Newman captures USTA Senior doubles title

   Judy Newman of Scotts Valley and Lisa Naumu of La Quinta won the 50-and-over doubles title in the USTA National Senior Women's Hard Court Championships.
   The third-seeded pair upended top-seeded Eleanor Hammargren and Jennifer Lyons of San Clemente 7-6 (1), 4-6, 6-1 on Saturday in La Jolla.
   No. 1 seed Ros (Fairbank) Nideffer, 54, of San Diego won the singles title for the third time in four years. The two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist beat second-seeded Frances Chandler of Jackson, Tenn., 6-4, 6-0.
   Fortunately for Newman and the rest of the doubles field, Nideffer did not enter that event. Nideffer won two women's doubles titles in the French Open (1981 and 1983). 
   Top-seeded Tina Karwasky of Glendale captured her fourth straight 60-and-over singles title, outlasting second-seeded Carolyn Nichols of Rancho Santa Fe 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5 in 3 hours, 12 minutes.

USTA NATIONAL SENIOR WOMEN'S HARD COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS

In La Jolla
(Divisions with remaining Northern California players only)

50-and-over singles

Third place

   Judy Newman (5), Scotts Valley, def. Tracy Houk (4), Montara, walkover. 

50-and-over doubles

Third place

   Mary Dailey, Delray Beach, Fla., and Erika Smith (2), Oakland, def. Mariana Hollman, Walkertown, N.C., and Tracy Worley Hagen (4), Tustin, 6-4, 6-2.

60-and-over singles

Third place

   Rita Giles (5), Falls Church, Va., def. Martha Downing (3), Shingle Springs, walkover.

90-and-over doubles

Round robin

   Catherine Hall, Newport Beach, and R. Elaine Mason, Fresno, def. Elizabeth Cookson, San Mateo, and Betty Eisenstein, Washington, D.C., 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-1.

   Final standings: 1. Hall and Mason, 2-0; 2. Cookson and Eisenstein, 1-1; 3. Jane Howard, San Diego, and Lucille Trefzger, Lake Oswego, Ore., 0-2.

Newman to play for USTA Senior doubles title

   Judy Newman of Scotts Valley reached today's 50-and-over doubles final in the USTA National Senior Women's Hard Court Championships.
   The third-seeded team of Lisa Naumu of La Quinta and Newman topped second-seeded Mary Dailey of Delray Beach, Fla., and Erika Smith of Oakland 6-1, 6-7 (2), 7-5 in Friday's semifinals in La Jolla.
   Naumu and Newman will play top-seeded Eleanor Hammargren and Jennifer Lyons of San Clemente. They defeated fourth-seeded Mariana Hollman of Walkertown, N.C., and Tracy Worley Hagen of Tustin 6-4, 6-2.
   In singles, top seed and defending champion Ros Nideffer of San Diego will meet second-seeded Frances Chandler of Jackson, Tenn., for the title.
   In the 60-and-over doubles semifinals, top-seeded Kathleen Bennett of Laguna Woods and Martha Downing of Shingle Springs lost to fourth-seeded Una Davis of La Jolla and Carolyn Nichols of Rancho Santa Fe 6-4, 0-2, retired.
   Top-seeded Tina Karwasky, a Glendale resident seeking her fourth straight singles title, will face Nichols, seeded second, in the final.

Houk's streak ends in USTA Senior Hard Courts

   Tracy Houk's streak is over.
   The 53-year-old Montara resident fell short of the 50-and-over final at the USTA National Senior Women's Hard Court Championships in La Jolla for the first time since 2010.
   Top seed and defending champion Ros (Fairbank) Nideffer of San Diego dispatched Houk, the fourth seed and 2013 champion, 6-2, 6-2 in Thursday's semifinals. 
   Nideffer, a 54-year-old South Africa native, climbed to career highs of No. 15 in the world in singles in 1990 and No. 12 in doubles in 1986. She reached the Wimbledon singles quarterfinals in 1988 and 1989 and won two French Open women's doubles titles (with Tanya Harford of South Africa in 1981 and Candy Reynolds of the United States in 1983).
   Joining Houk on the sidelines were the other two remaining Northern Californians in singles.
   Fifth-seeded Judy Newman of Scotts Valley lost to second-seeded Frances Chandler of Jackson, Tenn., 6-3, 6-2 in the other 50-and-over semifinal.
   Also, third-seeded Martha Downing of Shingle Springs fell to second-seeded Carolyn Nichols of Rancho Santa Fe 6-1, 6-1 in the 60-and-over semifinals.
   Play was suspended for the day by rain before the scheduled doubles matches could be completed.
   In the 50-and-over semifinals, second-seeded Mary Dailey of Delray Beach, Fla., and Erika Smith of Oakland will face third-seeded Lisa Naumu of La Quinta and Newman.
   In the 60-and-over doubles semis, top-seeded Kathleen Bennett of Laguna Woods and Downing will meet fourth-seeded Una Davis of La Jolla and Nichols.