A Senior Tennis (USA and International) & Travel website by Carolyn Nichols
June 30, 2020
The USTA has announced the teams it has selected to represent the USTA in the ITF Super Senior World Team Championships in October. (Fingers crossed that this event happens as scheduled, October 11-16 in Mallorca, Spain with individuals to follow October 17-24).
The players selected are listed below; players whose names are in bold font are the playing captains. The players are listed alphabetically by first name.
From USTA.com (read here).
2020 Tournament Recategorizations due to Covid-19
In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the USTA family would like to encourage local play as opposed to traveling to play national tournaments. With this in mind, we’ve reclassified the remaining Super Category II, Category II, and Category III national tournaments as Designated Open Sectional Championships.
These Designated Open Sectional Championships will have National Category II point allocation for the players. The participants will have the opportunity to earn national points while playing at the sectional level.
At this time, the remaining Category I tournaments will continue to be rescheduled for later in the year.
Please click here for an FAQ document related to the new tournament classification.
If you have any questions or for more information, please contact adulttournaments@usta.com.
Dates: August 14-16, 2020
Location: Beavercreek Clay Courts Tennis Club, Beavercreek, Ohio
Divisions: M55 – M70 (singles)
Surface: Hard, Clay
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Dates: August 27-30
Location: Guilford Racquet & Swim Club in Guilford, Conn.
Age Divisions: 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Hard
Dates: September 13-20, 2020
Location: Palisades Tennis Club, Newport Beach, Calif.
Age Divisions: M30, M35, M40, M45, M50, M55, M60, M65, W65, M70, M75, M80, M85, M90
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Hard
Dates: September 15-20, 2020
Location: Belle Haven Country Club, Alexandria, Va.
Age Divisions: M45, M55, M65
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Clay
Dates: September 16-20, 2020
Location: Louisville Boat Club, Louisville, Ky.
Age Divisions: M40, M50, M55, M60, M65, M70
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Clay
Dates: September 18-20, 2020
Location: Ultimate Doubles Tennis, Oak Bluffs, Mass.
Age Divisions: Mixed (Open), M50-80 (doubles)
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Clay
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Dates: October 14-18, 2020
Location: Lauderdale Tennis Club, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Age Divisions: W35, W45, W55, W65, W75, W85
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Hard
Dates: October 22-25, 2020
Location: McFarlin Tennis Center, San Antonio, Texas
Age Divisions: M55, W55, M60, M65, W65, M70, W70, M75, W75, M80, W80, M85
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Hard
Dates: November 2-6, 2020
Location: Darling Tennis Center, Las Vegas, Nev.
Age Divisions: M50, W50, M55, W55, M60, W60, M65, W65, M70, W70, M75, W75, M80, W80, M85, W85, M90
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Hard
Dates: November 2-8, 2020
Location: The Great Park, Irvine, Calif.
Age Divisions: MOpen, WOpen, M40, W40, M45, W45, M50, W50, M55, W55, M60, W60, M65, W65, M70
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Hard
Dates: November 18-22, 2020
Location: Bocage Racquet Club, Baton Rouge, La.
Age Divisions: M30, M35, M40, M45, M50, M55, M60, M65, M70, M75, M80, M85
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Clay
Dates: November 30 – December 6, 2020
Location: Longboat Key Tennis Center, Longboat Key, Fla.
Age Divisions: M55, M60, M65, M70, M75, M80
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Clay
Dates: December 9-13, 2020
Location: USTA Central Arizona Tennis Association, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Age Divisions: M30, W30, M40, W40, M45, W45, M50, W50, M55, W55, M60, W60, M65, W65, M70, W70, M75, W75, M80, W80, M85, W85, M90, W90
USTA Ranking Points: Category II
Surface: Hard
New ITF Seniors Tournament Grades to Launch in 2021
Tournament Structure, Grading Criteria and Rankings Descriptions
ITF Seniors Development Plan 2019-2021
The ITF Press Release regarding the new tournament grades reads in part:
“2021 will see changes to the tournament structure, tournament grading system and a new tournament recognition scheme….”
