2026 August Clay Slam:
Heat Kept Singles Matches Short
The Men’s 65 Singles event featured an impressive field of 23 players and produced several notable upsets. In the quarterfinals, unseeded Joseph Trausch knocked off third seed Dave Fish in straight sets. Meanwhile, fifth seed Thomas Chase battled past second seed Michael Beautyman in a three-set thriller. Chase then faced top seed Steve Kapiloff in the championship match. After a closely contested opening portion of the match, Kapiloff was forced to retire, giving Chase the singles title. In the consolation final, Chris Holmes defeated Michael Krieger.
The Men’s 75 Singles draw included 10 players and was remarkably efficient, with just one match going the distance. Gary Chafetz needed three sets to get past Laury Hammel, while the top two seeds, Jon Wilson and Paul Shaw, advanced to the final. Shaw prevailed over Wilson in straight sets to claim the championship. In the consolation final, Hammel defeated Richard Murray.
Nine players competed in the Men’s 80 Singles division. Jim Bisceglia advanced to the final after playing just eight games, as top seed Bruce Leibig withdrew, as had Bob McAfee previously after 11 games. Second seed Rich Klaffky then defeated Bisceglia in the championship match to take the title. Christopher Bentley won the consolation draw over Richard Donovan.
The Men’s 85 Singles field featured five players. Top seed Richard Soghoian captured the championship with a straight-set victory over Malcolm Swanson.
Round Robins Dominate Doubles Draw
The doubles competition featured a series of compact round-robin draws, giving teams multiple opportunities to compete for the title.
In Men’s 55 Doubles, three teams battled in a round robin. Steve Durante and Bill Anderson finished undefeated at 2–0, while Dave Hall and John Wilcox went 1–1.
The Men’s 65 Doubles draw also featured three teams. Scott Snow and Steve Kaplioff won both of their matches to finish 2–0, while Mark Andrews and Kelton Burbank finished 1–1.
In Men’s 75 Doubles, Jon Wilson and George Deptula went undefeated at 2–0 to take the top spot. Jay Lubker and Ray Levy finished 1–1.
The Men’s 80 Doubles division followed the same format, with three teams competing in a round robin. Pete Allen and Ted Underwood posted two victories in straight sets, while Bill White and Bill Ruth finished 1–1.
The Men’s 85 Doubles division featured two teams and produced a particularly tight championship match. Richard Soghoian and Malcolm Swanson defeated James Baldwin and James Hufford to claim the gold.
A Strong Finish to the 2026 Slam Season
With competitive singles and doubles fields, several memorable matches, and another successful tournament at Concord Country Club, the August Clay Slam provided a fitting conclusion to New England’s 2026 Senior Slam schedule.
