Courtside women win berth in tennis nationals
By Dick Sparrer
There were nearly 1,000 senior tennis players in Fresno in early May hoping to earn a place in the national championships this fall.
Players from the Courtside Tennis Club in Los Gatos were in the field of 1,000 at the USA Senior Section League playoffs, and they did just what they set out to do.
Courtside won the title in the women's 3.5 division, and with the sectional crown the Courtside women have clinched a berth in the nationals set for Nov. 1-4 in Palm Springs.
Terri Morrison, Gail Andrews, Allie Douthit, Sherry Benz, Suzanne Eldridge and Carolyn Booker joined forces to defeat La Cantera of Santa Rosa 2-1 in the finals of their division to advance in the tournament.
Morrison and Andrews teamed for a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 1 doubles and Douthit and Benz won 6-4, 6-4 at No. 2. Eldridge and Booker dropped a tough 6-3, 6-3 decision at No. 3 doubles, but Courtside still pulled out the team win.
Courtside had to battle through a round-robin tournament in the Fresno heat to advance to the finals at the Sierra Sport and Racquet Club in Fresno on May 6.
Teams in Courtside's division were from Portola Valley, Danville, San Jose, Novato, Walnut Creek, Palo Alto, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, Fresno, San Rafael, Carson City, Napa, Stockton and Walnut Creek, as well as Santa Rosa.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
