A Tournament Held in a Paradise Called La Jolla

The 50/60/70/80/90 Women’s Hard Courts began today at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club in La Jolla, CA, near San Diego. The club is wonderful, located right on the La Jolla Shores beach, with a dozen hard courts, many of them lighted. Photos of tennis players from different eras who have played there are displayed throughout the club, along with International Hall of Fame member Dodo Cheney’s nearly 400 gold balls. (They aren’t real gold, so anyone thinking of making off with a “gold mine”, you’ll be disappointed…they represent accomplishment, not riches.)

After an unseasonable rainy weekend, today was a sparkling clear day. I played my first match today, the round of 32, against Anna Greer from Florida, and won. Tomorrow I play someone from Utah, Marianne, whom I’d not met before today.

There’s also a senior men’s tournament here which is very popular, in singles and doubles 60-80+. It attracts quite a few really good national players and all the locals as well.

National tournaments for the women are a lot like reunions especially the first day or two. Some players I haven’t seen since last year here, some were in Bocage just a couple of weeks ago. It’s an energetic, fun atmosphere, full of hope and health and energy at the beginning!

One funny thing happened today. There are seagulls everywhere…they are looking for lunch, players are eating lunch…sometimes the two don’t go together. I was carefully eating my sandwich and reached for something in my purse…and lost 1/4 of my sandwich..good thing it was a big one. These are some well fed seagulls here.

The less funny thing was that Christina Kaus fell during her first round match with Andrea Rice and hurt her wrist and had to withdraw. Sad smile