The USTA has published the rankings using the new ranking system. You can find the rankings here.
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2021 USTA Women’s Intersectionals Information
Dear Past Players and Team Captains,
I hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to this year’s Women’s Intersectional Team Championships which will be held November 8-14 in Phoenix, AZ. We missed you all in 2020 and are super excited to see everyone this year in Phoenix!
Complete tournament information and hotel reservation link can be found on our website at www.ustaphoenix.com/womens-intersectionals.You can also print out the information packet by clicking here.
Team/Player registration will be done online in the new Serve Tennis platform. The registration link is not yet available but will be in the coming weeks. If you know you will be captain of a team, please email me section name and age division I will send you the registration link once it is available.
Please review the complete tournament information and feel free to contact me at anytime with any questions you might have.Sincerely,
Matt GleasonTournament Directorgleason@southwest.usta.comwww.ustaphoenix.com/womens-intersectionals
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Westwood Level 2 Tournament
Writing from Austin, Texas
I’m here in Austin for the Memorial Day tournament at the Westwood Country Club in Austin. It’s a big tournament with age divisions from 35 to 85 and some family events plus some NTRP age divisions. The senior age divisions earn ITF S700 points in addition to USTA Level 2 points.
I have been practicing here the past two days since I don’t play till tomorrow. Today I scouted my potential singles and doubles opponents in between hits. It was very hot the past two days, and humid, which led to the massive thunderstorms that hit around 6:30pm today, with thunder and lightning.
The Klitch siblings, Hugh & Carol Burris with Mary Morgan (center); a very loud peacock and a chameleon around the grounds. It is nice to see friends from around the country I haven’t seen for a while. The social events are not on this year but everyone was given a nice shirt and a gift card to a barbecue restaurant.
Tomorrow, weather permitting I have singles and doubles.
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Nideffer/Spence Nasim, Juliani/Pendo, McEvoy/Dixon & King/Wasser (corrected) Win Gold at the Level 1 Women’s Hard Courts Sunday
Click here to view draws and results.
Ros Nideffer/Debbie Spence Nasim (1) beat Dina McBride/Tracie Currie (2) to win gold at the 50 Hard Courts. They dominated the division, never dropping more than 5 games in any match. Jenny Rens Keller/Jen Dawson (3) took the bronze over Vicki Buholz/Gayle Prejean.
In contrast to the 50s, an unseeded team won the 60 doubles, Sue Pendo/Julie Juliani, taking out local favorites Una Davis/Lucia Romanov in a match tiebreak. They were the only unseeded players to win gold this year. The bronze went to Colleen Clery Ferrell/Tracey Thompson who beat Julie David/Gail Warden in straight sets.
The 70s title went to Vicky McEvoy/Judy Dixon over Kathy Barnes/Carol Gay. Sue Bramlette/Cindy Babb (who lost 11-9 yesterday to McEvoy/Dixon in a final set MTB) took bronze with a straight set win over Barnes/Gay. Interestingly, the two teams who played a MTB instead of a full third set yesterday, won in straight sets today.
Roz King/Dorothy Wasser (2) beat top seeded Suella Steel/Sheila Weinstock by default (Suella hurt her Achilles I believe…it was a lower leg injury of some sort which forced her to retire in the final). Charleen Hillebrand/Sheila Palmer took bronze over Lorna Brooks/Jean Ainger.
Ann Young placed 9th in the 60s beating Kim Dean 10-8 in a MTB, her 2nd straight 10-8 MTB win. Christen Bartelt was 9th in the 50s. Gloria Melendez was 9th in the 70s (though there was a lot of attrition in that division…lots of injuries). Dorcas Miller took 9th in the 80s.
