Senior SCTANewsletter MARCH 2001 Really Exceptional Mark Winters ack in the ‘60s, Palm Springs time Moore holds his extravangaza. “Kurt’s served as a spring training loca- tournament is picking up each year and this tion for major league baseball. is making us better,” said Tennis Club tour- Teams would spend the pre-sea- nament director Glenn Erickson. “The play- son getting in shape during the ers have been saying for a long time they Bwarm days, resituating the aches in the cool have as many plaques and trophies as they evenings, enjoying the serenity found in the need so we decided to make a change. This desert. is the second year we have had prize money. Senior tennis players have adopted a Players in the 35s to the 80s received com- similar “get ready for the year” routine in pensation. We had 20 guys play the 80s.” the desert. The January circuit, which has While the competition is important, grown to five events, gives local, national the player parties held by the desert circuit and international competitors an early tournaments are also first rate. “We had benchmark.This past season was a record standing room only,” Erickson proudly stat- setter. Tournament entries were up. ed. “Jane Beazley sang and we had a dance Competition was national championship group made up of kids from town who did quality. a fabulous swing routine. The party drew Play started with the 8th Annual Hilton raves. It was the highlight of the tourna- Plaza Racquet Club Senior Tournament. ment. Having a chance to socialize is one of “The Senior Grand Prix Masters was held the reasons so many play the tournaments.” at the same time and that hurt us,” said Erickson was quick to praise the help he received. “Harold Matzner sponsor’s the tournament director Kurt Haggstrom. “Our Erickson is lucky to have Matzner in his corner. draws had grown by 10% percent during the tournament,” he said. “Harold represents last years. Though we had more players, a and he hadn’t played a tournament in 50 Spencer’s Restaurant and has adopted the few of the regulars were not on hand.” years. He decides to play the 80s and loses club. His strong support makes the tourna- “It’s a unique situation having all the a close three setter. It was a great match. ment better and better.” tournaments,” Haggstrom added. “We have This is what the game is all about.” Because it is open to both men and the better players coming from the rest of For the second year running, the women, the 14th Annual Snackwell’s Mission country and spending almost a month in the Desert Princess Senior Women’s Hills Invitational Senior Championships is desert. All of us benefit from the situation. Tournament catered to the ladies. Charlie the circuit’s showcase. “I like playing in the The last two years, I have gone to nationals Moore, the tournament director, is looking desert at this time of year, because the com- well prepared to play, because I’ve started to develop a first class event. “We are still petition is so good,” said Steve Futchko, the year against such good competition. I small, but we are growing,” Moore admit- owner and director of tennis at the Upland remember playing some of these guys on ted. “We need to do more advertising and Tennis Club. “I’ve played Glenn’s tournament the Satellite level and that leaves me quite tweak the dates so we are closer to Steve’s for the last 7 years. The Hilton comes first confident.” tournament (Snackwell’s). The ladies like and it serves as a warm-up for the Not all the participants are national or the fact our tournament serves as a warm- Snackwell’s. international standouts. “I have an amazing up for his event, but it’s only one event.” “Snackwell’s is a Category II USTA story,” Haggstrom said. “Charlie Asimow is The Palm Springs Tennis Club Senior 91, fit and runs like a deer. His mind is sharp Men’s Tournament is played at the same (continued on back page) Competing Again OOVVEERR Don Daniels n 1944, while World Subsequently, he was sel- War II was raging, ected by the State De- I Bob Perry was partment to participate in TTHHEE NNEETT growing up in Los an exhibition tour of Angeles. For his eleventh Southeast Asia with Ham birthday, his father gave Richardson, Althea Gibson n spite of the rainy weather, the him a tennis racket and and Carol Fageros. In 1956, he returned to renewal of the Senior Grand Prix ten lessons. According the European circuit. At Masters Championships was a to Perry, he had never seen a tennis match. “It the French Open, he Igreat success. The awards dinner was was good because I did- teamed, for the