Let’s start with the 80s…Lorna Brooks from Wyoming (but a SoCal native), playing her annual national tournament (where she meets up with friends from the Central Valley of California where she lived for many years) aged up to the 80s this year (you’d never know it). Lorna played #3 seed Lola O’Sullivan (also hard to believe she’s in her 80s) and won 61 61. Next up, the legendary Dorothy Matthiessen…talk about a tough quarter! In contrast, top seeded Dorothy Wasser from Florida won 2/1 today (Bonnie Champion pulled a hamstring…ouch!) and then takes on Betty Hill tomorrow…Betty won a marathon 3-setter today, lasting well over three hours. Carol Wood will play Kathie Meyering, who had a three setter as well today. Burnett Herrick won over Sheila Palmer who withdrew with an injury.
In doubles there are some intriguing matches tomorrow; Wasser/Herrick face Brooks/Palmer; Meyering/Smith play Tietz/Wood; and Katie Koontz making her return to national play after over a decade’s absence faces O’Sullivan/Barbara Oldfield.
In the 90s, the co-#1 seeds, Jane Lutz and Rita Price lounged while their semifinal opponents both played three-setters to get to the semis; fortunately they have tomorrow off from singles. Jane plays local Sally Fuller while Rita will play Joyce Vanderpol. Sally and Joyce will play Rita and Jane in doubles though tomorrow in the first of 3 round robin doubles matches in the 90s.
In the 50s #3 seeded Michelle Saunders had a challenging second set from Yumi Hansen but prevailed 62 75. She faces local star Jenny Rens Keller in what should be a good counterpunch/punch match. Jennifer Dawson will make her singles debut against Yvette Kruger. And Anna Zimmerman, the #4 seed has a rematch with Kristen Kepler; they played a month ago at the clay courts and had a good match.
In doubles there were two upsets of 5-8 seeds; locals Anna Palmer and Tammy Stephens cruised past #5 seeds Andrea Wiggins/Andrea Thomason. Mary Graber/Trina Lee Molatkly edged another #5 seeded team, Darice Carneje/ Monica Sweet, getting stronger with each set.
In the 70s, Ann Loose played and won a three setter for the second straight day, upsetting #5 Gwenda Ward 64 in the third. The remaining seeds won easily. Diane Kitt/Mary Alice Pisani upset #5 seeded Ward/Loose (maybe Loose finally ran out of gas) in two close sets. The remaining seeds dropped very few games.
And finally the 60s. I beat Leslie Murveit, who played very well after she warmed up…the second set we had some long games and long points, but I prevailed 60 63. All eight of the seeds advanced without losing a set; several lost no games including Shannon Gordon Carney who won today and yesterday 60 60.
In doubles, the match of the day once again featured Leslie Murveit, who with Colleen Clery Ferrell took on Cindy Abel/Kristen Stanton. It was also the last match of the day and Abel/Stanton were able (see what I did there) to come back from a 1-set deficit to finish off the upset 64 in the third…they had many remarkable points, especially the one on set point in the first set where Leslie came out of the back field to run down a sharp angle and return it for a winner. Cindy was a backboard; Kristen has nice hands and Colleen made some super volleys and overheads. Kim Dean/Sherri Bronson were pushed to 3 sets to win; the other seeds won in straight sets.
There was a player dinner tonight. Those seagulls were not aimlessly flying around, they were periodically pouncing on untended plates. The dinner was on the beach and very nice.