Cheney wins again at Newport Beach

NEWPORT BEACH - Dodo Cheney (La Jolla), the all-time winningest

player in United States Tennis Association history with over 300 gold

balls, won her sixth doubles title in six years Friday at the U.S.

National Senior Women’s Hard Court Championships at the Newport Beach

Tennis Club.

Cheney and partner Lucy Dettmer (Palo Alto) defeated Ellie Harbula

(Sylmar) and Carolyn Henry in a hard-fought 75s final, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Three other finals are scheduled for today, with action starting at 9

a.m. In the 65 singles, defending champion Ada Cowan (Palo Alto) will

meet her doubles partner, Betsy Roberti (Santa Monica). Cowan defeated

Hattie Somerville (Hawaii), 6-4, 6-1, in the semifinals to advance, while

Roberti beat an injured Georgia Turner (El Cajon) to advance.

Following will be the 75 singles final, featuring defending champion

Betty Eisenstein (Washington D.C.) against Henry. Eisenstein beat

Harbula, 6-2, 6-0, Friday, while Henry topped Jerry Golding (Utah), 6-2,

3-6, 7-6, in a semifinal nail-biter.

In the 65s doubles final, scheduled for 1 p.m., Cowan-Roberti advanced

over Julie Hayward (Newport Beach) and Turner, 6-2, 6-2, Friday. Angie

Ray and Mary Ann Mitcham (Phoenix) upset defending champions Bev Winans

(Newport Beach) and Jane Buffington (Carmel) in a tight, 7-6, 7-6 match.

The feed-in championships feature 65 singles semifinal contenders

Cathie Hall (Newport Beach) and Hayward, who are vying to meet in the

finals.

Cheney, in April, won her 300th gold ball, signifying a USTA national

championship, at age 82.

Cheney, whose mother, May Sutton Bundy, became the first American to

win a Wimbledon title in 1905, is the all-time leader in gold balls.

According to USTA history, no one else has won even half as many national

titles as Cheney.

Considered the No. 6 woman in the world in 1946 by the international

tennis media, Cheney was the nation’s third-ranked player in 1937, ’38

and ’41.

The event at Newport Beach Tennis Club is the second USTA national

championship hosted throughout the year by the club. It also hosts the

U.S. National Senior Father-and-Son Hard Court Championships in June,

with the finals on Father’s Day.