first time, attended by 80 participants. The high- n’t have a chance to with Don Candy to cap- light of the evening was the appear- develop a lot of bad ture the doubles title, ance of Vic Braden, who gave an after habits”, he said. which was no small feat dinner speech that was not only Norville Craig, his considering the fact both entertaining, but very informative. pro at the La Cienega players played the duece Everyone enjoyed his talk. courts in Beverly Hills, court. Perry was the more versatile of the tandem, The format for the Senior made sure his student when it came to returns. Grand Prix Masters Championships is had few if any bad habits. Bob Perry If you have ever seen He took over the ad court. to hold the tournament in January Perry compete, you will notice he has a sim- In the final, they defeated French singles and have the results count for rank- ple, clean arsenal of strokes with no hitches. champion Lew Hoad and Ashley Cooper. ings. In this year’s event, winners and His flat, penetrating shots have had a fair Though the duo never won another finalists were given prize money and share of victims. tournament, they earned more notice by other gifts. Perry went right from a February high reaching the quarters at the following A big “thank you” goes to Jim school graduation to joining the U.C.L.A. Wimbledon. That same year, Perry was Nelson and Annette Buck for their freshman team. In those days, freshman ranked No. 6 in the U.S. and No. 18 in the tireless efforts and to Palisades Tennis competed solely against freshmen of other world due in part to attaining the round of sixteen at Wimbledon. Clearly, his success Club and Balboa Bay Tennis Club for colleges. Players were not given scholar- proved he was capable of playing with the providing the tournament facilities. ships, but given the fact tuition was a mere $200 a year and players were allowed to best players of the day. The Senior Grand Prix Masters have part-time jobs on campus, it was a From 1960 until 1970, tennis played a less Championships will be held again great time to break into collegiate tennis. significant role in Perry’s life. When he next January. Pile up those Grand Prix After his freshman year, Perry was No. 1 on moved to La Jolla in 1971 things changed points so you can take part. the team from 1952 to 1954. As a Bruin, he when he began giving lessons at the La Jolla Senior tennis said good-bye to a won the NCAA doubles twice and was also Recreation Center. He and his wife Eileen great friend, Ernie Schultz (see Mark singles finalist twice. also began to run the La Jolla Championships, Winters’ story). Schultz was playing in During his stint as a collegian, he played one of the section’s top family events. the finals of a tournament in Japan, Davis Cup against Canada and the British When Perry retired from teaching in July of 1998, he realized how much he with partner Wayne Hippenstiel, West Indies. He also spent three months in Australia with Vic Seixas, Ham Richardson missed competition. Whether it is with when he passed away. He was a great and Tony Trabert to train with the main doubles partner John Sahratian or any of competitor and enjoyed the game of Davis Cup team in preparation for the the other Men’s 65 talents in Southern tennis as much as anyone I knew. Challenge Round. California, he is always in the battle. In 2000, Condolences are extended to Ernie’s When he was 19, he played his first grass Perry/Sahratian were National Men’s 65 wife Liz and to his extended family. court tournament at the Merion Cricket Hardcourt finalists. Keep your eye on the ball. Club in Philadelphia. His California serve and Love of the game and the physical con- volley style helped him adapt to the new sur- ditioning that results from being a competi- Jim Bisch face. In time, he won the mixed doubles with tor brought Perry back to the courts. As long as his knees aren’t giving give him trou- Chairman, Wimbledon champion Maureen Connolly ble, opponents know they will have to deal Senior Tennis Council and reached the singles semifinals. After graduating in 1955, he played in with his flat serve and heavy backhand if they Europe and at Wimbledon and Forest Hills. are to have any chance of defeating him. 2 Ernie Schultz: Travel Winners An Honorable Man ob Duesler was a winner at the 25th International Senior Indoor Mark Winters European Tennis Championships played at the Tennisclub Seefeld, in forward to Portschach this year to see if B Seefeld, Austria because he took his wife Ernie (besides being his doubles partner) Skip’s advice.