2025 July Clay Slam:
Hot Courts, Fierce Matches
The first of the Clay Slams took place at the Concord Country Club on a sunny weekend, July 10-13, with 102 players in 11 age categories battling in singles and doubles. As always, tournament directors Nigel Bentley and David Bell kept the courts in top shape and the matches on schedule. Despite the heat and humidity throughout the weekend, the atmosphere was energetic, and the competition was outstanding. A shout out to the Concord Country Club Snack Bar crew who provided lunches for the players.
Let’s dig into highlights.
Singles Competitions
Sally Fowler and Susan Wareing duked it out in the sole women’s singles event, the 60s. After exchanging sets, Wareing pulled out the third set breaker for the win.
The men’s 50s field, 19 strong, was highly competitive with close matches and several three-setters. The heat was definitely a factor. Top seed Andre Turenne did not seem to be phased by the weather, dropping only five games leading up to the finals. He met John Tashiro, second seed, in the finals, and won 6-0, 6-3. Gennady Burakovsky won the consolation draw.
The men’s 60s singles group had a whopping 31 players, with top New England players and former Slam champions. Top seed Peter Appleton took an earlier than usual exit in the quarterfinals to Aaron Katz, the seventh seed. Matt Gelotte, sitting as the fifth seed, then took out Katz and faced the two seed James Burda in the finals. This barn burner of a match ended with Burda as the victor by a score of 7-5, 7-6 (7-5). John Wilcox defeated Dana Coombs 6-3, 6-0 in the consolation draw.
In the men’s 70s singles draw with 16 players, top seed Jeffrey Prudden had to get through a tough three set, semi-final match vs William Frost to make the finals against unseeded Wade Frame. Frame, on the other hand, went through the draw in straight sets., including his win against second seed Glen Mayberry. Prudden gave Frame a run for his money but came up short. Final score for Frame 6-0, 7-5. Hany Teylouni beat Diego Alvarado 6-2, 7-5 in the consolation draw.
Doubles Competitions
The women’s 50s division had three teams which made for a round robin. Lisa Finneral and Barb Bailey beat Maura O’Brien and Sally Woolston 6-2, 6-1. Finneral and Bailey’s second round proved more competitive vs. Davida Dinerman and Karen McNamara. This two+-hour match was neck and neck. In the end, Dinerman and McNamara pulled out a 7-6, 6-4 win, and then beat O’Brien and Woolston the same afternoon to take the gold.
There were two teams in the women’s 60s division. Finneral and Bailey played Dinerman and Sandy Allen. Another cat-and-mouse exchange ended in a 7-6 score in favor of Allen and Dinerman. The latter pair then took the second set 6-2 to win the match.
In the women’s 70s draw, Nancy Bacall and Susan Wareing successfully faced a feisty pair - Emily Manders and Elizabeth Watson.
The men’s 50s doubles draw, with seven teams, saw some injuries. George Markell and Andre Turenne made it to the finals after a bye and an injury walkover. They beat Mark Billone and Bill Anderson in straight sets for the title.
In the 60s doubles division, which had 11 teams, the first round had two close matches and an upset. Unseeded Michael Archibald and Todd Hermann beat the second seeded team of Kelton Burbank and Timothy Rives. Archibald and Hermann faced top seeded James Burda and Scott Snow in the finals and continued to show their doubles prowess, but Burda and Snow prevailed 6-3, 6-3.
The men’s 70s draw included five pairs. The finals on Sunday paired the first seeds William Busiek and Glen Mayberry versus second seeded Tim Metzger and David Cunningham. Every point was close with both sides moving the ball around and cutting through the humidity. In the end, Busiek and Mayberry won 6-4, 5-7, 11-9 in the third set breaker.
