Mary Johnson and Tracy Viebrock split sets and due to inclement weather (rain, and following, thunder and lightening), the tournament director called play for the day around 6pm.

Tracy used net cord winners judiciously to rally from 25 down in the second set to win it in a tiebreaker.

Click here for tweets on the tournament (you may need to sign up for an account).

It was supposed to rain starting at noon...and it did...for about 3 minutes...then for 10 minutes...then it stopped. Probably because the TD, Brian Sakey was so optimistic that it wouldn't rain. So though the conditions and balls were heavy, play is ongoing, and the matches are all completed except for the 2pm matches which are ongoing. There were no surprises today, but some good, competitive matches...Debbie Burgess beat Mary Morgan in three tight sets, Tracy Viebrock edged her doubles partner, Nancy Szen 62 75; Mary Johnson beat Mary Hanson by the same score....It was Hanson's first national...she's a strong lefty; and Chris Ramsower-Pearlstein edged Rita Rector 75 64.

More tomorrow.

 

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The 40/50 clay courts begin tomorrow in Gulf Breeze, FL at "The Club". Rain is predicted for the afternoon. More tomorrow. Enjoy the photos.

The Midwest Clay Cat II will be held the 27-31 of May in the 35-75s in Indianapolis. Check the USTA.com (click on Adults and tournaments) for more information.

Robert Quall won the men's 70 indoors, 63 64 over Rudy Hernando.

The 2009 Men's 75 Indoor Champions have been determined Neil Hurlburt, the #4 seed, after edging Russell Seymour 76 63, beat Buddy Lomax (who narrowly defeated Chuck McCabe 76 76) to win the 75 indoors. Seymour took out the #2 seed, Saul Snyder, 64 76 in the quarter. McCabe won the 3/4 playoff by default over Seymour.

In doubles, John Powless/Dick Doss dominated the event, beating the #2 seeds, Chuck McCabe/Jack Vrdevelt 61 64 in the final. They didn't lose a set in their 3 matches.

In the men's 70s, Harry Leichtfried/George Sarantos, seeded #2, beat Tom Brunkow/Sam Corso, the #3 seeds, in the final 64 75. They beat the #4 seeds, Don Biedenger/Rudy Hernando in the semis. Brunkow/Corso took out the top seeds and defending Gold Slam winners, Bob Duesler/Jim Nelson in the semis, 64 64. Biedenger/Hernando won the bronze by default over Duesler/Nelson.

In the 70 singles, Rudy Hernando, seeded 3rd is in the final against Robert Quall, seeded 4. Quall beat the #2 seed, Bob Duesler, 61 76 (6) in the semis.  Hernando easily dispatched the defending champion and top seed, Fred Farzanegan 63 60 in the semis but had to go three sets to beat Sarantos in the 2nd round. However, he got a break when his quarterfinal round opponent, Nichols Ourosoff had to retire after playing only 2 games. Farzanegan, in the same round had what must have been the match of the tournament, against Herm Ahlers, the 5th seed, which he won 62 67 76. Farzanegan also had to go the distance in the round of 16.

For all results, click here.

From Margaret Anderson, re Marian Petersen, the former NSWTA membership chair and a wonderful lady...she'd love to hear from you I'm sure!

I don't know if you knew of Marian's double pneumonia and pleurisy and her surgery on Monday, but I received an e-mail from Pat Van Derck, her friend, and she tells me that she is alert and getting impatient to go home!  She was moved out of ICU on Tuesday, and the doctor says she will need to stay in the hospital for about two weeks!  She is unhappy about this, so it sounds as if she is feeling better!  She is in Research Medical Center, 2316 E. Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64132, and I have a feeling she would appreciate some cards, if you feel so inclined.
 

Fran Chandler won the clay courts for the third straight year, beating Myke Loomis 64 62 in a repeat of the 2007 final. Susan Boyer defaulted the 3/4 playoff...her toes were too injured to play (maybe Gerda borrowed a voodoo doll from Heide???). The first set of the final was tight, with a long final game but Fran just doesn't miss...and moves beautifully, able to run down Myke's heavy shots and send them back deep again and again.

Sherri Bronson, a notoriously slow starter, spotted Anne Guerrant the first 6 games before her coffee kicked in. She won the final sets 63 62 to win the 55 singles title, adding it to the Checket Cup title she won a month ago...a great start to the year for Bronson. Martha Downing won the 3/4 playoff over Kandy Chain 63 62.

In the 35s, Julie Cass got past a tenacious Trish Riddell, who has been playing well all year, in three sets, 63 in the third. She faces Angela Simon who played great in beating Michelle King 61 62. Cass/Bowes-Hackney overpowered Riddell/King in one doubles semi and Simon/Babel made quick work of Pam Dodman/Mary Dailey in the other semis.

Betty Eisenstein added the doubles gold to the singles title she won yesterday, combining with Marion Tyrell to beat Betty Cookson/Phyllis Adler 61 62.
Click here for all results.

Heide Orth is number one in the world, apparently a scary thought for the other playes in the 65+...in her quarterfinal match she beat Lurline Fujii 60 ret inj. (groin)...in the semis she beat Lee Delfausse 61 23 ret inj. (achilles); and in the final she played only 2 games, when her doubles partner, Suella Steel retired, 1-1 ret inj. (plantar fascitis)...Heide was disappointed, but at least had some competitive doubles matches winning the semis and finals in 3 sets...maybe she needs to play 55s next year? She already won the 55 indoors this year without dropping a set.

