Senior Tennis Players Competing in National Tournament in La Jolla

Editor's Note: La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club released the following announcement.

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Senior Women’s Hard Court Tennis Championships are scheduled to begin on Monday, May 13 at the La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club, 2000 Spindrift Drive, La Jolla.

The national tournament, which concludes on Sunday, May 19, will feature singles and doubles events in the 50 and over, 60 and over, 70 and over, 80 and over age groups, as well as a doubles event in the 90 and over age division.

The national senior women’s tennis championships have attracted the best players from all over the country, making this year’s field of competitors the strongest in the country in each age division.

“These senior tennis competitors play a unique brand of tennis that is very entertaining to watch,” said Tournament Director Bill Kellogg. “It’s going to be a great week of championship tennis and I encourage fans to come out and watch the matches.”

Among the entries in the USTA National Senior Women’s Hard Court Tennis Championships is local player Shelley Susman, a resident of the San Diego community of Carmel Valley and a tennis teaching professional at the Surf & Turf Tennis Club in Del Mar.

The 49-year-old Susman captured the individual singles title at the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) San Diego Section Girls’ Tennis Championship in 1981 and later played collegiate tennis at San Diego State University. She is playing in the National Senior Women’s event for the first time.

Susman, the daughter of Karen Hantze Susman, who won the Wimbledon singles title in 1962 and Wimbledon doubles title with Billie Jean King in 1961 and 1962, is scheduled to face Susan Lammers of Seattle in a first round singles match at 9 a.m. on Monday.

The La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club’s 41st Annual Spring Senior Championships for men will also take place next week in conjunction with the women’s events. Although the men’s events are not national championships, they will feature many senior players who regularly compete in national tournaments. The men’s events will include singles and doubles for 60 and over, 65 and over, 70 and over, 75 and over, 80 and over age groups. Total participation for both the men’s and women’s tournaments is expected to be 300-plus players.

La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club welcomes tennis enthusiasts to view the tournament with free admission. On-site parking is available for a nominal fee. Tournament draws are online.

Scheduled start of play:

Women:

• Mon.: 50, 60, 70 Singles / 50, 60, 70 Doubles
• Tues.: 80 Singles and 80 Doubles
• Wed.: 90 Doubles 

Men:

• Mon.:  70 Doubles
• Tues.:  65, 70 Singles
• Wed.:  60, 80 Singles / 65, 75 Doubles
• Thurs.: 75 Singles / 60 Doubles
• Fri.:    80 Doubles

The starting times for each day of the tournament are as follows: Monday, May 13 – 9 a.m.; Tuesday, May 14 through Friday, May 17 – 8 a.m.; Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 – 9 a.m.

All women’s main draw singles finals and women’s 50, 60, 70 and 80 main draw doubles finals will be played on Friday, May 17. The women’s 90 main draw doubles final is scheduled for Wednesday, May 15. All women’s consolation events will conclude on Sunday, May 19.

The main draw singles and doubles finals in the men’s divisions will be played on Friday, May 17 through Sunday, May 19, with the exception of the Men’s 70 doubles, which is slated for Thursday, May 16.