• Tag Archives green clay

  • National 40-80 Clay: Practice Day

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    Draws are here.

    The women’s tournament season in the USA basically skipped most of the summer for higher level tournaments (only 2 from June-mid-September), but now is packed! I flew from Houston on Friday night. It was an uneventful flight but I did leave my phone in the rental (I realized it pretty quickly…before I got on the shuttle), then went through security before remembering to do my “Clear’ biometrics…which had to be done in a different terminal. I had arrived nice and early though and was still early to the gate.

    Yesterday I had a tennis rest day but a busy one…laundry, packing for my international trip next weekend, flu shot, grocery shopping (always hard to dash in and out of Costco or even Trader Joe’s for that matter) for next week (three house guests)…plus getting ready for one guest who came in last night.

    Today I practiced with Erin Nevin from Palm Beach Gardens who also practices with Jenny Klitch. We practiced a lot during lockdown and it paid off for all of us. The courts at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center are really nice…new, hydro-courts and the clubhouse is also new and quite nice and beautiful to look at. Two years ago the clubhouse was a couple of temporary trailers, so this is quite an upgrade. There are two more stadium courts as well. It was breezy and warm but not too oppressive and the weather forecast for the week is mostly dry.

    I don’t play till Wednesday but then the tournament starts with a bang, singles and doubles.

    Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center (A public facility! 20 green clay courts plus some hard courts and pickle ball. )

    📂This entry was posted in ITF ITF Seniors 700 ITF Tournaments Level 1 Tournaments Palm Beach Gardens 40-80 Women's Clay 2021 Tennis 📎and tagged

  • Houston Day 7: Smashey Wins 35 Singles; Morris/Toney Win 45 Doubles

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Click here to see the draws and results. 

    Click here to see photos.

    Sunday was the final day of the 2021 Clay Courts in Houston, which was the 50th anniversary of this tournament. It’s always a great event but this year’s edition seemed better than every. Many thanks to everyone who made the tournament great, especially Sue Bramlette and the very supportive Bob Bramlette. It was fun and see you next year!

    Kaysey Smashey beat Alina Mihailescu in three sets to win the 35 clay singles.

    Jennifer Toney/Tammy Morris won the 45 doubles over unseeded Corrine Loeffler/Kristin Warren 76 60. Brandi Bratek, the third seed won the bronze.

    And that’s a wrap on the 2021 Clay Courts in Houston…coming up, the 40-80 Clay in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida!


    📂This entry was posted in Houston Houston National Clay Courts Houston National Women's Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 ITF Seniors 700 Level 1 Tournaments Travel 📎and tagged

  • Houston Day 6: Julie Thu Blanks Field to Win 45 Clay; Kaysie Smashey/Thu Win 35 Doubles

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols 2 Comments

    Click here to see the draws and results. 

    Click here to see photos.

    Last night I flew to Florida for the 60 national clay but the Houston tournament is still going. The tournament was scheduled so the older divisions started on Monday, the 45s on Wednesday and the 35s on Thursday.

    Julie Thu won the 45 singles title without dropping a set. She beat #2 seed Luciana Roldan in the final. She’s an amazing player, lefty with double handed groundies. She pummels the ball after angling opponents off the court. Leslie Wargo mount an impressive comeback to take the bronze over #3 Dianne Lee 06 62 63.

    Julie Thu

    In the 35s, Kaysie Smashey and Alina Mihailescu are in the final which will be held tomorrow (Sunday) morning. Smashey and Thu won the 35 doubles over unseeded Linda Sheldon/Megan Wnuk 62 60. Brandi Bratek (3) will face Chiara Combs for the bronze.

    In the 45 doubles, the top seeds, Anne Frautschi/Susanne Zuniga defaulted to Jennifer Toney/Tamy Morris, the 3rd seeds; they play Corrine Loeffler/Kristin Warren who took out the #2 seeds Stacey Williams/Mariana Hollman and the #3 seeds, Rainy Miller/Vikki Dudley to reach the final which is Sunday. Miller/Dudley won the bronze by default over Frautschi/Zuniga.

    In 55 consolation singles, Tracey Thompson beat Paulson by default over Christine Paulson.

    In 65 consolation singles, Pat Purcell beat Frances O’Sullivan 60 60.


    📂This entry was posted in Houston Houston National Clay Courts Houston National Women's Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 ITF Seniors 700 Level 1 Tournaments Tennis Travel 📎and tagged

  • Houston Clay Nationals Day 5: Klitch, Nichols, DeVries, Price Win Singles Titles; Buholz/Prejean Take 55 Doubles

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    National Women’s Clay Courts, Houston, Day 5

    Click here to see the draws and results. 

    Click here to see photos.

    It was another beautiful, sunny warm (but not humid) day in Houston Friday, and there were a lot of matches both in the main draw and consolation draws. 

    As usual there was a delicious lunch and breakfast for the players…on the menu for lunch were make your own burger (using hamburger, barbecued chicken or portabella mushrooms), various salads, green, coleslaw, potato, house made potato chips, sweet potato fries and the club’s awesome cookies. Again, I cannot say enough thanks to Sue Bramlette for directing the best senior tournament, full stop. 

    I had a 9am match, and Jenny K and I warmed up as usual at 7:30. I played Tina Karwasky, the 2017-9 champion in the 65s and won 62 63. Tina slipped during the second set and skinned her knee…she was icing it, her other knee and right shoulder after the match. The conditions weather wise were perfect..70s and no wind, but the extreme contrast between sun and shadow made play tricky at times. Bunnie Jackson beat Sherri Bronson in three sets to take the 65 bronze. Lisa Musgrave beat Andrea Barnes in three sets to place fifth. In the consolation to determine 9th place, Pat Purcell beat Leslie Murveit in three sets and takes on Frances O’Sullivan next. 

