Men's 70s: Bob Duesler for winning six gold balls (three singles and three doubles titles)
Men's 80s: Graydon Nichols for winning six gold balls (three singles & three doubles) while entering only six events!
Men's 90s: Alex Swetka for winning a "gold slam" by gaining all four singles titles.
Larry Turville repeated his recent double win at the 55 Clay Courts in Georgia. Turville cruised through the singles field without the loss of a set and the team of Turville & Neal Newman won the doubles as well. Turville defeated Wesley Jackson 6-4,7-6(5) in the quarters (his only close match) and then Tony Dawson 6-3,6-4 and Leonard Wofford 6-3,6-2. Wofford had dominated Philip Landauer 6-1,6-1. The tournament committee's seeding efforts were noteworthy in that the top four seeds reached the semi-finals and three of the four number five seeds reached the quarters. Great work!
In the doubles, Turville & Newman defeated Jackson & Dar Walters 6-2,6-2 in the semis and then came back from a first set loss to best Williams Cantrell & Tom Smith 6-7(2),6-4,6-3. Cantrell & Smith, seeded third, had narrowly defeated second seeds Leonard Wofford & Paul Wulf 2-6,6-2,7-6(5).
Surprises abounded as three No. 5 seeds made is to the semis but #3 Jimmy Parker emerged with the gold ball. Parker narrowly defeated Hugh Thomson 6-4,5-7,7-6(3) in the semis and again needed three sets in the final besting Richard Johnson 6-2,4-6,6-4. Johnson had topped #1 Brian Cheney 6-0,7-5 in the quarters (thwarting Cheney's bid for a "gold slam") and then David Nash 6-1,6-4 in the semis. Second seed Armistead Neely withdrew with an injury before play began.
Mike Beautyman & Cheney gained a measure of revenge by winning the doubles with a convincing semi-final win over Bailey Brown & Fred Drilling 6-2,6-2 followed by a very close final win over Parker & Ken Robinson 6-4,3-6,7-5. Parker & Robinson had bested Jerry Kirk & Hugh Thomson 7-6(5),6-0.
Larry Turville came up big combining a dominating win in the 55 singles with a narrow escape in the doubles final. The top-seeded Turville bested Hugh Thomson 6-2,7-5 in the semis (his only close set) and Tom Smith 6-1,6-3 in the final. Smith had managed to best Padg Bolton 1-6,6-3,7-6(1) in their semi. In the doubles Turville & Neal Newman cruised through the field until the final. They clobbered Jerry Kirk & James (not Jim) Parker 6-1,6-0 in the semis and then bested second seeds William Cantrell & Tom Smith 7-5,3-6,6-3 in the final. Cantrell & Smith had ousted Tony Dawson & Thomson 6-3,6-4.
Bob Duesler doubled up once again in the 70s (as he had the previous week at the Philadelphia Cricket Club) with a semi-final singles win over Henry Baughman 6-1,6-4 followed by a final over Gordon Davis 6-4,1-6,6-1. Davis had topped Jim Landin 6-1,6-4. The perennial team of Duesler & Jim Nelson again cruised through the 70 doubles draw finishing up with a thrashing of Les Dodson & Jack Vredevelt 6-0,6-1 and then (once again) over Landin & Len Lindborg 6-3,6-2. Landin & Lindborg had bested Jerry Caldwell & Don Frilot 6-3,7-5.
Surprises came in the 85s where overlooked (and unseeded) Henry Tiberio went all the way starting with an opening round win over top seed Marvin Henderson 6-4,6-3. Tiberio edged Ed Selfe 7-5,3-6,6-3 in the semis and then narrowly avoided defeat in the final and ultimately bested Bob Sherman 2-6,7-6(11),6-1. Henderson & Sherman teamed up to soothe their singles wounds by winning the doubles title with wins over Irving Levine & Tiberio 6-3,6-3 and then over Tom Avirett & John Benn 6-7,6-2,6-3. Avirett & Benn had topped Ted Heisler & W.T. Mathes 6-4,6-4
Alex Swetka completed his 2007 90s slam with wins over Wade MacDonald 6-2,6-3 and then over John Morrison 2-6,6-3,ret(ill). Morrison had toped David Carey 6-2,6-1. MacDonald & Swetka, unseeded, teamed to win the doubles convincingly with wins over Anthony Coker & Robert Mix 6-1,6-2 and then over Barrett Scallet & Norman Stoll 6-3,6-1. Scallet & Stoll had dominated Tracy Strong & Jim Talman 6-0,6-2.