Martha Downing/Kerry Young played great in beating Kathy Barnes/Sherri Bronson 61 60, to win the 55 doubles for the second straight year,  taking over the net...the "tall" team as someone called them, also hit great overheads. Cindy Babb/Susie Peiffer lost to Jan Kirkland-Cochran/Becky Holland, 76 (5) in the third...their second straight loss by 76 in the third in as many days.

Erika Smith/Mary Dailey, the team wearing black, didn't need that color attire to be intimidating...ever seeen Mary Dailey hit an overhead....Erika's is equally potent...another tall team beat Susan Boyer/Fran Chandler 63 61 to win the 45 doubles. Erika also hit some huge serves at critical junctures. Myke Loomis/Pam Dodman won the 3/4 playoff against Heidi Gerger/Sue Bushman equally decisively, 62 62.

Boots Van Nostrand edged Mary Boswell 62 57 63 in the 75 singles final, but Mary went home with the gold in doubles.

Betty Eisenstein dropshotted her way past her doubles partner, Marion Tyrell 62 60 to win the 85s, , showing off her excellent footwork all match long.

In the 35s, Trish Riddell was able to blunt the power of Leslie Rose, a NorCal hard court player enough to win in three sets. She joins Angela Simons, Julie Cass and Michelle King in the semis. King beat the 4th seed, Vicki Leroux 60 60.

In 35 doubles, Riddell/King, Dailey/Dodman, Cass/Bowes and Babel/Simon.

It's nice and warm here now and is supposed to be in the low 80s tomorrow. The 45 and 55 singles finals are tomorrow and the semis of the 35s, plus some consolation matches.
For all results, click here.

Susan Boyer was involved again in a marathon match...2 actually...first singles against Myke Loomis...Susan won the first set, Myke took the 2nd and led 52 in the third...Susan rallied to go up 65...Myke took it into a tiebreaker,...and won it 7-4 after 4.5 hours...on a net cord winner. It was an excellent match, a lot of hard hitting by Myke and counterpunching by Susan with some net advances thrown in.

Fran Chandler edged Gerda Preissing 26 75 60...Fran said the first set Gerda just hit winner after winner off her backhand, but Fran kept running...till Gerda ran out of gas.

Susan (whose big toe is going to hurt a lot tomorrow), and Fran beat Loomis/Pam Dodman in 3 sets to reach the doubles final against Dailey and Smith. Dailey/Smith beat Gerger/Bushman 64 62.

Sherri Bronson continued her fine play here, beating last year's finalist Martha Downing 64 64 (lots of dropshots in that match), and Anne Guerrant beat Kandy Chain in straight sets. She then combined with Kathy Barnes to reach the doubles final, edging Cindy Babb/Susie Peiffer 76 in the third; Martha Downing/Kerry Young rallied from 3-4 0-40 in the first set against Kirkland-Cochran/Holland to beat them in straight sets.

Suella Steel put an end to Nanda Fischer's fine run at the clay courts and Heide Orth played only one set of singles for the 2nd day in a row, as Lee Delfausse defaulted to her after a set...Fujii did the same a day earlier. Heide and Suella beat Delfausse/Sheila Weinstock in 3 sets to win the 65 Doubles title.

Mary Boswell (beat Anneke Balics) and Boots Van Nostrand reached the 75  final today...Boots started slowly, but gained momentum against Lucille Kyvallos. Boswell/Lee Burling beat Van Nostrand/Belmar Gunderson to win the 75 doubles.

Marion Tyrell and Betty Eisenstein, doubles partners, face off in the singles final tomorrow in the 85s.

Warm weather, windy...nice.

Click here for results.

Longest match of tournament...any guesses as to who was involved and the length?

The semis are set in the 45-75.

45: Preissing vs Chandler and Boyer (bonus if you guessed she was involved in that long match) vs Loomis. Loomis took out Shelly Works (playing her first national 45s); Chandler took out Stillman-Scott (also playing her first national 45s); Preissing beat Mosvold and Boyer beat Tracy Houk in 5 hours 50 minutes (according to Houk). Houk was very happy with her match, since she's been battling injuries for several years and was able not only to walk off the court but also to play a doubles match afterwawrds.

45 doubles: Chandler/Boyer vs Loomis/Dodman and Dailey/Smith vs Gerger/Bushman

55 Singles; Kandy Chain ousted 2 time defending champion Chieko Holt in 3 sets, rallying from a set and 41 down (finally figuring out a game plan that obviously worked) and plays Anne Guerrant (who beat Kathy Barnes)next while Martha Downing (who beat Kerry Young) faces Sherri Bronson (who beat Sue Bramlette).

55 Doubles: Young/Downing face Kirkland-Cochran/Holland in one semi and Bronson/Barnes face Babb/Peiffer in the other.

65 Singles: Lee Delfausse is playing great tennis right now...she just retired, played for 2 months on clay in Florida this year...and it seems to have payed off as she ousted #3 seed Cathy Anderson in three tough sets. Nanda Fischer likewise has been playing a lot and very well, and avenged her most recent loss (on hard courts) to Sinclair Bill, beating her in 3 sets today. Heide Orth and Suella Steel though made their way into the semis without inicident, Steel beating Terri Eggers and Orth beating Lurline Fujii.

The semis of the 65 doubles were today: Orth/Steel had to work to overcome Jane Pang/Anne Russ, but did so in 3 sets; Delfausse/Sheila Weinstock beat Retsy Wilson/Terri Eggers in the other semi.

75 singles: the top 4 seeds reached the semis: Boots Van Nostrand, Mary Boswell, Lucille Kyvallos and Anneke Balics. The 2 doubles seeds, Van Nostrand/Gunderson and Boswell/Burling are in the doubles final.

85s: Marion Tyrell and Betty Eisenstein reached the semis.

More tomorrow maybe.