    After I finished, we took some photos and I watched Jenny Klitch, (#1 in the world in 55s) play Renee Saheim, an energetic lefty who is an excellent player. Klitch though played a terrific match, smacking winners left and right (no Renee hit seemed safe from Jenny’s returns) and making Renee run a lot. The points were great but Klitch won 62 62. Gayle Prejean took third. In consolation, beating Laurie Capra 62 ret. (Capra had a loooong match two days earlier, with kathy Vick, plus doubles), Tracey Thompson won a marathon with Heidi Gerger 67 76 (12) 63! She faces Paulson in the 9-10 playoff. Vicki Buholz won the 5-8 playoff over McWilliams (winner of the 5 hour 15 minute match against Kathy Vick yesterday) 61, ret. McWilliams was pulling up after every point. Winning a match against Kathy Vick this tournament was a pyrrhic victory. After singles Renee had the doubles final with Lori Gonzalez against Buholz/Prejean, the 55 world doubles champions. Buholz/Prejean dropped the first set but rallied to win and take the gold in three sets.

    Dori Devries won the Women’s 85s when Carol Wood had to retire after dropping the first set 64 with hamstring and arm injuries. Sheila Palmer took the bronze over Burnett Herrick 64 64. Laurie Leach was 5th.

    Julie Thu took very little time in beating Dianne Lee Friday..Lee didn’t play badly but Thu just kept hitting winners at the end of points, angles then line shots. She plays Luciana Roldan in the 45s final this morning. In 45 doubles, the 1, 3 and 4 seeds survived but the #2 seeds, Stacey Williams/Mariana Hollman lost to Loeffler/Warren.

    Kaysie Smashey started her tournament with a win in the 35s and faces #3 Brandi Bratek in the semis. Alina Mihailescu (2) faces unseeded Chiara Combs who beat the 4th seed when she had to retire at 1-1 in the third set.

    Rita Price won the 90 singles despite not having played singles for two years and being 95! She attributed her wins to Tai Chi and dancing…and she is a very good dancer. If you are on Facebook check out the video from the player party of Rita dancing to New York New York.


    📂This entry was posted in Houston Houston National Clay Courts Houston National Women's Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 ITF Tournaments Level 1 Tournaments Travel USTA 📎and tagged

  • Houston National Clay Courts Day 4: Carter Takes 75 Singles Crown (corrected); Jackson/Savitt Win 65 Doubles; Castell/Kimball Win 75 Doubles; Devries/Wood Win 85 Doubles

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Houston, Texas

    Click here to see the draws and results. 

    Click here to see photos.

    Brenda Carter mounted an impressive comeback in the second set to win the 75 singles gold ball in Houston today. She won 62 76(8), rallying from 2-5 in the second set against Carolann Castell. Castell did a good job during the second set of hitting deep and finishing at net to forge a 5-2 lead, but Carter became more aggressive according to Castell and closed out the match in straight sets.

    In the 55s, Jenny Klitch beat Laurie Capra 61 61 and Renee Saheim beat Gayle Prejean 62 63 to advance to the final. Klitch and Capra played in the shadows on the third court down but Klitch played a near perfect match, and ran off what was left of Capra’s legs (she had a marathon match yesterday with Kathy Vick). Saheim and Prejean played in front of the clubhouse and it was an interesting match; they hadn’t played before and you could see the players adjust their strategies; Saheim, a lefty, alternated drops, approaches to the net, and hard hit backhands in her win. In the backdraw, Vicki Buholz went down 4/0 against Shelly Works, then won the next 12 games…Jacqueline McWilliams edged kathy Vick in a 5 hour 15 minute match to reach the 5/6 playoff match against Buholz…I heard there were a lot of high (moon) balls in that match.

    Saheim/L Gonzalez, unseeded, took out the # 2 seeds in 55 doubles yesterday and today beat the #3 seeds, both in straight sets. They face Buholz/Prejean who won in straight sets to reach the final.

    Tina Karwasky just loves the matchup with Sherri Bronson…it’s great for Tina and bad for Sherri, matchups are like that sometimes. Tina won 60 60 and Sherri said Tina played flawlessly. I played Bunny Jackson and won 60 61 in a good match, closer than the score. Bunny is a tall lefty and tricky, it was a good win and am looking forward to tomorrow. In the backdraw Andrea Barnes beat Kathy Foulk 61 61 and Lisa Musgrave ended Ginny Beneke’s singles tournament 61 61 by coming to net on most points.

    In 65 doubles, Bunny Jackson/Betsy Savitt edged Andrea Barnes/Leslie Murveit in the first set of the final 76, rallying from 1-4 and 4-5 down, then took the second 62 to win the gold. Karwasky/Jan Cochran won the bronze over Kandy Chain/Lisa Musgrave 62 62.

    Bottom: Carol Wood/Dori DeVries, Brenda Carter, Winstead, Anderson, Kimball, Castell

    Castell/Sue Kimball won the 75 doubles 60 76 over Cathie Anderson/Brenda Winstead. Till the second set Castell/Kimball hadn’t lost a game all tournament. Elizabeth Barnhill/Sherri Floor took the bronze.

    The 85 doubles title was won by Dori DeVries/Carol Wood in a tight match over Sheila Palmer/Burnett Herrick 75 76. Palmer thought her team had some set points along the way.

    The 45s is underway and Leslie Wargo upset 3rd seeded Teresa Merklin to reach the semis as the other seeds advanced. Thus far there are no upsets in 45 doubles.

    The 55, 65 & 85 singles final and 55 doubles final are tomorrow.


    📂This entry was posted in Houston Houston National Clay Courts Houston National Women's Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 Level 1 Tournaments Travel 📎and tagged

  • National Women’s Clay Courts Day 3: Jones/Kuckhahn Win 90 Doubles

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols 1 Comment

    Houston, Texas

    Click here to see the draws and results. 

    Click here to see photos.

    The weather changed from torrid to delightful overnight and today it was breezy, sunny, warm and the humidity dropped (in other words Houston weather changed to San Diego weather). I even had to get out my warm up pants and jacket! The tennis wasn’t bad either!

