• Tag Archives Mark Vines

  • World Championships Day 6: Americans Dominate Women’s 60s on a Sunny WINDY Day in Portugal

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Thursday August 15, 2019

    Lisbon, Portugal

    Today I played two matches in one day, doubling the amount of matches I’ve played in the tournament to date. I warmed up again with Jenny Klitch (who had the day off) and then played Leanne Scott of Australia. It was very windy at 9am and we were on a shady court but after a slow start I adjusted to the wind and shade and won 62 60. Susan Wright beat Elena Polyakova of Russia 63 61 a tough little player. Diane Barker beat Fiona Walker of Australia 61 63. The fourth semifinal was between #4 seeded Betty Michel of France and Carmen Lang Verdugo of Spain and was very competitive. Michel started slowly (or Lang started quickly), dropping the first set 60, but rebounded to win the final sets 64 61. Diane plays Betty and I play Susan tomorrow.

    In doubles, Susan and Pat Medrado played a pair of Aussies, Wendy Harrison and Scott; unfortunately, Scott hurt her knee at 05 down and had to retire. Robin and I beat Annelies Simons, Netherlands and Penny Smith, NZL, and won 62 61. It was super windy though, and dusty. I was covered in clay by the end of the match, because of the swirling dust that enveloped the court. The groundskeepers couldn’t keep the clay wet enough, and there were dust clouds over the courts in the afternoon. Robin played great (to no one’s surprise) and it was a good match. We play the #3 seeds, Walker/Rosemary Everett tomorrow after they beat a pair of South African players in a match tiebreak. Tracey Thompson/Jenny Cerff beat Hazel Lindfield (GBR) and Christiane Deryckere (BEL). 76 62. They take on Susan/Pat tomorrow.

    Jenny & Tracey
    Christiane, Hazel, Tracey, Jenny
    Carolyn, Robin, Annelies, Penny

    After the doubles Susan was snacking on her lunch and a bee flew into her mouth and bit her on her tongue! Fortunately, she’s not allergic to bees and it only stung a bit (pun intended). A couple of Advil in the afternoon and she was almost as good as new.

    Robin and Ross Persons, USA won their 60 mixed today over Stephen Dance/Walker of Australia 62 76. Ross is also into the men’s doubles semis along with American Mark Vines (playing with Glenn Busby, AUS). Vines is into the semis, getting a retirement win (pulled muscle) from his opponent and plays Busby tomorrow. Diane and Jack Baker lost in the quarters of the mixed.

    Five USA women are in the 55 doubles semis, but only one was expected to be there. Fran Chandler gained a measure of revenge against Helga Nauck (who beat her in singles) and, along with Shelly Works beat Nauck/Katie Boeroecz of Germany, the top seeds 60 63. Vicki Buholz/Gayle Prejean upset the #3 seeds, and multiple world champions Ros Balodis/Leanne Swaysland in an exciting match 64 16 1/0(8), winning the match tiebreak on their third match point. They take on Mary Dailey (USA) and Klartje Van Baarle of Belgium in the semis, the 2nd seeds.

    In men’s 55 doubles Dan Grossman/Polo Cowan are into the semis. Willie Alumbaugh/Scott Works fell 12-10 in a match tiebreak though in the quarters. Collin Smith (USA)/David Smith (RSA) are into the 55 doubles semis. Bill Moss lost to Franck Hervy of France in three sets in the quarters of the 55 singles.

    To summarize: W60s: 3 singles semi finalists; 4 doubles semi finalists; MXD 60: 2 semifinalists; M60s: 1 singles semi finalist & 2 doubles semifinalists

    55s: WD: 5 semifinalists; MD: 3 semifinalists

    50s: WS: 1 semifinalist

    Draws Now Available for ITF Seniors Individual World Championships

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  • World Championships Day 5: I Played (and Won) a Singles Match

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Wednesday August 14

    Lisbon, Portugal

    9pm update: Diane/Jack Barker upset the top seeds, Mark Pepin/Julie Fiedler in straight sets to advance to the quarters; Vicki Buholz won her mixed; Danny Waldman/Norbert Henn lost in doubles. (Danny played 12 sets in the last two days of the team competition!). Ross Persons won his doubles; Polo Cowan/Dan Grossman won their 55 doubles match. Alumbaugh/Scott Works advanced in 55 doubles as well.

    It was a warm, sunny, breezy day in Lisbon. I got to the courts early to warm up with Jenny Klitch and Tracey Thompson joined us too. It was a great warm up. I was scheduled for not before noon on Center Court. The first match of the day took nearly three hours though, but Mark Vines of the USA played the second match and won in about an hour. We got on court around 1:45 or so. The court played well, though they wind swirled a bit and the sun on one end was pretty brutal for serving. I played Great Britain’s Hazel Lindfield, a nice player with an all court game and excellent, consistent first and second serve. I won 60 62 but the second set was closer than the score would indicate. I’m in the quarterfinals and play Leanne Scott from Australia.