George McCabe upheld his number one seeding in the 75 singles with a close semi-final win over Roger Hing 6-4,7-6(8) followed by an old-fashioned clobbering of K. Arichandran 6-1,6-0. Arichandran had bested David Rothgaber 6-4,7-5. The unseeded team of Chuck DeVoe & Gerry Thomas won the 75 doubles with a close semi-final win over Norm Fitz & Joe Russell 6-4,7-6(3) followed by a thumping of top seeds McCabe & Peter Crewe 6-3,6-1. Crewe & McCabe had edged Mike O'Hara & Saul Snyder 7-6(3),2-6,6-3.
Graydon Nichols duplicated his double 80s victory of the previous week (on grass at Orange Lawn) with wins over Bill Weathers 6-4,7-5 and then over partner Tony Franco 6-0,6-4. Franco had dominated Newt Meade 6-0,6-3. Franco & Nichols cruised to another doubles title with convincing wins over Lyn Abbot & Meade 6-1,6-4 and then, once again, over Bob Meyerdierks & Bill Tully 6-3,6-2. Meyerdierks & Tully had edged Richard Land & Joe Pitts 7-6(3),6-2.
Second seed Philip Landauer won the 55s gold ball with convincing wins over Thomas Connell 6-0,6-4 and Tony Dawson 6-3,6-1. Dawson had bested Tom Smith 6-2,7-5. Top seeds Brian Cheney & Bob Litwin won the doubles finished up with wins over David Bryant & Connell 4-6,6-4,6-4 and then Peter Bromley & Smith 6-3,6-7(1),4-3,ret(inj). Bromley & Smith had topped #2 Landauer & Neal Newman 6-4,7-6(3).
Brian Cheney completed an unusual double (55 doubles and 60 singles) with solid wins over David Nash 6-4,6-2 and Jimmy Parker 6-1,6-3. Parker had defeated Mike Beautyman 6-3,6-4. The team of David Bryant & Parker won the doubles gold ball with wins over Diud Ahmed & Dean Corley 7-5,6-3 and then over Beautyman & Nash 6-4,6-2. Beautyman & Nash had clobbered Ralph Lennon & Edward Quinn 6-0,6-1.
A healthy John Powless cruised through the 75 draws in singles and doubles to win two more gold balls. Powless dominated Chuck DeVoe 6-1,6-2 in the singles semis and then won a tight final over dogged Joe Russell 7-6,7-5. Russell had narrowly defeated Clem Hopp 6-3,6-7,5-3,ret(ill) and had previously ousted top seed George McCabe 6-4,7-5 in the quarters. Powless & Russell Seymour teamed effectively to garner the doubles title with a walkover semi-final win over DeVoe & Hopp and a solid win over top seeds McCabe & Peter Crewe 7-5,6-2.
Graydon Nichols continued his winning ways in the 80s by winning both the singles and doubles titles. Nichols bested Phil Martinetti 6-4,6-2 in the semis and then doubles partner Tony Franco 4-6,6-3,6-1 in the final. Franco had handled Roald Flater 6-3,6-4. Franco & Nichols won the doubles title easily concluding with wins over Richard Land & Joe Pitts 6-2,6-3 followed by a pasting of Bob Meyerdierks & Bill Tully 6-0,6-2. Meyerdierks & Tully had bested Paul Roberts & Lee Smith 6-4,6-4.
Bob Duesler doubled up winning the singles win wins over Jim Landin 6-3,6-1 and Larry Sears 6-1,1-6,6-2. Sears had ousted a tired Herman Ahlers 7-5,4-3,ret(em). Duesler & Jim Nelson continued their dominance with convincing wins over Bob Helton & Karl Kamrath 6-3,6-4 and then over Jim Landin & Len Lindborg 6-3,6-3. Landin & Lindborg had ousted Les Dodson & Jack Vredevelt 6-1,6-4.
