World Individual Championships, Friday-Sunday, Conclusion

I’m typing this on my flight (#3 of 4) to California. I wasn’t online the last three days of the tournament, so here’s a summary of the semis and finals.

On Friday the semis were played in most divisions and the 75s finals. Nancy Reed, USA and Margaret Robinson, Australia, won the 75 doubles final. Louise Russ/Mary Boswell were semifinalists in the 75 doubles and Mary lost in the semis to Muffy Grieves from Canada, whom she beat in the Cup (if she hadn’t the USA would have lost the Queens’ Cup).

Tony Franco upset his doubles partner, Graydon Nichols in the semis of the men’s 80s, beating him in three sets, combining deep shots with some wicked drop shots (and that sneaky speed of foot). However they did win their doubles semis later in the day to reach the final there. Jason Morton, USA, the #4 player on the USA Gardnar Mulloy Cup team beat #2 seed, Clem Hopp, USA in straight sets, his 2^nd straight upset. He’d beaten #4 seeded Trevisan from Italy the day before to reach the semis. The defending champions, from Australia, Corbett and his partner, beat Hopp/Morton to reach the final against Franco/Nichols. On Saturday Franco/Nichols won the doubles over the Aussies, avenging their 2007 loss. The Americans have now won three of the past 4 world doubles titles in the 80s. On Sunday Morton scored his third straight upset, beating Franco in three sets, coming back strongly after losing the first set to win the world championships. This was a great comeback from Jason, who has overcome lymphoma and the side effects of his treatments for it and also a knee replacement.

In the men’s 75s, Jack Vredevelt, in his first world championship, won a world title, the men’s 75 doubles, combining with Chuck McCabe, USA to beat Chuck Nelson/Saul Snyder, USA. It was also Snyder’s first world championship final. Snyder played well in Turkey, even taking a set off of Lorne Main in the quarters of the singles.

King Van Nostrand also had a tremendous comeback from his third or 4^th knee replacement, beating Bodo Nietsche in the semis and Haas in the final (in four hours, 67 76 62) to win the world championship in the men’s 70s. Later the same day as the final, he combined with Fred Farzanagan, a fellow Floridian to beat the California team of Bob Duesler/Jim Nelson, the second seeds, in three sets. Van Nostrand/Farzanegan again dropped the first set, but after the sun set and the artificial lights went on (which were not bright at all and were very low), they played better and won the final set 61.

Jimmy Parker/Ken Robinson concluded an outstanding doubles season, winning the world doubles title in the 65s. over fellow Americans and Britannia Cup teammates Fred Drilling/Joe Bachmann…in fact all four players were dressed alike in their burgundy USA shirts and white shorts. Drilling lost in the semis of singles.

Phil Landauer/Tom Smith were finalists in the 55 doubles, falling on Sunday, as did Mark Vines/Ross Persons. Mark also reached the semis of singles, losing a close 2 setter.

In the women’s 40s, Mary Dailey, USA, Lucie Zelinka, Austria reached the final, losing there to Olga S from Russia and Leslie O’Halloran from Ireland, the same duo that took out Carolyn Nichols/Vesna McKenna in the semis. Vesna and I played Aussie formation once on my serve to O’Halloran on the ad side. Leslie is a lefty and hits hard…the day we played them, her hard hit shots were all going in. On that point, I served to her backhand and she hit her backhand down the middle so hard that neither Vesna nor I…neither of which were far from the ball, came close to touching it. Carol Clay and Carol Wood were watching on and started laughing. They were just too good that day.

Renata Marcinkowska lost early in 40 singles but won the 35 doubles despite a pulled calf…and there were a lot of pulled calf muscles going around, including Renata and Jimmy Parker.