    Lunch today was excellent; salad with all the fixings (cheese, olives, mushrooms, peas, corn, pecans and more); chicken, beef and pork which could be put into a tortilla cup with the fixings (beans, salsa, avocado etc.), tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches, and three kinds of cookies.

    And there was tennis too. I played at 9am…Jenny K and I warmed up early, then I played Andrea Barnes. I won 60 62 but the second set in particular was quite good; Andrea and I both had to make some strategy changes as the match advanced. Jenny beat Jacqueline McWilliams from Texas 60 61 but they had some great points and used the entire court.

    In the 65s, the seeds advanced; I play Bunny Jackson (a 6′ lefty) who beat Kathy Foulk 60 63; Tina Karwasky fended off a challenge from Lisa Culp Musgrave, 76 (5) 62; Lisa had a set point and missed a drop shot in the first set. Sherri Bronson ousted and outlasted Ginny Beneke (described as an energizer bunny) 75 57 61, using her experience and competitiveness to win the match. However, the doubles matches both resulted in upsets; Jackson/Betsy Savitt beat Karwasky/Jan Cochran (#1) 60 46 61 and Barnes/Leslie Murveit took out #2 seeds Musgrave/Kandy Chain in three long sets 75 36 64…the final should be another great match.

    In the 55s, Renee (Tharpe) Saheim (5) played a great match to beat Vicki Buholz (#2); Renee is a lefty with a great two-handed backhand, nice volleys and excellent mobility…she won 64 61. Renee plays Gayle Prejean (5) who upset Shelly Works (4) 63 62 in a match that had VERY long rallies…the match lasted several hours. Laurie Capra (unseeded) beat #3 Kathy Vick in a match that was about three hours long 64 67 64. Towards the end of the third both competitors had game points in the 4-4 and 5-4 games but Capra finally got over the finish line with an aggressive groundstroke. The 55 doubles are still going on…

    In the 75s, Brenda Carter beat Sue Kimball 62 64; Kimball said it was the best she’d played to date against Carter; Carolann Castell took out Cathie Anderson (winner of the marathon with Brenda Winstead yesterday) 62 63. Speaking of Winstead; after finishing play yesterday (she also played doubles with Anderson after their three-set singles), she had to visit the emergency room for full body cramping. Castell/Kimball were supposed to play Anderson/Winstead today but agreed to postpone the match till tomorrow to allow Winstead some recovery time (unless it rained in which case Castell/Kimball would take the default according to Kimball). The weather forecast though is for dry weather tomorrow.

    In the 85s, Carol Wood and Dori DeVries won their respective round robin groups and will play the final on Friday. In doubles Burnett Herrick/Sheila Palmer and DeVries/Wood both won easily and will play their final round robin match, this one for a gold ball, tomorrow.

    The 45 singles and doubles began today; there were no upsets but Dianne Lee (3) had to dig out a tough match against Emma Nguyen 36 60 76 (4).

    And then for the 90s…I had the ages wrong yesterday: Rita Price is 95; Sally Fuller is not 97 but 91 or 92; Janet Hubbard is 92 and Joyce Vanderpol is 97 (see photo below). Also Joyce Jones is 91. Trudy Kuckhahn and Jones won the gold in the 90s over Vanderpol/Fuller 60 62. Jones beat Fuller in the round robin singles 62 60 and Price beat Hubbard by default; Price and Jones play tomorrow.

    Fuller, Vanderpol, Jones, Kuckhahn


    📂This entry was posted in Houston Houston National Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 ITF Seniors 700 Level 1 Tournaments Tennis Travel 📎and tagged

  • National Women’s Clay Courts: Torrid Tuesday in Houston

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Houston, Texas, USA

    Click here to see the draws and results.

    Click here to see photos.

    It was sweltering, torrid, hot, humid, oppressive, sultry…air temps around 100 with high humidity in Houston today. Not everyone survived the heat (to finish her match…no one keeled over). I warmed up again at 7:30 with Jenny Klitch and was soaked after just over 30 minutes of warm up. I played Debbie Burgess and was soaked again after about an hour of play. Jenny was less soaked but her match was shorter.

    There were a few upsets and some very good matches today. And as usual the club put on a great buffet breakfast (same options as yesterday, why change a good thing?) and today a very nice lunch (salad with the fixings of nuts, fruit, cheese and dressing), bread, butter, crackers, baked sweet potatoes, baked potatoes, all the fixings (sour cream, butter, green onions, bacon, cheese) and pulled pork, shredded beef and shredded chicken…and barbecue sauce (it is Texas)…plus lemon cupcakes and chocolate chip blondies for desert.

    The 55s had no upsets today other than Anna Zimmermann who had to withdraw due to illness. In doubles, Rainy Miller was able to get a replacement in doubles (Renee Heckler), thanks to the efforts of tournament director extraordinaire Sue Bramlette) and they won today. Most winning players were efficient in their matches today.

    In the 65s, Lisa (Cup) Musgrave took out #5 seed Leslie Murveit 61 76. The biggest upset though was that of energizer bunny Ginny Beneke (who played a long 3-setter yesterday) over Pat Purcell…actually it was 5-5 in the first set when Pat had to retire due to injury. And it was very hot. Tomorrow I play Andrea Barnes, a 62 63 winner over Frances O’Sullivan; Beneke takes on Sherri Bronson; Bunny Jackson plays Kathy Foulk and Tina Karwasky plays Musgrave. Musgrave and Kandy Chain, the #2 seeds, had a tough match today with Bronson/Foulk. The latter team was up 5-2 in the first set and had several set points at 53 and 54 before falling 76 63. There were some stellar lobs by Sherri Bronson but Musgrave added some nice volleys and drops of her own…it was a good match.

