Having a Ball in the Palisades

Riviera Tennis Club Hosts Husband-Wife Hard Court Championships

Tennis is not often thought of as a ‘team’ sport. When it comes to doubles, however, winning is all about communication’especially when your partner also happens to be your husband or wife. Couples from across the country got to experience that novel idea firsthand last Wednesday through Sunday at Riviera Tennis Club, site of the USTA National Husband-Wife Hard Court Championships. The tournament was an age combo event, meaning the combined ages of the players on each team had to add up to at least 100 years or 120 years and over to enter. The Husband Wife is the second national event for Riviera, which also hosts the Women’s All American Collegiate tournament every fall. ‘We are excited to be attracting players from all over the United States,’ said Kim Perino, Riviera Tennis Club manager. ‘We’re looking forward to many more years to come for these nationals.’ The 100-combined age division featured four compelling quarterfinals. Andrew and Ann Stanley of Westlake Village defeated Palisadians Anthony Foux and Claudia Kahn, 6-0, 6-3; Bruce and Kimberly Totten of Claremont beat Sujuei and Hideaki Nakamura of Fullerton, 6-0, 6-2; Norman and Gail Ashbrooke of Lakewood outlasted Francis and Mary Kreysa of Damascus, Maryland, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; and Todd and Sue Sprague of San Diego beat Peter and Evangeline Vanderhyden of Huntington Beach, 6-0, 6-2. In Saturday morning’s semifinals, the Tottens defeated the Stanleys, 6-4, 6-4 and the Spragues defeated the Kreysas, 7-5, 7-5 to set up an all-Southern California final. In the end, Todd and Sue Sprague prevailed, 6-4, 6-3. Palisadians Donald and JoAnn Ralphs reached the quarterfinals of the backdraw while Foux and Kahn won the consolation. In the 120 age division, Robert and Karol Beverley of Matthews, North Carolina defeated Riviera members Mike and Judy Tarre in the quarterfinals, 6-2, 6-3. Another Riviera couple, Mani and Noushin Morshed, defeated Jess and Celia Torres of Alta Loma, 6-3, 7-5, in the second match. The other quarterfinals saw Pete and Lark Gerry of Alta Loma defeat Andrew and Ann Kugler of Austin, Texas, 6-2, 6-4, while Art and Laura Thomson of Englewood, Colorado, beat the Riviera team of Jerry and Dede Swartz, 6-1, 6-4. The Beverleys defeated the Morsheds, 6-2, 6-3, in the first semifinal and Pete and Lark Gerry, who had defeated Palisadians Klaus and Jennifer Friederic in the first round, fell to the Thomsons, 6-0, 6-1, in the other semifinal. The East Coast couple finally beat the Midwest duo in one of the closet matches of the tournament, 1-6, 6-4, 7-5. Mani and Noushin Morshed took third place and with it a bronze tennis ball. ‘This was a great opportunity for the players to have a first-class experience as well as a shot at the coveted gold, silver and bronze balls, which are only attainable at national USTA events,’ said Pam Austin, Riviera’s Director of Tennis. ‘It was hot but everyone had a lot of fun and there was some great tennis.’