Saturday was another steamy hot day in South Florida and the final day of the 2025 ITF World Championships for the 60/65/70 divisions.
Bunnie Jackson and I played our W70 doubles final (at 8am!) against the international team of Sally Van Rensburg (AUS)/Pauline French (GBR) and won 61 64. Bunnie played great in winning her first ITF Gold Medal.
Leanne Swaysland/Ros Balodis (AUS) beat Pat Medrado (BRA)/Susan Wright (USA) in a wonderful match which lasted nearly three hours to win the W65 doubles crown. The points were long and entertaining, and mostly won…the number of unforced errors was quite low. The Leanne made some amazing shots at the net; Wright was involved in long arduous rallies from the baseline without making errors, Medrado and Balodis were amazing with their hand skills and movement. fun match won 75 76 (after the Aussies rallied from 25 down in the second set).
Dan Waldman (USA) won the 70 singles, 76 62 (he led 5-2 in the first before Paul French (GBR) rallied to force a tiebreak, but another rally was not in the works for French in the second set.
The remaining finals all went three sets as the ITF allowed best of three set matches for the finals.
Glenn Busby (AUS) edged Bill Moss (USA, who was playing in his first ever World Championship singles final) in the men’s 65 final. I saw a bit of the third set…(which I was told Moss led 3-0, two breaks). Both players were pummeling the ball. Moss had a break point at 4-4 and leathered a forehand return which just missed the court…and Busby went on to hold and broke to win the match, which lasted over three hours. 5-7 6-3 6-4.
Lisa Prechtel (NED) won the women’s over Simone Vasconcellos (BRA) 62 16 62. I was told by onlookers (I was not there) that Vasconcellos injured her leg early in the third set but continued to compete to the end. The conditions were tough all week.
I was told that men’s 60 final lasted nearly four hours won by Spaniard Carlos Costa Bou over Argentina’s Marcelo Ingaramo 63 46 76. What a battle. Ingaramo then had the possibility of two doubles matches to follow. He had his partner Raul Villarnovo (ARG) got past Aussies John Bruce/Tim Fraser 5-5 ret. (plane to catch I think…the match was scheduled for yesterday but rain…) and so it was on to match #3 which was won by Jorge Gomez/Martin Palafox (MEX) 63 64.
In mixed doubles 70s, Sally Van Rensburg/Steve Dance (AUS) won two matches, first against Betsy Savitt/Thomas Jaklitsch (USA) in the semis and in the final against Andrea Barnes/Richard Meyer (USA) 76 63. Barnes/Meyer took out Jackson/John Embree (USA) 26 60 10-5.
In mixed 65s, Balodis/Peter Hampton (AUS) beat Chuck Kuhle/Anne Frautschi in the final; Balodis/Hampton beat Brits Gillian Brook/John Lloyd in the semis and neither match was particularly close judging by the scores. Kuhle/Frautschi beat Sylvie Primault (FRA)/Daniel Mueller (SUI) 75 62 in the semis earlier in the day (8am!).
Christina Kaus (USA) won the 60s bonus draw 63 62 over Daniela Esswein (GER).
USA singles medalists Susan Wright, (W65, GOLD), Lori Robertson (W65 bronze);Bunnie Jackson (W70 bronze), Carolyn Nichols (W70, Gold); Tina Karwasky (W70 bronze); Missing: Wendy McColskey, W70, bronze & Jenny Klitch, W60, bronze
The medalists are listed below.
