Maura Gottman joked.
For the sisters, playing each other is nothing new. The Gottmans both play on the Palmyra High girls’ tennis team where they practice and often compete with each other for top spots on the squad.
Despite battling with one another often, both sisters said they love playing against each other, and when they do, they make each other better.
“With other people, I would know them, and I would talk to them, but it’s not the same as with your sister,” said Palmyra sophomore Molly Gottman. “Like I live with her, so you can joke and just be yourself, really.”
The Quincy Open’s junior divisions also wrapped up Saturday. In the junior 14 and under division, Alex Hamby outlasted Ausin Mondon in two 6-4 sets. Anish Podaralla won the junior 12 and under final against Dax Klusmeyer in two sets, 6-4 and 6-1.
After taking an early 4-1 deficit in the first set, Podaralla won 11 out of his next 12 sets to claim victory in his first Quincy Open. Podaralla said he felt he worked really hard to win his division’s championship, but also wanted to thank his parents.
“My dad and my mom helped me get here,” Podaralla said.
Quincy University star Zach Willing continued to shine with a 6-0, 6-1 victory against former Quincy Notre Dame player Sean Robertson. The match was moved indoors at the Quincy Racket Club after showers soaked the courts at Reservoir Park Saturday morning.
With his two victories, Willing will compete in what will essentially be the championship match in the round-robin men’s open on Sunday.
His foe? Quincy University head tennis coach Ethan Arns.
Arns capped off Saturday with a win over defending men’s 3.5 winner Abbott Haner in two 6-0 sets after Friday’s win against Robertson.
Arns says the two are quite familiar with each other as they play “probably twice a week.” Sunday’s final will be a rematch of the last year’s men’s open semifinal where Willing won in three sets and ultimately took the final.
“I’m excited. He got me the last time we played and actually beat me up pretty good so I’m ready to take it to him, hopefully,” Arns said.
Olivia Clayton is also looking for redemption after falling in the women’s open final last year. Clayton defeated defending women’s 3.5 champ Phoebe Hayes, 6-1 and 6-0, earning a spot in the women’s open finals against Kendra Maples.
The former Quincy High Blue Devil is back in the Gem City after another year on the Tulane University club tennis team in New Orleans. Clayton says it has been exciting to come back home and play the game she loves.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Clayton said. “I know everyone playing in this tournament, which always makes it more fun. I’ve just known most of the people forever, so it’s just playing against my friends.”
Another young sensation, Arrow Crist, advanced to the men’s 3.5 final with a two-set win over David Lieber at the Quincy Racquet Club. The 13-year-old will play Steve Damm Sunday for the title.
Sunday’s festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with the men’s legends finals at Reservoir Park. The men’s 4.0, men’s 3.5, men’s open and women’s open finals will be played at 10:30 a.m.
And as some players are looking forward to their matches Sunday, the Gottman sisters are already anticipating a rematch next year.
“We’ll be here again,” Maura Gottman said.
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