And that’s a wrap for this year’s edition of the USTA Level 1 Women’s 50-80 Hard Courts. It was a different sort of tournament with no beach or cocktail party (but nightly happy hour, complimentary food). The format for Level 1 doubles was different to the dismay of many players, but dictated by the USTA National Adult Comp Committee not by the tournament. (Since the men’s event was a Level 5, the section, not the national committee determined the format…but it was confusing). It was great to see far flung friends again. Till next time…happy hitting.
Clockwise from top left: Camilla Sutherland, Joan Avedian, Lorna Brooks; Andrea Rice, Conan, Nancy Hilliard, Lucia Romanov/Una Davis & Ann Young
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Rice, Nideffer, Dixon & Hillebrand Win Singles Titles in La Jolla
Andrea Rice put on a dominating performance in the final of the 50 Hard Courts, beating top seeded Nancy Hilliard 61 62. Dina McBride finished third (winning the 3/4 playoff by default). Mariko Atoji finished 5th.
Ros Nideffer won the 60s in equally dominating fashion, beating Fran Chandler 60 63. Vicki Buholz beat me 62 64 in the 3/4 playoff and the consolation is still ongoing. Ann Young edged Terri Thyssen in a match tiebreak 10-8 and faces Kim Dean who ousted Ginny Beneke in straight sets.
Judy Dixon cruised past everyone in the women’s 70s, beating first time national singles finalist Barbara Hubbard 63 61. Barbara is a player from Hawaii who has been playing national tournaments for year, gradually improving from losing first or second round, to now, in the 70s reaching singles finals…a gold ball will follow some day! Cathie Anderson took the bronze and Carol Gay finished 5th; the 9th place playoff is ongoing.
Charleen Hillebrand ousted Suella Steel to win the 80s; Hillebrand led 5-2 when Steel retired with a leg injury. Lorna Brooks finished 3rd, beating Susanne Clark by default (Clark pulled a calf in the 2nd set tiebreak of her semifinal against Steel).
The 50 doubles final will be #1 Nideffer/Debbie Spence Nasim (who ousted Jenny Keller/Jen Dawson) vs McBride/Tracie Currie (who beat Vicki Buholz/Gayle Prejean).
In 60 doubles, La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club members Una Davis/Lucia Romanov are in the final after beating Colleen Clery Ferrell/Tracey Thompson in a match tiebreak 10-7. They will take on unseeded Sue Pendo/Julie Juliani who ousted Julie David/Gail Warden.
The 70 doubles semis were a bit odd though extremely competitive. The USTA has mandated a new format for doubles involving round robins leading to a knockout draw and has dictated that all doubles matches be decided by match tiebreaks. The USTA has mandated that the same format be used for all Level 1 (gold ball) tournaments. The top seeds, Kathy Bennett/Liane Bryson played Kathy Barnes/Carol Gay (3)…and Barnes/Gay won 63 16 76 (7)…they played a full third set due to umpire error. (The Level 5 men’s event is playing out the third set of singles and doubles and the same umpires are used for both events.) The #2 seeds Vicky McEvoy/Judy Dixon faced #4 Sue Bramlette/Cindy Babb and they also split sets (the score isn’t correctly reported but each team won a set) and then played a match tiebreak won 11-9 by McEvoy/Dixon. Both were great matches and it was unfortunate that an umpire error marred the results.
In 80 doubles, Steel/Sheila Weinstock will play Roz King/Dorothy Wasser in the final while Lorna Brooks/Jean Ainger take on Hillebrand/Sheila Palmer.
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Semifinal Friday at the USTA Level 1 Women’s Hard Courts
Click here to view draws and results.
Bill Kellogg/Carolyn Lane; Tina Karwasky, icing her knees; Andrea Rice (red skirt) & Dina McBride (white skirt) played a great 50 singles semi. The top seeds in the women’s 50 singles advanced by vastly different paths. Andrea Rice, the 2nd seed, had to rebound from a 6-0 first set drubbing to beat Dina McBride (3) 06 64 62. Andrea sliced and diced off her forehand, drove her backhand and showed off her excellent net skills in the win. Nancy Hilliard beat Marlo Carruth (4) by default (injury).
