The winds arrived in Mallorca today…yesterday was breezy in the afternoon, today is really windy, about 25-28 miles per hour this afternoon and slightly less tomorrow. We played at Beach Club Font de sa Cala today, another excellent venue for this event and a short walk from our apartment, very convenient for us! The courts were good, especially considering how much rain and wind there’s been.
I played Benedicte LeGrand who was the #1 player of the French Cup team this year. She is very solid, kick serve, nice slice and occasional very good topspin backhand, good forehand especially short cross court. She made a lot of errors the first set, getting used to the wind, till she settled down, then the second set was a battle…I had my chances at 5/3 to close out the set, she played some great points, then missed a couple of shots by millimeters.
Susan Wright beat Betty Michel, the #2 French player this year, holding off several set points to win 61 76 (5) on the upper courts which were super windy. Pat Medrado beat Sylvie Primault, the #3 French player 1,0 and Ros Balodis beat Gundi Weiland without dropping a game.
In doubles Bunnie Jackson and I beat Primault/Lyn Robinson of Australia 1,1. Bunnie played great and I even hit a few volley winners, so it was a good day. Susan and Medrado were down 5/2 against a tough Argentinian pair, Beatrice Villaverde and Patricia Candegabe before rallying to a 75 61 win. Villaverde is a brilliant doubles player and Candegabe can hit mach 10 forehands apparently. We didn’t see the match because we went to watch Carolyn Lane and Betty Michel play the #3 seeded Aussies, Rosemary Everett/Leanne Scott. We arrived with Carolyn and Betty up a set and 5/3, and looking like they were going to close it out right there, but the Aussies fought back, quit making errors and leveled the match at a set apiece before winning the match tiebreak 10-6. It was a good, tight match. Susan and Pat play Sabine Schmidt/Karien Theeuwes I think in the semis (no result posted but I am pretty sure they won).
In other play, Roz King is in the 85 women’s singles final against an unseeded Argentinian, Viviana Flint and doubles final, with Dorothy Wasser; there they face another American pair, Sheila Palmer/Chris Smith who won by the thinnest of margins 13-11 in a match tiebreak.
In women’s 80s, Donna Fales is into the semis while Frances Dickenson and Cathie Anderson fell in the quarters.
In women’s 75s, Brenda Carter scored a big upset, beating Gail Benedetti in three sets; Toni Novack won two matches in one day to advance to the quarters as well.
In women’s 70s, Tina Karwasky is into the semis with an emphatic win over Majorie Love, 3,1, easier than her 76 76 win last week in the Cup. Wendy McColskey was ill and defaulted out of the tournaments.
In the men’s 65s, there were two rounds today of play, the first was a match tiebreak instead of a third set format, and there were a lot of match tiebreaks played…the second was a full two out of three sets, a lot considering that many players had doubles too and some had doubles and mixed! Paul French won his first match in a MTB then was playing the third set of his second match when I left…the second match of the day was not a match tiebreak for some reason. Danny Waldman won his first match today.
There are no Americans remaining in Men’s 70 singles.
Geoff Moore, the second seed, was to play his quarterfinal match in men’s 75s at noon today.
Fred Drilling (1) and Jimmy Parker (4) are in the men’s 80 semis. Parker plays Jaime Pinto Bravo next…should be a good match!
Ini men’s 85s I believe Lester Sack and Albert Lyle won today to reach the semis.
In men’s 90s, George McCabe is doing well as is Chuck Nelson. I got a picture with George today. He’s 92!
