Paddle and Palm Trees – a Perfect Combination!

January 16, 2013
The Villages, FL

Before a crowd of more than 250, Diane Straus Tucker and Jim McCready captured their second Mixed 60+ National Championship together.  This was Diane’s 23rd APTA championship and Jim’s second. Their opponents in the final were Maryellen and Keith Bashaw of The Villages.  Maryellen’s steady wire play and Keith’s lethal forehand propelled them through the draw, defeating among others, defending champion Courtia Worth and her new partner Lou Duke.

This was the first time an APTA National Championship had been played in Florida and the first on ground level courts.  The Villages has 6 platform tennis courts and due to exploding interest are planning to build another 6 courts at a different recreation center. 

Despite temperatures in the 80s, the play was spirited and the many three set matches entertained the fans.  Many residents came to watch for the first time and most expressed interested in learning how to play this fun game.

Many thanks to tournament chairs Russ Jones and Joe Russo for an outstanding tournament and wonderful hospitality.

Draw (doc)
Draw (pdf)

Slide Show Courtesy of Russ Jones

Thanks to Russ Jones, we have a HUGE set of pictures.The slide show above is only a selection. Click here for the complete set of pictures on Flickr. 

Video courtesy of Jim McCready