60s: Ros Fairbank Nideffer (1) beat Vicki Buholz 61 62 to adance to the singles final where she’ll face Fran Chandler (5). Fran beat me for the umpteenth time. The first set was close but once Fran closed that out her errors disappeared and her aggressiveness and movement increased…she won a well deserved 64 60 match.
70s: Judy Dixon (1) blitzed Cathie Anderson (5) not allowing Anderson a game. She’ll face Barbara Hubbard (5) in the final. Hubbard upset #2 seed Kathy Barnes earlier in the tournament and today beat unseeded Marianne Saibara.
80s: Local star and club member Suella Steel, unseeded, took out #2 Susanne Clark. She’ll face a familiar foe, Charleen Hillebrand, who beat 2019 champion Lorna Brooks 61 62.
50 doubles: Vicki Buholz/Gayle Prejean beat #4 seeded Deb Higa/Jami Jones in a match tiebreak; Jen Dawson/Jenny Keller (3) held off Julie Silveira/Mary Beth Williams 62 76; Nideffer/Debbie Spence Nasim (1) beat Christen Bartelt/Amy Alcini in a fun to watch match 63 62 and Tracie Currie/McBride edged unseeded Jodi Rea/Christine Paulson in a match tiebreak.
60 doubles: Tracey Thompson/Colleen Clery Ferrell edged 2019 champions and the top seeds, Susan Wright and Shannon Gordon Carney 61 57 1-0 (7)…those match tiebreaks in this new doubles format are a challenge! Una Davis/Lucia Romanov (5) beat #4 seeded Tina Karwasky/Jennifer Shorr 3,4 and those two teams play each other in the semis. Meanwhile, Julie David/Gail Warden advanced via default (Kathy May pulled a calf); Susan Pendo/Julie Juliani advanced via default (Kathy Vick broke a bone)…
70 doubles: Seeds 1-4 advanced without dropping a set to the semis.
80 doubles are still in the round robin stage. I saw a bit of Roz King/Dorothy Wasser (2) vs Charleen Hillebrand/Sheila Palmer (4); the latter team were up 4-1 in the first and 4-2 in the 2nd but lost in straight sets.
There were some good consolation matches today particularly in the 60s; Ann Young took out Maria Nunez 3,1; Kim Dean played great in beating Tracey Thompson 67 64 1-0 (8)…Tracey also played well, it could have been a main draw quarter or semi another time. And Shannon Gordon Carney edged Tina Karwasky in the 5-8 playoff and plays Susan Wright in the 5/6, another tough match.
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USTA Level 1 Women’s Hard Courts: Day 1
Tuesday May 11, 2021, San Diego, CA
Today the Women’s 50-80 Hard Courts , the first seniors Level 1 of 2021 began on a cool day in La Jolla, CA. (The accompanying Men’s Level 5 began yesterday).
No singles seeds played today in the 50/70/80 divisions but there were four seeds in action in the 60s. #5 seed Jennifer Shorr fought off a determined Ann Young (Pellow), winning a pair of tiebreaks to advance to the round of 16 where she faces Tina Karwasky, her doubles partner this week, for the 2nd time in a month.
In 50 doubles, Amy Alcini/Christen Bartelt upset #5 seeded Shelly Works/Rainy Miller in a round robin match. #5 seeds Julie Silveira/Mary Beth Williams just got by Lisa Crisafulli/Brianna Sullivan 2-6 60 1/0 (12). [Match tiebreaks are being played in lieu of 3rd sets in doubles due to the number of matches in the round robins.] Jodi Rea/Christine Paulsen upset #5 seeded Lisa Taylor/Krista Oconnor. However the 1-4 seeds advanced without incident.
