SoCal Super-Seniors win big in Croatia


 

American teams won five of the 10 titles at the 39th International Tennis Federation (ITF) Super-Seniors World Team Championships in Croatia this weekend, including another triumph for Glendale’s Tina Karwasky and first place trophies for Escondido’s David Dollins, Aliso Viejo’s Dean Corley, and San Diego’s Liane Bryson.

The women’s team won three titles while the men won two, one of which was the men’s 85-and-over division title for the third year in a row after its debut in 2017.

Tina Karwasky of Glendale (Ray Giubilo/ESPN)

The tournament is the senior tennis equivalent of the Davis Cup and Fed Cup competitions, with top American tennis players representing their country in the 65-, 70-, 75-, 80- and 85-and-over age groups. This is the first time that the event featured the women’s 85-and-over division. The ITF Super-Seniors World Team Championships is the most prestigious team event on the ITF Seniors circuit.

Team captain Karwasky helped Team USA continue its dominance at the Kitty Godfree Cup Women’s 65+ competition, earning a crucial singles win to help the squad sweep Germany in the championship final.

Dollins and Corley competed as part of the Mens 75+ team that outlasted Austria, 2-1, in the Bitsy Grant Cup finale. The two paired together in the semifinals to topple France in a 3-0 team sweep before defeating the Austrians.

Bryson and Team USA’s 70-+ team swept Great Britain in the final of the Althea Gibson Cup, with the SoCal rep tallying two doubles wins to secure the Cup. The team defeated Australia and then Great Britain to win the championship.

Other top finishers included Catherine Anderson (Del Mar), Charleen Hillebrand (Harbor City), and captain Suella Steel (La Jolla), who finished as runners-up at the Queens Cup, and Sheila Palmer (La Jolla) in second place at the Doris Hart Cup.

Following the ITF Super-Seniors World Team Championships, the World Individual Championships will be held September 21-28.