World & Australian Championships

 

2010 Australian Senior and Super Senior Claycourt Championships, Melbourne, 11-14 June - more

 

2010 Australian Tennis Seniors Championships, Gold Coast, 9-22 January - more

 

2009 World Super Seniors Individual  Championships, Perth, 9-15 November - more

 

2009 World Super Seniors Teams Championships, Perth, 2-7 November - more

 

2010 Australian Senior and Super Senior Claycourt Championships, Melbourne, 11-14 June

 

The Championships were again held at the Dendy Park Tennis Club in Brighton.  Neville Rodwell and Pat Moloney made the trip with some success.  Pat made the final of the 65 Mens Singles while Neville again made the semi-finals of the 60 Mens Singles. They combined to be runners-up in the 60-65 Mens Doubles.

 

2010 Australian Tennis Seniors Championships, Gold Coast, 9-22 January
 

The ACT had another very successful two weeks.  In the teams events, one mens team won their section, Ros Balodis was in a winning NSW team, another mens team lost their final by one game and another finished second and overall ACT repeated last year's performance coming third in the teams trophy.  In the individual events, ACT members won 3 events and were finalists in 3 other events.

 

A total of 126 teams participated in the annual Australian Seniors Teams Championships held on the delightful Queensland Gold Coast under blue skies and glorious sunshine. As well as the teams from the various Australian States and Territories, there were 10 teams from New Zealand and one from Japan.  For the first time ever, the competition was organised over six days in order to cater for the expected number of teams participating and the number of courts available.

 

The fortnight began with the opening ceremony on Saturday 9 January at the Southport School.   Betty Smith had the honour of carrying the flag for the ACT.  This was a last minute replacement for Colin Holgate who was a passenger in a car that got lost and arrived a couple of minutes late.  (Colin and Betty with the flag - see picture above)

 

On the Monday night, ACT team members and their partners and friends (see picture left) enjoyed a very nice dinner organised by Graham Smith at the Burleigh Heads Lifesavers Club.  This was the same venue for our dinner the last time the event was held at the Gold Coast.  As before it was again enjoyable and the venue was open to a welcoming sea breeze. For more photos click here.

 

Congratulations to New South Wales for winning the State Teams Trophy for the second year in a row (winning 57.53% of their sets) with Queensland a close second (55.25% of sets won). ACT finished third (with 51.52% of sets won).

 

Congratulations to our mens 70 team pictured left to right, Ralph Peters, Robert Read (capt), Graham Hedgecoe, Col Power, Richard Parker and David Burke on winning section 2.  Congratulations also to Ros Balodis for helping the 45 NSW ladies to a win.

 

Our 55 mens team of Rick Genge, Colin Holgate, Neville Rodwell, captain John Stark, Alan Wilmhurst and Craig Withell lost their final by one game to the Queensland No 1 team.  The 60s mens team of Peter Breugelmans, captain David Coutts, Frank Marris, Pat Moloney and Terry Walker finished second in their section.

 

In the individual events, congratulations to Ros Balodis on winning the 50 ladies singles with the overall loss of two games and combining with Kaye Nealon (NSW) to win the 50 doubles.  Congratulations also to Mary Gormy on winning the combined 140 ladies doubles with Norma Godbolt-McGhie (Qld).

 

May Howard made the final of the 55 ladies singles.  Pat Moloney playing with John Rheinberger (Bega) made the final of the 65 mens doubles and John Stark and Neville Rodwell (see picture) made the final of the combined 120 mens doubles.

 

For more photos of the Championships, click here.

 

2009 World Super Seniors Individual  Championships, Perth, 9-15 November

 

Congratulations to Phil Higgs on winning his first World Singles Championship.  Picture courtesy of Tim Clayton, ITF.

 

Phil playing in his first World singles Final, displayed great consistency of shot-making and returning along with fine volleying to surprise a determined top seeded Peter Adrigan (GER) in the major upset of these Championships.  Peter had dispensed with several Australians in previous matches, (Lee Taylor, Bruce Burns and Dennis Binden) and was looking most comfortable on the grass.  Phil turned in a great display winning 7/6 7/6, to become the World 65 Men’s Champion.

 

Phil also made the semi finals of the 65+ Mens Doubles with Don McIndoe losing to the eventual winners Henry Michael from Australia and Fred Drilling from the USA.

 

Heather McKay also had a good performance making the final of the 65+ Ladies Doubles with Helen Muir.  They lost to the no 1 seeds Petra Kruger (RSA) and Heide Orth (GER) in a see-sawing match, 6/2 0/6 6/1.  Heather made the quarter finals of the singles before losing to the eventual winner Ellie Krocke (NED).  The picture is courtesy of Tim Clayton, ITF.

 

Overall Australians won 3 of the 6 Men’s Singles, and 2 of 5 Women’s Singles, with another 8 Men and 5 Women winning  Gold medals in the Doubles.  Many more  featured in the semis and quarters.

 

Apart from Phil, Ward Hillier won the 80+ and Neville Halligan the 85+ Mens  Singles.  Kerry Ballard won the 60+ Ladies Singles while Margaret Robinson won the 75+.  On a sad note, Ward passed away in his sleep on 16 November.

 

Kerry Ballard and Liz Allan won the 60+ Ladies Doubles.  This was their ninth world title together and Liz’s 17th in total and Kerry’s 10th – an extraordinary performance..

 

2009 World Super Seniors Teams Championships, Perth, 2-7 November

 

Phil Higgs and Heather McKay won Silver medals at the 2009 Super Seniors World Teams Competition in Perth.  Phil captained the Britannia Cup (M65) team while heather was a member of the Kitty Godfree Cup (W65) team.

 

In a sensational and exciting final day of tennis, Australia won five of the nine cups on offer.  In addition, three other teams were runners-up and the ninth team finished sixth.

 

Gold medals went to our teams in the Gardnar Mulloy (M80), the Jack Crawford (M70), the Queens’ (W75), the Althea Gibson (W70) and the Alice Marble (W60).

 

Teams that took the Silver medal were the Bitsy Grant (M75), the Britannia (M65) and the Kitty Godfree (W65).

 

The USA won two Cups, (Britannia and the Bitsy Grant), Great Britain, one, (Kitty Godfree), and Spain, one, (von Cramm).

 

In the Britannia Cup, the USA was out for revenge for its loss to the Aussies in 2007, and Richard Johnson set the scene with a decisive win over Dennis Bindon 62 62.  Peter Keller kept Australia’s hopes alive in defeating former World no1 Jimmy Parker 6/1 7/5, but USA was too strong in the Doubles, Johnson with Ken Robinson defeating Bindon and Keller 6/4 6/2 in the decider.

 

The Kitty Godfree Cup was hard fought between Great Britain and Australia, with Great Britain taking its first victory in over a decade.  Jenny Waggot beat Margaret Wayte 6/7 6/4 6/2 in a close encounter, and Sue Hill defeated Heather McKay in straight sets 6/4 6/4.  Australia can take some consolation in the Doubles, with Pam Brand and Helen Muir defeating Jackie Boothman and June Fisher 6/3 6/4.