Eight nations share spoils at 55-60 World Individual Championships
The 2023 ITF Masters 55-60 World Individual Championships came to its conclusion last week in Lisbon, Portugal with players from eight different nations taking the spoils at another successful edition of the 55-60 showpiece event.
Clive Wilson, representing South Africa, won the Men's Singles 60 event and finished runner-up in the Men's Doubles 60 event with compatriot Brian Clark.
“It is the highlight of my year," said Wilson after his singles final "I have always wanted to try and win the World Individual Masters, [so] I am really chuffed.
“They [Wilson's opponents] were all new faces. Everybody I played I had not played before, so I just had to figure [them] out during the warm up and the beginning of the match how I was going to play them."
Wilson defeated Peter Jetzel, of Sweden, 6-1 6-2 in a clinical display to lift the singles title. The South African couldn't make it a double gold in the 55 division, however, as he and Clark lost to Polo Cowan and Garry Nadebaum in the Men's Doubles.
Elsewhere, Helge Nauck of Germany went one better than her runner-up finish in the 2022 World Championships, claiming the Women's Singles 60 title with a dominant 6-1 6-0 victory over Brazilian Patricia Medrado. Nauck could not replicate her success in the Women's Doubles 60 event, though, losing in the semi-finals. It was the American duo, Vicki Buholz and Gayle Prejean, who prevailed in another one-sided final - 6-2 6-0.
The Men’s Singles 55 event saw a clash of the top two seeds, Eoin Collins and Bart Theelen. It was American Collins who prevailed, proving too strong on the day for the Dutchman in a 6-2 6-3 win.
Collins teamed up with last year's 50+ world champion Gabriel Keymer in the Men's 55 Doubles. The pair lost in the semi-final to Clark and Wilson, who went on to finish runners-up to Australian Nadebaum and American Cowan. There was more Aussie doubles success in the Men's 60 event, with Simon Arms and Manuel Radic lifting the trophy after overcoming Americans Lehto and Levinson in the final.
You can find the full results here: