Six Northern California Players Named to International Tennis Teams
Six of the 40 players who will represent the United States at the 32nd ITF Seniors World Team Championships in San Diego County are from Northern California. They will join the other top American tennis players (men and women) in age divisions 35-55 to compete February 6-11 in Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla and San Diego, California.
The ITF Seniors/Super-Seniors World Team Championships is the most coveted team event on the ITF Seniors circuit. Since its inception in 1981, the number of competitors attracted to this event has increased year by year. In 1993, the ITF took the decision to divide the Seniors World Championships into two groups -- Seniors (35-55) and Super-Seniors (60-80 for men and 60-75 for women).
The NorCal players representing the USA are: Curtis Dunn, San Francisco; Geoff Martinez, San Rafael; Kelly Pace Wilson, Cameron Park; Judy Newman, Scotts Valley; Leslie Airola Murveit, Portola Valley and Tracy Houk, Half Moon Bay.
All 10 Cups will be played on hard courts this year at the following sites: La Costa Resort, Carlsbad (Suzanne Lenglen, W35 and Italia, M35); Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego (Tony Trabert, M40 and Young, W40); Morgan Run Resort, Rancho Santa Fe (Dubler, M45); La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, La Jolla (Fred Perry, M50 and Margaret Court, W45); San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club, San Diego (Maria Bueno, W50); and Balboa Tennis Club, San Diego (Maureen Connolly,W55 and Austria, M55)
Dunn has been named to the Dubler Cup team. He enters the 45s in 2012 ranked #4 in the USA in Men’s 40s. He was a semifinalist at the Clay and Indoors in 2011 and a finalist at the Babolat. He will be joined by Mario Tabares, Miami, FL (playing captain); Andy Stoner, Cave Creek, AZ and Rick Leach, Newport Beach, CA. The Dubler Cup was not played in 2011 due to the deadly earthquake which severely damaged the tennis center on the second day of play in Christchurch in February 2011. The USA Dubler Cup team finished third in 2011 in Mexico City.
Martinez will compete on the Austria Cup team. Entering the 55s in 2011, he won the Indoors and was a finalist at the Hard in singles and the Indoors in doubles. His teammates are Sal Castillo, San Antonio, TX; Ross Persons, Houston, TX (playing captain); and Danny Waldman, Washington, D.C. The USA finished third in the Austria Cup in 2011 in Ashburton, New Zealand.
Pace Wilson will join the Lenglen Cup team. This is the first time she’s played on a Cup team. She had a fantastic 2011, barely dropping games in winning the Indoors and Hard and the Marin Seniors. She was a finalist in doubles at the 35 Hard and in singles at the 30 Indoors. She won the 30 Indoor doubles. She will team with Patricia Zerdan, Dallas, TX; Trish Riddell, Lakeland, FL and Carolina Blouin, Raleigh, NC. The USA finished fourth in the Lenglen Cup in 2011 in Timaru, New Zealand.
Newman, named to the Court Cup team, is making her debut in senior international team play. She was a finalist at the 45 hard in singles and, with Houk, placed third in doubles there. She also played #1 singles on the NorCal 45 Intersectional team. Her teammates will be Shelly Works, San Antonio, TX; Mariana Hollman, Winston-Salem, NC and Jarilyn Joseph, Pacific Palisades, CA. The Court Cup was unplayed in 2011. The USA is the defending champion in this division, having won the Cup in 2010 in Mexico City.
Houk will be playing in the Bueno Cup team. She returned to national senior play after a series of injuries and had a stellar 2011. She was a finalist at the 50 Hard, where she upset the top seed and three time defending champion, Susan Wright (Grand Junction, CO) in the quarters. She was a semifinalist at the 50 Indoors and 45 Hard (singles and doubles). Fran Chandler, Jackson, TX (playing captain), Tina Karwasky, Glendale, CA and Mary Dailey, Delray Beach, FL complete the team. The USA Bueno Cup team was the champion in 2011 in Ashburton, NZ.
Airola Murveit will be playing on her second Cup team and first Connolly Cup team in 2012. In 2011 she was a finalist in 55 singles and doubles at the Clay and won the 55 Indoor doubles. She won the 55 Clay doubles in 2010. Her teammates will be Diane Fishburne, Charleston, SC; Wright and Carolyn Nichols, Rancho Santa Fe, CA, playing captain. The USA won the Connolly Cup in 2011 in Ashburton, NZ.