Rudy Hernando and Joe Bachmann, Men’s 70s were on tap to play the deciding doubles match for the USA Crawford Cup team against Germany. Joe won earlier at #2 singles and Fred Farzanegan played a very good match at #1 singles but lost in 2 tight sets, the second in a tiebreaker. That set up the deciding doubles match. Joe and Rudy won the first set, played too passively in the 2nd, but came out firing in the third, Joe running like a teenager and Rudy powering the ball through the middle or angling it off at net. I asked one onlooker, Grant Cup captain Gordon Hammes what advice they were given during the break and he jousted back that he was glad there was no testing after the match…the difference between the 2nd and 3rd sets was tremendous. Backed by fevered cheering from the Americans, including Kerry Young, Dorothy Matthiessen, Hammes, Carol Wood and many more, the USA beat Germany 60 in the third set to put all nine US teams into the gold medal matches tomorrow! After the match, Bachmann was relieved that his would not be the only team which was not in the final.

The men’s 60s beat France 3/0, though Brian Cheney was on court nearly 3 hours at #2 singles before prevailing in three sets.

The men’s 80s beat France as well, 3/0. Joe Russell played #2 singles and won easily; but Jack Bradshaw started nervously at #1 singles before getting his feet moving…once he did he dominated, rallying from 13 down to win 64 60.

The men’s 65 beat Australia 3/0 behind the singles play of Hugh Thomson, who overcame a 2nd set point against him to win in straight sets, 86 in the 2nd set tiebreak on a big serve to the T, which hit the line; and Jimmy Parker.

The women’s 75s beat Gr Britain 3/0, behind Herrick and Matthiessen; and the women’s 70s dominated Australia in singles, with deVries and Fales winning, but lost the doubles, so won 2/1.

The women’s 60 & 65 were off today.