Fred Drilling upheld his top seed with comfortable wins over Rudy Hernando 6-2,6-3 in the semis and then Ted Hoehn 6-1,6-1 in the final. Hoehn had bested George Sarantos 7-6(4),ret(inj). Sarantos & Michael Stewart won the doubles with a close semi-final win over Drilling & Kelly Hall 7-5,7-5 and then an easy final win over Robert Anderman & Thomas Brunkow 6-1,6-1. Anderman & Brunkow had ousted second seeds Hernando & Don Biedinger 6-4,6-4.
Bob Sherman did it again winning another gold ball in the 85s. Sherman reached deep down to overcome top seed Marvin Henderson in an extremely close final match by the score of 4-6,7-6(6),6-4. Henderson had bested Jules Plangere 6-4-6-2 while Sherman narrowly defeated Henry Tiberio 5-7,6-4,7-5. Sherman & Henderson teamed effectively to win the doubles with wins over Dyle Anderson & Arnold Brotman 6-0,6-3 and then Ted Heisler & W.T. Mathes 6-3,6-2. Heisler & Mathes had defeated Jack Bryson & Stephen Parson 3-6,6-2,6-4.
Alex Swetka continued his dominance in the 90s with overwhelming wins first over Jim Talman 6-1,6-0 then Anthony Coker 6-0,6-0. Coker had bested Tracy Strong 6-1,6-2. Barrett Scallet & Norman Stoll, top seeded, bested #2 Anthony Coker & Robert Mix 6-4,6-4 to win the gold ball in the 90 doubles. Scallett & Stoll had bested Walter Ralphs & Ted Zoob 1-6,6-0,6-2 while Coker & Mix defeated Ed Sleeper & Way Dong Woo 6-1,6-2.
Unseeded winners Greg Kohles & Gregory Janssen cruised to the finals without the loss of a set. They defeated William Ellison & William Mitchell 6-1,6-3 in the semis before going the distance to best top seeds Bill Tully & Marty Moore 6-2,6-7(6),6-1 in the final. Tully and Moore had defeated Paul & Jordan Kepler 6-2,6-1.
Seeding mostly prevailed as Brian Cheney doubled up. Cheney, seeded first in singles, bested unseeded David Ranney 6-4,6-1 in the semis and then #2 Mike Beautyman 7-6,6-1 in the final. Beautyman had defeated #4 Hugh Thomson 6-4,6-4 in the semis and Ranney had upset #3 Jimmy Parker 7-5,6-3 in the round of 16. Cheney & Peter Bronson, seeded second, claimed the doubles gold ball with a solid final win over top seeds Parker & Ken Robinson 6-3,6-4. Cheney & Bronson, who cruised without the loss of a set, had bested David Bryant & Colin Robertson 6-3,6-3 while Parker & Robinson were ousting Beautyman & Thomson 6-1,6-7,6-2.
Congratulations to Leland Housman who prevailed in the 65 singles by clobbering top seed Del Campbell 6-0,6-2 in the semis and then outlasting doubles partner Mike Stewart 4-6,6-4,6-2 in the final. Stewart had bested Jeff Schubert 6-3,6-3. Len Lindborg & George Sarantos won the doubles with wins over David Berg & Robert Jones 6-2,5-7,6-2 in the semis and then Mike Garza & Robert Quall 6-1,5-7,6-2 in the final. Garza & Quall had ousted top seeds Housman & Stewart 6-4,6-2. Congratulations to Len Lindborg for dropping down from the 70s to win in the 65s.
Top seed Allan Carter earned gold again with a dominating performance in the 65 singles. Carter did not lose more than seven games in any of his six matches enroute to the title including a semi-final win over Richard Landenberger 6-3,6-2 and a final win over Del Campbell 6-3,6-3. Campbell had bested Joe Bachmann 7-5,6-3. Carter & Geof Grant came up short in the doubles final losing to Rudy Hernando & George Sarantos 7-5,4-6,6-1. In the semis Carter & Grant ousted Michael Stewart & C.B. White 6-3,6-4 while Hernando & Sarantos took care of Bachmann & Campbell 7-6,ret(inj).
