Following an exciting day of quarterfinal action, the singles semifinals in four age divisions of the USTA National Women’s Senior Hard Court Championships will be played on Thursday at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club.
Top-seeded Julie Thu of West Lake Hills, Texas advanced to the 50 and over semifinals with a strong performance. She defeated fifth-seeded Jennifer Bishop of Toronto, Canada, 6-3, 6-0 in 65 minutes.
Bishop served at 3-4 in the first set, but Thu dropped only five points in sweeping the next eight games to close out the match and set up a semifinal encounter against fourth-seeded Joanna Stewart of Bellevue, Wash., on Thursday at 9:30 a.m.
Second-seed and former singles champion Dina McBride (above, right) of Thousand Oaks also moved into the 50 and over semifinals as she eliminated fifth-seeded Joanne Price of Pasadena 6-2, 6-2 in 48 minutes.
“My opponent was very tricky. A lot of variety in her game. She was fun to play and made me think out there. She never gave me the same ball twice. Very creative, a good player,” said McBride, who will go up against third-seeded Kathryn Settles of Claremont in the semifinals at 9:30 a.m.
After coming up short in last year’s 50 and over singles final, McBride was asked about her expectations in this year’s event. “I’m not trying to think about winning or losing. I’m just trying to get back to enjoying singles and get my game to where I feel it’s fun to play,” she responded. “I’m still not where I want to be. I’m not feeling the ball the way I want yet. I’m just trying to take each match and try to get a little better.
In the 60-and-over singles draw, top-seeded Shelly Works of San Antonio advanced when her opponent, fifth-seeded Vicki Cosio of Palm Desert withdrew before the start of their quarterfinal match due to an injury. In the lower half of the draw, second-seeded Gayle Prejean (above, left) of Dallas got past unseeded local entrant Diane Ghiron of Encinitas 6-3, 6-3.
The 60 and over singles semifinals are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday. Works will face unseeded Ann Whitney of Bellingham, Wash., and Prejean will play fifth-seeded Marianne Dundon of Martinez.
Top-seeded Andrea Barnes of Palo Alto will take on third-seeded Becky Timmis of Peachtree City, Ga., in the 70 and over semifinals. The other semifinal will feature fourth-seeded Lisa Musgrave of Palatine, Ill., against unseeded Kandy Chain of Los Angeles. The 70 and over semifinal matches will begin at 11 a.m.
Barnes got off to a quick start in her quarterfinal match on Wednesday and managed to close out the match 6-0, 6-4 over unseeded Margaret MacHoian of Crownsville, Md.
Top-seeded Susan Kimball of Oak Bluffs, Mass., and second-seeded Betty Wachob of Panama City, Fla., each scored impressive straight-set quarterfinal victories in the 80 and over the singles division to advance to Thursday’s semifinals.
Kimball cruised past Hanni Seitz of Monterey 6-1, 6-2, and Wachob defeated Sharon Ploor of Franklin, Wis., 6-3, 6-0. Kimball will meet defending champion and third seed Carolann Castell of Kirkland, Wash., and Wachob is slated to play fourth-seeded Catherine Anderson of Del Mar, semifinal matches will begin at 11 a.m.
To view updated singles and doubles draws for each age division, click here.
The starting times for each day of the tournament will be as follows: Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9 – 8 a.m.; Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11 – 9 a.m.
The USTA National Women’s Senior Hard Court Championships features top players from 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 La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club welcomes tennis enthusiasts to view the tournament and will offer free admission to spectators each day of the event. Tournament attendees and spectators may dine on-site at the Club’s Snack Bar during the tournament. On-site parking is available for a nominal fee.
All tournament matches on Court No. 2 at La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club will be live-streamed during the USTA National Women’s Senior Hard Court Championships. To access the live stream, click here.
The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club started each of these events and has hosted them since its inception. Designated one of the Top 50 Tennis Resorts in the world by Tennis Resorts Online, the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s reputation as a top tennis destination started in 1942 when it attracted its first major tournament, the Pacific Coast Men’s Doubles Championship.