    Ginny Beneke, Brenda Carter

    In the 75s, doubles partners Cathie Anderson and Brenda Winstead had to play each other in the quarters and had a long, hot, very good battle. Cathie took the first set; Brenda blitzed Cathie in the second but Cathie has unbelievably good anticipation (and a killer backhand)…she sliced and dropped her way to a third set win. Anderson plays Castell next (who took a direct, efficient path to the semis); Brenda Carter faces Sue Kimball on the other half. Anderson/Winstead won their doubles match in straight sets to reach the final against Kimball/Castell.

    Cathie Anderson and Brenda Winstead right after their match, which was really a great match. They combined to reach the doubles final later in the day.

    The 85s and 90s began today too. They have four doubles teams and are playing a round robin; Carol Wood/Dori DeVries and Burnett Herrick/Sheila Palmer both won. Wood beat Herrick in singles and Devries beat Laurie Leach (there are two groups of 3 players; the winners of each group play for gold; the second place finishers play for bronze).

    Rita Price, Joyce Jones and Sally Fuller are playing a round robin in the 90s; Fuller is 97, Rita 96; Janet Hubbard got sick.

    Rita Price and Kathy Langer

    Kathy Langer came by today to visit friends and watch players…it was great to see her, it’s been years.


    📂This entry was posted in Houston Houston National Clay Courts Houston National Women's Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 ITF Seniors 700 Level 1 Tournaments Travel 📎and tagged

  • Houston, National Women’s Clay Courts Day 1; Practice Day 2

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Houston, TX

    Today was my last practice day here in Houston. I practiced early (7;30!) with Jenny Klitch. It was HUMID (and warm) … by 9am I was soaked. After hitting there was of course a little more chatting. I caught up with Cindy Babb among other friends.

    I had eaten breakfast but did check out the buffet (and had some regrets about having already had breakfast). It looked amazing, omelets or eggs made to order, oatmeal and all the fixings, fresh cut fruit, potatoes, CRISPY bacon, bacon, egg and and cheese breakfast tacos. This is the 50th anniversary of this event and the Houston Racquet Club and Sue Bramlette are sparing no effort to make this tournament special. The daily breakfasts and lunches are free to all players.

    Breakfast Buffet, Houston Racquet Club, 50th Annual Senior Women’s Clay Nationals

    After breakfast the matches began, with most of the 55s playing today and many of the 65s and 75s. Kristen Guszak beat Tracey Thompson (5) 75 55 retired (it was really hot…Tracey is ok now). The rest of the 55s seeds survived and the round of 16 is tomorrow around 9am.

    In the 65s, there weren’t any seeds in action but there were some long matches. Ginny Beneke from San Diego ousted Houstonian Mary Morgan in three sets (Ginny is a runner and super fit; she said Mary served great). Donna Drosner from Wisconsin survived the heat and Becky Timmis to win in three long sets.

    There weren’t any upsets in the 55 or 65 doubles; the 65s are out to the quarters and all seeds were in action, and won easily today. In the 75s, there was a terrific first round doubles between Brenda Carter/Ellen Goodman and Brenda Winstead/Cathie Anderson. Anderson/Winstead won in three very competitive sets.


    📂This entry was posted in Houston Houston National Clay Courts Houston National Women's Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 Level 1 Tournaments Tennis Travel 📎and tagged

  • Houston, National Clay Courts, Practice Day

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Houston, Texas (yes I AM in Houston),Sunday September 20, 2021

    Link to draws and results (once tournament begins); seeds are posted in “overview”.

    Link to photos album.

    This tournament was initially scheduled to be played in April but was postponed till now due to Covid. There are definitely a lot of restrictions to keep members and players safe: masks indoors, no use of gym (some bikes are outside), no congregation inside (even though it’s humid and in the 90s for the first couple of days), no use of lockers etc. All quite reasonable.

    Today I practiced early with Tracey Thompson, then watched others practicing and caught up with a lot of people I haven’t seen for a couple of years. That was fun! I also checked into the tournament where everyone was given a nice had, t-shirt and other fun gifts. The courts were in great shape today…they had lines which were not raised (so bounces off of them were playable as opposed to bounces which make the ball either roll on the ground, bounce at 90 degrees or bounce up over one’s head). It was warm and humid, even at 9am.

    Tomorrow I have a bye, will practice some and scout my potential first opponent (I play the winner of a match).

    The NWTO (National Women’s Tennis Organization) had a booth to try and get new members to join (for more information click here).


    📂This entry was posted in Houston National Clay Courts Houston National Women's Clay Courts ITF ITF Seniors 1000 ITF Seniors 700 Level 1 Tournaments 📎and tagged

  • 2020 ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships are Postponed to 2021

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    From the ITF website: https://www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/2020-itf-seniors-world-championships-dates-locations-information/

    2020 ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships

    *POSTPONED*

    Updated April 23, 2020: Postponed till 2021, dates TBA

    Location

    Team Championships: Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Individual Championships: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

    Dates

    As of 17 March 2020, the ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships is postponed as a precautionary measure linked to the potential impact of the COVID-19 virus on the event.

    Every effort will be made by the host organisers, USTA and ITF to reschedule the event for a later date in 2020 provided a safe, viable date can be identified. Further updates relating to this will follow in due course.

    Venues 

    Team Championships: Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Individual Championships: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

    Fact Sheet

    The fact sheet for both the Team & Individual Championships are available below should they be helpful to you in contacting hotels in the City. They will remain until the end of March for this purpose.


    📂This entry was posted in 2020 Seniors World Championships, Florida 2020 Seniors, Boca Raton, FL ITF Individual World Championships ITF NEWS ITF World Team Championships 📎and tagged

  • Fort Lauderdale ITF Grade 1/USTA Cat II Sunday: The End

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols 2 Comments

    Writing from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    The last day of the Fort Lauderdale tournament was played under sunny skies. It was very windy, at least by the time I played singles at 10:30. I beat Wendy McColskey 63 62. It was a tough match, with lots of running, and so very windy…I’d swing at a ball only for it to move several feet as I was swinging forward…and of course that happened to Wendy as well. Bunnie Jackson beat Kathy Foulk to place third.