“Among the most important changes to be introduced in 2021 is a new, refined and simplified tournament structure. The previous Grade A to Grade 4 naming will be replaced by numeric figures representing the points available to the winning player or players in each event.”
[These will be the World Championships, ITF Seniors 1000 (maximum of 12 world wide, minimum of one but no more than four in any one region) 700, 400, 200 and 100 tournaments.]
“The ITF Seniors World Championships – Young Seniors, Seniors and Super-Seniors categories – will remain the highlight of the season and the highest grade on the circuit.
The 2021 structure will also introduce a new grade – ITF Seniors 1000, a small number of global tournaments aimed at elite players within each age group. These events will offer a greater value of ranking points, relative to the points available at the World Championships.
In addition, four further grades will exist to provide a more appropriate tournament experience to players of different standards. Clearly defined entry-level tournaments – ITF Seniors 100 – are designed to provide more competitive opportunities and appropriate tournament formats for the huge number of players who already compete, while also attracting new tournaments and players to the circuit.”
“Matt Byford, Manager, ITF Seniors said: “We are very pleased to announce several developments to further enhance the tournament experience for players, officials, tournament organisers and our member nations from 2021 onwards….”
Tournament Structure, Grading Criteria and Rankings
The above linked article contains the information about the 2021 ranking points.
2021 ITF Seniors Circuit Ranking Points
Press Release from the USTA:
Designated Open Sectional Championship
In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the USTA family would like to encourage local play as opposed to traveling to play national tournaments. With this in mind, we’ve reclassified the remaining Super Category 2, Category 2, and Category 3 National
Tournaments as Designated Open Sectional Championships.
These Designated Open Sectional Championships will have NationalCategory 2 point allocation for the players. The participants will have the opportunity to earn national points while playing at the sectional level.
At this time, the remaining Category 1 Tournaments will continue to be rescheduled for later in the year.
If you have any questions or for more information, please
contact: adulttournaments@usta.com
Click here to see the Adult National Schedule at USTA.com. Note that the remaining Super Category II, Category II and Category III tournaments listed will now be “Designated Open Sectionals” which will receive Category II National Ranking points for 2020.
In 2021 there will be new tournament levels replacing the designation “Category” with 1 being the lowest and 7 being the highest and new points per round tables. Read more here: USTA Adult Tournament Changes For 2021
2020 Ranking Tables: 2020 Points Per Round Tables
Here is the link to the list of players who applied for the USTA Super Senior teams. The event is scheduled for Oct 11-16 in Mallorca, Spain. So far this event is still on the ITF schedule. Team announcements will be made on July 30th.
For more information go to the USTA Senior International page.
Sue Bramlette, the tournament director for the National Senior Women’s Clay Court Championships (NSWCCC) in Houston, Texas, after consulting with the COO of the Houston Racquet Club (HRC) and the membership director of the HRC has concluded that the HRC will not be able to host the NSWCCC in 2020.
There were a number of issues related to the Covid-19 pandemic that would or could impact the hosting of the tournament this year.
The HRC plans to host the tournament in 2021.
This includes all senior tournaments.
The International Tennis Federation has extended the suspension of all ITF tournaments through to July 31 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic
— Read on www.itftennis.com/en/news-and-media/articles/itf-extends-suspension-of-international-tournaments-through-july-31/
23 April 2020
ITF Statement regarding ITF Seniors (50-55-60) World Team & Individual Championships
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ITF has suspended all Tours, including the ITF Seniors Tour until 13 July 2020, aligning with the ATP and WTA Tours respectively. This includes the postponement of the ITF Seniors (50-55-60 years) World Team & Individual Championships which had been scheduled to take place In Boca Raton and Palm Beach Gardens, USA from 26 April to 9 May 2020.
The ITF has been working with the host organiser, venues, event partners and independent travel advisors in recent weeks to identify a safe and viable date to reschedule the event in 2020. Protecting the health and well-being of players, officials, guests, club members and local communities has remained the priority.
