A Senior Tennis (USA and International) & Travel website by Carolyn Nichols
This will be updated periodically during the year.
Click here to see all draws and results.
On another 100 degree day I played a long singles match against Jennifer Shorr…whom I have played several times in NorCal tournaments but not for about 20 years or so. She still has a big serve (and I still do not), but I put a lot of balls back in play and managed to overcome a set point in the first set and win 76 (3) 62. We finished just before 1pm…out doubles final was scheduled at 12:45…but after about a 75 minute break Robin Harris and I took on Tina Karwasky and her third doubles partner of the week, Ann Stanley (Una Davis (back) and DeeWillams-Horne (heat) recused themselves). Ann played well; she’s had a couple of hip surgeries (that’s senior tennis for you) and is moving better and out of pain. We came back from 3-5 down in the first to win 75 60. It was around 100 when we finished.
Yes, it was hot when we finished! 103
Kathy Barnes won the 70 singles over her doubles partner, Carol Gay. Then they played Kathy Bennett/Liane Bryson in the doubles final. Bennett/Bryson won in three sets. Bryson is also in the mixed final with Frank Zebot. They will take on William-Horne/Tom Rettenmaier in the final. The latter team had a long 3-set battle with Brent Abel/Ann Stanley to reach the final.
Susan Wright beat Terri Thyssen in the 60 singles final 62 63. The second set was a tussle; Susan led 3/0 but Thyssen, a quick mover with a very good backhand kept fighting. Susan has a great backhand of her own though and makes few errors…she closed out the match and added the singles title to the doubles title she earned on Thursday. She was going for the trifecta (singles/doubles/mixed) with Kurt Chan against Jonathon Fears/Shannon Gordon Carney, but the latter team were too tough in the final and took the gold ball in straight sets. Cindy Abel/Joseph Kennedy won the bronze.
In men’s 60s, Bill Moss edged local star Mike Fedderly, 64 75 to win the title in a repeat of the Pacific SW final they played in September. Ross Hessler/Glenn Petrovic, (5) continued their fine run, beating Mike Tammen/Mike Megale (4) in straight sets to win the 60 doubles title.
Wendell Pierce, unseeded (what a great comeback story!) will face Toby Crabel (1) in the men’s 65 final. Crabel beat Bruce Nichols to reach the final while Pierce advanced by default over Andrew Stanley. In doubles, it will be #1 vs #2, as Crabel/Tim Garcia (1) take on Doug Ditmer/Stanley (2) today (Saturday).
The men’s 70s semis were both excellent battles. Paul Wulf (1) took on Bob Litwin (3)…it was just a great match. The accuracy of each player’s shots was amazing as the ball seemed to nestle inside just inside a line on each shot and points were won, not lost. Wulf prevailed 76 57 64 in over three hours. Wulf’s doubles partner Lenny Wofford (4) beat Phil Landauer (unseeded) in three sets. Wofford won the title when Wulf withdrew from the final. In doubles, Wofford/Wulf (1) beat Litwin/Brian Cheney (3) in straight sets as did Mike Talmadge/Zebot (4) over Bill Hahn/Rettenmaier (5). The doubles final is this morning.
In men’s 75, Don Clark (9) edged Roger North (5) in a match tiebreak (10-1) and Felix Ponte (5) beat #2 MichaelStewart in straight sets. Clark has an unusual style but moves great and the ball keeps coming back. In doubles, Ken Robinson/Chuck White (3) edged Dean Corley/Stewart (1) 76 76. Dave Van den Berg/Les Buck (2) beat Gary Doi/Tad Yukawa 75 61. In mixed, it will be #1 vs #2, with Corley/Suella Steel (1) taking on Andi Polisky/John Popplewell (2).
In men’s 80s, William Wolff (1) advanced to play Randy Mellinger (unseeded); Mellinger edged L Hill Griffin 62 67 10(4) while Wolff beat #3 Wilbur Jones in straight sets. In doubles, both semis were decided by match tiebreaks; Wolff/Jones (1) beat Robert Jones/Stephen Rothenberg while Thomas Brunkow/Dick Landenberger upset Bob Quall/Bennet Serkin (2).
In men’s 85, Herm Ahlers (1) will face unseeded Walter Steige this morning in the final Steige beat Jack Sanders (2) in the semis in straight sets.
Click here to see all draws and results
We’ll start with women’s 65s today. I won my match against Andrea Barnes. We had not played singles in a tournament for decades; it was a very pleasant match, I played well and won in straight sets. Tina Karwasky, who I don’t think has ever lost a singles match in the Desert in her age division, took on Jennifer Shorr who has the biggest serve in the 65s, a fluid easy motion with lots of power (first serve) and lots of spin (2nd serve) plus nice touch to go with groundstroke power. She edged Tina 64 76 (5). Both players used power plus drop shots throughout the match. I take on Shorr at 9:45 tomorrow morning.
In doubles, Ann Stanley, Tina’s third doubles partner since the draw was initially made, and Tina won their doubles semis decisively; Robin Harris and I struggled against and inspired team, Julie David and Betsy and rallied from 41 down in the first and a break down in the 2nd to win 76 (3) 64. We played around 2pm and it was mighty warm…the match lasted about 2.5 hours.
