Tennis players vying for titles at Westlake USTA event

For tennis players age 45 and over, there was only one place to be this week- the Westlake Tennis and Swim Club.

One hundred forty tennis players competed in the K-Swiss United States Tennis Association National Men's 45 Hard Court Championships.

The event is one of four National Surface Championships in the 45-and-over age group in a battle for a national title.

The local competition resumes today with the semifinal rounds. The finals will be Friday beginning at 10 a.m.

Players come from all over the nation to compete, like the tournament's No. 1 seeded doubles and singles player Vallis Wilder, 49, who lives in Texas.

"I love this event because it's a national and because it's in California," Wilder said. "By playing in this tournament, you can improve your ranking if you play well, and I definitely come here to win.

"It's a good mix of the top talent nationally as well as the best local players. Westlake is a very friendly community, too."

The K-Swiss championship began in 1958, and the Westlake Tennis and Swim Club has hosted the tournament since 1991.

The event gives K-Swiss the chance to show off its latest apparel and tennis footwear. KSwiss, a Westlakebased company, also provides many product prizes for the tournament's winners.

Tournament director Brad Rowe said the event continues to be a success due to the enormous amount of help from volunteers.

"The facility we have and the sponsorship of K-Swiss are very important factors, but it's the volunteers that set this thing apart," Rowe said.

"People like Carol and Paul Harvard, as well as Judy Caparon, do such a good job making sure this runs smoothly."

Rowe said that preparation begins in January, when a committee meets once a month to discuss details. According to Rowe, the meetings occur more frequently once the event draws nearer.

"The last month our committee has met for about three to four hours a day," Rowe said.

"The night before the first day, I usually don't get much sleep because I'm still worried that not everything will go right. For that reason, I usually show up at 4 in the morning the day it begins. Thankfully, everything has run according to plan."

San Diego resident Steve Dawson, 47, competed in the tournament for the third straight year and once again had a blast.

"I treat it like a vacation," Dawson said. "It's almost becoming like a reunion in that you see some of these guys only once a year. There's good competition here, but the weather is also great. After you play tennis, there are so many things to do in this area."

Although the tournament has run rather smoothly, there have been a few hitches.

With all the players being over 45, it was only fitting that many were playing hurt.

"The one surprise of this tournament has been the number of people banged up in some sort of way," Wilder said.

"A lot of the top players dropped out due to injuries, and even I am getting knee surgery in three days. I used to make fun of (the older players). Now I am one myself."