All USA American women’s teams have reached the final of their respective Cups in the 35/40/45/50/55 divisions. The men’s 50 and 55 teams have also reached the final and the men’s 45 team is in the semis. The men’s 35 and 40 teams will be playing for 3rd tomorrow.
The USA women’s 35 team is, according to captain Robin Keener and team member Michelle King fired up and ready to win on Sunday. They beat Gr. Britain 2-1 taking both singles matches with Michelle King winning at #2 singles and Julie Cass winning a thriller at #1 75 in the third. King and Cass dropped the doubles point 64 in the third.
The USA women’s 40 team won both singles, with Renata Marcinkowska winning at #2 singles 62 76 and holding off a set point before winning the tiebreaker. Gretchen Magers won at #1 singles 60 61 and their opponents didn’t want to play the doubles, so USA won 2-0.
The USA women’s 45 team played the final match of their 3-team round robin today. If they win it, they will win the cup since they beat France 2-1 yesterday. They played Australia today and won at #2 singles. In the most thrilling match perhaps of this event, Susan Wright battled hard against defending world champion Ros Balodis, coming up just short of victory, losing 16 75 76. That left it up to the doubles, played by the American team of Chandler and Wright. They won the first set and dropped the 2nd set and are tied at 2-2 in the third right now, with the match suspended till tomorrow due to darkness.
The USA women’s 50 team beat Great Britain in the semis, taking both singles matches and dropping only the doubles point. They take on Australia tomorrow. Australia beat Austria 2-1, winning at #1 singles in 3 sets and taking the doubles point with a decisive 62 63 win.
The USA women’s 55 team beat France. Brenda Carter won a tough match at #2 singles, grinding out a win. France’s #1 player was too tough for Kathy Barnes. However the US team of Anne Guerrant and Ching Ling Chang again won the deciding match 61 61 (after Anne had a nap to charge her batteries whilst Barnes was playing singles…napping to victory?…but it worked).
The USA men’s 55 team won 2-1; the men’s 50 team had already reached the final yesterday and had a well deserved day off today, since all had been unwell most of the week; and the 45 men’s team also had the day off, and play the semis tomorrow, being a round behind due to rain earlier in the week.
The men’s 35 team after grinding out a win yesterday hit the wall and went down 3-0 today. The men’s 40 team, playing without Martin Barba who was injured, won at #1 singles, but lost the doubles in 2 tight sets.