Scott Works Wins First World Individual Titles in Turkey

Scott Works (San Antonio), Tina Karwasky (Glendale, CA) Susan Wright (Grand Junction, CO), Danny Waldman (Washington, DC), Diane Barker (Daniel Island, SC), Mark Vines (VA) and Wesley Cash (TN) won ITF World Individual Titles in Turkey March 24-31.

Works teamed up with a German player whom he’d never met before and won the 45 men’s doubles. He was the only American younger than 55 to win a world title this year. His wife, Shelly, won the 45 consolation singles and was a member of the USA Margaret Court Cup team which finsished sixth.

Barker won her second straight 55s title with ease (and third straight overall), never dropping more than three games a match. She beat Karwasksy in the semis and Ros Balodis from Australia in the final. Karwasky and Wright, seeded #1, edged #3 seeded Carolyn Nichols (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) and Pat Purcell (St. Louis, MO) in a match tiebreak for the gold. Nichols and Karwasky were a bronze medalists in singles. Barker, Wright, Karwasky and Purcell comprised the USA Maureen Connolly Cup team which won the Cup the previous week.

Waldman won the 55 singles as the 8th seed, beating world #1 Paul French in the quarters in three sets and winning the semis and final in straight sets. Waldman didn’t play the team event the previous week. Cash/Vines, who won the 55 doubles “gold slam” in 2012, added the 55 world doubles title to their impressive resume. Cash had extensive knee surgery a few years back and wasn’t sure if he’d ever again be able to compete at this level, so was delighted with the win. They beat Mike Tammen (Portland, OR) and Waldman in the final. Cash/Vines were members of the silver medalist USA Austria Cup team the previous week and Tammen was a member of the Fred Perry Cup team (men’s 50) which finished 7th.

Patricia Zerdan, was the35 singles finalist (she beat the #2 seed in three sets to reach the final). In the final she lost to the top seed 75 in the third, a great effort in her first ever ITF World singles final.

Other USA players who medaled in Turkey: Mary Dailey (Delray Beach, FL)/Ken White (Elma, NY), silver, 50 mixed (in the semis they were down 9-5 in the deciding match tiebreak and held off 5 match points to advance to the final); White, 50 doubles (bronze), Dailey, 45 doubles (bronze), Ross Duncan (CA), men’s 35 doubles (bronze), and Duncan/Carolina Blouin (GA), 35 mixed (bronze).