In the 60s, Susan Wright edged Tracey Thompson in the first set 76, and then played a flawless 2nd set, winning 62. She plays #4 seed Terri Thyssen who overcame cramps to win 61 in the third. Susan with Shannon Gordon Carney, won the doubles over Shelley Goodson/Kellie Jacquez. Susan teamed with Kurt Chan to reach the mixed final against Shannon and Jonathon Fears.
Carol Gay and Kathy Barnes will vie for the W70s singles title tomorrow; Barnes/Gay reached the doubles final in an upset over the #2 seeds and take on Liane Bryson/Kathy Bennett in the final. Both semis were 3 sets.
In men’s action: 60s: Bill Moss will take on Mike Fedderly, #1 vs #2. Fedderly fought off a determined Peter Markes in the semis 64 64. It was a long, fierce battle. In doubles, Tammen/Megale take on Hessler/Petrovic in the final.
In the 65s, the 1, 3 & 4 seeds are joined by Wendell Pierce, who again beat a seed to reach the semis. He’ll take on Andrew Stanley in the semis, while #1 Tony Crabel takes on Nichols (no relation). In doubles, the top 2 seeds advanced and each plays and unseeded team in the semis.
In the 70s, Dave Sivertson got injured against his doubles partner, Phil Landauer at 5-4 for Dave in the first set and retired; they also had to default their doubles. so Phil plays Lenny Wofford (4) while Bob Litwin (3) takes on Paul Wulf (2); Wulf played flawlessly to beat Wesley Jackson 60 60.
In 70 doubles, the 1, 3 & 4 seeds advanced with Hahn/Rettenmeier advancing when Landauer/Sivertson had to default.
In men’s 75s, the #1 (Les Buck) and #3 (Dave Van Den Berg) seeds retired down a set yesterday; Michael Stewart (2) will face Felix Ponte (5) in one semi while Donald Clark (9) takes on Roger North (5). In contrast to the singles, the 1-4 seeded teams all reached their predicted spots in the draw.
Wednesday at the Wilson:Wendell Pierce (RH Version) is Back!
Click here to see the draws and results.
Starting today with Men’s 65: Wendell Pierce, who went from a top 45s and 55s player as a righty, and and a decent but not world beating player after an injury required him to play lefty, is back playing right handed. He best a #9 seeded player yesterday but today took on the #2 seed, Tim Garcia and edged him 63 57 75. He’ll take on #9 Dane Petchul tomorrow..Petchull took out #5 Rollin Rhone today. Mike Lamble (9) advanced when Larry Loeb retired with an injury, 46 1:0. The remaining seeds advanced to their predicted spots.
It was another hot day in the Desert, upper 90s and sunny most of the day and calm. The heat combined with the long gap between tournaments led to several retirements due to illness. However, given the draw sizes, that was to be expected.
I played at the Palm Valley Country Club at 8am when it was still pretty cool and it was calm. I played Natasha Volovik from Marin County and won; I play Andrea Barnes who also won convincingly. She’s an excellent player, it should be a good battle tomorrow. Tina Karwasky plays Jennifer Shorr on the other side of the draw. This tournament apparently trusts the players a lot…there are no referees of any sort at the ancillary sites, no one to measure the nets and no singles sticks (yes, of course I had some in my tennis bag…and used them).
Men’s Singles Results
Jeff Greenwald won men’s 50 in straights over Dana Gill.
Peter Smith (2) won the 55s in 3 sets over Dan Goldie.
In the 60s, Alex Piers, unseeded, advanced to the semis. Fedderly (2) dropped the first set, won the 2nd when his opponent retired.
The Jenkins , Gary and Logan (I have no idea if they are related) had different fates today in M70s. Logan (5) fell to Phil Landauer (a sleeper for sure) in 3 sets while Gary (9) took out Brian Cheney (5) in 2 close sets.
In M75, Hans Weber beat #3 Dave Van Den Berg 75 retired.
Women’s Singles
In the 60s, #2 seed Shannon Gordon Carney was up by a set and 1:0 against Dorian Sailer when she had to retire due to illness. She recovered sufficotonplsy and win in 60 doubles with Susan Wright.
Kathy Barnes and Carol Gay, the top seeds in the 70s, advanced to the semis.
Caroline Vis and Oren Motevassel beat Tracie Currie and Pat Crow in three sets to win the gold ball in 50 mixed. The Settles, Paul and Kathy, took bronze by default over the McBrides.
Many of the doubles results haven’t posted yet. Check the link above for later results. I did watch one match in M70s, my cousin Don Beer played and won a marathon 75 in the third (coming back from 3/0 down in the third) over at Palm Valley. They play Wulf/Wofford in the quarter; Brent Abel won too in doubles.
I ran into Mai Ichikawa Abel who was watching Brent play. Always nice to see old friends.
Click here to see all draws and results.
Tuesday was another warm and sunny day in the Desert, but much calmer. I had a couple of hits, with my cousin Don Beer (M70 doubles) and Jenny Keller, and lunch again with my sister and parents. I finally play tomorrow, 8am sharp!
In the afternoon I watched Jenny and Judy Newman win the women’s 55 doubles final over Anne Kerwin-Payne and Lisa Montero. It was a fabulous match, with very few unforced errors. All four players displayed great hands, nice touch, fabulous anticipation spiked with doses of power. Jenny & Judy both have great overheads and had plenty of opportunity to display them. Lisa in particular had a booming forehand and Anne was all over the net and lobbed great as well. Judy also won the 55 singles final.
