Karwasky makes U.S. team in women’s tennis

As she prepares to represent her country in an entirely different age bracket, tennis player Tina Karwasky is indeed proving that she only gets better over time.

Based on her outstanding play this year, her first in the 60-and-over division, the Glendale resident has been selected to the United States Alice Marble Cup team, according to a recent United States Tennis Assn. press release.

Karwasky’s four-woman team will take on the best teams the world has to offer in the 32nd International Tennis Federation Super Seniors World Team Championships, to be held Sept. 10-15 at various sites in Croatia.

“This is new for me,” said Karwasky, who is currently unbeaten in singles and doubles this season after ending last season ranked No. 1 in the nation in women’s 55 singles, where she was also the ITF world champion in 2009 and 2010. “It’s my first time [in Croatia]. I have no idea what it’s going to be like, but I’ve heard it’s beautiful.”

Karwasky, 59, will be joined on the team by Mary Ginnard, her doubles partner from last year’s Maureen Connolly Cup championship team, and Kerry Young and Martha Downing, who are veterans of the Marble Cup team that has won the championship the last two years.

“I have my fingers crossed that this team will win the cup for the United States,” Marble Cup Team representative Lesley Waite said.

More than 30 nations and as many as 1,000 athletes are expected to compete in the Marble Cup, which will be held mostly in the cities of Umag and Novigard.

“France is going to be very tough,” Karwasky said. “Australia will be tough and England is good.”

Following the ITF Super Senior World Team Championships, the ITF Super Senior World Individual Championships will take place Sept. 16-23 in Umag.

Karwasky is a veteran cup team competitor, most recently on the winning 2011 Maureen Connolly Cup team and the second place 2012 Maria Bueno Cup team (50s division).

“Tina’s tennis career is unbelievable,” Waite said. “She is a really major player, so I was ecstatic that we got her because she’s got such an incredible background and she’s totally undefeated in the 60s.”