To the surprise of few who have been to Florida this time of year, it’s still hot and humid (but not raining, which would cool things off a bit perhaps). Multiple players have been taken to the ER, keeping the ambulances busy and the ITF (in a logical response) is having players play match tiebreaks in lieu of third sets in singles and stopping play midday depending on the heat index/wet bulb temperature. So far though no one has died despite some rumors to the contrary.
There were tons of upsets in 60 mixed yesterday. The top seeds, Kelly Stobbe and Denis Dumas from Canada lost to Mariana Hollman/Jeff Snow…Mariana is a veteran of many world championships and is now a doubles specialist. Shelly Goodson/Arun Aggarwal upset #4 seeds Ulrike Deutsch-Watson/Alberto Rodriguez-Martinez 62 64; Wanda Howes/John Bruce took out the #7 seeds, Petra Van den Acker-Wessels/Patrick Marteijn 10-7 in a match tiebreak; and Daniela Esswein/Bob Schry upset Carole De Bruin/Kenneth Sundberg, the #2 seeds 64 64. The 3, 6, & 8 seeds survived the carnage.
In the 70s today #2 seeded Benedict La Grand lost to 2019 world champion Wendy McColskey in a match tiebreak. I won against Aussie Sarah Goddard and play Caroline Glaszmann, who edged Kathy Foulk in a match tiebreak. Tina Karwasky won her singles. Andrea Barnes beat Caroline Blincoe 3,3.
Doubles was not before 3:30 because they were stopped play due to heat from the time 12:30 matches finished till 3:30. In 70 doubles Foulk/Betsy Savitt upset Tina Karwasky/Jan Kirkland Cochran (3); Barnes/Becky Timmis lost in three sets to the top seeds Pauline Fisher/Sally Van Rensburg. Bunnie Jackson and I beat Sherri Bronson and Kathy Heinze, and the McColsky sisters advanced over Cindy Le Prevost/Carmen Chillida.
Susan Wright beat Gundi Weiland 61 62. Christina Kaus lost in a match tiebreak to Simone Vasconcellos, the 8th seed but won her doubles match with Stina Mosvold. In the 60s singles, Jenny Klitch won 61 62, Jenny Rens Keller advanced as did Vicki Buholz, in straight sets. Rens/Buholz, the top seeds, had a scare against the Japanese pair of Moto Sumo and Yoshiko Miyauchi, winning 62 26 10-5.
In men’s events, there have been a few minor upsets..but Dan Waldman, M70s is not one of them…with a bye and two defaults he’s into the round of 16 without striking a ball!