The seeds haven’t started play yet in the W65 or 70s.
In men’s action, Dana Gill (3) will take on Jeff Greenwald in the 50 men’s final tomorrow, an all NorCal final. Gill had to go 3 sets to beat Kevin Smith while Greenwald took out Brendan Murphy in straight sets.
In the 55s, Dan Goldie (1) will take on Peter Smith (2); each won his semis in straight sets.
In the 60s, Mike Tammen, seeded 3rd, retired against Alexander Pier down a set. Pier took out a 9th seed the day before. Jeff Goldfien (9) beat Maurice Hunter (5); the other seeds advanced to their expected positions in the draw, though the result of Markes vs Linebarger wasn’t posted yet.
In the 65s, there were a few upsets of #9 seeds; Brian Patno beat Don LeSage, Eric Youmans beat Anthony Foux; Michael Grindon dropped the first set 64 but advanced when Michael Megale retired with an injury; and Wendell Pierce (yes, he’s back and he’s playing right handed!) beat Marc Krupp…he now faces Tim Garcia (2) who had a tussle against Darrell Nicks, finally winning 46 64 61.
In the 70s, there were no upsets today and the top 4 seeds, Sivertson, Wulf, Litwin and Wofford advanced comfortably.
In men’s 75, which has a large draw, Phil Cox beat Mike Saputo (9); that was the only upset today.
80 & 85 men’s haven’t started play yet.
Men’s Doubles:
50s: Mike Noel/Paul Settles (4)edged top seeded Art Hernandez/Carsten Hoffmann in 3 sets; I caught part of that match and it was a good one, interesting points and nice volleying by all four players. They take on the #2 seeds, Neel Grover/Julien Heine in the final tomorrow.
55s: Vivek Varma/Rick Leach are in the final but the other semi’s score hasn’t been reported yet;
60s: Jeff Goldfien/JosephKennedy upset Marc Krupp/Thomas Lopez (5); the rest of the seeds advanced.
No seeds have played in the 65-85 divisions and most play hasn’t begun yet.
Mixed:
50s: Caroline Vis/Oren Motevassel will play Tracie Currie/Pat Crow in the final.
40s: Angela Henry/Ryan Pang (1) beat Hiromi Sasano/Trent Aaron in 3 sets in the final.
35s: Tanya O’Neil/Stephen Robertson, unseeded, took out the top 2 seeds to win the event.
Draws and results can be found here.
Monday in the Desert brought high winds (fortunately, most were away from the main venue). The geography of the Palm Springs area with mountains surrounding this Desert Oasis, means that some areas may have 40 mile an hour winds while others only 10 minutes away will be nearly calm.
I looked outside this morning and where I am staying, not far from Interstate 10, it was extremely windy. However, we hit about 12 miles further south west it was calm, as it was at Shadow Mountain Resort, the main venue (the other venues were windy). It was another hot (high 90s) day in the Desert…I’m glad I have had a few days to acclimate to the heat.
I had lunch with my parents and sister and her husband (whom I’d not seen for a year..my sister and spouse, not my parents.). All of us have been vaccinated so it was a nice and safe visit.
Before and after lunch I went back to Shadow Mountain to watch some of the action and caught up with some old friends…Andrea Barnes and Shannon Gordon Carney who were getting ready to hit; Julie David holding down the NWTO fort, Bob Litwin & Les Buck; Anne Kerwin Payne and Lindsey Montero, Kathy Settles, Jodi Rea and more.
Here are some results stating with the women’s singles & doubles today:
Unseeded Pernilla Putnik won the 45 singles over Tanya O’Neill in a terrific three set battle, one a lefty, one a righty and both hitting the cover off the ball, with both power and spin. Played on the front court following the marathon 50s final, it was a good front court match.
Marlo Carruth, seeded 1, edged Michele Rudi, in an interesting battle. Rudi won the first set and looked close to winning in straight sets when leading 5-0 in the 2nd set tiebreak; Carruth never stopped battling and rallied to win the tiebreak and the third set 64. Rudi is a very good counterpuncher and kept the ball mostly out of Carruth’s strike zone but Carruth found the courage to go forward and hit out on her forehand at key times.
Julie Silveria/Mary Beth Williams cruised past Lisa Traylor/Krista Oconnor to win the 50 doubles.
In the 55s, Christina Kaus upset #2 seed Jenny Keller 64 16 63, and said it was the best win she’d ever posted. Kaus kept the ball deep, moved and passed well to win the nearly three hour battle…after which she was told she had only 30 minutes to rest before doubles! (USTA 2021 FAC would beg to differ). Keller, with partner Judy Newman avenged her singles loss to Kaus, decisively winning the doubles semis over Kaus/Maria Nunez. They face Anne Kerwin-Payne/Lindsay Montero who also advanced in straight sets.
The 60s and older divisions start play tomorrow.
The men’s results are below
Shibu Lal, seeded third, edged top seeded Jesse Shouton to reach the 40s final vs JR Chidley, the 2nd seed. Lal is quick and throws a lot of different looks at his opponents.
In the 45s, Jesse Walter, seeded 1, will face Nicholas Chasseray in the final. Chasseray followed up his win yesterday over #2 Ryan Pang with another straight set win, this one over #3 William Casas .
