WOMEN’S 50S, 60S, 70S AND 80S SINGLES FINALS SET FOR FRIDAY AT USTA NATIONAL SENIOR WOMEN’S HARD COURT TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

Written by: Staff on 16th May 2013

WOMEN’S 50S, 60S, 70S AND 80S SINGLES FINALS SET FOR FRIDAY AT USTA NATIONAL SENIOR WOMEN’S HARD COURT TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS |

La Jolla, Calif. – (May 16, 2013) – It will be a day filled with Championship matches at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis club as the singles finals of the Women’s 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s Divisions will all be played on Friday at the USTA National Senior Women’s Hard Court Tennis Championships.

The Women’s 50s singles final, which begins at 10:30 a.m., will feature top-seeded Tracy Houk of Montara, Calif. versus second-seeded Frances Chandler of Jackson, Tenn. The meeting will mark the third consecutive year they have met in the Women’s 50s event in La Jolla.

The 51-year-old Houk reached the Women’s 50s singles final for the third straight year after defeating fourth-seeded Carolyn Nichols of Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., 6-4, 6-3, in Thursday’s semifinals. Houk is looking to win her first career USTA National 50s singles title.

“It feels great and I just look forward to tomorrow,” Houk said after her semifinal victory over Nichols. “I’m going to have to dig deep (in the final) and stay focused. My game is here and it’s up to me.”

Chandler advanced to Friday’s singles final with an impressive 6-1, 6-3, victory over fifth-seeded Judy Newman of Scotts Valley, Calif. The 51-year-old Chandler won the Women’s 50s singles title in 2011, defeating Houk in the final. She fell to Houk in last year’s semifinals.

The Women’s 60s singles final will be contested between top-seeded Tina Karwasky of Glendale, Calif., and third-seeded Mary Ginnard of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. at 9 a.m.

Top-seeded Charleen Hillebrand of San Pedro, Calif. will play second-seeded Catherine Anderson of Del Mar, Calif. at 9 a.m. for the Women’s 70s singles title.

Number one-seeded Margaret Canby of San Antonio will face second-seeded Doris Lutz of Sarasota, Fla., in the Women’s 80s singles championship at 10:30 a.m.

The national senior women’s tennis tournament, which concludes on Sunday, May 19, features singles and doubles events in the 50 and over, 60 and over, 70 and over, 80 and over age groups, as well as a doubles event in the 90 and over age division.

The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s 41st Annual Spring Senior Championships for men is also taking place this week in conjunction with the women’s events. Although the men’s events are not national championships, they feature many senior players who regularly compete in national tournaments. The men’s events include singles and doubles for 60 and over, 65 and over, 70 and over, 75 and over, 80 and over age groups.

La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club welcomes tennis enthusiasts to view the tournament with free admission. On-site parking is available for a nominal fee. Tournament draws are online at: http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=125267

The starting times for each day of the tournament are as follows:

Friday, May 17 – 8 a.m.; Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 – 9 a.m.

All women’s main draw singles finals and women’s 50, 60, 70 and 80 main draw doubles finals will be played on Friday, May 17. All women’s consolation events will conclude on Sunday, May 19.

The main draw singles and doubles finals in the men’s divisions will be played on Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19, with the exception of the Men’s 70 doubles, which is slated for Thursday, May 16.

Designated as 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.