Fairfield County Women Win National Platform Tennis Championships

Macie Elliott of Norwalk and her doubles partner Marcela Rodezno of Monroe, the No. 6 seeds, captured the American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) Women’s National Championships in a thrilling final, Sunday, March 8, 2020 at the Country Club of Darien. The home court favorite, Elliott, the assistant racquets professional at the Country Club of Darien, and Rodezno, a racquets professional at the Patterson Club in Fairfield, claimed their first national championship defeating No. 1 seeds Florentina Hanisch of Stamford and Annica Cooper of Bedford Corners, NY 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

The largest women’s field for an APTA Women’s Nationals attracted the best women platform tennis players in the country to Fairfield and Westchester counties. Because of the large number of local pros competing for the title, the number of spectators continued to grow all weekend, drawing more than 1,000 fans to the final round.

Originally from Evansville, Ind., Elliott played college tennis at SMU and has worked at the Country Club of Darien since 2015. Rodezno, originally from El Salvador, was the No. 1 female tennis player in both singles and doubles in her home country and also in Central America and the Caribbean. She has taught tennis and platform tennis at several clubs in Trumbull, Weston and Norwalk. Elliott and Rodezno were on a winning streak this season. The pair won the APTA Lagunitas Open in January and were finalists in the Philadelphia Open in February.

In men’s action, Johan du Randt and Stephen Mitchell, No. 3 seeds from Massachusetts, took the title in another captivating final against No. 7 seeds Jared Palmer and Drew Broderick. Du Randt, who has now won four APTA men’s national championships, and Mitchell won the match 6-4, 6-4. Palmer, formerly a Rowayton resident now living in California, once held a No. 1 world ranking in doubles in professional tennis. He and Broderick, who is from New Jersey, are the winners of three APTA men’s national titles.

The weekend also featured the APTA Men’s and Women’s Viking President’s Cup, an annual inter-regional competition. In women’s play, Region I – New York – was the winner, and in men’s competition, Region II – New England – came out on top.

As many as 500 men and women from the local region to as far as Colorado and California competed in the APTA National Championships, now in its 85th year. Matches took place at host club, the Country Club of Darien, and at more than 34 additional clubs and facilities in Fairfield and Westchester counties. The last time the tournament took place in the region was 2016.

The American Platform Tennis Association, www.platformtennis.org, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that governs the sport for its 19,000 members. The APTA sanctions more than 180 annual tournaments, including 34 national championship events; provides national rankings; maintains official rules and etiquette; regulates standards for equipment and courts; and produces Platform Tennis Magazine.

For more information and complete tournament results, visit www.platformtennis.org

Photo by Katharine Calderwood

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Submitted by Norwalk, CT

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