In the 60s, Sue Pendo/Julie Juliani beat #5 Cindy Abel/Kim Dean in a match tiebreak. Kathy May made a sterling return to tournament play, combining with Carolyn Lane to oust Fiona Taylor/Sue Sprague with the loss of only a game.
There were no upsets in the 70 doubles.
And that’s a wrap for today. I play singles tomorrow morning…
Always a pleasure to play at the LJTBC
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USTA Level 1 Women’s 50/60/70/80 Hard Courts (& Men’s Level 5) Start May 11 with Strong Draws
The first Level 1 tournament of the year for women is taking place this week at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club in La Jolla, CA. For many players this is their first event in over a year. The 50 & 60 draws are particularly strong.
Here are the seeds for the 60 women. Note that notable unseeded players are Tina Karwasky, Tracey Thompson, and Ann Young (Pellow). Former world champions Ros Nideffer and Fran Chandler are making their 60 debuts along with Vicki Buholz.
1. Nideffer, Ros2. Wright, Susan3. Nichols, Carolyn4. Gordon-Carney, Shannon5. Buholz, Vicki5. Chandler, Frances5. Shorr, Jennifer5. Vick, Kathy
The 60 doubles features some excellent teams including 2019 champions Susan Wright/Shannon Gordon-Carney (#1) and Carolyn Lane/Kathy May (former top 10 player and mother of ATP #31 Taylor Fritz) as the 2nd seeds.
Here are the singles seeds for the 50s:
1. Hilliard, Nancy2. Rice, Andrea3. McBride, Dina4. Carruth, Marlo5. Atoji, Mariko5. Bartelt, Christen5. Kaus, Christina5. Keller, Jenny
Andrea Rice was a 2019 finalist here and Dina McBride has won the 40s (and was a 40s finalist twice only to tear one of her Achilles’ tendons in the final…she’s resilient).
The doubles is even stronger I think than the singles with Nideffer/Debbie Spence Nasim seeded 1, Tracie Currie/McBride at #2 and defending champs Jen Dawson (of pickle ball fame) and Jenny RENs Keller at #3 followed by Jami Jones and Deb Higa…
The 70s seeds are here:
1. Dixon, Judy2. Barnes, Kathy3. Gay, Carol4. Clay, Carol5. Anderson, Catherine5. Bramlette, Susan5. Harris, Lois5. Hubbard, Barbara
The 80s seeds:
1. Hillebrand, Charleen2. Clark, Susanne3. King, Roz4. Weinstock, Sheila
The men’s draws are very strong for a Level 5 (there are 7 levels with Level 1 being the “gold ball” level). Bill Kellogg, the TD for the tournament is playing in his first 70s tournament and is the top seed.
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New Dates and Site for Men’s 40/45/50 Grass!
The Men’s 40/45/50 Grass will be held Sept 29-Oct 4 at the Agawam Hunt Club in Rumford, RI. Previously this event was to be held at the Germantown Cricket Club (which cancelled all senior grass tournaments for 2021).
New Dates and Location
Sept. 29-Oct 4 Agawam Hunt Club Rumford, RI
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Beating the Heat in Palm Desert; Singles/Doubles Champion
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.
103! Temperature after we finished doubles. Yes, it was hot when we finished! 103
Carolyn, Shorr, Tournament Director 
Carolyn, Robin, Tina, Ann 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.
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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.
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Wilson World Tennis Classic Tuesday, Where the Tennis was as Hot as the Weather
Click here to see all draws and results.
Susan Wright, Julie & Kurt Chan 
Tad & Lisa Yukawa (and Sophie, sleeping) 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.
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Manic Monday: Wilson World Tennis Classic Battles Continue in the Desert
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.
Andrea Barnes and Shannon Gordon Carney 
Bob Litwin, Me, Les Buck 
Anne Kerwin-Payne & Lindsay Montero 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).
