Hilpert completes treble; Jarryd rolls back the years in World Champs

The ITF Seniors World Individual Championships drew to a close in Umag, Croatia at the weekend and it proved to be a standout event for Marcus Hilpert, Anke Wurst, Thomas Coulton, Jenny Klitch and Helga Nauck – all of whom won multiple titles.

Dutchman Hilpert, who was making his debut in the Seniors World Championships having previously competed on the Young Seniors circuit, rode his luck in the singles event when three consecutive opponents retired against him en route to the final.

But the 50-year-old showed why he had won the Young Seniors World Individual Championships four years in a row when he overcame Australia’s Terry Deeth 7-6(6) 6-3 to clinch another piece of silverware.

Hilpert also teamed up with Great Britain’s Timur Shadiev to great effect in the men’s doubles, with the pair claiming the title for the loss of just nine games throughout the entire event. They dispatched top seeds Mathias Huning and Petr Kovacka 6-1 6-2 in the final before having to face off in the mixed doubles.

And it was Hilpert who earned the bragging rights as he and countrywoman Mirjam Swarte overcame Piret Ilves and Shadiev 7-5 6-1 to cap a perfect week for the Dutchman.

"It feels great to win across all three events," said Hilpert. "It's tough to play three matches a day for consecutive days to a high level. The first set of the singles final was very tight but I managed to win the first set on a tie-break, and this gave me momentum for the remainder of the match and for the day. Of course I have to pay credit to each of my doubles partners, who were a major part of this achievement."

In the women’s over 50s, Germany’s Anke Wurst doubled up, claiming victory in singles with a 7-6(5) 6-2 victory over Lithuania’s Jurate Hardy and combining with Italy’s Simona Isidori to win the women’s doubles final 7-5 6-3 against top seeds Ilves and Mari-Liis Parmas.

Former doubles world No. 1 and eight-time Grand Slam champion Anders Jarryd partnered USA’s Coulton to the men’s doubles title in the over 55s. The Swede, who also reached the semi-finals in the men’s singles of the over 60s, is no stranger to the ITF Seniors World Championships having also triumphed alongside Coulton on his debut in 2018.

Coulton teamed up with Klitch in the over 55s mixed doubles and the all-American duo pipped Liselot Prechtel and Christian Greuter 6-4 2-6 [10-7] in the final.

Klitch captured her second title of the week in the over 55s women’s singles after defeating Spain’s Rosa Bielsa-Hierro 6-3 5-7 6-2.

Bart Theelen was another Dutchman who benefitted from a walkover and two retirements as he made his way to the final of the men’s over 55s singles. He defeated Ronald Jung 6-1 6-4 for his 37th consecutive victory this year.

There was more joy for the American team in the over 55s women’s doubles, as second seeds Vicki Buholz and Gayle Prejean ousted Sweden’s Lotta Ekberg and Magdalena Sekkenes 7-5 6-4.

In the over 60s events, Germany’s Helga Nauck ended her time in Umag with two titles to her name. The 60-year-old prevented Buholz from doing a double of her own with a 6-0 6-3 victory in the women’s singles and then partnered Katalin Boeroecz to a 7-5 6-1 win against USA’s Fran Chandler and Susan Wright in the women’s doubles.

Frenchman Alain Moracchini closed out a close final in the over 60s men’s singles 7-6(6) 7-5 against Spain’s Eduard Osta Valenti. Moracchini knocked out top seed Jarryd 6-3 6-2 in the semi-finals.

The men’s doubles in the over 60s went the way of USA’s Michael Fedderly Jr and Mike Tammen, who defeated France’s Alain Coffe and Jacques Hervet 6-0 6-2.

The final trophy of the week was awarded to Hungary’s Eva Szerencsesne Miltenyi and Zsolt Szekrenyes, who defeated another Hungarian pairing, Eva Bogar Szabo and Peter Sakovics, 3-6 6-1 [14-12] in the final.

A total of 412 players competed in 670 matches across the 15 events in Umag. This week attention turns to the over 35s, over 40s and over 45s age categories, who are competing in the Young Seniors World Team Championships, which is also being staged in Umag.