SENIOR SoSCTAuthern California Tennis Association news SEPTEMBER 2003 Hard Not To Like Mark Winters nnually,two senior (a.k.a. took full advantage of the cool- “veterans” in Europe) ing water. A tournaments, fabled for “The facility has changed their organization,level of com- tremendously,” Doner said. petition and “you’re our guest” “When we first came here treatment, are held in there were no upper courts Portschach, Austria. Sand- and wooden stands surround- wiched between this year’s ed the center court. There 20th International Ve ter ans were beautiful trees all around Championships - Werzer and a vegetable garden in back. Cup and the 46th International I must admit, I’m not a great European Veterans Champ- fan of modern things. I liked the Men’s 85 Talbert Cup team ionships, played at the Werzer way it was. Still, I must admit it Te n nisClub, were the Women’s is a wonderful place to play.” 75 Wilson Friendship Cup and Three years ago, the the Men’s 85 Talbert Cup, two Women’s 75 competition, then team events in which the US called the Bundy-Cheney Cup, faced International squads. was strapped financially. Mary Given the quality of senior McLean Wilson and her hus- tennis to be found in both band Ralph, (owner of the Southern California and North- Buffalo Bills), who have ern California, it isn’t surprising played the Portschach tourna- that the sections were both ments for years, loved the idea well represented in all of the Women’s 75 Wilson Friendship Cup team of a diverse group of women early June tennis activity. from around the US having an Ed Baumer, Earl Beer, James Berry, Dick 85 finalists. Crawford and Mary Wilson opportunity to match strokes with an Crawford, Bob Doner, Joe Kanter, Mirek were the Under 130 mixed winners. International team. They stepped in with Kizlink, Doug Markel, John Morrison, Arnie Pompan and Liesel Hofmann of Germany support and organization (specifically Pat Pompan, Bob Sherman, Tom Whitlow and were finalists in the Over 150 mixed. Greer), and the Friendship Cup was born. Amir Zavieh played their socks terre Doner, besides achiev- Because of the confusion battue dirty in the 20th Ve ter ans ing his best career result in resulting from a similarly Championships - Werzer Cup. Markel was Portschach, celebrated an named event played in a semifinalist in the Men’s 70 singles. anniversary. H e a n d E ve l y n, Japan, the competition has Sherman, as he has for the past two years, his wife, marked their been re-christened the was the Men’s 80 champion. Morrison twentieth visit to the Wilson Friendship Cup. picked up the Men’s 85 title. resort which is known for Members of this year’s In doubles, Berry and Crawford were its national park-like seren- US team included the fol- Men’s 65 finalists. Markel and Hans Jell of ity and mammoth fresh lowing Californians: Dodo Austria won the Men’s 70. Doner and water lake (Worthersee). Cheney, Lois Fridlund, Bea Brian Stuart of Australia were Men’s 75 Given the sultry tempera- Greene, Elaine Mason finalists. Baumer and Kizlink were Men’s tures, the tennis players Evelyn and Bob Doner (continued on next page) Hard Not To Like Kizlink and his wife Claire, an enchanting expressing an interest in competing. painter, who always seems to have her Moving on to the facts, the number 13 (continued from previous page) sketch pad at the ready, reside for part of the was lucky as the International Women’s 75 (who again served as captain) and Marion year in Palm Desert (the rest of the time is contingent was 13-8 better than their US Ty r e l l . T h e International team was exactly spent in Monte Carlo). For more than twen- counterparts and in Men’s 85 play the that, with players from Austria, Canada, ty years, they have been coming to International team was a 13-11winner (based France, Great Britain, Germany, along with Portschach. Being accustomed to the setting, on the “Kanter Equation” which awarded South and Western Australia on the roster. one can only imagine how surprised the 86- one point for singles and two points for “I am so glad that the first tournament I year-old former Czech junior champion was doubles victories). accompanied my mom to was the Friendship when he encountered an Mulloy, who has played Cup,” said May Cheney, one of Dodo’s individual from his home internationally for more daughters (the other daughter is Christie country; a person he had than 70 years, said with Putnam, with brother Brian Cheney com- not seen for nearly sev- a smile, “they