WHEELCHAIR TENNIS / U.S. OPEN : Vandierendonck Wins Her Sixth Title

Second-seeded Chantal Vandierendonck won a record-setting sixth women’s singles title at the U.S. Open Wheelchair Championships by defeating Nancy Olson, 6-4, 6-4, Saturday afternoon at the Irvine Racquet Club.

Vandierendonck, a pharmaceutical student from the Netherlands, won the singles title in 1985, 1986 and 1988-90. Last year’s champion, top-seeded Monica van den Bosch of the Netherlands, was eliminated by Olson in a semifinal match Wednesday.

Olson, the top-ranked American, is the first U.S. player in six years to compete in a U.S. Open final. Olson, of Stony Point, N.Y., led, 3-1, in the first set but managed to win only one game the remainder of the set. In the second set, Olson took a 4-3 led, but Vandierendonck came back to win the set, 6-4, and the title.

“Every year it’s more difficult to win here. Nancy was determined today. She has given me a hard time in the past. But I play better when I’m behind,” Vandierendonck said.

For the first time in the 12-year history of the event, the men’s singles final today will have a champion other than Randy Snow or San Clemente’s Brad Parks. Snow, who has won the last four titles, retired before the season, and Parks, third-seeded, lost to fifth-seeded Jim Black of Oceanside, 7-6 (7-5), 6-0, 6-2, in Saturday’s semifinals.

After dropping the first set in a tie-breaker, 7-5, Black dominated Parks, winning 12 of the last 14 games.

Steven Welsh upset top-seeded Laurent Giammartini of France, 6-3, 7-6, to advance to the final. Playing in the U.S. Open for the first time, Welsh used his speed to advantage.

“I set a goal just to get to the semifinals,” Welsh said. “Now, I can’t just sit back and say I’m satisfied. I have to go out tomorrow with the same determination.”

The victory was Welsh’s first in three meetings with Giammartini. “It helps that we’ve played before,” Welsh said.

The men’s final between Welsh and Black is scheduled to start at noon. Admission is free. Saturday’s results:

WOMEN’S SINGLES final--Chantal Vandierendonck (the Netherlands) d. Nancy Olson (Stony Point, N.Y.), 6-4, 6-4.

MEN’S SINGLES semifinals--Steve Welsh (Bedford, Texas) d. Laurent Giammartini (France), 6-3, 7-6; Jim Black (Oceanside) d. Brad Parks (San Clemente), 6-7, 6-0, 6-2.

QUAD SINGLES semifinals--Brian Hanson (Hayward) d. Robert Spindler (Altamonte Springs, Fla.), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Rick Draney (Oceanside) d. Kevin Whalen (Birmingham, Ala.), 6-2, 6-3.

MEN’S SINGLES B semifinals--David Hobler (Oakland) d. Daniel Lopez (Belgium), 6-3, 6-1; James Terpenning (Cornwall, N.Y.) d. Aslam Abubaker (Great Britain), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

MEN’S SINGLES C semifinals--Patrick Donaghey (Roslyn Heights, N.Y.) d. Mario Rodriguez (Houston), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Joe Perez (Albany, N.Y.) d. Brad Justice (Encinitas), 7-5, 6-1.

MEN’S DOUBLES A semifinals--Peter Norfolk-Bob Dockerill (Great Britain) d. Charles Irizarry (Largo, Fla.)-John Box (Orange), 6-2, 6-4; Greg Gibbons-Perry Martin (Birmingham, Ala.), d. Jimmy Lankford (Henry, Texas)-Tony Lara (Chino), 7-5, 6-0.