Glendale native Tina Karwasky helps United States win pair of events

International tennis tournaments appear to bring out the best in Tina Karwasky.

While continental flights can be exhausting, it hasn’t slowed down the Glendale resident on the court. Her latest excursion to Europe netted additional success, as Karwasky helped the United States to multiple championships in Austria.

Karwasky led the United States Alice Marble Cup team to a top finish in the 33rd International Tennis Federation Super Seniors World Team Championships on Sept. 14 before turning around to participate in the International Tennis Federation Individual World Championships that concluded with her winning the 60-and-over singles and doubles championships Sept. 22.

“It’s great to win it again,” said Karwasky, who helped the United States capture the Marble Cup for the fourth year in a row. “There were some nerve-wracking moments along the way, but we were able to get through it.”

Karwasky teamed up in the 60-and-over division with Kerry Young of Maitland, Fla., Martha Downing of Shingle Springs, Calif., and Mary Ginnard of Fort Lauderdale in the Klagenfurt region of Austria. Karwasky served as the team captain.

After the United States opened the Marble Cup with victories against Poland, Croatia, Germany and Great Britain, it was pitted against Austria in the championship.

Young fell, 6-4, 7-5, to Maya Kerschbaum. Karwasky tied it up for the United States with a 6-3, 6-3 singles win against Maria Pichler before pairing up with Ginnard to record a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 doubles victory against Pichler and Kerschbaum in the clinching doubles match.

“After Kerry lost, we had to win to stay even,” said Karwasky, currently No. 2 in the latest International Tennis Federation singles rankings in the 60-and-over bracket and, along with Ginnard, ranked No. 1 in doubles by the ITF in the division. “That put the pressure on me.

“It was tough playing somebody from the host country. In singles, we were 3-3 and I won that next game and kept it rolling. It just seemed like every point was nerve-wracking, but I’m glad I beat her in straight sets.”

Karwasky said the doubles championship was similar to her singles match.

“We were down, 5-1, in the first set and we knew we could come back,” Karwasky said. “Mary and I started to get stronger as the first set went on.

“We got that first set and we had the momentum. I know it was a big sense of relief to win it. Every situation is different. You have to be able to go out there and compete and not make any excuses.”

After a couple of days off, Karwasky then participated in the 33rd ITF Super Seniors World Individual Championships in Poertschach, Austria. After receiving a bye in the first round in singles, Karwasky notched a 6-4, 6-2 second-round win versus Wendy Gilchrist of Austria.

She then made quick work in the third round, dispatching Germany’s Edeltraud Lier, 6-0, 6-0. In the quarterfinals, Karwasky earned a 6-0, 6-1 win against Caroline Glaszmann of France before posting a 6-0, 6-2 semifinal victory against Kerry Ballard of Australia.

In the championship match, Karwasky picked up a 6-1, 6-3 win versus Nora Blom of the Netherlands on Sept. 22 to win the event for the second straight year.

“You just have to be ready to move on to the next chapter right away,” Karwasky said. “I was getting more confidence with each singles match.

“Against Nora, I had to hit the ball early and just play my game.”

Earlier in doubles, Karwasky and Ginnard had a first-round bye before registering a 6-0, 6-0 second-round win against Angelika Grunberger of Austria and Tatiana Ponurovskaya of Russia. The duo then teamed up to record a 6-0, 6-0 quarterfinal win versus Sylvia Balkow and Irene Smutny of Germany.

In the semifinals, Karwasky and Ginnard got a 6-4, 6-0 win against Ballard and Gilchrist.

Karwasky and Ginnard then picked up a 6-1 6-2 win against Great Britain’s Pauline Fisher and Shirley Fox in the final to repeat as champions.

“Mary and I have a great partnership,” Karwasky said. “We are able to discuss strategies.

“We had to be able to hit out shots. We kept getting more confident with each match.”