Due to the ongoing global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not been possible to achieve the criteria set for the event to be rescheduled in 2020, and as such the ITF Seniors (50-55-60 years) World Team & Individual Championships will not be held in 2020.
The 2021 ITF Seniors (50-55-60 years) World Team & Individual Championships will therefore take place in Boca Raton & Palm Beach Gardens, with the precise dates to be announced in due course.
The ITF will continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 situation alongside tournament hosts and partners, with the aim of resuming ITF tournaments as soon as it is safe to do so.
The ITF Young Seniors (35-40-45 years) World Championships scheduled for 13-26 September 2020 in Umag, Croatia and the ITF Super-Seniors (65-70-75-80-85 years) World Championships scheduled for 11- 24 October 2020 in Mallorca, Spain both remain on the 2020 calendar.
If you have any queries, please contact the ITF Seniors Department by email – seniors@itftennis.com
The USTA has posted a link here regarding the postponement to 2021.
For future USTA updates click here.
The publication of the National Standings list has been suspended along with tournament, league and other USTA programs until at least June 1st, 2020.
The entirety of the April 13th post from USTA.com is posted below.
Update on Suspension of Play and Event Changes – April 13, 2020
Due to the continued situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus, and after discussions with the USTA Medical Advisory Committee*, effective immediately the USTA will extend the suspension of USTA sanctioned products and events through May 31. This includes:\
• Adult and Junior Tournaments
• USTA League
• USTA Junior Team Tennis
• USTA Social Leagues
• Team Challenge
• Team Tournaments
• USTA Schools programs
• Tennis on Campus
• Wheelchair events
Additionally, recognizing the evolving and fast-changing nature of this situation, the USTA will continue to monitor and assess conditions to make future determinations about events and activities taking place after May 31.
All Category 1 and Super Category 2 National Adult Tournaments with an ITF status, all ITF Junior events, all Junior, Adult and Wheelchair L1 – L3 events, and all USTA Pro Circuit and professional events will align with the same calendar as the ITF, ATP and WTA, and be suspended through July 12. The National Clay Court Championships, slated to begin on July 11, will proceed as scheduled, at this time.
“The impact of COVID-19 has been felt across the tennis landscape, and it is our goal to ensure that the sport is able to be played in a safe and healthy fashion at the parks and facilities throughout the country once the pandemic subsides,” said Patrick Galbraith, Chairman of the Board and President, USTA. “One of the greatest aspects of this game is that it fosters a true community, and we look forward to the time when we can return to our local courts and use tennis to unite us all, once again.”
The determination has also been made to suspend the calculation and publication of the National Standings List (NSL) for Adult, Junior and Wheelchair play until further notice. The NSL published on March 18 will serve as the most current until tournament competition resumes.
In addition, to ensure that play taking place at local facilities will be the focus once the pandemic subsides, the following events will be canceled for 2020:
• USTA League National Championships
• USTA Junior Team Tennis National Championships
• USTA Junior Intersectional Team Championships
For more information on the cancellation of the USTA League National Championships and USTA Junior Team Tennis National Championships, please visit the FAQ.
The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., is currently closed to the public. The facility’s Indoor Tennis Center has been converted to a temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients, while Louis Armstrong Stadium is being utilized as a commissary to facilitate the creation of meal packages that are being distributed to patients, workers and New York City school children.
The USTA National Campus, in the Lake Nona area of Orlando, Fla., will remain closed for play and instructional opportunities through May 31.
Any patron who wishes to cancel participation in a scheduled activity should contact the specific location for refund information. These policies will be in effect pending additional guidance or directives from each local governmental agency and the CDC. The USTA will continue to monitor and assess conditions to make future determinations about all activities at these facilities.
* The USTA Medical Advisory Committee includes: Dr. Brian Hainline, Chief Medical Officer of the NCAA and USTA Board Member; Dr. Brian Daniels, MD, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Fla., and Medical Director, US Open; Dr. Mark Kovacs, Senior Director of Sports Science and Health, Cleveland Cavaliers; Dr. Bernard Camins, Medical Director for Infection Prevention at Mt. Sinai; Mike Rodriguez, USTA Senior Director and US Open Security.
