The MPSA South A State Tennis Tournament, hosted by Huntington and Trinity, will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Natchez for the sixth straight year.

Teams playing in this year’s tournament are Trinity, Huntington, Chamberlain Hunt, Tallulah, Franklin Academy, River Oaks, Briarfield, Coast Episcopal, Glenbrook, Pine Hills and Presbyterian Christian.

Matches will be played at the Trinity School Courts and at the Duncan Park Tennis Courts beginning at 9 a.m. on Tuesday.

And for the second straight year, Chamberlain Hunt and Briarfield are the favorites to win in the boys and girls division, respectively, said Huntington tennis coach Emily Guida.

&uot;CHA has a very strong boys team,&uot; Guida said. &uot;Briarfield has a very strong overall team.&uot;

As for individual favorites, Guida said those are hard to pick. And with good reason.

Only the No. 1 Girls Singles champion, Briarfield’s Jessica Tomlinson, and the No. 2 Girls Singles champion, Mary Kathryn Schnieder, also of Brairfield, are returning to this year’s tournament.

The two boys singles champions from last year’s tournamant, CHA’s Jason Abraham and Loren Eaton, and the four singles runners-up, are not returning.

As for some of the doubles teams that will be tough to beat, Guida mentioned Cass Dodgen and Daniel McFatter of CHA, last year’s No. 1 Boys Doubles champs, and Jackie Brown and Sarah Fortenberry of Briarfield, the No. 1 Girls Doubles runners-up in ’99.

Guida also believe a few players from Presbyterian Christian will be strong, including last year’s No. 2 Girls Singles runner-up, Tiffany Silman.

Even though the tournament is being held close to Huntington, coach Guida doesn’t believe in having home-court advantage.

&uot;We’ve had the tournament here several years, so I don’t really feel there’s a home-court advantage. It’s not like football and basketball, which have huge crowds and big stadiums.&uot;

Guida said her team at Huntington is a very young team, but that her mixed doubles team of Bridget Anders and Tom Terry Milliken, last year’s champion, have a good chance of a repeat, even though they will have stiff competition from Briarfield.

&uot;Our mixed doubles pair is my favorite,&uot; Guida said.

And Guida also said don’t be surprised if the Huntington No. 2 Girls Doubles team of Katie Cole and Rachel Anders ends up being a spoiler, even though they are playing in their first tournament.