Heavy rain washed out play Saturday evening at the 2021 NTRP 50 & Over National Singles Championships, being held on the grounds of the USTA National Campus. All group play matches were completed as the event moved into its playoff rounds before the stoppage.

Due to the unfavorable forecast for Sunday, the tournament will be completed indoors. With just six indoor courts at the facility, all divisional draws have been abandoned with the exception of the eight winners’ brackets.

In the men’s 3.0 competition, Ozzie Dias (Lauderdale by the Sea, Fla.) managed to get his 4-0, 4-0 semifinal victory over Stephen Hewitt (Buckley, Wash.) in before the suspension of play. He now awaits the winner of Bill Cordes (Saint Cloud, Fla.) and Vince Zaliauskas (Cape Coral, Fla.).

None of the four men’s 3.5 quarterfinal contests were completed on the day. In the top half, Heng Liu (Bellevue, Wash.) will be across the net from James Avallone (Smithtown, N.Y.) while Aaron Prince (Gold River, Calif.) is set to take on Mark Elderkin (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) On the other side of the draw, Luiz Payne (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) has been matched up with Chris Carlton (Hagerstown, Md.) and Matthew Kerr (Melbourne, Fla.) is slated to play Daniel Knox (Raleigh).

The men’s 4.0 division saw its two opening round plus the four quarterfinal matches finish in the top playoff draw. Michael Varner (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.) downed Kris Smitobol (Eden Prairie, Minn.) 4-3(5-4), 4-2 only to see his run end at the hands of Robert Bieniek (Kildeer, Ill.) 4-0, 4-2. Next up for Bieniek is Matt Bartell (Chanhassen, Minn.) after his 4-2, 4-2 effort over Larry Shull (Palm City, Fla.). Also still in the mix are John Reichel (Naples, Fla.) and Volker Mai (Gainesville, Fla.). Reichel won a pair of playoff contests, first rallying past Bill Calafiura (Oldsmar, Fla.) 3-4, 4-2, 4-1 before cruising by Richard Best (Denver) 4-0, 4-1; Mai managed to hold off Carl Chapin (Elk Grove, Calif.) 4-1, 4-3(5-3).

For the men’s 4.5 division, Rob Strasberg (La Jolla, Calif.) and Robert Golsmith (Novelty, Ohio) reached the semifinal stage thanks to receiving byes in round one. Strasberg’s opponent will be Brant Benun (Agoura Hills, Calif.), who outlasted George Jennings (Amarillo, Texas) 4-3(5-3), 3-4(3-5), 4-2, while Golsmith will go up against Christopher Brock (Erlanger, Ky.) after he defeated Steve McRae (Renton, Wash.) 4-2, 4-3(5-2).

In women’s 3.0 action, Lori McDevitt (Rocklin, Calif.) was fortunate enough to move through via a bye in the top half of the draw, setting up a semifinal clash with Jennie Parker (Granite Bay, Calif.); Parker beat Susan Harkness-Shifflett (Madison, Wis.) 4-1, 4-0 in the opening round. Sallie LaChance (Worcester, Mass.) also advanced thanks to a bye, where her opponent will be Carolyn Moore (Milton, Fla.), who turned in a 4-3(5-2), 4-1 effort over Jackie Kunzler (Downers Grove, Ill.).

Just four competitors remain in the hunt for the women’s 3.5 title. Laurel Smith (Sunset, S.C.) bested Theresa Roberts (Oak Grove, Mo.) 4-2, 4-2 to set up a semifinal battle with Coretta Wilson (Charlotte), who took care of Susie Alvarez (Chula Vista, Calif.) 4-1, 4-3(5-4). In the bottom half, Kathy Myers (Saint Cloud, Fla.) got by Melanie Boyd (Bryan, Texas) 4-3(5-3), 4-1 and Trish Arreazola (Janesville, Wis.) breezed past Carole Sanderson (Novlety, Ohio) 4-0, 4-1.

Valerie de Crecy (Gainesville, Fla.) and Cecilia Collins (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) played their way into the women’s 4.0 semifinals Saturday evening; de Crecy prevailed 4-2, 4-2 over Lynne Ruff (Atlanta) while Collins defeated Lydia Crouser (Wayzata, Minn.) 4-1, 4-1. In the divisional semifinals, it will be de Crecy facing Debbie Dawson (Tampa, Fla.) and and Collins versus Loralie Liggett (Brentwood, Tenn.).

The women’s 4.5 competition is down to its final match of the event. Before the suspension of play on Saturday, Jami Patterson (Brazil, Ind.) dropped just one game in beating Donna Wyse (Elkhorn, Neb.) 4-0, 4-1 while Denise Krupa (Boerne, Texas) also eased through her matchup with Dianne Fleming (Belpre, Ohio) 4-0, 4-2.

Sunday’s slate of matches will get underway at 8 a.m. For more information on the 2021 NTRP 50 & Over National Singles Championships, click here. A schedule of play along with updated divisional draws can be viewed here.