The USTA Board has approved the Senior International Selection Committee’s extension and revision of the eligibility (minimum play) requirement and timelines as follows:
The application deadline for the 2020 Young-Seniors and 2020 Super-Seniors has been extended thirty days from the original deadline; For Young Seniors May 11th and Super Seniors May 31st.
The USTA Board has approved the relaxation of the eligibility (minimum play) requirements for 2020 (For Young Seniors and Super Seniors ONLY) and for Young Seniors, Seniors and Super Seniors for 2021 as follows:
1: A Category I USTA Championship must be played within 24 months prior to the posting of the Final Applicant List on USTA.com OR
2: A Category 2 or Super Category 2 event must be played within 12 months prior to the posting of the Final Applicant List on USTA.com
What does this mean?
A: Super Seniors can apply here to be considered for a 2020 Super Senior team up till May 31, 2020
Super Seniors must have played a Category I within 24 months of June 9, 2020 or a Category II or Super Category II within 12 months of June 9, 2020.
B: Young Seniors can apply here to be considered for a 2020 Young Senior team up till May 11, 2020
Young Seniors must have played a Category I within 24 months of May 19, 2020 or a Category II or Super Category II within 12 months of May 19, 2020.
The original Guidelines can be found here: USTA International Selection Guidelines. Section 7 is amended as described above.
The new timelines can be found here.
USTA Statment: “All Category 1 and Super Category 2 National Adult Tournaments with an ITF status, all ITF Junior events and all USTA Pro Circuit and professional events will align with the same calendar as the ITF, ATP and WTA, and be suspended through July 12.”
For further updates from the USTA and for the USTA’s full statement, please click here.
March 18, 2020
Updated April 1, 2020: Events now suspended until July 13, 2020.
Updated May 15, 2020: ITF Cancels all events through July 31, 2020 (including all seniors events).
The ITF today announced that all ITF events, including seniors events, are cancelled until at least June 8, 2020 (now July 13th). Read more here.
Here is the full text of the press release:
“Statement 18 MAR 2020”
“After careful consideration and in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the ITF has postponed the ITF World Tennis Tour until Monday 8 June 2020. This aligns with the ATP and WTA’s suspension of their respective tours and the decision by the Fédération Française de Tennis to postpone Roland Garros.
In addition to the suspension of the men’s and women’s ITF World Tennis Tour, the ITF will also postpone the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors, the UNIQLO Wheelchair Tennis Tour, ITF Beach Tennis World Tour, and ITF Seniors Tour until 8 June 2020.
The ITF, ATP and WTA firmly believe it is better for everyone in the tennis community if we work together. We are committed to working through these matters with players, tournaments and our national and regional associations in the weeks and months ahead. More than ever, the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to professional tennis demand collaboration and unity in order for us to do what is right for our fans, players and tournaments.
ITF President David Haggerty said, “In these challenging times, it is more important than ever for our sport to pull together to provide as much certainty as possible to all those affected by these postponements. We recognise the huge impact this will have, but ultimately the health and safety of players, officials and spectators has to be our primary concern. The ITF is committed to taking a responsible approach, working with all tennis stakeholders to enable players of all levels to resume playing as soon as it is safe to do so.”
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.
The application for the Men’s and Women’s 35/40/45 (Italia, Trabert, Dubler, Lenglen, Young & Court) Cups is now open. The deadline to apply is April 11th. UPDATED: MAY 11, 2020
Click here to apply: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ITFYoungSeniors
The Young Seniors Team Competition will be held in Umag, Croatia September 13-19. (The individual competition, open to all players meeting the minimum age requirement and possessing an IPIN will be held September 20-27 in Umag).
The teams will be announced May 11th, 2020.
If you have any questions about the application, please feel free to contact Rob Gorden at robert.gorden@usta.com.
Due to Coronavirus this tournament is postponed, new dates TBA
The popular Bermuda Breeze tournament is back as an ITF Grade 1 in 2020!