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Wilson World Tennis Classic Covid Guidelines
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:
- Maintain 6 ft distance at all times
- Players shall not congregate in groups
- Masks must be worn at all times except when actively playing on the court
- On-court seating or benches shall be socially distanced
Tournament entry and screening:
- Players are permitted to bring only one guest on-site per day
- Health screening to be conducted upon entry to the site each day (symptom questionnaire); anyone who does not pass the screening will not be permitted on site
- Players must leave the facility immediately after their match is complete
- Once eliminated from both singles and doubles, players are no longer permitted to access the tournament site
Practice courts:
- Maximum of 4 players permitted on the court
- No coaches or players sitting on court watching
Cleaning and sanitization:
- Players are expected to keep their area and their chair or bench on court clean and sanitized
- Sanitizer will be available at each tournament location
- One player shall be designated to update the scoring tenders
- High-touch surfaces and common areas must be cleaned regularly
Other:
- No player parties are allowed
- Awards ceremony must be physically distanced
[From] Desert Tennis Events
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Draws Up for ITF S700/USTA Level 2 (plus Level 1 Mixed) in Palm Desert, CA
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).
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USTA Announces 2021 Senior International Teams Selections
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.
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Date Change for Women’s 35/45/55/65/75/85/90 Clay Courts in Houston, TX
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.
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Update on Tournaments for 2021
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
April 30, 2021
New dates and site for the Men’s 40/45/50 Grass has been found:
Sept. 29-Oct 4 Agawam Hunt Club Rumford, RIAs of May 24, 2021 the following tournaments have been cancelled for 2021:
- Women’s 35-85 Grass at Germantown: Cancelled
- Women’s 30-80 Grass at Forest Hills: Cancelled
- Men’s 40/45/50 Grass at Germantown: Cancelled (but moved to Rhode Island)
- Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Indoors in So Barrington IL: Cancelled
- West Coast Seniors (Level 2, Men) and Joanne Russell Cup (Level 2 Women) in Naples: Cancelled
- The Lamita Jabour Grandes Dames tournament in Fort Lauderdale
- Grandes Dames, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Both were to be ITF S700.
- Men’s Level 3 tournament in Naples January 10-16
- St Petersburg men’s Level 2 tournament which was to take place in February has been cancelled. From TD Jerry Ratledge (via Joe Rasgado): “I can now confirm that our tournament has been officially cancelled. We reluctantly concluded that the risks of holding a large, Level 2, National & International tournament during an escalating pandemic are simply too great. We look forward to a fun, safe, and normalized tournament in 2022.”
- El Paso Senior Open Level 3 (Aug 25-30)
- Marin Seniors
- Men’s Bocage Level 2, Baton Rouge, LA
- Pacific Coast Seniors, Berkeley, CA cancelled
- Washington State, Cancelled
- Cooper Cup, Cancelled
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.
Good News: Husband Wife Grass has been relocated to Rhode Island in June. And the 150 combined age division is on offer.
The following tournaments have been postponed to the fall:
- Men’s 75-90 Hard Courts has been rescheduled to Sept 13-18. (Per Ned Buckman, TD)
- Daniel Island NWTO Women’s tournament has been postponed to Oct 20-24. The tournament link is here.
- 40-80 Women’s Clay Courts has been postponed to Sept. 28-Oct 2. The tournament link is here.
- The 35-90 Clay Courts will take place Sept 20-26 in Houston, TX (changing from its original April dates largely due to a slow vaccine rollout).
- The women’s 40/50/70/80/90 Level 2 Indoors dates are now Oct 27-Nov 3. The tournament link is here.
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!
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Applications for 2021 Senior Cup Teams Now Closed
The application for a spot on one of the Senior Cup teams (Men/Women 50/55/60+) are now closed. View the list of applicants here: Applicants USTA.com 2021 ITF Seniors Team Championships.xlsx
List of 2021 Senior Team Players
Applications will closed Jan 10, 2021
The Cups will take place in June in Umag, Croatia. (Coronavirus permitting).