In men’s 50s, Kevin Smith is the last unseeded player in the semis. He faces #3 Dana Gill while #2 Jeff Greenwald takes on #5 Brendan Murphy.
The seeders did a perfect job in men’s 55s: Dan Goldie (1) will play #3 Craig Hiddleston while Peter Smith (2) takes on #4 Leland Rolling.
The men’s 60s are out to the round of 16 with only 2 upsets today, of 9-16 seeds: Tom Breece upset Mark Weil in 3 sets; and Jonathon Fears was edged by Alexander Pier. David Seibel advanced again; he beat a #9 seed yesterday.
In the 65s, David Wilson pulled off the only upset to date, beating #9 Rudy Sanchez.
In Men’s 70s, Mike Talmadge beat #9 David Kueffer; #9 James Quenzler withdrew from the tournament allowing Phil Landauer to advance to the round of 16.
All the seeds in the Men’s 75 had byes today.
In men’s 50 & 55 doubles, the seeders again were stellar, with all four seeds reaching the semis. Rick Leach, former world #1 is playing 55 doubles with Vivek Varma and they won in 3 sets today.
The seeds haven’t started yet in the 60 and up divisions.
There’s also mixed…more on that tomorrow, particularly the 50-80s which are Gold ball/USTA Level 1/ITF S700 (normally S1000, but only S700 since players from other countries for the most part can’t get into the USA to play them).
Back in the Tennis Tournament Rythm
Click here to see the draws and results.
The first Level 2/ITF S700 and Level 1 Mixed since early last March began Thursday in Palm Desert (just east of Palm Springs) in the California Desert. Summer landed as well…it was over 100 today (about 38 Celsius) with bright sunny skies.
The tournament began with the 35s, 40s and 45s, moving on to the 50s yesterday and the 55s today.
The main venue is at Shadow Mountain Resort in Palm Desert but there are several other venues in the area being used.
I practiced in the morning (I don’t play till Wednesday) before visiting my parents and cooking Easter lunch (happy Easter everyone!). It was nice at 8:30, but noticeably warmer, in the 90s by 10. It’s a dry heat but once it hits 100, it’s hot, especially on hard courts where the concrete absorbs and reflects the heat upwards.
I went over to check in for the tournament and ran into most of my recent practice partners, who had mostly had a successful day on court.
Despite issues with the USTA website, the seeders did a great job seeding this event, with very few upsets. Below is a quick overview of the action to date.
In the mixed 50, which is a Level 1, Bozeman/Mills took out #5 seeded Carruth/Heroux in 3 sets to reach the quarter; the other 7 seeds advanced in straight sets.
In 35 mixed O’Neil/Robertson took out the #1 and #2 seeds, both in close matches to win the tournament.
Men’s Singles
The top two seeds, Trent Aaron/Hiromi Sasano (2)will take on Henry/Pang (1) in the 40 mixed final.
Stephen Robertson (1) beat SanadRasheed (2) to win the 35 singles
In the 40 singles, Rob Condiotty edged #4 Marin Parker’s to reach the semis along with JR Chidley, Shibu Lal and Jesse Schouten.
In the 45s, Nicolas Chasseray beat #2 Ryan Pang to reach the semis along with William Casas (3), Leon Bax (4) and Jesse Walter (1)
In the 50s, Oren Motevassel (1) withdrew before the start of play with an injury, as did #4 seeded Julien Heine. Kevin Smith upset #5 Pontus Swenson and Steve Heroux took out #5 Esteban Altuna, leaving only 4 seeds in the final 8.
In contrast to the 50s, the final 8 in the men’s 55s are the 8 seeds, led by Dan Goldie (2) and Peter Smith (1) .
The huge men’s 60 draw (128) is out to the round of 32 without any upsets; Bill Moss and Mike Fedderly are the top 2 seeds.
Women’s Singles
In women’s singles, there was no 35s division (a few players entered but withdrew).
Christen Bartelt (1)played down but won the 40s convincingly, beating #2 seeded Christine Lee in the final.
In the 45s, the top half was all upsets, with Pernilla Putnick beating top seeded Farrah Northcott 4,5 and then Yoko Tanko (0,6); Tanko beat the #4 seed, Kimberly Allen. Putnick takes on #2 seeded Tanya O’Neil in the final; she beat the #3 seed Michele Mouttapa-Matek in the other semi.
The 50s final is between Marlo Carruth (1) and unseeded Michele Rudi. The two took far different paths to the final; Carruth winning her semi 61 ret (inj) while Rudi edged #2 seeded Mariko Atoji 76 in the third.
The two seeded players in the 55s, Judy Newman (1) and Jenny Keller (2) are in the semis without hitting a ball (bye for Newman, default for Keller).
Men’s Doubles
Cohen/Sablan won the 35 RR doubles.
Condiotty/Richards beat the top 2 seeds to win the 40 doubles.
Mike Brown/Rodolfo Rodriguez won the 45 doubles, taking out Bax/Chasseray (2) in the semis and unseededJeff Schlotterback/Jesse Walter in the final.
The Men’s 50 are only out to the quarters with no upsets.
Women’s Doubles
Julianna Gates/Lauren Lancaster (2)won the 35 doubles upsetting Tarrin Dougherty/Caroline Vis 76 67 64 in the final.
