CONNECTICUT TEAM REACHES FINALS AT FOREST HILLS

Other NE Women also do well on the Grass

 

At this year’s National Women’s Grass Court Championships at Forest Hills, Amy Read and Michelle Wright had a great run to the finals of the 40’s doubles.  As an unseeded team and after a good win in their opening match, they faced the #1 seeds, Amy Alcini/Vesna McKenna, in the quarter-finals and had to play over two days to win a tough three-setter 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.  After that hard fought victory, Amy and Michelle faced a former doubles champion at this event and her Lithuanian partner in the semis, winning in straight sets.  In the finals, the #2 seeds, Alissa Finerman/Erika Smith, played a strong match and stopped the CT team’s winning streak.

Michelle Wright played the 40’s singles draw as well and also made it to the finals.  Seeded #2, she had a couple of very close two-setters against Kim Lackey and Mary Johnson before making it to the finals where she finished a little short against the #3 seed, Vesna McKenna, who played an almost flawless match.

Here are New England’s women’s remarkable results on the grass this year:

Forest Hills:

·        30 Doubles: Carrie Bunton/Mary Ann Noyer (both from Fairfield, CT) – bronze ball

·        40 Singles: Michelle Wright (Norwalk, CT) – silver ball

·       40 Singles: Anne Schwartz, Northampton MA, reached semifinals of 40's singles consolation, losing to the winner of the consolation round 

·        40 Doubles: Amy Read/Michelle Wright (Newtown, CT/Norwalk, CT) – silver ball

·       50 Singles: Nancy Lally, Westport CT, lost in the semifinals of the 50's singles to #3 seed Tina Karwasky

·        60 Doubles: Molly Hahn/Heide Orth (Belmont, MA/Palm Coast, FL) – gold ball

·     60 Doubles: Allyson Bolduc, South Burlington VT, and partner Lee Delfausse, Concord NH (2008 inductee into New England Tennis Hall of Fame), pushed the #4 seeds Suella Steel, La Jolla CA, and Jane Pang, Honolulu, to an exciting third set tiebreaker in the quarterfinals, and then won the consolations over #5 seeds Ellen Goodman, Winter Park FL, and Sheila Johnson, Peoria AZ, in three sets.

·      70 Doubles: Julia Morgan, Bristol NH, and Joan Kingsley, San Antonio TX, reached the semifinals of the 70's doubles consolation round, after losing in the quarterfinals to the #2 seeds Roz King, San Diego CA, and Nancy Reed, Winter Park FL.

·      80 Singles and Doubles: Diane Hoffman, Chestnut Hill MA and Palm Beach, won the 80's singles gold ball over Rita Price, Aurora CO.  Diane then won the 80's doubles with partner Doris Lutz, Sarasota FL, over Rita Price and Marilyn Skiffington, Naples FL.

Germantown Cricket Club:

·        45 Singles: Anne Schwartz, Northampton MA, reached the quarterfinals of the 45's consolation, losing to finalist Kim Lackey, Clayton CA

·        55 Doubles: Lee Delfausse/Lilian Peltz-Peltow (Concord, NH/Sarasota, FL) – bronze ball

·        65 Singles: Sheila Weinstock, Framingham MA, reached the quarterfinals of the 65's singles, losing to #3 seed Charleen Hillebrand, San Pedro CA, and then played her way to the finals of the 65's consolations.

·        65 Doubles: Jane Pang/Sheila Weinstock (Honolulu, HI/Framingham, MA) – bronze ball

 

                 

Amy Read (left) and Michelle Wright                Michelle Wright