The final of the women’s 60 singles was held today in Mallorca. I got up early and never looked outside, so it wasn’t till I started walking toward our warm up court that I learned that it had rained overnight and play was delayed. So we, Erin and I, Wendy Armstrong and Stuart Leslie and others went to do what tennis players are known for…eat. The Beach Club Font de sa Cala where we all stayed included breakfast and dinner in the room rate. The food was very good too. After a while it became clear (as the weather was clearing) that tennis would go on before long. Since I had a 9am match, my match was moved to Na Taconara and we didn’t get a warm up. Na Taconara is an easy walk of about 1/2 kilometer up the street, but is much windier than the Beach Club, since there aren’t buildings around the court. It was very windy at the start. I played Encarnita Gomis-Ruiz in the final. She started well and I didn’t, I was hitting short, but after going down 2/0 I won 12 games in a row and the title. No one asked me if I won after, only if I had won 60 60…no pressure at all (sarcasm alert).  Encarnita has really improved over the last five years; she works hard and plays tons of tournaments and it shows.

I watched Carol Campling from Australia  play in the 65s (she lost, though had a set point in the second set) to a French player, and then watched some of the women’s 55 final, between Katrin Dippner and Laura Di Vittori. Dippner from Germany was involved in marathons all week, as was Di Vittori in her second and third round matches. This one went three sets too, but despite some serving woes, Dippner was the braver of the two and went for her shots in the end while Di Vittori seemed to play not to lose. Dippner won 75 in the third. Dippner has on the striped top below.

In the doubles, the British team which edged us yesterday, went down 41 in the first set to Pam Schulz and Julie David, but rebounded from that slow start to win 75 63.

Ann and Andrew Stanley from California won the 60 mixed.

Michael Beautyman lost in the semis of the men’s 65s.

After watching and the trophy presentation Erin and I drove to Palma with minimal wrong turns, returned the rental car without a problem and then went to the airport. Erin stayed at an airport hotel on the beach while I went to Barcelona for a day. Erin is going to another ITF tournament, this one in the South of France. It was a fun week, the tournament was well run, ran on time, transportation was well done, and the rates were reasonable. The weather was fine and the area is very nice, so I highly recommend it.