Hall and Foulks Sweep to ‘Unimportant’ Title

In tennis, “doubles aren’t important, singles is where the glory is.”

Or so that’s what Southern California’s David Hall and Michael Foulks claim. And they are probably right.

When their U.S. Open Wheelchair Tennis championship match started, only a few stragglers remained from the standing-room only crowd that earlier watched the singles’ final.

At the end of the doubles match, there was no one there handing out checks, awarding trophies or making congratulatory speeches like at the end of the singles match.

But winning their second consecutive title was still sweet for Hall and Foulks, the top-seeded team who celebrated their 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) victory over the Netherlands’ Ricky Molier and Eric Stuurman Sunday at the Racquet Club of Irvine.

“It’s fantastic,” said Foulks of La Jolla. “It’s the end of the season and this is the most prestigious tournament. So it does feel good.”

Foulks and Hall, who were making their third straight appearance in the finals, seemed to have no trouble returning Molier’s serve, which has been clocked at more than 90 mph. Hall and Foulks were on top of their game and Molier and Stuurman committed numerous unforced errors.

Hall and Foulks easily took the first set, jumping to a 4-1 lead before winning, 6-2.

In the second set, Molier and Stuurman took an early 2-0 lead, but Hall and Foulks rallied to go ahead, 4-2. Molier and Stuurman tied the set, 4-4, then the teams battled back and forth, forcing a tiebreaker. On Foulks’ service, he and Hall took a 6-3 lead and Hall put the match away with a blistering forehand that split Molier and Stuurman.

Foulks, suffering from a sore shoulder, and Costa Mesa’s Hall, who is recovering from numerous arm strains, put aside the pain in the final and credited the victory to playing their game.

“With Dave pounding away from the baseline and me patrolling the net,” said Foulks, 35, “to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t want to play us.”

Earlier in the day, Molier, the Paralympic gold medalist, defeated Steve Welch (Arlington, Texas), 6-7, (3-7), 7-5, 6-3, to win his first U.S. Open title.