Top seeds Brian Cook and Ian Ross celebrated their 77th birthdays with victories on day six of the WSF World Masters Championships, leaving them on a collision course for a potentially record-breaking final on Thursday.
Australia’s Cook had to give it his all today to come from behind to secure a 9-11, 11-2, 15-13, 11-5 quarter-final victory over Scotland’s Alex Sinclair on the all-glass court of the Frans Otten Stadium. That sets him up for a last-four clash against England’s 3/4 seed Barry Featherstone. At the other end of the men’s 75+ draw, Scotland’s Ross, also a birthday boy, will face England’s 3/4 seed Larry Grover in the semi-finals after beating Spain’s Jose Luis Alba in straight sets.
Cook and Ross contested the final of the 70+ event in Charlottesville, USA in 2018 and the final of the 75+ event in Wroclaw, Poland two years ago, where they both turned 75 on the opening day of the tournament. Cook recalled: “I went into the dressing room to brag to Ian (about moving up to the 75+ class) and he said, ‘Me too!'” Ian added: “We took out our phones and showed each other our kids’ congratulations videos!”
A win in Amsterdam would see Cook claim his seventh World Masters title – a record – but fellow countryman Geoff Davenport can also match that number by winning the men’s over-65 championship. Sydney-based Davenport moved another step closer to his goal with a 13-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6 quarter-final victory over England’s Dermot Hurford. The top seed described the match as “bloody hard work”.
In the draw for the women’s 55+, the US-American Hope Prockop, seeded 3/4, won a high-class semi-final 11:8, 11:9, 8:11, 11:9 against the Australian number 2, Sue Davis, the niece of the former world number one in tennis, Rod Laver.
Boston-based Prockop finished fifth, fourth and third in her last three World Masters campaigns: Edmonton (2005), Johannesburg (2016) and Charlottesville (2018). Now she is guaranteed at least second place and will face Canada’s top seed Lauren Wagner, who defeated Australia’s Sarah Nelson, in Thursday’s final. “I’m really happy to have advanced,” said Prockop. “Of course, winning a World Masters has always been a goal of mine and I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got!”
Chasing the all-time women’s record of six titles is England’s Ann Manley, who won three times in Group A of the over-75s and secured a semi-final against Australian Marilyn Kennedy on Wednesday.
Ireland’s Mary Sceney will be looking to maintain her 100 per cent World Masters record after taking home the trophy in her only two previous appearances in Melbourne 2001 and Hong Kong 2014. “I’m very rusty this time but I’m doing my best,” said the women’s 65+ top seed after a marathon 11-6, 11-13, 12-10, 4-11, 11-3 win over South Africa’s Shirley Whitmore. “Thank God I have my Irish fan base. The fun, the camaraderie and the team spirit is what it’s all about.”
Pauline Douglas, the over-70s top seed in the women’s singles who is making her eighth World Masters appearance, also complained of rust on the show court despite her straight-sets victory over fellow Scot Maureen Carroll. Douglas injured her Achilles tendon at the British Open Masters in June and recently spent a week training in Johannesburg with six-time World Masters champion Craig van der Wath (who watched Cook and Davenport equal his record in the last two editions of the tournament after being sidelined with a serious injury since 2016).
Irishman Willie Hosey, who has four titles, beat Sweden’s Jonas Ulvsback 14-12, 11-13, 11-5, 11-9 to reach the men’s over-60 semi-final against England’s Eamonn Price. Singaporean legend and number 2 seed Peter Hill will face Australia’s Peter Gilbee in the other semi-final.
Former world number 11 from Mexico, Samantha Teran, won a thrilling women’s 40+ semi-final against fellow ex-pro Siyoli Waters in four sets. Teran will face number one seed Nicolette Fernandes in a thrilling final on Thursday. Meanwhile, both Lauren-Jans Anjema (men’s 40+) and his father Robert Jan (70+) are on course for the popular Dutch doubles as both reached their respective semi-finals.
The 2024 WSF World Masters Championships will continue with day seven on Wednesday, August 21, with matches starting at 10:00 a.m. local time (CEST).
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