USA Plays for Gold in Five Cup and For Bronze in Three Cups on Saturday

The USA teams had a lot of success on Friday in Turkey. It was a picture perfect day for tennis, temperatures somewhere around 80 for a high and only the slightest of breezes and a few clouds.

The USA had teams in the medal round in eight Cups today and all eight teams were in action.

The women’s Alice Marble Cup team (60s) played Australia. Sherri Bronson used the first set to wake up and warm up, as is normal for her, but after dropping the first set 62 to Helen Worland, she caught fire and won the second and third 61 62 to take the #2 singles point. Tina Karwasky stepped up and defeated Adrianne Avis 62 60. The Aussies salvaged the day by taking the doubles point. USA plays Great Britain tomorrow. GBR beat Netherlands 3/0 today.

The women’s Kitty Godfree Cup team (65s) played Great Britain today and won 2/1. Brenda Carter beat Shirley Fox 62 75, rallying from 52 down in the second set, refusing to miss and to let the ball go past her. Martha Downing played a beautiful match to beat Marjorie Love 63 75. She defended well and dropshotted beautifully…it was tactically a very smart match. The USA plays France tomorrow which is going to be a very tough and interesting match. The Brits took the doubles point in three sets over Kathy Bennett/Carol Clay.

The USA Althea Gibson (W70) team played France today and went down 2/1. Cathie Anderson was outplayed at #2 singles by Sylvie Galfard-Kirsten, losing 60 62. Charleen Hillebrand took on world #1 and current world 70s champion Michelle Bichon and blitzed her the first set 61, then led 53, match point in the second before Bichon rallied to force a third set. Hillebrand hurt her knee at 1/2 down in the third and retired. Suella Steel/Lee Delfausse on the doubles point easily, but France won 2/1. They play GBR tomorrow. GBR lost to Germany 2/1, winning only the doubles point. Heide Orth played great to beat Frances Maclennan 62 62 in singles.

In the Queens Cup (W75), USA played Canada today. Canada, USA and Germany are in a three team round robin for the Cup. Germany beat Canada yesterday. USA dropped the #2 singles as Evelyn Hustwit played well to beat Burnett Herrick in straight sets. Dori deVries, the 2011 World Champion faced Inge Weber, the 2012 World Champion. (Herrick was the 2010 World Champion and Roz King the 2013 World Champion!). Weber got off to a quick start, leading 4/1 before deVries rallied to force a tiebreak, won by USA. deVries won the second set more easily and deVries/King won the doubles point and the tie. Hustwit unfortunately injured her Achilles tendon and couldn’t play the doubles.

The USA Doris Hart Cup team fell to Canada today 2/1. Jane Lutz lost a tight match to Rosie Asch 64 75 at #2 and current world champion Muffie Grieve took out Margaret Canby at #1 singles. USA then won the doubles in a match tiebreak, but USA lost 2/1. Canada plays France in a repeat of their first match and USA plays Australia, also a repeat of the first day’s match.

In the Von Cramm Cup (M60), against Austria, the USA lost 64 61 at #2 singles, as Mark Meyers struggled with his back to move. It was up to Geoff Cykman to tie the match at #1 singles. Geoff Cykman got off to another slow start at #1 singles, dropping the first set. He scored first blood in the second, breaking at 3-3 by hitting a net cord winner (the nets here are very loose). Cykman was up double or triple set point at about 5/4 (I heard from one of the onlookers, I was watching elsewhere at the time) but Austria tied up the match, fighting off the set points. Cykman though won the eventual tiebreak and the third set 61. Tony Dawson/Tom Smith wrapped up the tie with a doubles win 62 62. They play France, a 2/1 winner over Australia, France taking a close #2 singles and a straight set doubles win. The #1 singles match in that category was amazing, with Andrew Rae wearing down Dominique Leman in three sets.

The USA Britannia Cup team (M65) lost to top seeded Spain 2/1 with Spain taking both singles points. Brian Cheney played a great second set against Jose Camina-Borda but fell 75; Les Buck/Armi Neely won the doubles point in 3 sets. Mike Dahm lost to Luis Flor at #2 singles. They play France (which lost 2/1 to Switzerland) tomorrow.

The USA Crawford Cup team is finished (5th) and the Bitsy Grant Cup team plays tomorrow for 7th or 8th place. They had a day off today.

The USA Gardnar Mulloy Cup team steamrolled Australia today 3/0 behind powerful singles performances by John Powless and King Van Nostrand. They play Germany, which upset Canada 3/0 today. Herbert Althaus beat Lorne Maine in an upset at #1, though Althaus is a “young” 80s player having just turned 80 a couple of days ago. He runs really well.