ITF Masters Tour World Championships: NorCal Represents on USA Team

The ITF Masters Tour World Championships for women in the age divisions of

30s, 35s, 40s, and 45s took place in Ali Bey Club, Manavgat, Turkey, on

Sunday 9 March - Friday 14 March and was followed by the World Individual

Championships: March 15 - 22.

Four of our USTA NorCal players were selected into the teams! Read below about

their experience representing USA on the World’s Arena:

Andie Mouzes: Team USA - Women’s 30s

Earlier this month, I had the incredible opportunity to represent the United

States at the ITF Masters Tour World Team Championships in Antalya, Turkey. Competing in the Women’s 30s division, I was honored to play

alongside talented teammates against some of the best players from around the world. Our team battled through tough matches and ultimately secured a third-place finish out of 10 teams—a moment of immense pride for all of us.

One of the most exciting aspects of the tournament was playing on red clay

for the first time. The surface brought a new level of strategy to my game,

and I embraced the challenge of adjusting my movement, timing, and shot

selection. The tournament site was nothing short of spectacular, providing a

world-class setting for competition. Meeting athletes from different

countries, sharing stories, and competing at such a high level created an

atmosphere of unity and excitement that I’ll never forget.

Representing the USA on an international stage was an incredible honor. The

level of competition pushed me to bring out my best tennis, and I left the

tournament feeling inspired and grateful for the experience. This event not

only strengthened my game but also deepened my passion for the sport and

my appreciation for the global tennis community. I can’t wait for the next

opportunity to compete at this level and continue growing as a player.

Mariko Fritz-Krockow: Team USA - Women’s 45s

Bringing Home a World Championship - It was an incredible two weeks in Manavgat, Turkey. I had the honor of being selected to not only represent the USA as part of the Women’s 40s Team USA, but also to Captain the team. Our team was made up of Anda Perianu, Kaysie Smashey, Yulia Bolotova, and myself. It’s a team that we’d been wanting to get together for three years and we were so excited when the team was announced! For months before the competition, our little WhatsApp group chat was filled with excited chatter.

In the team event, there are two singles matches and one doubles match.

The team who wins at least two matches wins the match up. #2 singles

plays first, followed by #1 singles, followed by doubles. The line up is set by

the Captain, but with set rules. When the USTA submits a team to the ITF

for entry into the tournament, they do so with an order-of-strength. For

singles, the Captain has to honor that order-of-strength. So, player #1

always has to play #1 singles, if they play singles. If that player doesn’t play

that day, then the #2 has to play at the #1 spot, and so on. For doubles,

you can pair any two players together. Our team’s order-of-strength was:

Myself, Anda Perianu, Kaysie Smashey, Yulia Bolotova. This meant that if I

was playing singles, I had to play at the #1 spot. Not only that, I had to play

second. If our first singles won, I was playing for the win. The mental

pressure of that is intense. Not only did I have the normal pressure of

winning a match, but I was also there clinching the win for my team.

Each matchup is assigned a court for the day, which means you hang out

around one court all day. It’s incredibly exciting because the entire team is

by your side, living each moment with you. Since everyone is assigned a

court, you also know where all other Team USA teams are playing and can

go cheer for them. As there is only one tournament facility (they have 50

courts!), everyone is there and the atmosphere is lively and supportive.

We were the #2 seeds in our draw were in an initial bracket with Ireland and

Switzerland where we didn’t drop a set. In the quarter-finals, we played

Portugal. We played three solid matches and only lost three games all day.

In the semi-finals, we played Argentina, a fierce opponent. Anda handily won

her singles match and then it was my turn against Jesica Soledad Orselli, a

feisty grinder who was born and raised on red clay. It took almost three

hours of battling to win 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. We were in the finals against

Germany.

Now here’s a bit of a back-story: in 2023, we were in the finals against

Germany. And we lost. We were here for pay-back. Anda was up first and

won in 3 sets. It was now up to me. I knew my opponent, Katharina Rath,

was a strong, hard-hitting woman who was not going to hand me anything.

But I also knew that I was mentally stronger than most and I could handle

this pressure. Every point was a battle and after I won the first set, I could

tell that news of my match was being shared on the Team USA WhatsApp

group. Members from all the other Team USA teams were showing up to

support me! The energy was wonderful and it gave me such an emotional

boost. At match point, I felt butterflies. This was it: championship point for

Team USA. I looked over to my mental coach, Brandi Bratek (she was

playing on the 45s team), put my hand on my belly like we had practiced

and took three slow breaths. I knew I could do it. I don’t remember the

point but I remember Team USA erupting in cheers when I won 6-4, 7-5. We

were World Champions without having lost a single match!

Standing on that podium with Anda, Kaysie and Yulia was wonderful. We

were so proud to hold that trophy up in front of our flag.

My work wasn’t done though! My big goal was to win the team event AND

the individual events. I was only half-way there. In 2024, I had reached the

finals of the individual singles event and had lost there. My doubles partner,

Angela Hendy, from Team Australia and also from NorCal, and I went home

with a bronze medal in the previous year and wanted a shiny upgrade.

Switching your mindset from a team event to an individual event isn’t easy.

You don’t have set people to warm up with, a cheer squad at your court, and

coaching isn’t allowed. It was a completely different atmosphere and I felt

like I was starting a whole different experience, rather than continuing for a

second week of play.