Pernilla Putnick/Chotika Wannachinda won the round ronin 40 doubles over Angela Henry/Amy Rogers (76 in the third)
Shannon DeVall and Tanya O’Neil won the 45 round robin doubles with Susie Duffy/Brahma Pastorini finishing 2nd.
Krista Oconnor /Lisa Traylor beat top seeded Trina Eggers/Wendy Elliott in 3 sets and face Julie Silverado/Mary Beth Williams in the final; they beat the #2 seeds Nancy Daly/Rochelle Whelan in straight sets.
All four seeds in W55 are in the semis.
This was sent to players today. Happy to get to play the event!
WILSON WORLD TENNIS CLASSIC
USTA HEALTH & SAFETY GUIDE
Player Guidelines
Physical distancing requirements:
Tournament entry and screening:
Practice courts:
Cleaning and sanitization:
Other:
[From] Desert Tennis Events
The first big USTA tournament since February of 2021 will take place in Palm Desert, CA April 1-11, the Wilson World Tennis Classic.
Bookmark this link because the draws can be found here.
This tournament offers singles and doubles, men and women 35-85 plus mixed (50/60/70/75/80 are Level 1/ITF S700 events).
The USTA has a new “play tennis” software platform, but it wasn’t quite ready for prime time so the draws were done using the TDM/tennislink platform.
All events will be played on hard courts at various venues in the Palm Desert area. This tournament has a long history…I remember playing it over 30 years ago for the first time. Steve Solomon (father of Ken Solomon, creator of the Tennis Channel) was a long time director followed by Ed Trost. Caerwyn Evans is the current TD.
It’s nice to be writing about a tournament that is happening instead of one that’s being cancelled or postponed (again).
The USTA has announced that the teams listed above will represent the USA in International competition in Umag, Croatia June 6-11 2021. The individual Seniors World Championships will follow June 12-19.
Click here to see the announcement on usta.com.
NEW DATES: September 20-26, 2021 for the Women’s 35-90 Clay Courts at the Houston Racquet Club
Sue Bramlette TD off the Houston Women’s Clay Court Championships reported today that the USTA has confirmed the dates of September 20-26 for the National Women’s Clay Courts in Houston.
The dates changed due to the delay in the vaccine distribution, making the original mid-April too risky for the players and club.
Here is the link to the official USTA Level 1-3 Schedule to date: https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/adult-tennis/programs/national/adult-tournaments1.html
As of March 1, 2021 the following tournaments have been cancelled for 2021:
Good News!: Jan 19 Update: Mission Hills has approved the Women’s 35-85 Hard Courts for 2021 according to TD Andi Polisky. The tournament dates remain as scheduled in October. You can enter the tournament here once entries are open. The Women’s 90 Grass are also approved. You can enter here for play Dec 7-10, once entries are open.
More good news:Men’s 65 Hard courts will be held May 17-22 at Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego.
The following tournaments have been postponed to the fall:
I will be updating this post weekly with tournament changes as I find out about them.
Please post any tournament changes or cancellations you know of in the comments section below.
Happy New Year!
2021 Super Seniors (65,70, 75, 80, 85) Cup Team Information
Are you eligible to participate? Read the guidelines here. Of particular importance are the following changes which supersede the eligibility requirement and timelines as follows:
2021 Super Senior International Teams Timeline
The USTA schedule (as of 11/4/21) for Men’s Level 1 (Gold Ball) tournaments. For 2021 and going forward the Indoors will no longer receive Level 1 (formerly Category 1) points nor will gold balls be awarded to the winners. Click here to see the official USTA schedule and to check for updates and cancellations: https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/adult-tennis/programs/national/adult-tournaments-category-i-schedule.html
ITF Points: The Clay and Hard will be ITF Level 1000 events; the Grass will be Level 700 events.
| Age Division | Clay | Hard | Grass |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Dec 3-8 Lauderdale TC Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Dates: Sept. 10-12 Location: Plaza Tennis Center Kansas City, KS | Dates: Aug 14-17 Location: Philadelphia Cricket Club Philadelphia, PA |
| 35 | Oct. 5-10 Weston, FL | Dates: April 29-May 2 Location: Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex, Surprise, AZ | Dates: Aug 14-17 Location: Philadelphia Cricket Club Philadelphia, PA |
| 40 | Dates: April 9-14 Location: Lauderdale TC Fort Lauderdale FL | Nov 29-Dec 6 La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club La Jolla, CA | CANCELLED Dates: Aug. 16-23 Location: Germantown Cricket Club Philadelphia, PA |
| 45 | Dates: April 9-14 Location: Lauderdale TC Fort Lauderdale FL | Dates: April 26-May 2 Location: Westlake Athletic Club, Westlake Village, CA | CANCELLED Dates: Aug. 16-23 Location: Germantown Cricket Club Philadelphia, PA |
| 50 | TBA | Dates: Nov. 5-11 Location: Peachtree City Tennis Center Peachtree City GA | CANCELLED Dates: Aug. 16-23 Location: Germantown Cricket Club Philadelphia, PA |
| 55 | Dates: Oct.. 2-8 Location: The Landing Club Savannah, GA | Nov. 6-10 Peachtree City, GA | Dates: Sept. 23-26 Location: Agawam Hunt Rumford, RI |
| 60 | Oct. 24-31 New OrleansLT CNewOrleans, LA | Dates: June 1-7 Location: Racquet Club of Irvine Irvine, CA | Dates: Sept. 23-26 Location: Agawam Hunt Rumford, RI |