Bob Duesler doubled up in the 70s with semi and final wins over current gold-ball holders Gordon Davis 6-4,7-5 in the semis and then Herman Ahlers 6-3,3-6,6-3 in the finals. Ahlers had defeated Larry Sears 6-3,6-3. Duesler & Jim Nelson resumed their winning ways (after a loss at the Houston Indoors) in a dominating fashion that included a semi-final win over Don Biedinger & Elmer Mangrum 6-1,6-3 followed by a final rout of Greg Kohles & Henry Lancaster 6-2,6-1. Duesler & Nelson lost no more than four games in any of their matches while losing just 15 games in total. Kohles & Lancaster had bested Lloyd Goldwater & Rollin Odell 7-6,6-2.
Familiar names prevailed this year at Rancho Santa Fe although a number were not top seeds. In the 75s, Chuck DeVoe won gold by defeating Scott Denison 6-2,7-5 and then Marvin Brown 7-6,6-3. Brown had bested #2 Tom Springer 6-4,6-2 in the quarters and then Joe Russell 6-4,6-3 in the semis while Denison had ousted #1 Russell Seymour 0-6,6-2,ret(inj) in the quarters. The team of John Powless & Seymour teamed effectively to win the doubles title without the loss of a set. They defeated Jason Morton & Tom Springer 7-5,6-3 in the semis before besting Bill Davis & DeVoe 6-0,6-3 in the final. Davis & DeVoe had defeated Denison & Russell 6-2,7-6.
In the 80s, Graydon Nichols needed only five sets to win four matches (and gain the title in the process). Top seed Nichols bested Leonard Malherbe 6-1,6-3 in the semis and then Roald Flater 6-1,ret(inj) in the final. Flater had defeated #2 Bob Seymour 6-4,6-2. The two singles finalists paired effectively to win the doubles. Top seeds Flater & Nichols defeated Don Bentz & Don Tobey 6-2,6-2 and then Paul Roberts & Lee Smith 6-3,6-3 in the final. Roberts & Smith had ousted Donald Schroader & Lewis Stephenson 6-1,7-6.
Marvin Henderson won consecutive gold balls in the 85s as top seed Bob Sherman was ingloriously ousted in the first round by Edwin Tyler 4-6,6-2,6-0! Tyler went on to defeat Jim Carleton 6-2,6-2 in the semis before falling to Henderson 6-4,6-3 in the final. Henderson had defeated Ed Selfe 6-4,3-6,6-4 in the semis. Form went out the window in the doubles and the two top seeded teams were narrowly defeated in the semis. Dyle Anderson & Fred Darling edged top seeds Jim Carlton & Ken Hayes 6-2,4-6,6-4 while George Druliner & Tyler just bested Henderson & Sherman 4-6-6-4,7-5. Druliner & Tyler won gold by clobbering Anderson & Darling 6-1,6-0 in the final.
Roald Flater emerged as the 80s winner and Marvin Henderson extended his domination over Bob Sherman in the 85s to three years in this event. Flater defeated Dick Land 6-4,6-2 in the semis and then bested 2006 winner Bob Meyerdierks 6-4,7-6. Flater had edged Leonard Malherbe 6-2,1-6,7-5 in the quarters while Meyerdierks had ousted Bill Nyhan 6-2,5-7,6-4 in the semis. The top-seeded team of Land & Meyerdierks prevailed in the 80 doubles by clobbering Georege Lee & Don Willner 6-0,6-1 and then besting #2 Paul Roberts & Lee Smith 6-2,6-3. Smith & Roberts had defeated Don Bentz & Don Tobey 6-1,6-1.
As mentioned above, Marvin Henderson (unseeded) won the 85s by dominating #2 Ed Selfe 6-1,6-3 in the semis and then defeating Sherman 6-2,3-6,6-2. Sherman had bested Ted Heisler 6-1,6-2. The team of Arnold Brotman & Henderson (again unseeded) won the doubles without the loss of a set by besting top seds Jim Carleton & Ken Hayes 6-4,6-4 in the semis and #2 Selfe & Sherman 6-3,6-3 in the final.
Form prevailed in the 90s as #1 Alex Swetka edged #2 John Morrison 6-2,6-7(5),1-0(6) in the final having previously ousted Robert Mix 6-0,6-1. Morrison had dominated #3 Barrett Scallet 6-0,4-0,ret(quit). The team of Mix & Swetka cruised to the doubles title by defeateding Tracy Strong & Jim Talman 6-1,6-3 and then top seeds Scallet & Norman Stoll 6-1,6-0. Scallet & Stoll had edged Howard Moffett & Walter Ralphs 6-7,7-5,1-0.