I was thrilled to find I was the #1 singles seed and had a bye in the first

round. Having an extra rest day was great and I took the opportunity to visit

a Turkish spa! In the first round, I was up against a friend of mine from

Australia, Sanna Bedford. It’s always hard to play a friend because you have

to leave your personal feelings for that person at the door and treat them

like any other opponent. I won 6-2, 6-1. In the quarter-finals, I was up

against Katharina Rath again. I had just played her in the finals of the team

event so the memory of her game was very fresh in my mind. Knowing that

I had beaten her before, but also knowing that she was out for revenge lit a

fire in me and I won 6-4, 6-2. I could feel myself steadily improving. I was

finding my groove.

I was now in the medal rounds. In the semi-finals I played Monika Keller,

another German whom I had also played in the semi-finals in 2024. After

going down 1-4 and 2-5 in the first set, I settled my mind and battled back.

I was in the finals after a 7-5, 6-3 win.

I’m going to briefly jump to doubles here to catch you up on how we had

been doing. Angela and I had been playing really well, and had gotten

through to the finals having lost only 5 games total!

Back to singles. In the singles finals I was up against Silvia Chuda. It was a

match that promised to be a brutal slug-fest, and I knew we were both

ready for it. It was our first meeting and one that we had both been hoping

for. I knew this woman could run but wow, can she run. I know that I can hit

corners but she could get to it all! I had to finish the point 3 or 4 times

before finally getting something past her. We played a fantastic match. I had

hit my stride and so had she. Every point was fought for – it was the kind of

match that reminds me why I love this game so much. It was pure fight and

grit. I know that the next time we play against each other, she’s going to

come for me with the same amount of fight and who knows what will happen

then. But this match went to me and I won the singles Championship 6-4,

7-5. I was a World Champion.

I was thrilled. My spirits were high and I felt a bit like I was floating. I gave

myself 15 min and told myself it was time to refocus. My day wasn’t done: I

had a doubles final to play. Angela and I were up against Silvia Chuda (my

singles opponent) and Germany’s Manon Kruse. It was a rematch of our

2024. semi-finals match, which, you might remember, we had lost.

It was, for the second time that day, a fantastic match. We had our game

plan and were playing it well. Angela and I have been playing together for

years and I feel like we know where the other person is going to be and

what they’re about to do before it even happens. We also communicate well

with each other, honestly but respectfully being able to tell our partner what

we expect from the other person. (I hear you, Angela! I’m getting to the

net!) We clinched the first set, 6-4. In the second, they fought back and we

were neck and neck but we made a few bad decisions and lost the set 4-6. It

was down to the super-tie. This was not going to come down to who wanted

it more – we all wanted it. We knew we had to cut down on our mistakes

and make smart, disciplined decisions. We could do this. We played great

points and the score crept up. We were up match point at 9-7. Maybe we

were too timid. Maybe we were nervous. Maybe we missed a few chances.

But it was a heartbreaker. We lost the super-tie. The final score was 6-4,

4-6, 10-12.

Despite finishing the day and the tournament with a heartbreaking loss, I

know it was a great tournament and a great two weeks. I came home with

two gold medals and a silver one. I am incredibly proud of the performance

of my Team USA team, Angela Hendy, and of myself. Standing on the

podium for singles and then with my dear friend, Angela, for doubles was a

thrill and joy. I can’t wait to do it again.

Francesca La O: Team USA - Women’s 45s

This past March, I had the pleasure of captaining the Women’s 45+ Team

USA contingent to the ITF Master’s World Championships in Antalya, Türkiye.

Joining me were Brandi Bratek of Florida, Julia Dimitrov of Georgia, and

fellow USTA NorCal player Laura Ruben. To qualify for the team, we all played several USTA tournaments over the course of the year and were selected from a competitive pool of applicants. As members of Team USA, we get a stipend from the USTA and some cool USA-branded gear. It is always an honor to wear the red, white and blue, and join the other 32 US men and women playing in the 30+, 35+, 40+ and 45+ divisions.

Team USA usually has an above average showing, but competition at these

World Championships is strong. Julia and I were part of the USA team that

won the championship on the hard courts of Tokyo in 2024, but before that,

it had been 10 years since we had won an under 50 Cup. This time around,

we were competing at the gorgeous Ali Bey Manavgat resort: 50+ red clay

courts by the coast, with a beautiful beach, several heated pools, modern

fitness facility and spa, and delicious buffet spreads. While the setting and

teammates rotate, some things that do not change are the camaraderie

across Team USA, and the collegial nature of the competition. While we

compete with full effort, we also make friends and exchange “jerseys” over

the course of the tournament.

The women’s 45+ finished 7th out of 18 countries. We won our first two

matches against Ireland and Switzerland, winning our group, then lost in the

quarterfinals to eventual silver medalists Great Britain. We lost a

heartbreaker to Argentina, and defeated Australia on our last day to close

out our campaign on a positive note. Germany won the gold and France took

the bronze.

During our time in Antalya, our team got to know each other quite well. We

cheered for each other over many long matches, and had lots of quality time

together at meals, the opening ceremonies, and the player party. We also

enjoyed the traditional Turkish bath (hammam) and went shopping and

sightseeing amongst the Greco-Roman ruins in the nearby city of Side. While

we may not have brought home the gold medal this time, we certainly built

friendships and memories that will last a long time.

Laura Ruben: Team USA - Women’s 45s

Representing the USA at the ITF Masters World Tennis Championships in the

women's 45 age division was an incredibly rewarding experience. Competing

on a global stage alongside talented athletes from around the world was

both challenging and inspiring. I felt immense pride wearing the national

colors and contributing to the team spirit. The high level competition pushed

me to elevate my game, and the camaraderie among the players made it all

more memorable. It was such a privilege to share the experience with such

amazing teammates and our captain Francesca La O. I came away with not

only great memories but also valuable lessons and positives that will stay

with me on and off the court. It was an honor to be part of such a

prestigious event and a moment I will always cherish.