Draws are here. (I think you need to log in to view with USTA.com)
The USTA National Clay Courts Level 1 (and ITF MT1000) began today at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center (site of the World Championships in May) today.
I had byes in singles and doubles, but the 60s had 30 singles players so all but the top two seeds were in action today. The women’s 70s had a draw of 23, one shy of the number allowing for eight seeds, so there were a number of good matches in the 70s as well.
I watched parts of several matches. In the 60s, Christina Kaus played a fine match to beat Cecilia Collins, including an all court point at 4-3 which involved Kaus running down a drop shot, retrieving a lob and finishing with a running volley winner. It broke Collins and Kaus won 63 60. Shelly Works beat Anna Zimmermann 61 76 (and probably ran down A LOT of fine dropshots by Zimmermann).
Tomorrow there are a lot more intriguing round of 16 matches; Kaus plays Simone Vasconcellos (unseeded) from Brazil; top-seeded Vicki Buholz plays Gayle Prejean; Susan Boyer (4) plays Michelle DePalmer Williams. Other matchups are Lori Robertson/Works, Sylvia Kodsi/Susan Love; Stina Mosvold (60 singles finalist at the worlds last year in Mexico City) vs Ellen Markowitz, Catherine Morgan/Jenny Rens and Daniela Esswein/Charlotte Hartsock (2).
In the 70s, doubles partners Lisa Musgrave and Una Davis found themselves drawn against one another for a round of 32 match. Davis moved well and moved Musgrave around the court well to win 64 62. Leslie Murveit survived a tough second set to beat Christine Meyer 61 76; Donna Drosner beat Kathy Heinze 62 75; Katherine Reed beat Helga Immerfall 62 64; Debbie Burgess and Kathy Foulk also won. I play Burgess tomorrow at 10:15 and Andrea Barnes plays Bunnie Jackson; Wendy McColskey (4) plays Davis; Tina Karwasky plays Murveit; Pat Purcell (3) plays Foulk.
There was only one 50s match today, Leslie Wargo won; she’s ambitiously playing 40s and 50s, so avoided two singles matches tomorrow by playing one today!
In doubles there were some good matches too. Vasconcellos/Lilia Britto from Brazil won the first set but lost in three to Mariana Hollman/Stacey Williams; they face #2 seeded Love/Williams tomorrow. Hartsock/Prejean (4) had to work hard to get past Markowitz/Kodsi 64 75; Kaus/Mosvold (3) beat Robertson/Marianne Caplan. The quarters are tomorrow.
In the 70s, the sister team of Wendy and Dale beat Sherri Bronson/Heinze in three sets 60 16 64; The seeds mostly didn’t play today and the quarters are tomorrow.