Ten of the 40 players who will represent the United States at the 32nd ITF Seniors World Team Championships in San Diego County are from Southern California. They will join the other top American tennis players (men and women) in age divisions 35-55 to compete February 6-11 in Carlsbad, Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla and San Diego, California.
The ITF Seniors/Super-Seniors World Team Championships is the most coveted team event on the ITF Seniors circuit. Since its inception in 1981, the number of competitors attracted to this event has increased year by year. In 1993, the ITF took the decision to divide the Seniors World Championships into two groups -- Seniors (35-55) and Super-Seniors (60-80 for men and 60-75 for women).
The SoCal players representing the USA in are: Stuart Duncan, Laguna Beach; Jeff Tarango, Manhattan Beach; Rick Leach, Newport Beach; Mike Fedderly, Palm Desert; Jennifer Dawson, Carlsbad; Gretchen Magers, San Diego; Amy Alcini, Malibu; Jarilyn Joseph, Pacific Palisades; Tina Karwasky, Glendale and Carolyn Nichols, Rancho Santa Fe.
All 10 Cups will be played on hard courts this year at the following sites: La Costa Resort, Carlsbad (Suzanne Lenglen, W35 and Italia, M35); Barnes Tennis Center, San Diego (Tony Trabert, M40 and Young, W40); Morgan Run Resort, Rancho Santa Fe (Dubler, M45); La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club, La Jolla (Fred Perry, M50 and Margaret Court, W45); San Diego Tennis and Racquet Club, San Diego (Maria Bueno, W50); and Balboa Tennis Club, San Diego (Maureen Connolly,W55 and Austria, M55).
Duncan was selected to the men's Italia Cup team. This is the first time he has represented the USA in international competition. In 2011 Duncan was undefeated, winning the 35 Hard Courts without dropping a set along with the prestigious Babolat Super Category 2. His teammates will be Bob Collins, Houston, TX (playing captain); Mark Tepes, Medford, NJ; and Gabriel Venter, Blue Ash, OH. The 2011 Italia Cup competition was unplayed in 2011 due to the February 22, 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, NZ where the Cups were being held.
Tarango will be a member of the Tony Trabert Cup team. During his professional career he was ranked as high as 41 in singles. In senior play, he won the 40 Hard Courts in December of 2010 and was a finalist in 2011. He was a finalist in doubles there in 2010. His teammates will be Eoin Collins, Houston, TX; Willie Dann, Denver, CO (playing captain) and Lew Miller, Denver, CO. The USA Trabert Cup team finished second in 2011 in New Zealand.
Leach has been named to the Dubler Cup for men 45 and over. He won the 2011 doubles and mixed doubles titles at the 40 Hard and in 2010 was the #1 ranked player in the USA in men’s 45 singles and doubles. In 1990 he was ranked #1 in the world in doubles. His teammates are: Mario Tabares, Miami, FL (playing captain; Andy Stoner, Cave Creek, AZ and Curtis Dunn, San Francisco, CA. The Dubler Cup was unplayed in 2011. The USA finished third in the Dubler Cup in 2010 in Mexico City.
Fedderly is a member of the Fred Perry Cup team. In 2011 he won the 50 Hard singles and the Clay and Indoor doubles titles and finished the year ranked #2 in singles and doubles. He also won the Babolat singles title. He will be joined on the team by Val Wilder, Fort Worth, TX; Mike Tammen, Portland, OR and Peter Markes, Austin, TX (playing captain). The Perry Cup was not held in 2011. The USA is the defending champion, having won the Perry Cup in 2010 in Mexico City.
Dawson, Magers and Alcini have been named to the Young Cup team. Dawson won the 2011 Hard and was a runner up there in 2010 to Magers. Magers, in addition to winning the 2010 Hard in singles won the 2010 40 Hard doubles and was a finalist in doubles in 2011. Alcini, the playing captain, was a member of the 2011 Young Cup team which won the title in New Zealand. She won the 40 Clay singles and doubles in 2011 and was a finalist in singles at the Grass. She is the top-ranked player in the USA in 40 singles. Julie Cass, Austin, TX rounds out the team.
Joseph is a member of the Margaret Court Cup team and the playing captain, though playing on her first ever Cup team. She won the 45 Clay and Hard doubles with her teammate, Mariana Hollman (Winston-Salem, NC) and was a finalist at the 45 Indoors. Shelly Works, San Antonio, TX and Judy Newman, Scotts Valley, CA complete the team. The Court Cup was not held in 2011. The USA is the defending champion, having won the Cup in 2010 in Mexico City.
Karwasky will be part of the Maria Bueno Cup team. She had a stellar 2011, going undefeated at #2 singles on the Maureen Connolly Cup team, winning the 50 and 55 Grass doubles, finishing second at the 50 Grass in singles and winning the 55 Hard, Grass and Indoor singles titles. She is ranked #1 in the USA in women’s 55 singles and doubles and #4 in 50 singles. Her teammates will be Fran Chandler, Jackson, TN (playing captain), Tracy Houk, Half Moon Bay, CA and Mary Dailey, Delray Beach, FL. The USA won the Bueno Cup in 2011.
Nichols will be the playing captain for the Maureen Connolly Cup team, which will take place at Connolly’s old stomping grounds at Morley Field in San Diego. She won the 55 singles and doubles at the Clay and was a finalist in 55 singles and doubles at the Hard. In international competition, she won three titles including the European singles and doubles titles in the 55s. She is ranked #2 in the USA and in the world in 55 singles. Diane Barker, Charleston, SC, Susan Wright, Grand Junction, CO and Leslie Murveit, Portola Valley, CA complete the team. The USA is the defending champion in the Connolly Cup.