    Carolyn & Hazel

    Action photos from Jenny Cerff’s IPad

    Susan Wright beat another Australian, Rosemary Everett handily. Then she went to scout her next opponent…the only problem being that her next opponent had played at 9am and finished before Susan began her match. She inadvertently scouted my next opponent and Diane Barker’s though. Diane played at 9am and was done before 10, beating Jenny Chin from Gr. Britain. Diane plays Fiona Walker from Australia and Susan play Poliakova from Russia. The top three seeds are Diane, Susan and me; Betty Michel of France is the 4th seed and played the other American in the draw, #12 seeded Tracey Thompson. Thompson, who has played sparingly the last two years (but watch out, she’s retired now and ready to compete more), got out of the gates quickly (maybe it was the good warm up?), surprising Michel with her power and won it 64. Michel though fought back and won the last two sets 62 61 to reach the quarters.

    Mark Vines, M60 is into the quarters. Danny Waldman though fell to Glenn Busby. The first set took nearly two hours and featured momentum shifts galore. Danny was down 3/0; leveled and eventually served for the set at 65 and was broken; Glenn led 63 in the breaker only to have Danny level and get a set point of his own before Glenn prevailed 76 and then won the second set 61. It was a high quality match for much of it, those guys really smack the ball. Mark Vines also advanced to the doubles quarters with Busby.

    Busby v Waldman

    Jenny Klitch, W50, is into the semis beating Spaniard Leticia Almirall in straight sets.

    Vicki Buholz, W55, lost to top seeded Van Baarle 60 62. It’s no mean feat getting two games off of Van Baarle on clay!

    A day after Willie Alumbaugh upset the #2 seed, he fell to Italian Raffaello Putti 63 63. It’s never good to play a Rafa on clay.

    Robin Harris and Ross Persons won their mixed match by default. We were sorry for the injury one of their opponents had but happy that we didn’t have to stay for Robin’s 7pm mixed match!

    Jenny Cerff left her cell phone in an Uber and we have not yet retrieved it. The driver’s name was Gabriella and she answered the first time we called and said she found it…but has ghosted us ever since. Uber, find our phone! We’ve messaged you many times but so far no traction on that. We now take a screen shot of the license plates of all Ubers which pick us up. I lost my metal water bottle in one, but that’s nothing compared to a cell phone.

    Jenny Cerff, Carolyn

    Draws Now Available for ITF Seniors Individual World Championships

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  • Barker, Nichols, Wright, Klitch, & Buholz, Reach Singles QF in Ulm

    Posted on by Carolyn Nichols Comment

    Tuesday August 21, 2018

    The men’s women’s 60s are leading the charge in Ulm, but there are title contenders from the USA in multiple age divisions.

    Diane Barker took out Heide Eisterlehner, a many time world champion but Heidi was giving up 8 years too many to Barker. Diane won 62 62. Susan Wright beat Dutch player Sylvia Lievers 60 60 and I beat Elna Botha of So Africa 61 60. Elna and I are shown below.

    In the 50s Jenny Klitch edged 5th seeded Lucie Schwab of Austria 75 36 75 and plays 4th seeded Jurate Hardy (Lithuania) tomorrow, as well as doubles in the round of 16 with Andrea Rice.

    Vicky Buholz beat 12th seeded Maria Rosa Bruno of Italy in straight sets in 55 singles while Shelly Works fell to Lisa Prechtel of the Netherlands 61 62 in the same division.

    Mark Vines, Danny Waldman and Ross Persons all won second round matches in men’s 60s. In the 50s, Scott Works lost today and in the 55s, Stu Saiki had to play the top seed and also went down.

    Susan, Robin and I had a day off in doubles. Robin played mixed though and won 61 63 against the 7th seeds to reach the semis. She has tomorrow off in mixed.

    Wes Cash/Mark Vines and Waldman/Norbert Henn (Germany) are in the 60 doubles quarters.

    Tom Colton, USA picked up a decent doubles partner in Anderson Jarryd (Sweden) and is in the quarters of the 55 doubles.

    Scott Works/Willie Alumbaugh are playing in the third round of men’s doubles.

    Buholz/Persons and Mary Dailey/Waldman are in the 2nd round of mixed 55 playing to get into the quarters later on.

    Susan, Diane and I all play tomorrow morning in the quarters of 60 singles and Robin and I play doubles. Susan has the day off in doubles.

    Draws are here.


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