USA Britannia Cup Team Wins 7 Gold Medals in Super Senior World Championship
Charlie Hoeveler Helps US Clinch World Championships
White Plains, NY, [ October 16, 2011]
Charlie Hoeveler of Ross, CA teamed Hugh Thomson, Norcross, GA, David Nash, Bloomington, MN, and Jim Parker, Santa Fe, NM to finish first in the Britannia Cup competition for men 65 and over. The competition was held on the slow red clay courts in Antalya, Turkey with over 500 players representing over 35 countries playing in the various age groups
The Britannia Cup Team Men 65 tie came down to the doubles match on Friday in the semis and Saturday in the final against France. Both days the U.S. lost at #2 singles. On Friday, an injured Nash lost in three sets and on Saturday, Thomson, subbing for Nash, gave it a go against the French #2, Michel Berges, whom he’d previously dominated in singles. But on Saturday, the Frenchman played inspired tennis and Thomson lost in three tight sets. Captain Parker came riding in to the rescue, beating his opponent on Friday and then Francois Pierson on Saturday to level the tie in each instance. The doubles team of Parker and Thomson secured the win on Friday to propel the U.S. into the final. On Saturday, though Parker won by the relatively tame score of 6-0, 7-5, the points were brutal, particularly in the second set, and the weather was much warmer. Against a bigger, harder hitting opponent, Parker mixed up drop shots, approaches and countered well, but the running took a toll on him. Scheduled with Thomson to play the deciding doubles, Parker began to cramp. Hoeveler was a last minute substitute and played awe inspiring tennis by his movement around the net. Time and time he made the winning volley. The U.S. won the first set 7-6 (4), holding off set points when the French team served for the first set at 5-4. The French team dominated the second set 6-2. The third set featured as many breaks as holds and fittingly went to a tiebreak won convincingly by the U.S. 7-6 (3) to clinch the title for the US.
In all the US teams medaled in 9 out of 10 cup teams winning 7 golds and 2 bronze.
The ITF Seniors/Super-Seniors World Team Championships is the most coveted team event on the ITF Seniors circuit. Since its inception, the number of competitors attracted to this event has increased annually. The Seniors World Championships is divided into two groups, Seniors for the 35-55 and over and Super-Seniors for the 60-80 and over divisions.