By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Due to COVID-19, former Drake University tennis standout Thomas Hands' fledgling professional career has consisted of a lot more practice than competition over the past several months.
But the 81st Jayhawk Open Tennis Tournament at Kossover Tennis Center was a chance for Hands to get back in the swing of things and the 2019 Drake graduate took full advantage, with the No. 2 seed claiming the men's open singles title with a 6-3, 6-2 win over top seed Ray Lo of Wichita State on Sunday.
Former Drake standout Thomas Hands claimed the men's open singles championship in the Jayhawk Open Tennis Tournament Sunday, taking a 6-3, 6-2 win over Wichita State's Ray Lo in the final. [Photo by Jeff Jacobsen/Action Images Photography]
"I've been trying to get around and play the (International Tennis Federation) events, some of the lower level professional tournaments, and it was going really well up until about last February (2020) when everything went to hell with COVID,'' said Hands, a native of Great Britian. "I'm out here playing in the (United) States, doing a series (of events) and I've got an ITF starting next week hopefully, so this was sort of like a warmup for that and it's been great.
"It's been a really nice facility and I needed a tournament because I hadn't played in like eight months. I've been training and doing the best I can with sometimes not even being able to get on the court and trying my best to stay fit.''
Hands said it was important for him to get back in a competitive setting.
"There's only so much you can do in training,'' Hands said. "The nerves and the match court are so hard to simulate when you're training and a match just tests you so much more than training does.
"You can run and do loads of sprints and do all of this and be tired the next day, but a match just drains you because it's the focus as well and you've got to stay focused on it. I don't know how the top guys do it for four or five hours. Hopefully I'll find out one day.''
Hands said the Jayhawk was good experience for him moving forward.
"It was lots of matches and everyone's really friendly,'' Hands said. "It's been a great event to sort of help me get back to my competitive ways.''
Tulsa University product Martina Okalova won the women's open singles title in the Jayhawk Open Tennis Tournament, taking a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 win over Kansas freshman Maria Titova. [Photo by Jeff Jacobsen/Action Images Photography]
Former Tulsa standout Martina Okalova, a native of Slovakia, captured the championship in the women's open singles event, outlasting Kansas freshman Martia Titova in a marathon final, with Okalova taking a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 decision.
Titova did pick up a championship in the women's open doubles, teaming with KU teammate Malkia Ngounoue to take a 6-4, 4-6, 10-3 win over Jessie Zheng and Natsumi Kurahashi of Wichita State.
Washburn University's Raul Dicu and Kinsey Fields claimed the mixed open doubles title with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Hayden products Ronan Boyle and Marisol Blair.