| 65 | Oct. 24-31 New OrleansLT CNewOrleans, LA | May 17-23 Barnes Tennis Center San Diego, CA | Dates: Sept. 7-13 Location: Seabright Lawn Tennis Club Rumson, NJ |
| 70 | Dates: Sept 26-Oct 3 Pinehurst TC Pinehurst, NC | Dates: June 1-7 Location: Racquet Club of Irvine Irvine, CA | Dates: Aug 17-23 Location: Philadelphia Cricket Club Philadelphia, PA |
| 75 | Dates: Oct. 11-16 Location: Virginia Beach Tennis & CC Virginia Beach, VA | Sept 20-25 Laguna Woods TC Laguna Woods, CA | Dates: July 23-26 Location: Agawam Hunt Rumford, RI |
| 80 | Dates: Oct. 11-16 Location: Virginia Beach Tennis & CC Virginia Beach, VA | Sept 20-25 Laguna Woods TC Laguna Woods, CA | Dates: July 23-26 Location: Agawam Hunt Rumford, RI |
| 85 | Dates: Sept 26-Oct 3 Pinehurst TC Pinehurst, NC | Sept 20-25 Laguna Woods TC Laguna Woods, CA | Dates: Aug. 23-27 Location: Longwood Cricket Club Chestnut Hill, MA |
| 90 | Dates: Sept 26-Oct 3 Pinehurst TC Pinehurst, NC | Sept 20-25 Laguna Woods TC Laguna Woods, CA | Dates: Aug. 23-27 Location: Longwood Cricket Club Chestnut Hill, MA |
This is the 2021 calendar to date from the USTA. Please check for updates here and at usta.com (https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/adult-tennis/programs/national/adult-tournaments-category-i-schedule.html)
Note that the Indoor Nationals now appear on the Level 2 Calendar and the winners do not receive gold balls.
The Clay and Hard Courts will be ITF Seniors 1000 tournaments; the Grass will be ITF Seniors 700 tournaments.
From the ITF website today:
2021 ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships (updated 26 October)
Due to the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships will not be held as scheduled in Boca Raton & Palm Beach Gardens, USA in April-May 2021. Further information will be provided as soon as possible.
The dates of the Young Seniors and Super Seniors World Championships are as follows:
2021 World Team and Individual Championships
2021 ITF Young Seniors (35-40-45) World Team & Individual Championships
The 2021 ITF Young Seniors (35-40-45 years) World Team & Individual Championships will take place in Umag, Croatia from Sunday 12 September – Saturday 25 September 2021.
2021 ITF Super-Seniors (65-70-75-80-85) World Team & Individual Championships
The 2021 ITF Super-Seniors (65-70-75-80-85 years) World Team & Individual Championships will take place in Mallorca, Spain from Sunday 10 October – Saturday 23 October 2021.
Factsheets for these events will be made available approximately 6 months before the event takes place.
The USTA has amended its guidelines for 2021 team selection to take into consideration the Covid-19 pandemic.
The USTA has amended the minimum play requirement and the timeframe for which results will be considered as follows:
“By Board approval, the USTA Senior International Selection Committee has extended and revised the eligibility requirement and timelines as follows:
The complete guidelines can be found here.
The dates for the 2021 world championships have not been announced but for Super Seniors (65-85) they appear to be October 10-15 for the team event followed by the individuals October 16-23 in Mallorca, Spain (the dates were mentioned in an article about the naming of the Women’s 85 Cup).
Timelines for team selection and information about the application process will be posted in due course by the USTA here: https://www.usta.com/en/home/play/adult-tennis/programs/national/senior-international-competition.html
The ITF has announced a resumption of play for the ITF Seniors Circuits of August 31, 2020.
Grade 2, 3, and 4 tournaments only shall resume in 2020; Regional, Grade A and Grade 1 tournaments can apply to take place as Grade 2 tournaments if the ITF approves the change.
Rankings:
Best 4 tournaments from the period of March 18, 2019-March 14 2021 will be used.
Starting March 15, 2021, results from 2019 or 2020 will start to drop, replaced by their 2021 points. This is subject to change if the pandemic continues to restrict travel or for other reasons determined by the ITF.
Through at least December 31, 2020, players can only add to their point total, they cannot have their frozen point total reduced.
The ITF plans to return to the 52 week ranking period in December 2021.
Read below for exact details. This is subject to change if ongoing travel restrictions and lack of tournaments warrants it.
NOTE: All tournaments must adhere to the new ITF Covid-19 protocols which can be found here: https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/itf-outlines-initial-plans-for-resumption-of-play-on-junior-senior-wheelchair-tennis-and-beach-tennis-tours/ (Links found within article).
July 22, 2020
The article reads in part: “No firm dates have yet been set for a return to play on the ITF Seniors Tour or the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, but each tour’s committee has decided that there will be no resumption of play on either tour before the week commencing 31 August 2020. ”
“In order to support a safe return to international tennis tournaments, the ITF has devised protocols for all tournament hosts and participants that aim to mitigate the risk of exposure to, and spread of, Covid-19. The protocols will be updated on a regular basis as the global situation regarding Covid-19 continues to change. The protocols can be viewed here:
Return to Tennis – Participants
Return to Tennis – Tournament Organisers
Any tournament which goes ahead once the tours resume must also follow government requirements, where those requirements go beyond the ITF protocols.
