Merion ended today and most of the usual suspects took home the gold balls…but there were a few who snuck out with bronze and silvers.
Julie Cass continued her perfect year in the 35s (at the national level), winning her third straight national singles title and 3rd national 35 doubles title of the year (and 6th straight in the 35s), with Michelle King. Cass beat Jessica Schlotterback in the singles final and Cass/King beat Schlotterback/Kaczmarek in the doubles final. Trish Riddell took third in the singles.
Yukie Koizumi won the singles and was third in doubles with Abbi Neuthaler (her first USTA ball!). She beat Susan Wright in a repeat of the 2005 final. Wright and Gerda Preissing teamed up to win the doubles gold over Tina Karwasky/Mary Ginnard. Karwasky beat Gerda Preissing to place third. Ginnard edged Myke Bodisch in the semis of the consolation 76 in the third and Susan Love beat Kim Lackey. The final went unplayed today.
Heide Orth won the 55 singles over Barb Mueller (and Heide can play the 65s next year!); Molly Hahn took the bronze when Anne Guerrant retired. Kathy Bennett is 3/4 of the way to a doubles slam; she teamed with Molly Hahn to win her first grass doubles title (it was Molly’s third straight one) over Orth/Mueller in 3 sets. Janet Harpold/Liz Leigh won the bronze in doubles (which I believe was Liz’s first USTA ball as well). Cooper/Keleman placed 5th.