Tennis ACT

Seniors

Tennis Seniors ACT Website   

By John Greenup

2012 Australian Tennis Seniors Championships

These Championships were held in Perth from 8-20 January.   The ACT represented by 6 teams was unable to defend its hold on the Australian Teams Trophy but still finished a credible second behind NSW.  The trophy is awarded to the State or Territory that has the best average result over all teams for the championships.  David Burke carried the ACT flag at the Opening Ceremony.

The ACT had two winning teams – the 60 mens and 70 mens (with the help of two Queenslanders) winning their sections.  Congratulations to our 60 mens team of (first photo below left to right) Peter Boyle, Kerry Scarlett, Graham Smith, Terry Walker and Frank Marris on winning their final and to the 70 mens team of (second photo below from left to right) Mick Doyle, David Coutts, Les Tanzer (Qld), Cedric Hubbard (Qld), David Burke and Col Power on finishing first in their section.  Col, David and Terry have experienced the winning feeling now two years in a row.

 In the second week in the individual championships, ACT members won 4 events and were runners up in 2 events.  Congratulations to Ros Balodis on again defending her 50 ladies singles title.  In an all ACT final, Ros proved too strong for Narelle Raftery winning 6/2, 6/3.  Ros combined with Kaye Nealon (NSW) to win the 45/50 ladies doubles again from Narelle Raftery and Yvonne Stanton (NSW).  Ros got the trifecta combining with Colin Holgate to win the 50 mixed doubles.  Narelle managed to win one title in the 45 mixed doubles with Martin Warwick (Vic).

2012 ITF World Tennis Seniors Championships

The Championships were held in San Diego, USA in February.  Ros Balodis captained her team to a win over the USA in the final of the Maria Bueno Cup (50+), reversing the result from last year.  The team was (left to right) Leanne Swaysland, Ros Balodis and Brenda Foster (photo courtesy of Susan Mullane).

In the final, the match was locked at one rubber each in a close and exciting tussle when rain stopped play.  In the first rubber, Brenda Foster battled hard against Tracy Houk losing 6-4, 4-6, 4-6.  However, Ros levelled the rubbers by defeating Fran Chandler 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.  On resuming the doubles the next day after leading 3-2 over night, Brenda and Ros won the match 6-2, 6-2.

For a eighth successive year the Australian men won the Austria Cup (55+) defeating the USA 2-1.  Wayne Pascoe won in three sets.  Glenn Busby suffered an unexpected in straight sets.  Glenn Busby and Garry Thoroughgood won the doubles in two tough sets.

ACT’s other representative Narelle Raftery was a member of the Margaret Court Cup (45+) team which finished 11th.  The team of Narelle, Wanda Howes and Wendy Harrison had some close matches but were playing against strong opposition in the age group below their own age group.

In the individual events in the second week, Ros Balodis made the semi finals of the 50 ladies singles before losing to a former Wimbledon quarterfinalist, Rosalyn Nideffer from the USA – who went on to win the final.  However Ros and her partner, Leanne Swaysland  on the 50 ladies doubles final from the other member of the Australian Maria Bueno Cup team, Brenda Forster and her partner Christine French (Great Britain).  Narelle Raftery didn’t stay on for the second week.

Australia won three other events.  Brenda Foster paired with Chris Hearn from Great Britain to win the 50 mixed doubles.  Brothers Greg and Michael Evans from NSW won the 35 mens doubles and expat Jurabe Hardy (normally Victoria) won the 40 ladies singles.

2011 Australian Seniors Teams and Individual Championships    

The ACT won the Australian Teams Trophy for the first time since the trophy was first awarded in 1985.   (President of Tennis Seniors ACT, Pat Moloney, pictured with the trophy.) The trophy is awarded to the State or Territory that has the best average result over all teams for the championships.  The ACT had 6 and a half teams with the 55 mens and the 65(2) mens team finishing first and the 45-50 ladies team losing the final by one game.  The 60(2) and 70(1) ladies teams finished third and the 55 ladies team fifth.  The NSW no2 mens team including two ACT members finished fifth.   

In the second week in the individual championships, ACT members won 4 events and were runners up in another 4 events.    

  

A total of 89 teams participated in the Australian Seniors Teams Championships held in Newcastle from 10-14 January.  The number of teams was 37 down on the previous year.  Teams came from all the States (except Tasmania), the ACT and New Zealand.  NSW had the most teams with 27 followed by Queensland with 17 (despite the floods) and South Australia and Western Australia with 11 each.  Matches in the teams event were played at three venues – Newcastle District Courts, Cessnock and Maitland.  Colin Holgate had the honour of carrying the ACT flag at the opening ceremony.    

Congratulations to our mens 55 team of (left to right above) John Greenup, Neville Rodwell, captain John Stark, Greg Holcombe, Alan Wilmhurst, and Colin Holgate on winning their final and to the mens 65 team of (left to right below) David Sprott, Col Power, captain David Coutts, Peter Breugelmans, Pat Moloney, Col Power and Terry Walker finished first in their section.  Both these teams went one better than last year.    

  

Commiserations to our ladies 45-50 team of (left to right below) Ros Balodis (capt), Helen Holcombe, Narelle Raftery, Chris Fraser and Rebecca Claremont, who lost their final to NSW by one game.   

   

In the individual events, congratulations to Ros Balodis on defending her 50 ladies singles title and combining with Colin Holgate to win the 50 mixed doubles.  Congratulations also Heather McKay on winning the 70 ladies singles and reaching the final of the 70 ladies doubles with Jill Taylor from Queensland.  Peter Clowry won the consolation 60 mens singles.    

Narelle Raftery made the final of the 45 ladies singles at her first attempt.  Phil Higgs and Pat Moloney made the final of the combined 120 mens doubles as did Margaret Harrigan with Joy Rigter (Qld) in the 140 combined ladies doubles.  Neville Rodwell did very well to reach the semi finals of the 60 mens singles beating the no2 seed Max Bates on the way.
     

2011 ITF Seniors and Super Seniors World Team Championships
 
   

Congratulations to Ros Balodis and Narelle Raftery on selection in Australian teams for the 2011 ITF Seniors World Team Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand from 21-26 February.  Ros is captain of the 50+ Bueno Cup team and Narelle had made the 45+ Court Cup team at her first attempt. Neville Rodwell has been selected as reserve for the 60+ Von Cramm Cup team to play in the ITF Super Seniors World Team Championships in Turkey from 10-15 October.