The USA dominated the women’s 45s. Susan Boyer took out two seeds before falling in 3 hours to the #2 seed, Koutna. Koutna then played Mariana Hollman who beat her in straight sets, rallying from 1-5 down in the 2^nd set to win it 76. Fran Chandler reached the semis but lost in four hours to Christine French from Gr. Britain. French, who is in remarkable shape apparently…she was cramping against Fran but came back strong the next day. Hollman rallied though (and rallied is the right term, apparently at the end the rallies were endless and the balls were very high over the net during the rallies), from a set and 14 to win the match, showing great endurance and mental fortitude to win. She then went out and won the doubles with Myke Loomis over Boyer/Chandler, in a match which also ended under the lights. Loomis/Hollman rallied from 35 15-40 on Chandler’s serve to win the first set then won the 2^nd 63. Loomis was killing the ball with her backhand, playing beautifully.

USA also had a strong showing in the women’s 50s, with 2 teams in the doubles semis and three players in the singles semis. Ros Balodis of Australia spoiled the all-American party though, since she beat Phyllis Blackwell, qf, Carolyn Nichols, semis and Diane Fishburne, final, in straight sets, rallying from 35 in the 2^nd set against Fishburne to win 75 75. Fishburne beat Wright 61 61 in the semis. Blackwell/Fishburne had a great 2^nd set against Kaye Nealon/Balodis in the semis but the Aussie pair refused to miss or let a ball go past them often enough for the Americans to win a set. The points though were fantastic, aggressiveness and defense on full display during each point. The Aussies won the final over Wright/Marianne Robertson 61 64. The Americans pulled a Houdiniesque escape in the semis against Lyn Mortimer, Australia, Heidi Eisterlerner, Germany. The Americans were up 51 in the third, only to drop 5 straight games. Heidi then served for the match at 65 40-0…only to be broken. Susan and Marianne won 76 in the third!   

In the 60s, Betty Wachob/Brenda Carter reached the semis, losing to the So African pair of Petra Kruger/Karin Boschoff.

Charleen Hillebrand won the 65 doubles and was a finalist in 65 singles, losing to Heide Orth in the final.

Dori deVries reached the 70 singles and doubles final, losing to Jeanine Lieffrig in the final of both. She played with Roz King in the doubles. King and Carol Wood both reached the singles semis. King played a good 2^nd set against Lieffrig though. Wood and Kathy Langer reached the doubles quarters, eking out a three set win in the quarters.

With over 1700 matches, the referees and ITF staff and volunteers worked tirelessly for over 2 weeks to make the team and individual championships great. 

USA senior and super senior teams won four titles in Turkey at the ITF Senior and Super Senior World Team Championships.

USA sent 19 teams to Antalya Turkey to compete in the largest international tennis team competition ever held. USA came home with four championships, and finished in the top three in 14 divisions overall. The USA won the women’s 50, 55 and 75 and over age divisions and the men’s 75 and over age division. USA was the finalist in eight divisions: men’s 45, 55, 70, and 80 and women’s 60, 65 and 70. USA won the bronze medal in the women’s 45 and men’s 50 and 65 age divisions. In the other age divisions, USA finished 4^th in the men’s 40s and women’s 35s; 5^th in the men’s 60s; 6^th in the men’s 35s, and 7^th in the women’s 40s.

The most dramatic match of the tournament occurred on the final day in the men’s 75s. The USA was playing Canada for the fourth year in a row. Canada was the three-time defending champion, led by Lorne Main who was undefeated in international team singles play in that division. The USA started off the tie with a win by George McCabe at #2 singles over Ken Sinclair. John Powless, the US #1 player then played Main…and played and played. The match between the two lasted four hours and was the best match of the tournament according the myriad onlookers. Powless stands about a foot taller than Main and attacked, while Lorne counterpunched brilliantly. Powless won the first set, held match points in the second before Main rallied to win it. Powless then forged a 52 lead in the third set when Main called for a trainer, due to a back injury. Resuming play after the time out, Main rallied, winning four games and serving for the match at 6-5. Powless broke, and won the ensuing tiebreaker, and the players embraced at the net to a standing ovation. It was truly senior tennis and sportsmanship of the highest quality. It also secured the Bitsy Grant Cup for the USA. Saul Snyder and Jack Vredevelt completed the USA Bitsy Grant Cup team.