fix the pleting the list of siblings). “It is exactly what enty years. ages every year. They tennis and Dodo are all about.” “I was playing an 85s had at least nine 80s on Later, May, who has a wonderful presence singles match, that wasn’t the team and used the kidded, “I was in college before I realized you very exciting, and I saw a excuse they couldn’t get could go on a vacation and not play tennis.” woman sitting by the enough 85s together. I court watching with told them to look at great interest,” Kizlink draws from the Werzer Claire and Mirek Kizlink said. “After we finished Cup and the Interna- she came over and asked ‘do you remember tional Championships. There were plenty of me?’ I apologized and said I didn’t.She then 85s playing the tournaments. They could get told me her mother had asked me to play players from all over Europe. They have ten mixed doubles with her in the Czech countries to choose from.” Championships in Prague many years ago.” Baumer, who has played in all six Talbert Vlasta Brankovsky,the former Czech jun- Cups, offered, “we played about the same as ior who now lives in Canada, was another of we did over the past few years. They were a the International team Wilson Friendship different story. They had twelve players who Cup participants. only played singles and ten May and Dodo Cheney Photos: Mark Winters The 6th Ta l b e r t C u p found players who only played dou- Te n nis and camaraderie are a Friendship Baumer, Bill Hussey, Joe bles. I heard that Walter Cup tandem as Mason mentioned, “it’s hard Kanter, Howard Moffett, Spiess, their captain, began not to have a good time with all that the Morrison,Sherman and calling players early in the year. Wilsons do.” Whitlow representing A number of them came to She continued, “a surprising number of California on the US team, Portschach to play only in the matches could have gone either way. We captained by Gardnar Mulloy, Ta l b e r t C u p (and not the tried to have players compete with those of who not only organized the tournaments).That’s indicative equal ability. Everyone wanted to win, but it squad, but raised money to of how interested they were wasn’t cut-throat like it sometimes is in help defray expenses. in the competition. They went tournaments.” For the first time in histo- after it and I’m sure they will For Elsie Burman, Sylvia Pingiaro and Pat ry,both the Wilson Friendship Ed Baumer parade the Cup around.” Thompson, a Canadian and Aussie combina- and Talbert Cup teams fin- Looking to the future, tion (Pingiaro and Thompson) who were on ished on the short end of the scores. With Baumer said, “both sides want to keep this the International side, the experience ranked that introduction, it is important to note going, so adjustments will have to be made. as a once in a lifetime. “We are all so grate- that while the competitions were “friendlies”, One idea is to have just twelve players with ful to the Wilsons for the accommodations the age discrepancies in favor of the interna- perhaps only four being under 85.” and the meals,” Thompson said. “And they tional teams (meaning they used younger With the additions of Fridlund, Bill and couldn’t have found a better venue.” players) should not be overlooked.Another Piyachart Hussey, Mason, Moffett and Tyrell, Pingiaro’s Friendship Cup did not get off important point is, neither of the US squads the number of Californians participating in to a friendly start for her. She explained, “I were made up of elite age group players. The the 46th Ve ter ans C hampionships increased was robbed (by a pickpocket) in Vienna. I fourteen members of the Wilson Friendship significantly. had no visa and no money. Everyone offered Cup team were selected by a drawing. (See Mason doubled, taking the Women’s 75 to help. Mary’s been so generous to me.” page 3 for a 2004 application) With the singles and the doubles with Margaret Burman added, “the Friendship Cup has Ta l b e r t C u p , being part of the team was sim- Anderson. In this outing, Markel and Jell all the trappings of Wimbledon.” ply a matter of writing to Mulloy and were Men’s 70 doubles finalists, and Doner 2 and Stuart were Men’s 75 semifinal- ists. Sherman kept his record perfect WILSON FRIENDSHIP capturing the Men’s 80. Cheney CUP APPLICATION copied Mason winning the Women’s 80 and annexing the doubles with Lilo The Wilson Friendship Cup on the Carstens of Germany, captain of the Wörthersee is an annual Women’s 75 team International Friendship Cup team.