The recent Delta Open Tennis Tournament proved to be a family affair on the podium for the Jacksons.
Jennie Jackson reached the U18 girls singles final before falling to Vancouver's Renee Ren. Proud mom Susie Jackson did more than just watch.
She paired with Caroline Kusumoto and the doubles team from Ladner captured the 3.5 category with a convincing 6-0 and 6-2 upset win over number one seeds Marian Shoemaker and Margy Jalbert.
The event was held at the Sunshine Hills Tennis Club and is part of the Odlum Brown Summer Series which features tournaments throughout Metro Vancouver.
"Caroline and I had never played together before, but we thought it would be fun to partner for the Sunshine Hills Tournament - two Ladner moms showing the kids how it's done," laughed Susie Jackson. "Boy, did I luck out. Caroline is an amazingly strong player with a beautiful backhand. My strength is a hard, crosscourt forehand. This combination made it difficult for our opponents."
Tennis has always been front and centre with the Jacksons.
Susie was introduced to the sport 23 years ago by her husband Dave who remains a top rated player on the local competitive circuit. The couple's three children, including Chris and Matt, were members of the Delta secondary school's tennis
team that qualified for the provincials this spring. Jennie's impressive showing in the Delta Open reflects her rapid progression as a player.
" I'm so proud of Jennie," added Susie. "She has improved her game by leaps and bounds over the last year or so.
"She has beautiful groundstrokes and a wicked forehand, plus a hard-toreturn serve (she gets that from her Dad). Jennie is playing incredibly well and she wants to challenge me to a "serious" match to see if she can beat her 'old' mom. I have no doubt that she can!
singles. "Tennis is a big part of our lives and we look forward to the next tournament!"
