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Players come from miles to play in tourney By DON HUNT ASHLAND - The Big Al's Tennis Tournament has a reputation for drawing players from hundreds of miles away. In the case of Tom Tidwell, it's more like 3,000. The college chemistry professor from Toronto, Canada has participated in the tournament for the past 10 years. This year he's gone the extra mile(s) - flying in from Australia after attending a chemistry convention there. The 26th annual tournament featuring more than 300 players kicks off at 8 a.m. today at Hunter Park and Southern Oregon University. "We love this tournament and Ashland," Tidwell, 62, says. "This is a great vacation." Tidwell learned of the tournament from Ed and Sharon Laskos, who they met at a tennis club in Mountain View, Calif., in 1990. Tidwell was teaching at nearby Stanford University at the time. Sharon Laskos is from Ashland. "There's just a great atmosphere with the tournament and the community," says Tidwell, who was born in Florida, obtained his undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech and earned his Ph.D from Harvard. "It's well-organized and everyone seems so friendly." Tidwell and his wife, Sarah, are staying with the Laskoses this weekend - along with a dozen other players from Mountain View. Tidwell, who is entered in the 3.5 singles and doubles competition, has never won a championship and doesn't expect to this weekend. He'll leave the serious tennis to people like Chad Wilson, the defending champion and No. 1-ranked player in the men's open division. Wilson, 20, who grew up in Grants Pass before moving to the Sacramento area after his sophomore year in high school, defeated former champion Beau Toy 6-4, 3-0 last season when Toy was forced to retire due to exhaustion. Toy, 41, is the No. 2 seed in the men's open division. Ashland's Gail Patton is the top seed in the women's open division. Medford's Dan Perone will seek his seventh straight title in the men's 40-and-over division. Perone defeated four-time open champion Andy Oas 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in last year's championship match. Part of the proceeds from the tournament goes to Supporters of Tennis for Ashland Youth, or S.T.A.Y. The non-profit group uses the money to buy lessons and shoes and help fund trips for young players, Ashland Racket Club owner Steve Sackett said. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.