YAKIMA, Wash. – The Yakima Tennis Club hosted its annual Labor Day tournament, drawing over 200 players from across the Northwest. The event offered participants a chance to compete for prizes up to $10,000 while enjoying sunny weather and a fun atmosphere.
The tournament, officially known as the Baker Boyer Labor Day Tournament, has been a local tradition for 56 years. It included athletes of various skill levels competing in pursuit of excellence on the hard court.
Avi Shugar and Maxim Groysman faced off in the men’s open category. Shugar shared the story of how they first met in Yakima back in 2019.
“We got paired up randomly to play doubles together at the sectionals in the 18s Division. And after being paired randomly, we ended up winning the tournament. So that was a really fun memory. That’s how we first met each other. And then since then, we’ve practiced whenever we are able to,” Shugar said.
Shugar managed to edge out Groysman in their match, resulting in a tie in their head-to-head encounters. Groysman mentioned that a rubber match is likely on the horizon.
Nicholas Reeves, a sophomore tennis player at Gonzaga, participated in the tournament for the first time, bringing along some of his teammates. His father traveled west to watch him play.
“My dad’s been with me since day one. He’s been going to all my tournaments and everything. He’s my biggest supporter, so I really appreciate it,” Reeves stated.
The tournament also highlighted the lifelong appeal of tennis. Robert Schefter, a 73-year-old former captain of the 1973 Notre Dame tennis team, competed with his daughter Annie Knudson as his doubles partner.
“We are both very competitive people and once in a while I have to straighten her up when she messes up. I have to bring her back. And the same way with her, if she sees me messing up, she will tell me right to my face, you know, get, you know, ‘Get going, Dad, come on,'” Schefter explained.
Annie Knudson, who lettered in soccer at South Bend, expressed her admiration for her father.
“It’s just such an honor because my dad has always been someone that I truly look up to and have been inspired by my whole life. And we’ve spent hours and hours on the grass here watching him play three-hour long matches and just watching him grind and compete. And it’s just super fun that that type of competitive spirit is in me. And now that that’s transitioned over to tennis, it’s just so it’s like full circle to be out grinding, playing long, hard matches with him. And it’s, it’s really fun,” she shared.
The duo will compete in their group’s championship, aiming for a father-daughter victory in Yakima.