    In the 55s, Jenny Klitch played a perfect match to beat Shelly Works 61 60 in about an hour, which is not easy to do. Shelly said Jenny was great at turning defense into offense nearly perfectly. Yvette Kruger placed third when Simone Vasconcellas didn’t play the 3/4 playoff due to injury.

    Wendy McColskey, playing with her sister Dale won the 65 doubles 26 64 64 over Cindy LePrevost/Betsy Savitt. Tina Karwasky/Jan Kirkland-Cochran finished third.

    The 55 doubles took place between Rainy Miller/Shelly Works and Anne Frautschi/Susanne Zuniga. Frautschi/Zuniga, who upset the #1 seeds in the first round went up 5/0 in the doubles final….only to lose the next 10 games! Then they rallied to tie the set at 3-3 and 4-4 before Miller/Works closed out the match 75 64. They had a lot of long and varied points…it wasn’t easy to win a point out there. I saw Works miss one ball into the net…she must have been really frustrated when she yelled “fiddlesticks”, a Shelly Works epithet if there ever was one. Mariana Hollman/Stacey Williams edged Susan Boyer/Susan Love 64 in the third; Susan Love’s legs finally gave out after an awful lot of matches in the past 3 days.

    Betty Wachob/Sue Kimball won the 75 doubles beating tournament director Margy Edmunds/Kay Britt in the final.

    Kris McDonald, Hollman/Williams, Miller/Works, McColskey/Nichols, Clay/Love, Boyer/Love

    There are probably still matches going on in the consolation. As always, for complete results click here to reach the tournament website.


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments fort lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Grandes Dames ITF ITF Tournaments Tennis Travel Uncategorized USTA 📎and tagged

  • Fort Lauderdale ITF Grade 1/USTA Cat II, Saturday, Day 4

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols 1 Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    On a beautiful day for tennis (mid-70s, moderate breeze, thin cloud cover), play resumed in earnest at the Lauderdale Tennis Club.

    The 75s final started off the day with Carolann Castell continuing where she left off in upsetting Susan Kimball…ie playing great tennis. She took on Betty Wachob, the top seed and beat her 62 64, moving very well and playing solid all-court tennis.

    The 85s final between Burnett Herrick, a multiple world champion, and local favorite Lucille Kyvallos was next up. The match went the distance (yes, the 85s played a full two out of three sets) with Herrick winning 61 57 61. Kyvallos cramped in the third which tells you something about how much these ladies were running.

    The 35s winner is Kristine Kraujina (three person round robin) and the 45s Ann Clark (2 entrants)\

    In the 55s, Jenny Klitch played another great match, beating Yvette Kruger 2,1 and Shelly Works took out Simone Vasconcellos of Brazil 75 63.

    I didn’t see the 55s (or 85s) matches because I was getting my money’s worth of tennis playing Bunnie (Allare) Jackson. I won 61 67 (5) 62. I think I wore her out but she played a great second set. We both had chances to finish off the set before it reached a tiebreaker but it wasn’t to be. I play Wendy McColskey, a 62 62 winner over Kathy Foulk…that match was played earlier and was done before we took the court. Wendy is the 2019 ITF World Champion in 65 singles…not a typical Grade 1 final, that’s for sure.

    In doubles, the top seeds in the 55s and 65s are gone. Yesterday the team of Anne Frautschi/Susanne Zuniga beat Kris McDonald/Kathy Zanon 76 in the third and today they took out unseeded Susan Boyer/Susan Love in the semis 75 64. The face the #3 seeds (and Hard Court champions) Rainy Miller/Shelly Works who edged #2 seeded Mariana Hollman/Stacey Williams in two tight sets.

    In the 65s, Cindy LePrevost/Betsy Savitt, unseeded, took out Tina Karwasky/Jan Kirkland-Cochran 26 76 (5) 62; they play Dale and Wendy McColskey in the final; Dale and Wendy received a walkover into the doubles final due to an injury from one of their opponents.

    In the 75s, Kimball/Wachob, the top seeds did advance to the final; they face tournament director Margy Edmunds and Kay Britt who were leading Castell/Lee Delfausse when they retired due to injury.

    Herrick/Judy Smith won the 85 doubles.

    There will be some photos tomorrow! At least one.

    Results, including 3/4 playoffs and consolation can be found here.


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Grandes Dames ITF ITF Tournaments Tennis USTA 📎and tagged

  • Rain in the Sunshine State: Fort Lauderdale ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II Day 3, Friday

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    The forecast for today was for rain and the prediction was correct…it poured most of the morning in Fort Lauderdale. An hour north it also rained hard but stopped an hour or two earlier. All the rain meant no matches started till 3:30pm.

    I warmed up in Palm Beach Gardens and then drove down, arriving just as the tournament decided to postpone the 65 singles till tomorrow, which, given that we were in the semis and the tournament ends on Friday was a good decision. It did mean I drove about 2.5 hours unnecessarily, but it wasn’t rush hour either way, it happens. The 85s final was also postponed, as were (I believe) the 55 semis.

    But there was tennis. The 55 singles quarters were all played and in a “Groundhog Day” match, Jenny Klitch beat Susan Love 64 62 in a match that was very similar to their second round encounter from last week. Same opponents, same score. All four seeds advanced, Klitch to play Yvette Kruger and Shelly Works to play Simone Vasconcellas of Brazil.

    The 75s did play their semis, with Betty Wachob beating Sheila Weinstock and Carolann Castell upsetting #2 seeded Sue Kimball.

    The draws aren’t posted right now but results are available here.


