(Camden, SC) – The Royal Court Queen’s Tennis Classic was held October 9 & 10 at the Camden Tennis Center at 828 Campbell Street in Camden, where Rick Martin is the Director. Women’s doubles’ teams from across the Carolina’s registered for this USTA tournament and played in 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 brackets.
Sponsored by Kingdom’s Treasure Box and sanctioned by the USTA, the idea of a women’s doubles tournament with the proceeds to benefit a non-profit organization during Domestic Violence Awareness Month was conceptualized and planned by Patricia Smith. Smith, a native of Cheraw, South Carolina, and a US Army Veteran found her “happy place” on the tennis courts in 2017, as a way to deal with her PTSD and the stress she was under. “After four years of playing year-round, I saw the dedication and the love for tennis experienced by so many of the women that I played with,” explained Smith. “It fueled a desire in me to do more, to celebrate them, and to reward my fellow tennis players,” added Smith. “God gave me the vision of a tournament and the name Royal Court Tennis Classic, and instruction to give back to the community to aid in our fight against things such as domestic violence”. This year, all of the tournament proceeds (registration fees and several donations) were given to Sistercare, Inc. Christina L’Etoile, the Kershaw County Advocate for Sistercare, received the funds on behalf of her agency on Saturday, October 9, 2021, at the Tennis Center during the tournament.
Tournament winners were: Nicole H. Holland and Michelle Miller (2.5), Amber Celestine and Tiara Perry (3.0), and Pia Thompson and Gazella Williams (3.5). Tournament Finalists were: Arleatha Toland and Kalisha Mines (2.5), Gail Jabber and Toni Wilson (3.0), and Peggy Dingle and Joanne Branch-Brennan (3.5)
In addition to the prizes awarded to the winners and finalists, players received prizes throughout the tournament through several raffle drawings and organized contests. Saturday’s lunch was catered by Chef Chris Williams of Roy’s Grille (711 W. Main Street in Lexington). “Royal Court Queen’s Classic was a complete success, and that’s what I wanted,” says Smith. “For us to all come together, play good tennis, have a good time, and help the community”.
To learn more about the Royal Court Queens Tennis Classic Tournament and Kingdom’s Treasure Box visit us on Facebook.
