Regional Closed Wrap Up

Sunday I played the final of the singles and doubles at the Regional Closed. It was still really hot and muggy, feeling more like August than November! (Close to 90/90, degrees/humidity).

I played Kathy Foulk from Florida in the singles final and we had a good first set, then I won the last eight games of the match to win 63 60.

Kathy Foulk, Carolyn Nichols

Shelly Works was playing next to us for a while (they started an hour earlier) against Terri Gaskill from the Northeast area. Terri started strong but I think the worst thing you can do in warm weather is get a lead on Shelly! Once she overcame the warm up Pam Cooke and I gave her (Fran Chandler left early to return home) and 4/1 & 5/2 deficits, she ran off hte last 11 games of the match to win 75 60. Terri melted…at the end of the match she was so hot she couldn’t even hear! However Terri did win the 50 doubles (with Susan Kirby) over Mary Dailey (USA) and Works in a match tiebreak.

After an hour break Pam and I took on Yvonne Gallop and Cindy Leprevost, the winners of the 21-19 tiebreak the day before. Pam was awesome (her poach on match point was fantastic) and we played our best match of the tournament to win 62 62.

Dick Johnson, the 70s world champion, won the singles here to move to a career high #1 in the world. Burnett Herrick sewed up the #1 doubles ranking with a win her, playing down from the 80s into the 70s. Taras Beyko also snagged the top ranking, in men’s 45 and I ended up #1 in 60 singles and doubles.

Last year’s world doubles champions, Aldo Buga/Ricardo Mendivil won here again.

Tom Bender and Decio Raven were down 9-4 in the match tiebreak Saturday before winning and had a straight forward win Sunday to take the 50 men’s doubles.

Trudy Vermeer, who lives here in Florida literally hits the cover off the ball..the mixed match in the 45s between Vermeer and Frank Vermeer against Carlos Gomez-Diaz and Margaret Lumia (won by the latter 11-9 in the match tiebreak) was one of the highlights of the tournament.

The men’s 75 singles were played and were round robins, but the winner wasn’t listed.

Diane Barker was back playing after a hand injury and played three events, winning the 55 singles.

Former world tour player Kim Jones (Schaeffer) took two doubles titles.

Overall this was a good event despite some scheduling snafus and the heat. Many thanks to the BallenIsles Country Club for having this event and most of all to Trish Faulkner for running it. Next year this event is in Mt. Tremblant, Canada June 8-12, so mark your calendars!

Link to all draws and results.

WINNERS

Men’s Singles

V35: Paulo BARROS (BRA)