In order to be eligible for addition to the ITF calendar, the following criteria [plus much more] must be met:
“1. Government legislation must permit a tennis event to be held in the host country.
2. The host nation’s borders must be open to international visitors, giving sufficient and reasonable access to that nation to players, as determined by the ITF.
3. Each host organizer must, on application to host a tournament, confirm that it will implement the minimum standards set out in the ‘risk mitigation’ section….”
In addition there must be a Covid officer for the tournament.
There is much more information about the duties of both tournament participants and organizers in the above referenced links.
As knowledge of Covid-19 evolves so will the documents attached to the above referenced links.
June 30, 2020
The USTA has announced the teams it has selected to represent the USTA in the ITF Super Senior World Team Championships in October. (Fingers crossed that this event happens as scheduled, October 11-16 in Mallorca, Spain with individuals to follow October 17-24).
The players selected are listed below; players whose names are in bold font are the playing captains. The players are listed alphabetically by first name.
This includes all senior tournaments.
The International Tennis Federation has extended the suspension of all ITF tournaments through to July 31 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
— Read on www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/itf-extends-suspension-of-international-tournaments-through-july-31/
23 April 2020
ITF Statement regarding ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ITF has suspended all Tours, including the ITF Seniors Tour until 13 July 2020, aligning with the ATP and WTA Tours respectively. This includes the postponement of the ITF Seniors (50-55-60 years) World Team & Individual Championships which had been scheduled to take place In Boca Raton and Palm Beach Gardens, USA from 26 April to 9 May 2020.
The ITF has been working with the host organiser, venues, event partners and independent travel advisors in recent weeks to identify a safe and viable date to reschedule the event in 2020. Protecting the health and well-being of players, officials, guests, club members and local communities has remained the priority.
Due to the ongoing global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not been possible to achieve the criteria set for the event to be rescheduled in 2020, and as such the ITF Seniors (50-55-60 years) World Team & Individual Championships will not be held in 2020.
The 2021 ITF Seniors (50-55-60 years) World Team & Individual Championships will therefore take place in Boca Raton & Palm Beach Gardens, with the precise dates to be announced in due course.
The ITF will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation alongside tournament hosts and partners, with the aim of resuming ITF tournaments as soon as it is safe to do so.
The ITF Young Seniors (35-40-45 years) World Championships scheduled for 13-26 September 2020 in Umag, Croatia and the ITF Super-Seniors (65-70-75-80-85 years) World Championships scheduled for 11- 24 October 2020 in Mallorca, Spain both remain on the 2020 calendar.
If you have any queries, please contact the ITF Seniors Department by email – seniors@itftennis.com
The USTA has posted a link here regarding the postponement to 2021.
April 1, 2020
USTA has suspended ITF sanctioned Senior events till July 13, 2020.
USTA has suspended tournaments and programs including leagues which are not ITF sanctioned till June 1.
The full statement from USTA.com is below:
Updated Statement – March 23, 2020:
Due to the continued situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, and after discussions with the USTA Medical Advisory Committee, effective immediately the USTA will extend the suspension of USTA sanctioned products and events, including Adult and Junior Tournaments, USTA League, Junior Team Tennis, Team Challenge, Team Tournaments, USTA Schools programs, Tennis on Campus and Wheelchair events, through May 3.
Additionally, recognizing the evolving and fast-changing nature of this situation, the USTA will continue to monitor and assess conditions to make future determinations about events and activities taking place after May 3.
All Category 1 and Super Category 2 National Adult Tournaments with an ITF status, all ITF Junior events and all USTA Pro Circuit and professional events will align with the same calendar as the ITF, ATP and WTA, and be suspended through June 7.
Both the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., and the USTA National Campus, in the Lake Nona area of Orlando, Fla., will remain closed for play and instructional opportunities through May 3. Any patron who wishes to cancel participation in a scheduled activity should contact the specific location for refund information. These policies will be in effect pending additional guidance or directives from each local governmental agency and the CDC. The USTA will continue to monitor and assess conditions to make future determinations about all activities at these facilities.
March 18, 2020
Updated April 1, 2020: Events now suspended until July 13, 2020.
Updated May 15, 2020: ITF Cancels all events through July 31, 2020 (including all seniors events).
The ITF today announced that all ITF events, including seniors events, are cancelled until at least June 8, 2020 (now July 13th). Read more here.
Here is the full text of the press release:
“Statement 18 MAR 2020”
“After careful consideration and in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ITF has postponed the ITF World Tennis Tour until Monday 8 June 2020. This aligns with the ATP and WTA’s suspension of their respective tours and the decision by the Fédération Française de Tennis to postpone Roland Garros.
In addition to the suspension of the men’s and women’s ITF World Tennis Tour, the ITF will also postpone the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors, the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, ITF Beach Tennis World Tour, and ITF Seniors Tour until 8 June 2020.
The ITF, ATP and WTA firmly believe it is better for everyone in the tennis community if we work together. We are committed to working through these matters with players, tournaments and our national and regional associations in the weeks and months ahead. More than ever, the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to professional tennis demand collaboration and unity in order for us to do what is right for our fans, players and tournaments.
