The ITF Super Seniors Individual World Championships finished on Friday October 20th with a lot of excellent matches.
Photos from the team event (new photos just added).
Donna Fales won the 75 singles, doubles and mixed. She beat Heide Orth in the singles final, rallying from 51 down in the first set to win it in a tiebreak. Orth rallied to win the second set and led 2/0 in the third at which point Fales won the last six games to claim her third (or fourth) ITF singles title. That was only the warm up though. Orth and Fales took on the all-American team of Suella Steel and Charleen Hillebrand. The latter team won the first set and the second set was close throughout. Orth/Fales won it in a tiebreak and took the ensuing match tiebreak 10-8. It was a good match with lots of long rallies between Steel and Orth and finishing shots by Hillebrand and Fales. Fales then played the last match of the championships with Fred Drilling (a former UCLA player who was on the team with Arhur Ashe). They beat an Aussie pairing for the title.
The men’s 85s was won by George McCabe who was playing his 4th final at a world championship. It was his first singles title. He beat Max Byrne in a match tiebreak in the final. He combined later with John Powless to win the men’s doubles over Adrian Alle/Burns from Australia. The mixed was won by Byrne and Margaret Fisher.
The women’s 85 singles final was an all-Canadian affair with Muffie Grieve beating Rosie Asch in the final. Asch though won the doubles with Fisher over Margaret Canby/Angie Ray of the USA.
The men’s and women’s 80s finals were both all-American matches. King Van Nostrand won his 12th (!) individual world singles title over Lester Sack and then combined with Peter Froehlich to win the doubles. Roz King beat her doubles partner, Dori DeVries to win the 80 singles and they were doubles semifinalists. Inge Weber, CAN and Dorothy Wasser, USA won the doubles title. Mixed went to Elizabeth Von Boemmel and Sylvio Linzbauer of GER over Jean Stevens/Evan Delarue of NZL.
The men’s 75s was won by Eltjo Sasker of NED over Jaime Pinto Bravo from CHI in a battle of the top two seeds (though the 2nd seed won this encounter). In doubles, Michael Stewart/Fred Drilling, USA beat Aussies Bob Howe/Bruce Rehn62 67
10-7 (match tiebreaks were used in all doubles and mixed matches).
The 70s men’s title went to Jose Camina Borda from Spain, who, though limping around all week, dominated the singles. Elle Krocke of NED won another singles championship, a three set battle over Sylvie Galfard of FRA. Galfard pulled a rabbit out of her hat the previous day against Brenda Carter, USA when she rallied from 0-4, ad out in the third set to win it 64! Carter though combined to win the doubles with Betty Wachob, USA. It was Wachob’s first world title. They beat Carol Campling AUS and Frances MacLennan GBR in the final. The men’s 70 doubles was also won by the American team of Jimmy Parker/Richard Johnson over Mark Cox/Richard Tutt. Johnson was supposed to play with Les Buck, who badly sprained his ankle during the team event and had to pull out. Jimmy pulled out of singles to play doubles and the rest is history. Mixed was won by Petro Kruger/Petr Kolacek over Campling/Alan Gooch.
In the 65s, the men’s final was a familiar face, Andrew Rae, who beat defending champion Bruno Renoult of France. The first set was a dogfight, won 76 (5) by Rae on at least his third set point (Renoult finally missed a drop shot!). The second went 61 to Rae. Renoult didn’t go home without a title though…he teamed with Adrienne Avis of AUS to defend the mixed title they won in Umag. They beat Sandraw Tritt/Keith Porter in the final. Rae combined with American Daniel Grossman to win the 65 doubles over Ukranians Iurii Krolenko/Vladimir Nazarenko 62 61. Kerry Ballard/Sue Walter of AUS eased past Americans Molly Hahn/Judy Dixon. Dixon was playing in the world championships for the first time. They took out Karwasky/Kirkland-Cochran in the semis. Jana Sedlakova of CZE, who played Fed Cup for that country, earned her first win over Nora Blom and it was decisive, 60 62.
And that’s a wrap on the ITF Super Seniors for 2017. Many thanks to the USTA, ITF, especially Hayley, Jo, Michael, Marco and the rest of the hard working staff and volunteers.
Photos from the team event (new photos just added).