Read more about the Cups and view the timeline here.
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2021 Super Seniors (65,70, 75, 80, 85) Cup Team Information
- Location: Mallorca, Spain
- Team Event: Sunday, Oct. 10 – Friday, Oct. 15, 2021
- Individual Event: Saturday, Oct. 16 – Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021
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:
- Approved 24-month USTA Category I USTA National Championship eligibility requirement, the option to participate in one USTA Super Category II National Tournament or one USTA Category II National Tournament within the last 24 months or participation in one Designated Open Sectional Championship within the last 12 months to fulfill the eligibility requirement; and
- Approved to lengthen the selection time period for results that will be considered for selection from 24 months to 36 months.
2021 Super Senior International Teams Timeline
- Location: Mallorca, Spain
- Team Event: Sunday, Oct. 10 – Friday, Oct. 15, 2021
- Individual Event: Saturday, Oct. 16 – Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021
- Applications Open: April 1, 2021 Click here to apply
- Application Deadline: May 1, 2021
- Players who have applied for consideration will be listed on the Preliminary Applicant List posted on USTA.com: May 5 See the list of applicants here.
- Deadline to notify the USTA of any omissions to the posted Preliminary Applicant List (cutoff date for 24 month period for which to consider results): May 10
- Team selection posted to USTA.com and players will be notified of their status: June 1 See team selections here.
- All paperwork (excluding travel itinerary) due to USTA staff (including player agreement, media packet, copy of passport, & IPIN): July 1
- Players may make their travel arrangements: August 1
- Travel arrangements due to staff: September 1
Fact sheets are now available from the ITF.
2021 ITF Super-Seniors (65-70-75-80-85-90*) World Team & Individual Championships
The 2021 ITF Super-Seniors (65-70-75-80-85-90* years) World Team & Individual Championships will take place in Mallorca, Spain from Sunday 10 October – Saturday 23 October 2021. The Team Event will take place from 10 – 15 October 2021. The Individual Event from 16 – 23 October 2021.
- 2021 ITF Super-Seniors World Team Championships – Factsheet
- 2021 ITF Super-Seniors World Individual Championships – Factsheet
(* Refers to Individual Championships only). (**A final updated list will be published at the nomination deadline)
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2021 Young Seniors (35/40/45) Cup Team Information
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Team Event: Sunday, Sept. 12 – Friday, Sept. 17, 2021
- Individual Event: Saturday, Sept. 18 – Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021
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:
- Approved 24-month USTA Category I USTA National Championship eligibility requirement, the option to participate in one USTA Super Category II National Tournament or one USTA Category II National Tournament within the last 24 months or participation in one Designated Open Sectional Championship within the last 12 months to fulfill the eligibility requirement; and
- Approved to lengthen the selection time period for results that will be considered for selection from 24 months to 36 months.
2021 Young-Seniors World Championships (35/40/45)
- Location: Umag, Croatia
- Team Event: Sunday, Sept. 12 – Friday, Sept. 17, 2021
- Individual Event: Saturday, Sept. 18 – Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021
- Applications Open: March 1, 2021
- Application Deadline: April 10, 2021
- Players who have applied for consideration will be listed on the Preliminary Applicant List posted on USTA.com: April 13
- Deadline to notify the USTA of any omissions to the posted Preliminary Applicant List (cutoff date for 24 month period for which to consider results): April 18
- Team selection posted to USTA.com and players will be notified of their status: May 10 List of Young Seniors Players Selected to Teams
- All paperwork (excluding travel itinerary) due to USTA staff (including player agreement, media packet, copy of passport, & IPIN): June 10
- Players may make their travel arrangements: July 10
- Travel arrangements due to staff: August 10
2021 Young Seniors Team Championships – Participating Teams**
Factsheets, Accommodation and Travel Documents:
The 2021 ITF Young Seniors (30*-35-40-45 years) World Team & Individual Championships will take place in Umag, Croatia from Sunday 12 September – Saturday 25 September 2021. The Team Event will take place from 12 – 17 September 2021. The Individual Event from 18 – 25 September 2021.
