In June, I went to see a longtime friend from Racine, WI, and Big Ten Tennis, Bob Duessler. He won the Over 90 National Doubles at Laguna Woods. After college, Bob moved to California and became one of the very top Age Bracket tournament winners in California and the US.
In talking, the name John Powless came up, the all-time top winner in Age Bracket tournaments in the World. He played basketball and tennis for Murray State in our era. Bob asked me if I had ever played him. I said that I remember playing him in a doubles tournament in July 1954, the Tri-Cities in Moline, Illinois.
When I got home, I checked the Moline Dispatch and got the July 23, 1954 edition, which announced the doubles draw for this tourney. It stated that John Powless and George Johnson were seeded one, and Duane Gomer of Indiana University and Jack Vincent of the University of Wisconsin were seeded two. I could not find the results.
Trista Ramirez, office communications czar, found the July 26th edition the next day and it stated that we lost 7-5, 7-9, 6-3 (before tie-breakers). The article did say that it was the toughest match of the day. It was many years ago and if you asked me the score, I would remember that we lost 15-13, 12-14, 17-15.
It was a beautiful hot Illinois day, beautiful clay courts but the big problem was that we did not win the last point. BTW, did I mention that John Powless was 6 feet 6 inches tall and had a very strong twist serve and came hard to the net on every serve?
Did any of you watch the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Final? Can you imagine what it is like to return a serve of 137 miles an hour that is in a perfect spot for the server? Sinner, who is one of the better athletes in sports, tried taking the ball really deep. He was close to being in the front row box seats. Classic match, ranks with any. Next, the US Open in Queens on hard courts in September.
Also, would you have any idea how I could find some other articles? When I was 15-18 years of age (1946-1949), I was a Stringer for both the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel covering Racine High School sports. I would pay good money for a copy of any article from back then. They gave me a byline.
I would go to the high school games and then write two stories and send them via Western Union to the two papers. They used them for four years plus. I never kept one. I have to start after the two papers. Keep in touch. Do any of you Boomers remember Katherine Hepburn in Desk Set? She could help me out.
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