January 28 - February 2, 2008, Naples
Tennis Club Category II National Super Senior Tournament, Naples, FL -
Laury Hammel (see picture below) led a
bevy of 20 New England senior men who escaped our frozen section for a sunny,
85-degree USTA National
Category II tournament in Naples, Florida. Overall there were 365 entrants
from the US and beyond, in age groups 55+ through 90+. New England noteworthy
results included:
Category II tournament in Naples, Florida. Overall there were 365 entrants
from the US and beyond, in age groups 55+ through 90+. New England noteworthy
results included:- 80 Doubles: Larry Hague (NH) & John Redgrave reached the semis
- 70 Doubles: Tom Larkin (MA) & Omer Menard (MA) reached the quarters
- 60 Doubles: Bruce Mahler (MA) & Bob Tilley (MA) reached the semis
- 60 Doubles: Pete Allen (MA) & Tommie George (MA) reached the quarters
But most importantly, in the 60 Singles
unseeded Laury Hammel of Wayland, MA became the talk of the entire tournament
at mid-week, when he defeated the #1 seed, Hugh Thompson, in the round of 16.
The day earlier, Laury had defeated the #10 seed 7-6, 6-4, and he duplicated
that score against Thompson. The match was beautifully played by
both competitors, and Laury's incredible drop shots (and their constant
threat) seemed the major effective difference.
Laury went on to defeat Jay Parker in
the quarters 6-0, 6-0; then defeated #6 James Clayton in the semis 7-5, 6-1.
His incredible run ended only in the Saturday final, falling to #5 Michael
Barnes 6-1, 6-3.
The draws of the tournament can be accessed here.
Acknowledgement: Thanks to Pete Allen for providing the story.