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Grandes Dames ITF Tournaments Tennis USTA 📎and tagged

  • Fort Lauderdale ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II, Jabour Cup Day 2, Thursday

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, FL

    On a warm (80s), windy, humid day, most players were in action in the 55/65/75 & 85 divisions. In singles the upsets were hard to come by but in 55 doubles, Susan Boyer (back from a two year hiatus) and Susan Love (back from a hiatus as well) combined perfectly to pick off the #4 seeds, Tina Karwasky and Jan Kirkland-Cochran in the round of 16. Karwasky/Kirkland-Cochran though had no problems advancing in the 65s, where they are in the quarters.

    All the singles seeds advanced in the 55 & 65s without drama. In the 75s, Ann Hunt defaulted to Sheila Weinstock, her doubles partner, the other three seeds advanced. Sue Kimball and Betty Wachob are the 2nd and 1st seeds, age ups this year.

    The 85s final is set between Lucille Kyvallos (who fell, tweaked her ankle and skinned her elbow…and won nonetheless over Esther Williams; she faces Burnett Herrick who weathered a stern test from Judy Smith in the second set but prevailed 62 75.

    In 65 doubles, Kathy Foulk/Lil Pelt-Petow had to default due to injury; the remaining seeds progressed. The seeds in the grass 75s also advanced.

    All results are here.

    I will post some photos by Saturday.


    📂This entry was posted in Austria Category II USTA Tournaments Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Grandes Dames ITF Tournaments Tennis USTA 📎and tagged

  • Fort Lauderdale (Jabour) ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II Women’s Tennis: Day 1

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols 3 Comments

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    In 2020 the USTA scheduled the Palm Beach Gardens (for even age divisions) and Fort Lauderdale (for odd age divisions) back to back. The Fort Lauderdale tournament began today at the Lauderdale Tennis Club, an old fashioned, tennis-centric club surrounded by condominium buildings named for historic tennis players (Lenglen, Tildon etc.).

    This week I’m playing my first 65s tournament. Last year I played the 55s, so I keep looking for my name in the 55s…it’s not there this year, though Shelly Works, the woman I played in the final is the second seed again this year. (Jenny Klitch is the top seed.)

    I played Miriam Morey from North Carolina. She’s a professor at Duke in NC ( From the Duke website: “The general focus of Dr. Morey’s work is exercise and aging. All of her research examines how physical activity, exercise training, or physical fitness influence”). Miram plays at the same club where Wendy McColskey, the #2 seed here is a member. She’s a quick counterpuncher, and after adjusting to the wind we had some good rallies but I came out ahead. I play Helga Immerfall next in the quarters.

    There were no close matches in the 65s and all the seeds won. The seeds in other singles divisions had byes and in doubles, the seeds are playing tomorrow for the most part.

    The 85s draw, though only 6 players, is quite strong with Burnett Herrick, Judy Smith, Lucille Kyvallos, Margaret Canby, Esther Williams and Laurie Leach all playing. Smith beat Canby and Williams beat Leach today. All are enthusiastic about the thought of the ITF holding the Women’s 85 Cup in Mallorca this fall.

    Draws can be found here: https://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=245910#&&s=7Draws13


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments fort lauderdale Fort Lauderdale Grandes Dames ITF ITF Tournaments Super Category II USTA Nationals Travel USTA 📎and tagged

  • Palm Beach Gardens Grandes Dames ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II Saturday, Day 5

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    Jenny Klitch went three for three in Palm Beach Gardens, winning the 50 singles & doubles (with Lisa Bonder-Kerkorian) on Friday and adding the 40 doubles title (with Andi Pliski) on Saturday, beating the impending rain. The 40s final was a three-setter with the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center pro Tara Pressley and Julie Axlerod giving the defending champions a strong challenge, taking the second set 62 before Klitch/Pliski won the third 62. There were a lot of spectators cheering despite the overcast skies.

    Susanne Clark, unseeded, won the 80 singles without dropping a set, beating her doubles partner, Grace Woo in the final. Clark/Woo finished second in doubles, beating the #2 seeds, Carol Wood/Burnett Herrick in two tight sets. The top seeds, Inge Weber/Dorothy Wasser, won the 80 doubles title, winning all three matches in straight sets.

    Kathy Zanon/Ann Jacobs were tied at 2-2 in the third with top seeds Abbi Neuthaler/Kim Jones when the rain stopped the match under the Friday night lights. When they returned Saturday Jacobs/Zanon won the third set 63 and advanced to the final against #2 seeds Aimee Norris/Anne Frautschi. Frautschi/Norris came out of the gates strong, winning the first set 63, but Jacobs/Zanon played a nearly perfect final two sets winning 62 in the third to claim the 60 doubles title. Jones/Neuthaler finished third.

    Click here to see all photos

    Click here to see draws.


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments ITF ITF Tournaments Palm Beach Gardens, FL Tennis USTA 📎and tagged

  • Palm Beach Gardens Super Cat II/ITF Grade I: Bonder-Kerkorian, Klitch, Nichols & Dixon Win Singles Crowns on Friday Day 4

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols 1 Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    Friday was a long and busy day at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center. Matches started early and were only halted after 7pm by a downpour.

    Singles:

    Lisa Bonder-Kerkorian started off the singles with a win in the 40 singles over Kristine Kraujina 61 62.

    Erin Boynton and I started at the same time; Bonder-Kerkorian finished their match about the same time we finished the first set! It was a very close match, with a lot of momentum changes. I won 64 63, but the finish was in doubt till the last point finished. Wendy McColskey beat Terri Thomson 61 64 to finish third.

    Jenny Klitch played after her doubles partner Bonder-Kerkorian on the same court and we just managed to finish before Klitch beat Julie Dybenthal 60 61. However Dybenthal was happy with her play and said she played much better than she had last time against Klitch. Laurie Capra beat Jill Sickle 61 61 to finish third.

    Judy Dixon edged Toni Novack 76 76 in a repeat of last year’s 70 clay court final. Toni said Judy played great. I watched a bit of that match and Judy moves really well and was able to get to many of Novack’s deadly drop shots. Brenda Carter received a default from Molly Hahn, so finished third.