To enter or go to the tournament website click here.
To further inquire about the tournament, please contact the following individuals:
General inquiries, Draws, Start dates, player benefits, etc.
Patrick Singleton- patricksingleton@coralbeach.bm
Accommodation, Coral Beach Club amenities, things to do in Bermuda, Transportation
Kelly Stockley- kellystockley@coralbeach.bm
Finding a doubles partner, warm up hits, lessons, Player Parties, tennis clinics for players
Neal Towlson- nealtowlson@coralbeach.bm
Fort Lauderdale ITF Grade 1/USTA Cat II Sunday: The End
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.
There are probably still matches going on in the consolation. As always, for complete results click here to reach the tournament website.
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.
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.
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.
I will post some photos by Saturday.
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
Palm Beach Gardens Grandes Dames ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II Saturday, Day 5
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.
Palm Beach Gardens Super Cat II/ITF Grade I: Bonder-Kerkorian, Klitch, Nichols & Dixon Win Singles Crowns on Friday Day 4
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
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
Palm Beach Gardens ITF Grade 1/USTA Super Cat II, Day 2, Wednesday
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.
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.
For official updates check USTA.com. Note that all Category I Mixed doubles tournaments except for the 30s are ITF Grade A tournaments as well as USTA Category I tournaments and are open to all ITF players.
| Age Division | Clay | Hard | Indoor | Grass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Dec. 4-9 Lauderdale Tennis Club Fort Lauderdale, FL | June 5-7 Plaza Tennis Center Kansas City, MO | Postponed or suspended: May 22-25 Lexington Tennis Club, Lexington, KY | |
| 40 | Oct 8-11 Seabrook Isl Club Johns Island, SC | 11/30-12/6 La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club La Jolla, CA | ||
| 45 | Oct. 23-28 Lauderdale TC Ft. Lauderdale, FL | |||
| 50 | Oct 8-11 Seabrook Isl Club Johns Island, SC | Wilson World Tennis Classic Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, Palm Desert, CA | ||
| 60 | Oct 8-11 Seabrook Isl Club Johns Island, SC | Wilson World Tennis Classic Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, Palm Desert, CA | 8/17-8/22 Seattle Tennis Club Seattle, WA | |
| 70 | Oct 8-11 Seabrook Isl Club Johns Island, SC | Wilson World Tennis Classic Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, Palm Desert, CA | ||
| 75 | Wilson World Tennis Classic Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, Palm Desert, CA | |||
| 80 | Wilson World Tennis Classic Shadow Mountain Resort & Club, Palm Desert, CA |
| Maria Esther Bueno Cup Women's 50 | Fred Perry Cup Men's 50 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andrea Rice | Bethesda | MD | Art Hernandez | Huntington Beach | CA |
| Jenny Klitch | Palm Beach Gardens (captain) | FL | Dana Gill | San Jose | CA |
| Julie Cass | Austin | TX | Eoin Collins | Houston | TX |
| Vesna McKenna | Hollywood | FL | Oren Motevassel (Captain) | Boynton Beach | FL |
| Maureen Connolly Cup Women's 55 | Austria Cup Men's 55 | ||||
| Fran Chandler | Jackson | TN | Bill Moss (captain) | Malibu | CA |
| Mary Dailey | Delray Beach | FL | Eric Luxembourg | Sarasota | FL |
| Shelly Works (captain) | San Antonio | TX | Leo Young | Eagle | ID |
| Vicki Buholz | Dallas | TX | Wilie Alumbaugh | Leawood | KS |
| Alice Marble Cup Women's 60 | Von Cramm Cup Men's 60 | ||||
| Robin Harris | San Diego | CA | Daniel Waldman | Washington | DC |
| Pat Purcell | St. Louis | MO | Mark Vines | Naples | FL |
| Shannon Gordon-Carney | St. Louis | Mo | Mike Fedderly | Palm Desert | CA |
| Susan Wright | Orlando | FL | Mike Tammen (captain) | Portland | OR |
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
