Draws for ITF World Team Championships, Turkey

Summary:

Women: USA Won 65s over GBR; W70: finalists to AUS; W75: Bronze; and on Thursday: W80: 5th; W85: Champions

Men: M 65: 9th; M70: 9th; M75: Copper medals, 4th, fell to Spain; M80: Champions; M85: Champions

Four gold, one silver, one bronze, one copper, 5th and two 9th place finishes. Congrats to Team USA!

Many thanks to all the organizers, especially to Hayley and her team from the ITF and to the USTA for their continued support of masters tennis and the “sport of a lifetime”.

Friday was a whirlwind of activity. We awakened to rain, which stopped around 8am. We were to practice at 8:20, which was delayed and moved to a different court. It was a free for all for practice courts but there were enough of them dry for everyone to get in a hit. Our court was finally ready around 10:45 (we were originally to start at 9:30). I played Anne Clark, who has a wicked drop shot, fantastic anticipation and great racquet control. I won a long one, 67 (7), 63 63 in about 2:45 and ran for A LOT of drop shots (and hit a few of my own). It was winning ugly but it usually is with me! Susan then came out on FIRE, and played a near perfect match to beat Sue Bartlett 62 63 to clinch the Kitty Godfree Cup for the USA. Anne Frautschi and Carolyn Lane won the doubles point with an equally brilliant performance, dropping only a few games to sweep the tie. (France finished 3rd, Germany 4th and Spain 5th).

USA Althea Gibson Cup (W70) came oh so close to the Cup and nearly oh so far in the final. Tina Karwasky fended off four (!) match points against Adrienne Avis at #2 singles, finally prevailing 63 16 5-5 retired…when Avis popped her calf running for a short backhand. Never in doubt (kidding). Una Davis fell to Sally van Rensberg 63 64 at #1 and it came down to the doubles. Since last year, even in deciding matches for the Cup, doubles has been truncated to two sets and a match tiebreak. Jan Cochran and Betsy Kuhle fell 57 62 10-7…so close. Congratulations to the champion Australians and to silver medalists USA.

The men’s 75s team fell to a tough Spanish team Friday to finish fourth (copper medals); Al Yearwood lost in three sets; Michael Beautyman won in straight sets and Beautyman and Cheney fell to Velasco/Camina Borda in doubles. Last year USA lost to Spain in the final. This year Canada won the 75s Bitsy Grant Cup! (and were finalists in men’s 70s).

The USA Queens Cup team W75, beat Australia 3/0 to claim bronze; Brenda Carter won a marathon three-setter; Judy Dixon beat the always dangerous Kerry Ballard and Liane Bryson/Gwenda Ward won the doubles point.

The women’s 85, men’s 85 and men’s 80s also won gold medals, finishing their competitions on Thursday. Below, W85, M85, M80