Unless an athlete is exceptional, 10 years can be the difference between being at the top of a sport or stuck at the bottom.
Rhona Kaczmarczyk proved she was the exception Sunday, winning the women’s singles championship at the Denver City Open 10 years after winning the tournament for the first time.
Kaczmarczyk, 41, beat Susan Wright 7-5, 7-5. Wright, 48, is ranked No. 1 in the world in the 45-and-older division.
Bart Scott won the men’s singles title for the second straight year, defeating Willie Dann 6-3, 7-6 (1).
Kaczmarczyk won in straight sets, but her grueling, two-hour match required composure. Wright started the match in command, winning the first two games, but Kaczmarczyk settled down and won five of the next six games before winning the set. The second set started off like the first as Wright took a 4-2 lead, and it looked like the match would go to three sets. Although she appeared tired, Kaczmar- czyk went on to win five of the next six games again to claim the title.
“In the beginning I was really nervous and didn’t know how to play her,” Kaczmarczyk said. “I knew what my game plan was, but I was all over the place trying to figure out how to put some of my points together.”
For most of the match Wright was in control, frequently running Kaczmar- czyk from baseline to baseline, but she never panicked. Kaczmarczyk used a slicing backhand to return Wright’s best shots and gain momentum.
This victory was especially rewarding to Kaczmarczyk because the Denver Tennis Club, site of the Denver City Open, was the first place she worked when she moved to the Mile High City from Texas. She was a tennis instructor at the club before winning her first title.
“I was trying not to focus on the fact that it was a final and that it was here,” Kaczmarczyk said. “This is a great club, I love it here, love the people, so it was hard to put all that behind me and focus.”
Kaczmarczyk will play in the Colorado State Open next, July 8-16 at the Gates Tennis Center in Denver. Kaczmarczyk hopes to get dual citizenship next week when she applies to become an American citizen. She is a citizen of Ireland, but wants to compete internationally for the United States in the 40-and-older division.
Kaczmarczyk and Scott each took home $1,000 for winning. Dann and Wright each won $500.
In the men’s final, both players relied on their serves, with Scott never losing on his and breaking Dann’s serve just once.
“I couldn’t even get close to him on his serve; he just kept me off balance,” Dann said. “To get broke once and still lose is not too bad.”
Scott used accurate cross-court forehands to set up his powerful baseline backhands that were too hard for Dann to return. Even after good, hard- to-hit shots from Dann, Scott played tough angles for winning points.
“It feels nice to repeat,” Scott said. “I knew I was serving real well, I didn’t see a break point in the semis or today. I just tried to keep my focus.”
While Dann talked to himself on the court to get ready for serves, Scott went through superstitious rituals to stay calm and focused. During breaks he would sip his water three times, bounce the ball three times and tap his feet. He would pick up all three balls and juggle them in his hands to decide which to keep and serve and which to discard.
“It’s just all about rhythm,” Scott said. “I’ll bounce the ball up and try to balance it right on top of the other one. Because if I am too nervous, it’s a gauge for me. It helps me calm down and keep my composure.”
Brandon Meachum can be reached at 303-820-1720 or bmeachum@denverpost.com.