28 June 2016 | Tennis Australia

Australia won the Maureen Connolly Cup (Women’s 55-and-over) and the Von Cramm Cup (Men’s 60-and-over) at the ITF Seniors World Team Championships last week (19-24 June).

In total, 24 players from Australia travelled to Helsinki, Finland to compete in the annual event.

The Championships are the highest ranked ITF Seniors event on the international calendar and saw 102 teams from 31 countries compete across three age categories 50-and-over, 55-and-over and 60-and-over.

Final results

Maureen Connelly Cup – Women’s 55+

First place – AUSTRALIA defeated ITALY 3-0
Leanne Swaysland (AUS) d. Francesca Ciardi (ITA) 76(4) 36 63
Ros Balodis (AUS) d. Simonetta Bozzano (ITA) 61 63
Ros Balodis/Leanne Swaysland (AUS) d. Paola Ippoliti/Giovanna Tortorella (AUS) w/o

Players
Ros Balodis
Wanda Howes
Fiona Walker
Leanne Swaysland

Von Cramm Cup – Men’s 60+

First place – AUSTRALIA defeated USA 2-1
Stephen Packham (AUS) d. Christopher Bennett (USA) 64 61
Glenn Busby (AUS) d. Daniel Waldman (USA) 26 75 76(3)
Tom Smith/Paul Wulf (USA) d. Stephen Dance/John Henning (AUS) 63 62

Players
Glenn Busby
Stephen Packham
Stephan Dance
John Henning

Bueno Cup –Women’s 50+
7th Place – France d Sweden 2-1

Players
Jill Meggs
Brenda Foster
Dianne Cassel
Narelle Rafferty

Fred Perry Cup – Men’s 50+
16th place – Latvia d Australia 2-1

Players
David Evans
Michael Russell
Martin Warwick
Malcom Pearson

Alice Marble Cup – Women’s 60+
7th place – Australia d Italy 3-0

Players
Judith Buzza
Sue Ellis
Rosemary Davis
Sara Goddard

Austria Cup – Men’s 55+
7th place – Spain d Australia 3-0

Players
Michael Ford
Ian Jarman
Roger Spraggon
Jeff Trevarthen

The ITF Young Seniors, Seniors and Super-Seniors World Team and Individual Championships are the premier events on the ITF Seniors Circuit.

Players aged from 35-and-over to 45-and-over compete in the Young Seniors Championships; from 50-and-over to 60-and-over in the Seniors Championships, and from 65-and-over and 85-and-over compete in the Super-Seniors Championships.

Starting with one team trophy in 1958, and four individual events in 1981, the competitions have grown to offer a total of 72 World Championship titles each year to teams, and in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

The ITF Seniors World Individual Championships will take place in Helsinki this week from 25 June until 2 July.

Full results can be found here.