By SDCN Staff
La Jolla, CA–The top seeds all won their second-round matches in straight sets on a cool, cloudy day at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club to advance to Wednesday’s quarterfinals of the USTA National Women’s Senior Hard Court Championships.
Top-seeded Julie Thu of West Lake Hills, TX moved into the 50 and over quarterfinals as she easily dispatched Mo Bertsch of Radnor, PA, 6-1, 6-1 in 62 minutes in an early morning match on Court 2.
Thu, who played collegiate tennis at Stanford University in the mid-to-late 1990s, used her strong baseline game to establish a 3-0 lead in the opening set. After Bertsch held serve to cut the deficit to 3-1, Thu regained the momentum and won the next three games to close out the set.
In the second set, Thu capitalized on three service breaks to establish a commanding 5-0 lead. Bertsch then broke serve when Thu netted a down-the-line backhand on the breakpoint. Thu came back in the seventh game and scored her fourth service break of the set to end the match.
“She (Bertsch) is a fantastic player. It was a tough match-up for me. She hits a hard ball. I had to stay low and get it out of her strike zone. I really had to dig deep. The match was closer than the score,” Thu said following her victory.
Thu is scheduled to meet fifth-seeded Jennifer Bishop of Toronto, Canada, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals at 11 a.m. In the lower half of the 50 and over singles draw, second-seeded Dina McBride of Thousand Oaks blanked Jennifer Cunningham of Stow, MA, 6-0, 6-0. She will play fifth-seed Joanne Price of Pasadena at 11 a.m.
In the 60-and-over singles draw, top-seeded Shelly Works of San Antonio eliminated Susan Pendo of Sherman Oaks, 6-2, 6-0, and second-seeded Gayle Prejean of Dallas defeated Dorian Sailer of La Jolla, 6-3, 6-1.
Works will take on fifth-seeded Vicki Cosio of Palm Desert in Wednesday’s quarterfinals, while Prejean is slated to play unseeded Diane Ghiron of Encinitas. Both matches will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Top-seeded Andrea Barnes of Palo Alto, CA advanced to the 70 and over quarterfinals with an impressive 6-0, 6-0 victory in 41 minutes over unseeded Barbara Pinkerton of Mount Pleasant, SC. Barnes will meet unseeded Margaret MacHoian of Crownsville, MD, on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m.
Unseeded Kathleen Heinze of Oakland, CA., also advanced to Wednesday’s quarterfinals when her opponent, second-seeded Leslie Airola-Murveit of Portola Valley, CA retired due to an injury with Heinze leading 6-3, 0-1. Heinze will take on unseeded Kandy Chain of Los Angeles at 12:30 p.m.
The top seeds in the 80 and over singles division, who received first-round byes, will play their quarterfinal matches on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Top-seeded Susan Kimball of Oak Bluffs, MA., will take the court against unseeded Hanni Seitz of Monterey, CA and second-seeded Betty Wachob of Panama City, FL will face unseeded Sharon Ploor of Franklin, WI.
The USTA National Women’s Senior Hard Court Championships features top players across the country in the 50, 60, 70, and 80 and over age divisions. Events include singles and doubles. USTA gold, silver, or bronze balls will be awarded to the first, second, and third-place finishers in all women’s events.
The USTA National Women’s Senior Hard Court Tennis Championships are part of the International Tennis Federation’s World Tennis Masters Tour, which provides a worldwide competitive circuit consisting of individual singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events for each five-year age increment from 30 and over to 90 and over.
Tuesday’s Results
Women’s 50 Singles
Second Round
Julie Thu (1), West Lake Hills, Texas, def. Mo Bertsch, Radnor, PA, 6-1, 6-1, Dina McBride (2), Thousand Oaks, CA def. Jennifer Cunningham, Stow, MA 6-0, 6-0, Kathryn Settles (3), Claremont, CA def. Kimberly Allen, Denver, 6-0, 6-0, Joanna Stewart (4), Bellevue, WA def. Maria O’Connor, San Juan Capistrano, CA 6-0, 6-0, Jennifer Cherneski (5), Edmonton, Canada, def. Kristine Rymer Smith, Cave Creek, AZ 6-0, 6-2, Jennifer Bishop (5), Toronto, Canada, def. Simona Kylberger, Wayland, MA 6-1, 6-0, Christine Anzai (5), San Diego, def. Meredith Stiehm, Santa Monica, CA 6-0, 6-1, Joanne Price (5), Pasadena, CA def. Catherine Morgan, Fort Lauderdale, FL 6-1, 6-1
Women’s 60 Singles
Second Round
Shelly Works (1), San Antonio, TX def. Susan Pendo, Sherman Oaks, CA 6-2, 6-0, Gayle Prejean (2), Dallas, def. Dorian Sailer, La Jolla 6-3, 6-1, Lori Robertson (3), Kula, HI def. Kathy Hansen, Nampa, ID 6-0, 6-0, Vicki Cosio (5), Palm Desert, CA def. Catherine Morgan, Fort Lauderdale, FL 6-3, 6-4, Anna Zimmermann (5), Indianapolis, def. Kaili Young, Fort Collins, CO 6-0, 6-0, Marianne Dundon (5), Martinez, CA def. Sheila Kurosu, Kaneohe, HI 6-0, 6-2, Ann Whitney, Bellingham, WA def. Eleanor Hammargren (4), San Clemente, CA 0-6, 6-4, 6-2, Diane Ghiron, Encinitas def. Colleen Clery Ferrell (5), San Diego, withdrew.
Women’s 70 Singles
Second Round
Andrea Barnes (1), Palo Alto, CA def. Barbara Pinkerton, Mount Pleasant, S.C., 6-0, 6-0, Becky Timmis (3), Peachtree City, GA def. Ginny Beneke, San Diego 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, Lisa Musgrave (4), Palatine, Ill, def. Yoko Anderson, San Diego, 6-1, 6-4, Kathleen Heinze, Oakland, CA, def. Leslie Airola-Murveit (2), Portola Valley, CA, 6-3, 0-1, ret. (injury), Margaret MacHoian, Crownsville, Md., def. Sheryl Leicher, Laguna Woods, CA 6-1, 6-0, Carolyn Mathes, Fallbrook, def. Anna Greer, Boca Raton, FL 6-1, 6-1, Sherri Bronson, Scottsdale, AZ def. Donna Drosner, Satellite Beach, FL 7-6 (5), 6-3, Kandy Chain, Los Angeles, def. Yolanda Therrien, Elkton, OR 6-3, 6-0.
Women’s 80 Singles
First Round
Carolann Castell (3), Kirkland, WA, def. Brookes Byrd, Davis, CA 6-1, 6-4, Catherine Anderson (4), Del Mar, def. Ann Loose, Sandia Park, N.M 6-2, 6-1, Charleen Hillebrand, Long Beach, CA, def. Elizabeth Barnhill, Madison, WI 6-2, 6-4, Hanni Seitz, Monterey, CA def. Claire Babbitt, San Diego 6-3, 6-3, Sharon Ploor, Franklin, WI def. Nancy Garcia, Menlo Park, CA 6-1, 6-2, Yvonne Merrick, Walnut Creek, CA def. Sheila Weinstock, Weston, MA walkover (injury).