    In the 80s, Susanne Clark beat Burnett Herrick and Grace Woo edged Carol Wood 76 in the third; the doubles partners face each other in the final today (weather permitting).

    The 30s is a round robin; however Elizabeth Kobak of NY has won the division winning all three of her matches including a 63 63 win over Bonder-Kerkorian.

    Doubles:

    The 30s had only two teams but Kristen Charlton/Grace Haggerty got their money’s worth in one match, winning 61 36 76 over Kobak/Jennifer Einhorn.

    The 40s final is today (weather permitting) and pits Klitch/Andi Piski agains Tara Pressley/Julie Axelrod.

    The 50s was won by Klitch/Bonder-Kerkorian over Boynton/Abbi Neuthaler 61 63. Karen Rembert /Alice Stubbs beat Daniella Esswein/Dybenthal in three sets to place third.

    The 60s semis have Aimee Norris/Anne Frautschi against the winner of the rain interrupted match between Neuthaler/Kim Jones and Anne Jacobs/Kathy Zanon which is tied at 22 in the third.

    Carter/Dixon won the 70s over Sue Kimball/Pam Simons (who upset #2 seeds Sue Bramlette/Hahn). Carol Clay/Ellen Goodman won the 3/4 playoff by default.

    Carter/Dixon; Weber/Wood; Simons/Kimball; Ellen Markowitz, Weber/Boynton, Clark/Woo

    Bottom: Trish Faulkner/Boynton/Nichols; Boynton/Bonder-Kerkorian

    Photos can be found here. (I will be adding action photos over the weekend to this album.)

    All tournament results can be found here.

    Palm Beach Gardens USTA Super Cat II/ITF Tournament

    Palm Beach Gardens ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II, Day 2, Wednesday

    Palm Beach Gardens Grade 1/Super Cat II Thursday, Day 3


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments International Tennis News ITF ITF Tournaments Palm Beach Gardens, FL Tennis USTA 📎and tagged

  • Palm Beach Gardens Grade 1/Super Cat II Thursday, Day 3

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    So in the 80s all the seeds are gone; Inge Weber (CAN) the top seed and reigning world champion fell in her first match to Susanne Clark of NY 63 64. Clark is new to the division, four years younger than Weber and an excellent player who has played on may USA Cup teams, so it wasn’t as big a surprise as it may seem. Carol Wood had her dropshots in full force against #2 seed Dorothy (I don’t like singles) Wasser today (but Dorothy can really move) and edged her in three sets. Wood plays Grace Woo (another age up) and Weber takes on Burnett Herrick (who edged Irma De Marco in two tight sets).

    In contrast to the 80s, the top two seeds have reached the final of the 70s. Toni Novack beat Brenda Carter while Judy Dixon beat Molly Hahn, by identical 62 62 scores.

    Another current world champion, Wendy McColskey, the #2 seed, fell in the 60s. However McColskey is the defending 65 world champion and lost to the top Canadian 60s player Erin Boynton 62 63in a well played match by both players. Boynton, a rangy 6 footer, served great, moved well and didn’t make many errors in victory. I beat #4 seeded Terri Thomson 60 62, so face Boynton tomorrow.

    In the 50s, the top seeds made it to the final; Jenny Klitch (1) beat Laurie Capra of TX 61 60 and Julie Dybenthal (2) beat Jill Sickle 2,3.

    The results for the 40s have the #2 seed Kristine Kraujina advancing to the final while the result for the other semi between top seeded Lisa Bonder-Kerkorkian and TereTennis Stowell (great name for a player) have yet to be posted.

    Doubles results aren’t posted yet but you can find all results listed here.

    Palm Beach Gardens USTA Super Cat II/ITF Tournament

    Palm Beach Gardens ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II, Day 2, Wednesday


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments ITF ITF Tournaments Palm Beach Gardens, FL Super Category II USTA Nationals Tennis USTA 📎and tagged

  • Palm Beach Gardens ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II, Day 2, Wednesday

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    On another sunny, beautiful, breezy Florida day, there was lots of good tennis at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center.

    I warmed up early and played at 10:30 against Mary Colonna from Michigan, our first meeting in 30 years. I won, and play Terri Thomson, the 4th seed, who ended Grace Hagerty’s run to the quarters 62 64, hitting deep, and mixing in angles and drop shots. Wendy McColskey blanked Suzanne Siegler and Erin Boynton beat Terri Thyssen 64 61.

    There are a lot of Canadians here including Irwin Tobias, Rudy & MJ Pachl (who are USA citizens too) and Erin Boynton. See photos below of Terri Thomson, Erin Boynton & Thomson; Rudy Pachl and Irwin Tobias; Kathy Foulk and Frances O’Sullivan, Thomson, Grace Hagerty

    In the 50s, #3 seed Danielle Esswein fell to Laurie Capra in straight sets. Other winners were Jill Sickle and Julie Dybenthal. The match of the day though was that between Susan Love and top seeded Jenny Klitch. I saw most of the second set; they were playing amazing points and Susan seemed to have to hit a line to win a point. Klitch won 64 62, displaying her great movement and court position while Love whacked her forehand and hit some nice volleys.

    In the 70s, Molly Hahn edged Rosie Fortna and the three remaining seeds advanced, including Brenda Carter who beat Carol Clay 64 64.

    The 40s got started and the top seeds advanced with ease.

    The doubles so far is going according to form in all divisions.

    Tomorrow are the semis in the 50, 60 & 70 singles and quarters in the 40s & 50s. 30 singles round robin singles play begins.

    Hopefully the weather holds; there’s thunder, lightning and rain at 9:15pm!

    Click here to see all results.


