Defending champions Jeff Wolf and Emilia Anderson may find it tough repeating at the Thomas E. Price Metropolitan Tennis Championship.

        Last year, Wolf and Anderson swept the singles, doubles and mixed doubles championships of Cincinnati's most prestigious amateur tournament for adults.

        Entries into the tournament will be accepted until 2p.m. today, but Wolf and Anderson are assured of the No.1 seeds in singles.

        “We've kept signups open because of the later than usual start of the tournament,” said Karen Montavon, tennis director for the Cincinnati Recreation Commission. “Several players told us they mailed applications on Friday (June 29) and we don't want to exclude anyone who is interested in playing.”

        Through Saturday, there were 110 men entered in the singles competition and 38 men's doubles teams.

        But only 21 women have signed up for singles, down from 31 last year, and participation in the women's doubles is currently at an all- time low of five entries.

        The tournament is open to residents of Hamilton, Clermont, Butler, Warren and Brown counties in Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn, Ripley and Switzerland counties in Indiana.

        All players must be members of the United States Tennis Association. Participants must be at least 16 years of age.

        Men's singles play begins on Thursday and the men's doubles competition on Sunday. Women's singles action will start today.

        Wolf will face a tough field in his quest for a record sixth Met singles championship. Entered this year is Division II state high school champion Jason Zimmermann from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy.

        Zimmermann competed in the Australian Open junior tournament earlier this year and is playing in the Wimbledon junior tournament.

        Other notables entered include 2000 runner-up Rey Puentes, former champion Jason Yeager, Ryan McCarthy, 2000 semifinalist Amin Nabli, Isaac Yarrell, Justin Yeager, Brandon Smith and Brett DeCurtins.

        Wolf has won five singles championships and 11 in doubles for a Met record 16. He is tied with his older brother, Marty, and Charles Thomas for the most singles championships.

        Anderson, a sophomore at Stan ford, also must overcome some tough competition to repeat.

        Besides the three Molony sisters — Kara (2000 runner-up), Lyndsey and Molly — former state champion Brooke Hart of Anderson and newcomer Tanya Luzjanka from Israel are entered.

        “Craig Boynton (head professional at Five Seasons) was on the seeding committee and indicated that Tanya is capable of winning the tournament,” Montavon said.”

        The doubles championships will be July 13. The men's and women's singles semifinals will be July 14 and the championship matches on July 16.

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