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Sunday: Fifth place, ending on a   winning note! We played the consolation final on court 1 with a chair um pire, ball kids and an audience, against Marianne Caplan and Kim Lackey, another seeded team. We played a great first set, winning it 61, but knew they were slow starters…after all in singles Jenny beat Kim 60 57 60. We were down 53 in the second, but played better in the last 4 games, winning them all to take the match 61 75 and finish fifth. Vicki Buholz won the back draw when Kathy Vick retired in the first set with arm and leg injuries. However, after the tennis, Kathy and I toured the North County which was a mellow end to a hectic week.  

Saturday May 18: Jenny and received a walkover in doubles when Christina Kaus pulled a glute muscle in her singles  match yesterday. We played Una Davis from La Jolla and Jackie Heston from Orange County. They lost in the main draw to Vick/Buholz in 3 sets so we knew we would have a tough battle. Like us, they were seeded in the 5-8 group.  We got off to a very good start, up 4-1 but they rallied and evened the set which eventually went to a tiebreak. And it was an amazing one…we won it 15-13 and had 8 set points; they had one. After a close first two games, we pulled away 61 in the second set. Jenny lobbed to perfection and also served and returned well and she always volleys great. 5-6 playoff in doubles tomorrow. Kathy Vick beat Marianne Caplan and Vicki Buholz subdued Erin Boynton in 3 sets so the doubles partners meet in the FIC final.

Friday, May 17, I lost a tough 3-setter to Judy Newman 64 36 62. I had my chances in the first set, but Judy led all the way in the final set. She must have fallen down (others follow through, Judy falls down and apparently does pushups at the same time) about 10-15 times…on a hard court! We didn’t have any doubles but Judy and Tracy beat Worley-Hagen and Joseph in three sets to take the bronze. Tracy steamrolled Fran Chandler, the 2011 champion here, 6160. They were done before Judy and I finished our first set and we all started about the same time! Tracy had a mission and a strategy and they certainly worked well, as Fran is a very tough out. Kathy Vick took out Jenny Rens Keller, my doubles partner 62 62, but the match lasted over two hours, lots of long, brutal points.

Day 4: Thursday May 16. I lost today to Tracy Houk from NorCal (Montara, near Half Moon Bay) 64 63. Fran Chandler beat Judy Newman 61 63 so I play Judy for third tomorrow. It should be a tough match. Jenny Keller, my doubles partner, had a tough consolation match this morning at 8 but won it 64 63 and plays Kathy Vick at 8am tomorrow. I play at 10:30 but will warm her up early.

Kathy and her doubles partner, Vicki Buholz (both from Texas) edged the team we lost to yesterday, Joseph/Worley 63 in the third. They play San Diegans Tracey Thompson/Robin Harris in the final. Tracey and Robin beat top seeded Houk/Newman in the other semi 75 76 and Newman/Houk served for each set before the San Diego team rallied for a win.

In other action, Tina Karwasky maintained her unbeaten streak in the 60s…she’s yet to lose a match in that division, dating back to Jan 1 2012 and faces her doubles partner Mary Ginnard for the 5th time in the six 60s nationals they’ve played since then. Ginnard had to work hard to overcome Martha Downing, winning 75 26 62.

Charleen Hillebrand faces Cathie Anderson in the 70s, which is a repeat of last year’s final.

Margaret Canby will take on her doubles partner, Jane Lutz, in the 80s final. Canby had to hold off 2 set points to beat Louise Russ 60 76.

We won our consolation doubles match which was scheduled for tomorrow, by default since one of our opponents, Christina Kaus, pulled a muscle at 21 in her singles match today. We play the semis of the consolation on Saturday.

Day 3: Yesterday there weren’t a lot of upsets. My doubles partner Jenny Rens Keller had Fran Chandler on the ropes though in the 2nd set, losing 62 75 but had a point to send the set into a tiebreak. I beat Gail Warden yesterday 60 60 and we won our doubles.

Today was a tougher day. Jenny started things off with a 60 57 60 roller coaster win over Kim Lackey in consolation singles. I held off Kathy Vick 61 75. The 2nd set I was down 3-0, as Kathy really started hitting harder and moving better, I was lucky to gut it out. We lost a tough doubles to Tracy Worley Hagen and Jarilyn Joseph 46 62 62. I play Tracy Houk in the semis tomorrow and Fran Chandler plays Judy Newman, who upset #3 seeded Vicki Buholz today.

The courts were packed all day, and matches ran long and late.

There was a nice barbecue on the beach tonight and the weather was mild, mostly sunny and in the 60s.

Day 1:

The USTA National 50-90 Hard Courts began today in La Jolla, CA. It was an absolutely gorgeous day…temps were in the mid-70s at least and the day began and ended sunny and warm. This tournament is held at the venerable La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club…what better venue on a sunny day, where players could play tennis, then go for a swim in the pool or ocean or a nice walk along the beach before happy hour!

Play began at 9am with the women’s 50s. I played Kimberley Denig from the Santa Barbara area and played well to win 62 60. I play Gail Warden from Massachusetts tomorrow morning and doubles just after noon. Jenny Rens Keller, my doubles partner, also won, setting up a second round match with 2011 champion Fran Chandler, the #2 seed. Kathy Vick, the 5th seed, avoided an upset. Trailing a set and 3-1 against San Diegen Christina Kaus, she rallied to win the set 63. She was also down 3-0 in the third before taking the final 6 games of the match with experienced, steady play.

There were no other three-setters amongst the seeds in any of the divisions today. The seeds start play tomorrow in the 70s and the 80s also start play tomorrow. A French lady, Helene Salvetat, who is in her 90s, is here playing. Unfortunately, there were no other 90s ladies entered in singles (wait for them to enter in a couple of years I think…they are coming)…so the tournament also got her 80s and 90s doubles partners.

That’s all for today, I will try to take some photos tomorrow.