All hail the king: Van Nostrand, 87, claims record 43rd world title
At last, the king sits alone on the throne.
Eighty-seven-year-old King Van Nostrand achieved a long-held ambition last week, becoming the outright leader in seniors tennis competition by claiming his 43rd world title on home soil at the Boynton Beach Tennis Center in Florida.
The star draw at the 2022 Super-Seniors World Individual Championships (65-70-75-80-85-90), Van Nostrand, who won the gold medal with USA in the team event at the end of April to tie with 42-time winner Lorne Main, wasted little time in making the record his own during the individual event last week
In fact, Van Nostrand could have surpassed the record earlier than he did, coming agonisingly close to victory in the doubles final on 5 May before losing in a deciding super tie-break. That left the singles final as his last chance for glory this year.
Up against compatriot Albert Lyle, who had defeated Van Nostrand in the doubles final 24 hours earlier, ‘The King’ took the first set 6-4, before Lyle raced through the second to set up a deciding super tie-break.
With a large crowd watching on, both players entertained onlookers in a nerve-wracking final few points before Van Nostrand finally sealed a 6-4 1-6 10-7 triumph and a historic 43rd world title triumph.
With friends, family and players in attendance, Van Nostrand received the historic gold medal in a special ceremony on court at the Coral Lakes Country Club.
It was a moment the world No. 1 in the men's 85+ age category had targeted for some time, having told ITF World Magazine last year of his desire to claim the record.
“It would be extremely nice to head the list, if only for a year or two,” he said in June 2021.
“There are some talented younger players working their way up. This, of course, is only a very personal goal of mine. One that is embarrassingly selfish in view of all the strife and hardship throughout the entire world.”
It was a much deserved triumph - and added to the excitement from a keenly contested fortnight of super-seniors competition.
Elsewhere, a good crowd also gathered for the finals of the men’s and women’s 65 singles competition. Glenn Busby, of Australia, defeated Mark Vines convincingly to take the title. The women’s final was a much longer affair, Patricia Medrado defeating Diane Barker in an epic 7-6(4) 7-6(8) tussle.
Keith Porter completed an impressive turnaround in the final of the men’s 70 singles, beating Dutchman Rolf Thung 4-6 6-0 6-1. Tina Karwasky, of the United States, completed a comprehensive victory over Wendy McColskey 6-3 6-1 to win the women’s 70 singles.
The men’s 75 final ended in unfortunate circumstances, Geoffrey Moore winning courtesy of a retirement from Jorge Camina Borda. An all-French battle ensued in the women’s 75 singles, with Sylvie Galfard-Kirsten defeating compatriot Gail Benedetti 6-3 6-2.
The United States dominated the 80s division with two of the tournament’s standout players. Donna Fales beat Heide Orth 6-0 6-0 in the women’s 80s final to kick off a day in which the American won all three events entered – the singles, doubles and mixed doubles. In similar fashion, Fred Drilling swept through the singles, doubles and mixed doubles (teaming up with Fales for the latter) to take home all three world titles. Drilling beat fellow American Ivo Barbic 6-2 6-2 in the singles final.
Yet another American treble was completed in the women’s 85 division, with Roz King defeating Dori Devries in the singles 6-4 6-2. She then teamed up with Gordon Oates in the mixed and Dorothy Wasser in the women’s doubles to seal a prolific week.
The men’s and women’s 90 categories attracted spectators all week, with legendary 98-year-old Ukrainian Leonid Stanislavskyi providing an inspiring backdrop to proceedings. It was an American, however, who took Frenchman Henri Crutchet’s 2021 title away. George McCabe won 6-4 7-6(2) to claim the title in a high-quality encounter.
Playing in soaring temperatures in the Florida sun, Lucille Kyvallos won both of her round-robin matches against Yvette Laubus and Monique Giffard to win the women’s 90 singles.
Other highlights of the tournament included Busby and defeated finalist Vines lifting the men’s 65 doubles trophy together, Medrado winning the double with Susan Wright, and Karwasky performing the same feat with the 70 women’s doubles. Bolivian-Spanish duo Jairo Velasco Ramirez and Ramiro Gonzalez Benavides Saravia won the men’s doubles 75 doubles, with American partnership Susan Kimball and Carolann Castell winning the women’s 75s.
Albert Lyle took revenge on King Van Nostrand in the men’s 85 doubles final, teaming up with Jerry Caldwell to win an all-American affair. Finally, Saul Snyder and George McCabe took home the men’s 90 doubles gold medal – McCabe completing an impressive week and another big American medal haul.
Click here for a full round-up of the draws and results from the event.