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments ITF ITF Tournaments Palm Beach Gardens, FL Tennis Uncategorized USTA 📎and tagged

  • Palm Beach Gardens USTA Super Cat II/ITF Tournament

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols 1 Comment

    Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

    This week there is a strong tournament going on at the Palm Beach Gardens Tennis Center for women 30-80 (even divisions only). The courts are great, though the new and improved clubhouse is under construction (so facilities are located in temporary trailers). Fortunately the weather is great and there are large tents where the players can relax or eat.

    I’m playing in the 60s, which has a very large (25) and strong field. Wendy McColskey, #1 in the world in W65 held off a determined attack from Aimee Norris, winning in three sets, though you’d never know by watching that she was threatened, she’s very calm. Also in the 60s, only one of the 5-8 seeds (Suzanne Siegler) survived. The others fell as follows: 1: Grace Haggerty of Vero Beach took out Kathy Foulk, 62 62 and followed it up later in the day with a victory over Cori Reese by the same score; 2: Terri Thyssen of TX took out Janet Mosely, in straight sets; 3: Mary Colonna, MI, also beat Tami Bass, VT in a long three setter.

    In the 50s, Jill Sickle of Chicago and Palm Beach Gardens upset #4 seed Andrea Wohlschlaeger. Julie Dybenthal of Tallahassee escaped in three sets against Andrea Hines but won the third set 61.

    The third seed in the women’s 70s, Brenda Winstead of VA had to withdraw with an injury but the remaining three seeds advanced including Brenda Carter of SC who is making a singles comeback after an ACL injury. She faces Carol Clay, Ft Lauderdale who is making her way back after knee and shoulder injuries.

    It’s a wonderful, addictive and often painful sport, tennis.

    The 80s start tomorrow. There are current and former singles and/or doubles world champions in the 80s including Burnett Herrick, Inge Weber, Dorothy Wasser and Carol Wood. Six out of the nine entrants have played on USA or Canadian cup teams!

    Also playing this week in 30 & 40 singles and 50 doubles is Lisa Bonner a former top 10 player.

    I’ll take some photos tomorrow….

    The results can be found here.


    📂This entry was posted in Category II USTA Tournaments Palm Beach Gardens, FL Tennis USTA USTA Tournament and Ranking News 📎and tagged

  • USTA Senior Teams (2020, Florida) Announced (World now postponed to 2021)

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    2020 USA Senior Cup Team Members

     Maria Esther Bueno Cup
    Women's 50    		  Fred Perry Cup
    Men's 50    		 
    Andrea RiceBethesdaMDArt HernandezHuntington BeachCA
    Jenny KlitchPalm Beach Gardens (captain)FLDana GillSan JoseCA
    Julie CassAustinTXEoin CollinsHoustonTX
    Vesna McKennaHollywoodFLOren Motevassel (Captain)Boynton BeachFL
    Maureen Connolly Cup
    Women's 55    		Austria Cup
    Men's 55
    Fran ChandlerJacksonTNBill Moss (captain)MalibuCA
    Mary DaileyDelray BeachFLEric LuxembourgSarasotaFL
    Shelly Works (captain)San AntonioTXLeo YoungEagleID
    Vicki BuholzDallasTXWilie AlumbaughLeawoodKS
    Alice Marble Cup
    Women's 60    		Von Cramm Cup
    Men's 60
    Robin HarrisSan DiegoCADaniel WaldmanWashingtonDC
    Pat PurcellSt. LouisMOMark VinesNaplesFL
    Shannon Gordon-CarneySt. LouisMoMike FedderlyPalm DesertCA
    Susan WrightOrlandoFLMike Tammen (captain)PortlandOR
    These 24 players were to have represented the USA in Senior Fed and Davis Cup (using the new Davis Cup format of one week with round robin play followed by knockout play). The competition originally was to take place in Boca Raton, Florida April 26-May 1, 2020. The competition has now been postponed to 2021 but will still take place in Florida, USA. There may be some change to team makeups for 2021, but the USTA will announce any changes.

    From USTA.com: (note that Robin Harris has replaced Diane Barker on the Women’s 60s team; Barker is injured.)

    From itftennis.com:

    2020 ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships

    Location

    Team Championships: Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Individual Championships: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

    Dates

    Team Championships: Sunday 26 April to Friday 1 May 2020. If there is inclement weather, matches may be played on Saturday 2 May

    Individual Championships – Saturday 2 May to Saturday 9 May

    Venues 

    Team Championships: Boca Raton, Florida, USA

    Individual Championships: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

    Fact Sheet

    The fact sheet for both the Team & Individual Championships are now available. Please note that the listed venues for the individual world championships may change.


    📂This entry was posted in 2020 Seniors World Championships, Florida 2020 Seniors, Boca Raton, FL International Tennis News ITF Individual World Championships ITF NEWS ITF World Team Championships 📎and tagged

  • Young Seniors Individual Round Up: Marvin Colley & Anda Perianu Reach Singles Finals

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Writing from California, USA

    The Young Seniors Individual World Championships finished November 2nd in Miami Beach, Florida.

    Photos below courtesy of cameraworksusa (Susan and Fred Mullane).

    Anda Perianu, silver and Kaysie Smashey, bronze were on the medals podium for the USA in women’s 35 singles. They teamed together in 35 doubles to reach the semis and earn bronze medals. Perianu was seeded 4th.

    Anda Perianu & Kaysie Smashey

    Marvin Colley, unseeded, reached the men’s 40 singles final. He also teamed with Brandon Blankenbaker to reach the 35 doubles final. Marvin and Brandon took out the 2nd and 4th seeds along the way.

    Neither Perianu nor Colley were members of a USTA national team this year. Perianu was a member of the Suzanne Lenglen Cup team in 2018 which finished second. Smashey and Blankenbaker were members of the W35 and M35 USA teams respectively in 2019.

    Jenny Klitch and Andrea Rice, both of whom are in the 50s, reached the 45 doubles final. They won the 50 clay courts in 2019. Klitch was a member of the W45 team which won bronze in Miami Beach while Rice was a member of the gold medal winning W50 team this year in Lisbon, Portugal.