The Margaret Court Cup: USA Wins!

The USA won the Margaret Court Cup for the 2nd time in 3 years, beating Brazil 3-0. Nichols (drop and top) beat Beatrice Chrystman 61 62 at #2 singles. Ann Etheredge and Patricia Medrado had an incredible match. Medrado, a former tour veteran has beautiful topspin groundstrokes, and moves exceptionally well. Etheredge is a phenomenal talent, with movement to match, and plays effortlessly. Medrado dictated early in the match, moving Etheredge all over the court with her penetrating groundstrokes and percentage tennis. Etheredge lost the first set 6-3. Etheredge brought in the margins on her shots, came to net a little more often and cut down her errors in forging a 5-3 2nd set lead. Medrado rallied, tying the set before Etheredge regained control of the rallies and moved Medrado around the court, winning the 2nd set 7-5. The first game of the third set was critical. Both players had ads before Etheredge finally won that game. Etheredge started moving Medrado more than Medrado was moving Etheredge, tiring out the Brazilian in the process. Etheredge led 4-2 and had an ad to go up 5-2, barely missing a dropshot on that critical point. Medrado seemed to get a 3rd or 4th wind, won the game to get to 4-3. Etheredge finally closed out the set with a volley winner to take the match 64 in the third. The Brazilian team chose not to play the doubles.  Australia beat Germany 2-0 to place third.

Click here to see photos of team members in action.

Friday Results: USA beat Australia 3-0. Nichols led off at #2 singles, beating Kaye Nealon 63 64; Ann Etheredge played well (she always plays well, she played exceptionally well today), beating a tough lefty, Vicky Collins, 60 60. The points were long and tough and Collins said after the match that she thought she played well, Etheredge was just extremely accurate and consistent.  The Brazilian team that will face the USA in the final was scouting this match, and making many comments...in Portuguese. O'Sullivan/Bronson played well also in their 62 61 win over Lyn Mortimer/Kaye Nealon. Brazil beat Germany 2-0. Beatrice Chrystman ousted Gaby Leinen, the top European player, 62 61 at #2 singles and Pat Medrado beat Sabine Knuvener at #1 singles. The doubles was not played.

Thursday Results: USA beat Austria 3-0. Austria were the top seeds and defending champions, but fell 2-1 to Germany in their round robin division. Nichols d. Ulla Bucher of Austria 1,2; Etheredge d. Roswitha Woltsche of Austria 0,1 and O'Sullivan/Bronson d. Bucher/Woltsche 2,1.  We next play Australia, who were 2-1 upset winners over #4 seed Gr. Britain. Brazil plays Germany in the other semi final. Brazil beat Canada 3-0 and Germany beat South Africa 2-1.

Wednesday: USA beat South Africa 3-0 at PGA. Nichols d. Priscilla Bladen 1,1; Etheredge d. Jenny Lerff 0,1; and Bronson/O'Sullivan d. Jenny Dukas/Muriel Cherry 3,3.

Results from Tuesday April 23: USA d. Ireland 3-0. Carolyn Nichols played #2 singles and won 60 60 against Ann Fitzpatick; Ann Etheredge played #1 singles and won 60 61 against Pat Dwyer and Frances O'Sullivan/Sherri Bronson won their doubles also 60 60. 




The team members are: Ann Etheredge of Alabama, Carolyn Nichols of California, Sherri Bronson of Arizona and Frances O'Sullivan of Florida.  Etheredge is the top ranked player in the women's 45's division. Carolyn is the second ranked player in the USA. Sherri Bronson of Arizona is ranked 4 in the women's 45's division. Frances O'Sullivan is ranked 5 in the women's 45 division, is a top doubles player and a teaching pro at the host site. The captain is Pam Austin of California.

The site is the BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

The following teams will be played in Florida: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Gr. Britain, Ireland, So. Africa; Switzerland, and USA.

The Court Cup had 12 teams, which are divided into 4 groups of 3 teams. These groups each played a round robin, then the winners and 2nd-place finishers in each group went into a draw of 8 teams and the winner of that draw wins the Cup. The seeds were: Austria, the defending champions, USA, Brazil, led by Patricia Medrado, the defending individual world champion and Great Britain. The teams in the USA's group were Ireland and South Africa. The USA finished 3rd in 2001.