The USA won the Queens’ Cup, women’s 75s,  after a two year absence, beating Canada in the final 2-1, with Nancy Reed and Mary Boswell winning the deciding doubles point. Lucille Kyvallos and Louise Russ completed the USA  Queen’s Cup team.

USA retained the Maria Bueno (women’s 50s) and Maureen Connolly (women’s 55s) Cups.

The USA beat Australia in the Bueno final for the third year in a row, this time 2-1. Diane Fishburne and Susan Wright were undefeated in singles. Fishburne took on Aussie Number One Ros Balodis in singles. She beat Ros 61 67 61 in a brilliantly played match. Diane had four match points in the second set but the loss of the set didn’t phase her and she ran her taller opponent ragged in the third set. Wright started the day with a 61 62 drubbing of Aussie #2 Lyn Mortimer. The Aussies salvaged the doubles point, winning 63 62 against Carolyn Nichols, Phyllis Blackwell.

USA beat unseeded Australia convincingly in the Connolly Cup final. Mary Ginnard and Tina Karwasky played the singles; Martha Downing and Kerry Young played the doubles.

USA finished second in seven divisions: Men’s 45, 55, 70 and 80; and women’s 60, 65 and 70s. USA split the singles in the men’s 55 (against Australia), 70 (against Germany), and 80s (against Australia) and in the women’s 70s (against South Africa), but lost the deciding doubles point, and in the case of the men’s 70s and 80s, in three sets.

USA lost to both singles against France in the final of the women’s 60s; to Germany in the final of the women’s 65s and to Spain in the final of the men’s 45s.

USA women’s 45s lost in the semis to the unseeded Czech Republic team, 2-1, losing the doubles point in three sets but beat France 3-0 to win the bronze. Fran Chandler had some brilliant wins at #1 singles, beating Barbora Koutna of the Czech Republic in three sets and Catherine Suire of France. Czech Republic beat Italy to win the Margaret Court Cup.

USA women’s 50s, the Perry Cup, beat France in a tight third set of doubles to win the bronze.

Next year the seniors, ages 35-55 will be playing in April in Mallorca, Spain and the super seniors, ages 60-80 will be playing in Perth, Australia in November.

Cups, Final Day:

Belek: The USA won the Connolly Cup, successfully defending their 2007 title behind the strong play of Mary Ginnard and Tina Karwasky in singles. Kerry Young and Martha Downing played doubles all week.

The USA Marble Cup team improved on it’s bronze medal finish in 2007 by finishing second to an incredibly strong French team. USA was defeated at #1 and #2 singles.

USA Bueno Cup team won yesterday as reported against Australia.

The USA men’s 70s, Crawford Cup, had a disappointing loss to Germany, winning at #2 singles, losing at #2, both in straight sets and then losing the deciding doubles, 63 in the third.

The men’s 50s, Perry Cup, won today, finishing third.

Over at Manavgat, the USA won the Queens’ Cup yesterday and finished third today in the men’s 65s. Jimmy Parker strained his calf and was unable to play the last two days. USA finished 4^th in the Lenglen Cup, women’s 35s, 7^th in the Young Cup, women’s 40s and third in the Margaret Court Cup, women’s 45s. Fran Chandler beat Catherine Suire during the team’s 30 sweep. Czech Republic won the 45s.

USA lost to Germany in the 65 women’s division, falling in 3 sets at #2 singles and in straight sets at #1 to Heide Orth’s team.

When I left, USA had split in the women’s 70s against So Africa. USA had also split in men’s 55s, and 80s and were still playing singles in the men’s 40s, 45s and 75s.

More coming.