Carmel father, daughter net national tennis title

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CIC COM 0327 Pittman Tennis
Carmel residents Steve and Ellie Pittman display their trophies after winning the Father/Daughter division of the USTA National Championships. (Submitted photo)

By Rick Morwick

Carmel resident Steve Pittman has an impressive tennis resume. So does his teen daughter, Ellie. But that’s not all they have in common.

They also share a national championship.

On March 11, the Pittman duo won the Father/Daughter division of the United States Tennis Association National Championships in Barrington, Ill. They not only won, they did so despite never having played competitively together before.

Turns out they are natural doubles partners.

“Ellie and I had great chemistry, and we communicated well with each other,” said Steve, 54. “It was a real joy to play with my daughter in this tournament and be awarded a gold ball by the USTA. I love playing tennis, but I never imagined winning a national championship.”

Neither did Ellie, who enjoyed the opportunity — and the challenge — of being dad’s teammate.

“I felt very happy,” said Ellie, 15. “There’s more pressure (in doubles) because you don’t want to let your partner down.”

A 1982 graduate of Carmel High School, Steve played on the Greyhounds’ IHSAA state championship teams in 1981 and ’82. He continued his career at the University of Arizona and has played competitively in USTA events ever since.

Ellie, meanwhile, is a nationally ranked junior player in the 16 and under division. She has played competitively since age 8 and is a member of the Cathedral High School girls varsity team.

Despite their combined accomplishments, the Pittmans entered the USTA event with no real expectations of winning it – especially after encountering a highly formidable team, Sam and Mimi Fotopoulas from Kansas, in the title match.

Sam was a standout player for the Oklahoma University men’s team and is a former member of the Greek Davis Cup Team. Mimi, a 2017 Oklahoma graduate, played two seasons for the Sooners’ women’s team after transferring from Tennessee.

Yet when the dust settled, the Pittmans netted a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory and a national championship.

“Actually, we were pretty fortunate to win,” Steve said. “The other team was probably better than us, but I think we just had a better day.”

For Ellie, the best part of the day, if not the tournament, was teaming up with dad.

“Playing tennis with my dad is a fun way for us to spend time together and something that we have in common,” she said.


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