ITF President David Haggerty said, “In these challenging times, it is more important than ever for our sport to pull together to provide as much certainty as possible to all those affected by these postponements. We recognise the huge impact this will have, but ultimately the health and safety of players, officials and spectators has to be our primary concern. The ITF is committed to taking a responsible approach, working with all tennis stakeholders to enable players of all levels to resume playing as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Due to Coronavirus this tournament is postponed, new dates TBA
The popular Bermuda Breeze tournament is back as an ITF Grade 1 in 2020!
To enter or go to the tournament website click here.
To further inquire about the tournament, please contact the following individuals:
General inquiries, Draws, Start dates, player benefits, etc.
Patrick Singleton- patricksingleton@coralbeach.bm
Accommodation, Coral Beach Club amenities, things to do in Bermuda, Transportation
Kelly Stockley- kellystockley@coralbeach.bm
Finding a doubles partner, warm up hits, lessons, Player Parties, tennis clinics for players
Neal Towlson- nealtowlson@coralbeach.bm
Fort Lauderdale ITF Grade 1/USTA Cat II Sunday: The End
Writing from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
The last day of the Fort Lauderdale tournament was played under sunny skies. It was very windy, at least by the time I played singles at 10:30. I beat Wendy McColskey 63 62. It was a tough match, with lots of running, and so very windy…I’d swing at a ball only for it to move several feet as I was swinging forward…and of course that happened to Wendy as well. Bunnie Jackson beat Kathy Foulk to place third.
In the 55s, Jenny Klitch played a perfect match to beat Shelly Works 61 60 in about an hour, which is not easy to do. Shelly said Jenny was great at turning defense into offense nearly perfectly. Yvette Kruger placed third when Simone Vasconcellas didn’t play the 3/4 playoff due to injury.
Wendy McColskey, playing with her sister Dale won the 65 doubles 26 64 64 over Cindy LePrevost/Betsy Savitt. Tina Karwasky/Jan Kirkland-Cochran finished third.
The 55 doubles took place between Rainy Miller/Shelly Works and Anne Frautschi/Susanne Zuniga. Frautschi/Zuniga, who upset the #1 seeds in the first round went up 5/0 in the doubles final….only to lose the next 10 games! Then they rallied to tie the set at 3-3 and 4-4 before Miller/Works closed out the match 75 64. They had a lot of long and varied points…it wasn’t easy to win a point out there. I saw Works miss one ball into the net…she must have been really frustrated when she yelled “fiddlesticks”, a Shelly Works epithet if there ever was one. Mariana Hollman/Stacey Williams edged Susan Boyer/Susan Love 64 in the third; Susan Love’s legs finally gave out after an awful lot of matches in the past 3 days.
Betty Wachob/Sue Kimball won the 75 doubles beating tournament director Margy Edmunds/Kay Britt in the final.
There are probably still matches going on in the consolation. As always, for complete results click here to reach the tournament website.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
On a beautiful day for tennis (mid-70s, moderate breeze, thin cloud cover), play resumed in earnest at the Lauderdale Tennis Club.
The 75s final started off the day with Carolann Castell continuing where she left off in upsetting Susan Kimball…ie playing great tennis. She took on Betty Wachob, the top seed and beat her 62 64, moving very well and playing solid all-court tennis.
The 85s final between Burnett Herrick, a multiple world champion, and local favorite Lucille Kyvallos was next up. The match went the distance (yes, the 85s played a full two out of three sets) with Herrick winning 61 57 61. Kyvallos cramped in the third which tells you something about how much these ladies were running.
The 35s winner is Kristine Kraujina (three person round robin) and the 45s Ann Clark (2 entrants)\
In the 55s, Jenny Klitch played another great match, beating Yvette Kruger 2,1 and Shelly Works took out Simone Vasconcellos of Brazil 75 63.
I didn’t see the 55s (or 85s) matches because I was getting my money’s worth of tennis playing Bunnie (Allare) Jackson. I won 61 67 (5) 62. I think I wore her out but she played a great second set. We both had chances to finish off the set before it reached a tiebreaker but it wasn’t to be. I play Wendy McColskey, a 62 62 winner over Kathy Foulk…that match was played earlier and was done before we took the court. Wendy is the 2019 ITF World Champion in 65 singles…not a typical Grade 1 final, that’s for sure.
In doubles, the top seeds in the 55s and 65s are gone. Yesterday the team of Anne Frautschi/Susanne Zuniga beat Kris McDonald/Kathy Zanon 76 in the third and today they took out unseeded Susan Boyer/Susan Love in the semis 75 64. The face the #3 seeds (and Hard Court champions) Rainy Miller/Shelly Works who edged #2 seeded Mariana Hollman/Stacey Williams in two tight sets.
In the 65s, Cindy LePrevost/Betsy Savitt, unseeded, took out Tina Karwasky/Jan Kirkland-Cochran 26 76 (5) 62; they play Dale and Wendy McColskey in the final; Dale and Wendy received a walkover into the doubles final due to an injury from one of their opponents.
In the 75s, Kimball/Wachob, the top seeds did advance to the final; they face tournament director Margy Edmunds and Kay Britt who were leading Castell/Lee Delfausse when they retired due to injury.
Herrick/Judy Smith won the 85 doubles.
There will be some photos tomorrow! At least one.
Results, including 3/4 playoffs and consolation can be found here.
