La Baule was a very nice site for a world championship and today was a beautiful day, overcast and beachy in the morning and sunny by afternoon.

Tina arranged for an 8:30 pickup at the hotel. Lyn Mortimer warmed me up while Tina’s doubles partner Nora Blom warmed her up. We started around 10am as did Danny Waldman and Sal Castillo. (They won in a match tiebreak). Tina and I both had set points in the first set before Tina won the set 9-7 in the tiebreak. She went up 4-2 and the end must have seemed close to her…it did to me and not in a good way. At 4-4 we played a game that one of our two spectators (Sherri and Nora) said lasted 20 or 30 minutes…it was a long one. I won it and pulled out the next game (backhand topspin lob on set  point) to even the match. It was nearly 1pm when we resumed and I won the set and the match 61. For me I kept thinking I might never be there again, so fight! So to win was a dream come true.

The other finals were pretty routine; Mike Tammen/Mike Fedderly won easily over the Brits to take the men’s 55 title; Ros Balodis beat Chris French, who pulled a pec muscle early on and couln’t serve; she had to retire in the match.

Considering how many Americans were in the draws we did well…swept 60 singles and doubles; won men’s 55 doubles, and finals of women’s 55 doubles, final of 55 singles and semis of 55 singles, men and women, final of 50 women’s singles and semifinalist 50 singles, semis of 55 mixed.

Off now to the next one, Au revoir France. A bientot!