Americans Star in Turkey
The American Super Seniors (60 and over) were really super in Turkey the week of October 24th. They won 6 singles and 8 doubles titles out of 11 divisions contested.
In the men’s 60’s, Jimmy Parker avenged his loss in the team competition to Peter Adrigan of Germany by beating him in 3 sets in the final of the men’s 60’s. He then combined with Ken Robinson of the USA to beat fellow Americans Hugh Thompson/Leland Housman in straight sets.
In the men’s 65’s, American top seeds George Sarantos/Hank Liechtfried beat American Joe Bachman and Aussie Gordon Waygood 61 75 to win the doubles gold medal.
In the men’s 70’s, King Van Nostrand proved too consistent and too experienced on the red clay for his Crawford Cup teammate Gordon Davis, beating him in straight sets to take the singles title. Davis didn’t go home empty handed though, as he and Richard Doss won the doubles title in the 70’s.
In the men’s 75’s, no American won a gold medal, but Russell Seymour reached the singles and doubles semis, losing to Lorne Main in each. Chuck DeVoe/Bill Davis were finalists in the 75 doubles, losing in 3 sets to Main/Ken Sinclair in a repeat of the deciding Bitsy Grant Cup match.
Graydon Nichols won the men’s 80 singles and doubles title. It was his first ever world singles title, and he upset top seeded Oscar Jirkovsky in straight sets to take the title. He combined with Tony Franco of the USA to win the doubles title.
Charleen Hillebrand combined with Britain’s Frances MacLennan to take the 60 doubles title.
Unseeded Americans starred in the 65’s. Donna Floyd Fales won the singles title over defending champion Rosie Darmon, the top seed, in 3 tough sets, 67 63 64. She also beat the 4th, 5th and 2nd (Jeanne Lieffrig of So Africa) en route to the final. It was her first senior world title. She also reached the doubles final with Frenchwoman Inger Delamare before falling to the unseeded American team of Dori deVries and Susanne Clark. deVries/Clark beat the 4th (Nanda Fischer/Sigrun Fuhrmann) and 2nd (Lieffrig/Van Coller) seeds in 3 sets en route to the final before ousting the 3rd seeds in the final.
Mary Boswell/Belmar Gunderson retained their 70 doubles world title in Turkey. They beat Aussies Ann Fotheringman/Margaret Robinson in a hard fought 3 set match in the final. The Americans dropped the first set 60 before rallying to win the final sets 64 75. Boswell and Boots Van Nostrand reached the singles semis as well in this division, earning bronze medals.
Louise Russ retained her world 75 singles and doubles titles in Turkey. She beat her doubles partner, and Queens Cup teammate, Diane Hoffman (the 5th seed) in straight sets in the final. Olga Mahaney and Jane Lutz were the beaten semifinalists, and also Queens Cup players. Russ/Hoffman took the doubles title with a close win over Rosemarie Asch/Joyce Jones from Canada. The two teams split the first sets and had to play a match tiebreaker as required by the ITF for this age division. The Americans took the breaker 10-6.
Dorothy Knode won the 80 singles title and reached the doubles final in that division. It was the first time the women’s 80’s has been contested at the world championships.