USA Men’s Dubler Cup Team Wins Spain At International Tennis Federation World Senior Championships

Written by: Staff on 10th February 2012

USA Men's Dubler Cup Team Wins Spain At International Tennis Federation World Senior Championships |

(Above: Americans Rick Leach (left) and Mario Tabares won the deciding doubles point to give the United States a 2-1 victory over Spain in Dubler Cup action.)

The United States Dubler Cup (Men’s 55s) team overcame the loss of the first match of the day and rebounded to defeat Spain 2-1 at Morgan Club & Resort and advance to the semifinals of the International Tennis Federation World Seniors Team Championships.

The second-seeded U.S. Dubler Cup team will face third-seeded Italy, a 2-1 quarterfinal winner over the Netherlands, at 9:15 a.m. on Friday in the semifinals.

The U.S. men were tested in their quarterfinal match against the seventh-seeded Spaniards, who had defeated Argentina and Belgium in group play earlier in the week.

In the opening singles match, Curtis Dunn of San Francisco fell to Spain’s Pablo Semprun, 6-3, 6-4, which gave Spain an early 1-0 lead. In the second singles match, the U.S. sent seniors circuit veteran Mario Tabares against Carlos Costa of Spain.

Last year, Tabares, a former touring tennis professional, won a seniors circuit “Golden Slam” as he captured the men’s 45s singles titles at the United States Tennis Association National Grass, Hard, Clay and Indoor Championships.

Against Costa, Tabares used his steady baseline game to move the Spaniard around the court and went on to capture the first set, 6-2. However, the second set proved to be much tighter as Costa raised the level of his game. With the score tied at 5-5 in the second set, Tabares held serve to take a 6-5 lead. Costa served to stay in the set but was unable to hold serve as Tabares closed out the second set 7-5 to win the match.

After splitting the first two singles matches, the doubles match featuring Rick Leach, the former number-one doubles player in the world, and Tabares against Spain’s Semprun and Santiago Tintore would determine which team would advance.

The U.S. fell behind 2-0 in the first set as Leach and Tabares suffered an early service break, but with solid play at the net, they recovered and went on to post an impressive 6-4, 6-2 victory.

While this is the first time the ITF Seniors World Championships are being played in the San Diego area, it is not the first time Rick Leach has played an international team event in San Diego County. In 1990, he made his Davis Cup debut at the nearby La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad as the U.S. hosted Mexico in a first-round World Group match.

Leach and his doubles partner Jim Pugh were victorious that weekend as they defeated Mexico’s Jorge Lozano and Leonardo Lavalle, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-1. “There was a lot of pressure and I remember being relieved when it was done,” Leach said.

That same day before the match, Leach chatted with two young twin brothers sitting at courtside who were family friends. He said to them, “You know what guys? You’re going to be playing Davis Cup someday.”

As it turned out, the two young twin brothers Leach had spoken to were Bob and Mike Bryan.

For up to date scores and results from the 2012 ITF Seniors World Team Championships, go to:

www.itftennis.com/seniors

The 32nd annual international team event, which is the senior equivalent of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup competitions, features 10 age divisions. The age divisions and the trophies they are playing for are as

follows:

Men’s 35 – Italia Cup Women’s 35 – Suzanne Lenglen Cup

Men’s 40 – Tony Trabert Cup Women’s 40 – Young Cup

Men’s 45 – Dubler Cup Women’s 45 – Margaret Court Cup

Men’s 50 – Fred Perry Cup Women’s 50 – Maria Esther Bueno Cup

Men’s 55 – Austria Cup Women’s 55 – Maureen Connolly Cup

The cup competitions are being played at the following locations:

Austria Cup and Maureen Connolly Cup – Balboa Tennis Club, 2221 Morley Field Drive, San Diego

Tony Trabert Cup and Young Cup – Barnes Tennis Center, 4490 West Point Loma Boulevard, San Diego

Italia Cup and Suzanne Lenglen Cup – La Costa Resort and Spa, 2100 Costa Del Mar Road, Carlsbad

Dubler Cup – Morgan Run Club & Resort, 5690 Cancha de Golf, Rancho Santa Fe

Maria Esther Bueno Cup – San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club, 4848 Tecolote Road, San Diego

Margaret Court Cup and Fred Perry Cup – La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, 2000 Spindrift Drive, La Jolla

and La Jolla Tennis Club, 7632 Draper Avenue, La Jolla

The United States team is the defending champion in the Young Cup, Margaret Court Cup, Maria Esther Bueno Cup, Maureen Connolly Cup and Fred Perry Cup.

Tournament admission to watch the matches is free and open to the public. On-site parking is available at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club for a nominal fee. There is no charge to park at other tournament venues.

Recently designated one of the Top 50 Tennis Resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started in 1942 when it attracted its first major tournament, the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship. The club will be hosting the 123rd edition of The Pacific Coast Mens’ Doubles Championships in March 2012, and the USTA National Hard Court Championships for Women’s 50-90 age groups in May 2012.