It was a beautiful day in Florida…cool but very little wind and highs in the 60s. There was some excellent tennis too.
In the 70s, Joan Nevins had to wait a day to play (having received a default yesterday), but was ready for the challenge of playing #2 seeded Caroline Haynes. She beat her 62 63 and plays Ria Graham tomorrow in the final.
Carol Clay and Brenda Carter had their usual three set knock down drag out 4 hour match in one semi…while Kerry Young won her match against Toni Novack in about 45 minutes 61 60 (or as Toni said…12-1). Brenda won the first set 76…Carol went up 41 in the 2nd set, but then her hand or arm cramped according to onlookers, but Carol held on to win the 2nd set 76 and prevailed 64 in the third, her second win of the year over the tenacious Carter. Clay and Carter, lefty and righty, are like mirror images playing each other, great backhands, and lots of long rallies…Clay was a little more willing to move forward and that seemed to be the difference.
Diane Fishburne steamrolled Sally Smith 62 60 in one semi….Carolyn Nichols won by a similar score over McColsky, 60 62, but the matches were dissimilar. Nichols and McColsky played one game in the first set at 3-0 Nichols…Fishburne and Smith played the 2nd set in the same time. McColsky is a quick, steady counterpuncher and she and Nichols had a lot of long rallies and long games…it was much closer than the score…so much so that onlookers didn’t know who had won the match or what the score was.
In the 40s, top seeded Maria Drew plays #2 seed Karen Olsen, the pro at the host site. Abi Neuthaler and Anne Marie Pensati beat Olsen/Kim Scullion 61 64 in a well played final.
In the 50 doubles, play started in the semis…and the seeds won; Foulk/Thompson play Smith/Loebel in one semi and Neuthaler/Pensati play Brown/Viebrock in the other semi. Brown/Viebrock outplayed Nichols/Janet Bezmalinovich 76 75, winning all the close games and big points.
In the 60s, Brenda Carter had a tough day, losing a three setter in doubles with Cindy Babb to Sandra Nielson and Lynn Thompson. They face Kerry Young/Toni Novack in the final. They took out Clay/Ellen Goodman 62 20 ret injury…
In the 70s, Nevins/Phyllis Westerman, a pick up team, ousted Haynes/Betty Hill 64 62. They take on Betsey Cheesman/Robbi Dimond who upset the top seeds, Mary Ann Plante and Ria Graham.