Top seed Leonard Wofford prevailed in both singles and doubles at the Boise 55 Indoors. Wofford bested partner Paul Wulf 6-1,1-6,6-1 in the semis and Padg Bolton 6-3-6-1 in the final. Bolton had ousted Mark Peterson 4-6,6-3,6-4. Wofford & Wulf had a dominating performance in the doubles losing only four games in three matches! They bageled Joe Grimm & Kevin Oneil 6-0,6-0 in the semis and then bested Timothy Butorac & Marc Gelina 6-3,6-0 in the final. Butorac & Gelina had bested Bill Matthews & Peterson 6-1,6-3.
In a 60s draw loaded with former gold ball winners, Brian Cheney doubled up by winning both the singles and doubles titles. Cheney topped Terry Ehlers 6-3,7-5 in the semis and then put the hurt on Hugh Thomson 6-1,6-0 in the final. Thomson had ousted David Nash 6-3,6-1 in the semis and Ehlers had narrowly upset top seed Michael Beautyman 6-3,7-6(4) in the quarters. Cheney & Charles Hoeveler dispatched David Bryant & Richard Johnson 6-7,6-3,6-4 and then bested top seeds Jim Parker & Ken Robinson 4-6,6-4,6-1. Parker & Robinson had barely defeated Peter Bronson & Jody Rush 6-3,1-6,7-5.
Alex Swetka doubled up in the 90s with a string of comfortable wins. Swetka bested John Morrison 6-3,4-6,ret(inj) in the semis and Fererico Barbaza 6-2,6-1 in the finals. Barbaza had bested Howard Moffett 4-6,7-6,6-1. Swetka & Anthony Coker cruised through the doubles draw defeating Barrett Scallet & Norman Stoll 6-1,2-0,ret (inj) and then Barbaza & Claude De Montgolfier 6-4,6-1. Barbaza & De Montgolfier had defeated #2 seeded Irving Converse & Richard Mix (score not reported).
Second seed Fred Drilling upset top-seed Joe Bachmann 4-6,6-3,6-1 to win the gold ball in the singles as results to the quarter-finals went strictly according to form. All eight top seeds made it to the quarters where the top four prevailed as did the top two in the semis as Drilling bested #4 Allan Carter 6-1,6-1 while Bachmann whitewashed #3 Ivo Barbic 6-0,6-0. The team of Leland Housman & Michael Stewart notched two close straight-set wins in the doubles to capture the title there. They edged top seeds Bachmann & Del Campbell 6-4,7-6(5) in the semis before besting #2 Carter & Geof Grant in the final 6-3,7-5. Carter & Grant had ousted Len Lindborg & George Sarantos 6-2,4-1,ret(inj).
Tom Springer took the field by surprise in the 75s by winning the singles and reaching the doubles final. Springer defeated four seeded players in succession enroute to his breakout victory: Norm Fitz 6-0,6-1, Chuck Devoe 6-4,6-2, Joe Russell 6-4,6-4, and (finally) George McCabe 2-6,6-4,6-4. McCabe had ousted unseeded Neil Roberts 6-4,6-3 in the semis. Springer teamed up with Earl Schalin to best Wayne Hippenstiel & Everette Riggle 7-5,6-2 in the semis before falling in the finals to winners Scott Denison & Joe Russell 7-5,7-5. Denison & Russell had bested top seeds Bill Davis & Chuck Devoe 6-3,6-3.
In the 70s form prevailed in the singles (but not in the doubles!) as "Herminator" Herman Ahlers repeated his 2006 win by defeating Buddy Lomax 6-3,6-2 in the semis and then besting Bob Duesler 5-7,6-2,6-3 in the final. Duesler had trounced Jim Landin 6-0,6-1 in the semis. The doubles saw Gordon Davis & Bob Helton take out top seeds (and 2006 slam winners) Duesler & Jim Nelson 6-4,2-6,6-4 in the semis before losing to Landin & Len Lindborg 7-6(9),6-4 in the final. Landin & Lindborg had bested Chuck Nelson & Jim Perley 6-2,6-2.
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