- 2021 Young Seniors World Team Championships – Factsheet
- 2021 Young Seniors World Team Championships – Accommodation
- 2021 Young Seniors World Team Championships – Travel & Transport
- 2021 Young Seniors World Individual Championships – Factsheet
- 2021 Young Seniors World Individual Championships – Accommodation
- 2021 Young Seniors World Individual Championships – Travel & Transport
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La Jolla Hard Courts: 40s Men & Women, Father/Son & Grandfather/Grandson Cancelled due to California Regulations
Sadly, the Men’s and Women’s 40 Hard Courts, Father/Son Hard Courts and Grandfather/Grandson Hard Courts have been cancelled, another victim of Covid-19.
From the email I received yesterday (from Pierrette Featherby of the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club):
“Greetings,
I was hoping this day would never come, but it has, so sadly I must inform you we have been forced to cancel the USTA 40 & over Men’s, Women’s, Mixed & Father/Son, Grandfather/Grandson Designated Open Sectional Hard Court Championships. Because of the rising number of COVID-19 cases San Diego County has shifted into Tier 1 otherwise known as the Purple Tier. Tennis tournaments will not be permitted.
This being said, we would still love to have you come; play some tennis, relax and have a good time. If you choose to do so we will offer you the tournament rate and help you arrange some tennis matches.
Below is a message from Bill Kellogg (which you may also read on the tournament website)
Unfortunately, we have learned that the State of California is currently not allowing tennis tournaments to take place. In addition, the County of San Diego has returned to the most restrictive purple COVID rating, Given the way the rating system works, it will not be possible, even under the best circumstances, for San Diego County to return to the Red Level anytime soon (earliest would be four weeks from 11/20/20 – i.e. after Thanksgiving). We had expected We had expected that the rules relating to sporting events would be relaxed by the first week in December, but that is not a possibility now. For those reasons, we will not be able to hold this tournament.
A number of people made room reservations at our special tournament rates. We will, of course, refund your room deposit upon request. However, if you would like to stay at the club during the originally scheduled tournament dates and take advantage of the tournament rates we offered participants, you are welcome to do so. You will be able to play tennis while staying on property and we would be happy to arrange tennis matches while you are here if that is of interest to you. Just contact our reservations department and let them know what you want to do.
If you have questions, please feel free to call Bill Kellogg at 858-735-6500 or Conan Lorenzo at 619-846-3094.May I wish you and yours a very Happy Thanksgiving and that 2021 will see the end to Covid-19!
In the meantime please stay healthy and safe.
Best regards,
Pierrette Featherby”
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2021 Level 1, 2 & 3 Mixed Schedule
2021 USTA Level 1 Mixed Doubles Schedule
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 2/3 Calendar and the winners do not receive gold balls.
The Clay and Hard Mixed Level 1 events will also be ITF Seniors 1000 tournaments.Age Division Clay Hard Grass 30
Dec 3-8
Lauderdale TC
Ft. Lauderdale, FLDates: Sept. 10-12
Location: Plaza Tennis Center, Kansas City, KS40 Dates: Oct 6-10
Location: Seabrook Island Club
Johns Island, SCNov 29-Dec 6
La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club
La Jolla, CA45 Dates: April 9-14
Location: Lauderdale TC
Fort Lauderdale FL50 Dates: Oct 6-10
Location: Seabrook Island ClubApril 1-7
Shadow Mountain Resort
Palm Desert, CA60 Dates: Oct 6-10
Location: Seabrook Island Club
Johns Island, SCApril 1-7
Shadow Mountain Resort
Palm Desert, CA70 Dates: Oct 6-10
Location: Seabrook Island Club
Johns Island, SCApril 1-7
Shadow Mountain Resort
Palm Desert, CA75 April 1-7
Shadow Mountain Resort
Palm Desert, CA80 April 1-7
Shadow Mountain Resort
Palm Desert, CA2021 Level 2 & 3 Mixed Schedule
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.
