Men’s 60/65 tennis tournament at NOLTC features competitive players, exciting play
November 3, 2021
The First Horizon Bank Men’s 60 & Crabel Capital Men’s $10,000 65’s Clay Court Championships were held from Oct. 24 through Oct. 30 and featured competitive matches with players from across the country. The tournament was hosted by the United States Tennis Association at the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club, the oldest tennis club in America.
Top seed Bill Moss from Malibu, CA defeated second seeded Mark Vines from Naples, FL to win the men’s 60 and over singles championship in three sets, losing the first 4-6 and winning the next two 6-3 and 6-4 respectively. However, the excitement commenced on the first day of the singles tournament when local tennis pro Corey Clarke was defeated by Edward Lazarus of Santa Barbara, CA after an exciting comeback. Lazarus dropped the first set 1-6 and won his next two sets 6-1 and 6-0 to advance to the round of 64.
The quarterfinal round of the men’s 60 and over singles also featured excitement, with tournament champion Moss nearly being eliminated by third seeded Stuart Saiki from Orlando, FL after Moss lost his first set 4-6, won a tight 7-5 set and took the final set big, winning 6-1.
Top seeded Toby Crabel of Beverly Hills, CA won the men’s 65 and over singles championship, taking down sixth seed Michael Megale from Boise, ID 6-7(5), 6-2 and 6-4. Megale upset third seeded David Robbins Tien of Providence, RI in the quarterfinal round, winning the first set 6-3 before dropping the second 3-6 and winning the final set 6-2.
Megale then advanced to the semifinals, losing the first set 4-6 to second seeded Mark Meyers of Houston, TX. Megale defeated Meyers in the second set 6-4, and Meyers was forced to retire from the semifinal match due to injury, allowing Megale to advance to the final round against Crabel.
In the men’s 60 and over doubles competition, seven groups consisting of four pairs each battled for seven playoff spots. Ultimately, top seeds Jon Tyrell and Ross Hessler defeated second seeded Michael Fedderly and Michael Tammen in the playoff championship, winning the first set 6-3, dropping the second 6-7(2) and winning the final set 6-2.
In the men’s 65 and over doubles competition, six groups of either three or four pairs of players fought to claim one of six playoff spots. In the playoff semifinal, fourth seeded Keith Banister and Chip Thomas defeated top seeded Alan Turner and Stanley Mescon 1-6, 7-5 and 10-7. Banister and Thomas then faced second seeded Timothy Garcia and Jeffrey Winkler, falling to the pair in the championship match in two 6-2 sets.
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