Once links appear for the Men's and Women's Level 2 and 3 tournaments please check to see if some have mixed...the USTA doesn't have mixed listed for Westwood but it normally offers mixed and there could be others.
Date Tournament Location Surface Level July 6-11 89th Asheville Open Aston Park Tennis Center
Ashville, NCClay 3 Sept 2-5 National Indoor Championships Eagle Tennis Club
Eagle, IDIndoor Hard 3 Oct 21-24 Texas Super Senior Sectionals McFarlin Tennis Center
San Antonio, TXHard 3 Nov 1-7 33rd Top Gun The Great Park
Irvine, CAHard 3
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2021 Women’s Level 2 & 3 Tournaments
2021 Women's Level 2 & 3 Tournaments
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.
Level 2 tournaments were formerly Super Category 2 Tournaments. Up to 8 will receive ITF Seniors points.
As of Dec 6, 2020, all Level 1-3 women’s tournaments have been cancelled for January and February.Dates Tournament Location Surface USTA Level (2 or 3) ITF Points (ITF Seniors 700, 400 other, or none) POSTPONED TO APRIL 1-12 Wilson World Classic Shadow Mountain
Palm DesertHard 2 ITF Seniors 700 CANCELLED Grandes Dames at Palm Beach Gardens Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center
Palm Beach Gardens, FLClay 2 ITF Seniors 700 CANCELLED Lamita Jabour Cup Grandes Dames Lauderdale Tennis Club
Fort Lauderdale, FLClay 2 ITF Seniors 700 CANCELLED
Feb 16-21Joanne Russell Cup The Club at Sterling Oaks
Naples, FLClay 2 Oct. 20-24 NSWTA Championships at Daniel Island Club Daniel Island Club
Daniel Island, SCClay 2 ITF Seniors 700 CANCELLED Pacific Coast Senior & Family Champs Berkeley Tennis Club
Berkeley, CAHard 3 CANCELLED Marin Championships Mill Valley Tennis Club
Mill Valley, CAHard 3 May 27-31 Westwood Senior Championships Westwood CC
Austin, TXHard
2 ITF Seniors 700 June 3-6 Hard Court Level 3 Slam Yale University Tennis Center
New Haven, CAHard 3 ITF Seniors 400 July 6-11 89th Asheville Open Tennis Champs Aston Park Tennis Center
Asheville, NCClay 2 Aug 2-8
CANCELLED130th Washington State Open & Seniors Seattle Tennis Club
Seattle, WAHard 2 CANCELLED El Paso Adult and Senior Open El Paso Tennis Club
El Paso, TXHard 3 Sept. 2-5 USTA National Indoor Championships Eagle Tennis Club
Eagle, IDIndoor Hard 3 New dates: Oct 27-Nov 3 40, 50, 70, 80, 90 Indoors Club Green Meadows
Vancouver, WAIndoor Hard 2 CANCELLED!
Lauderdale TC
Ft. Lauderdale, FLLauderdale Tennis Club
Fort Lauderdale, FLClay 3 Oct 21-25 Texas Super Senior Sectionals McFarlin Tennis Center
San Antonio, TXHard 3 Nov 1-7 33rd Top Gun Tournament The Great Park
Irvine, CAHard 3 Dec 9-13 Fiesta Bowl Phoenix Sr Open Phoenix Tennis Center
Phoenix, AZHard 3 This information is complete as of 11/6/2020. Check USTA.com for updates and corrections.
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2021 Men’s USTA Level 1 (Gold Ball) Tournament Schedule
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.
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2021 USTA Women’s Level 1 (Gold Ball) Tournament Grid
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.Age Division Clay Hard Grass 30