By James Zug
Photos by Todd Rothstein
In early January Merion Cricket Club hosted its 50th William White Tournament. Two hundred and seventy players entered in 18 draws spread across hardball and softball singles and hardball doubles. Over 460 people came to the black-tie dinner-dance, making it the largest social event Merion has ever hosted in its century and a half history.
The tournament began in 1962 as the brainchild of national champion Ben Heckscher. Merion had an illustrious history of players—its members swept the five major men’s titles in 1959—but never hosted an adult tournament. Bill White, the longtime pro at Merion, died in the mid-fifties and they decided to name the new tournament after him. Later, after Merion pros Brendan McRory & Jimmy Tully died, the club named the doubles draw after them.
The social side of the William White was always wonderful. Three couples have met at the White and later married. For a time in the sixties Joe Carroll, the famed jazz vocalist, came down from New York with his band. This year the CTO 5th Avenue Band, which rocked the White last year, played from the ballroom balcony in order to give enough room for all the people dancing.
The first couple of years of the William White looked completely different from today. There were just two draws. The singles was a five-man round-robin and the doubles was a sort of member-guest, with an out-of-towner paired with a Philadelphian. (Thus, there were just 37 players at the weekend.) After Merion renovated its courts in 1965, both formats changed to a regular 16-man draw for the singles and an open doubles.
Innovation was always a by-word at the William White. The singles consolation in the late sixties used a softball. In 1973 the White became the first major invitational to include professionals (Sharif Khan won the singles and Hashim Khan paired with Ralph Howe to win the doubles.) In 1977 Geoff Hunt, the world champion, won the White singles. In 1989 the White began adding veteran draws and after a lull for court conversion, returned in 1996 with softball draws and expanded age-group draws. Women began playing in the William White in 2002.
Some historic, close matches have occurred at the William White. In 1965 Diehl Mateer and Henri Salaun played each other for the last time in an open tournament (Salaun won 15-14 in the fifth). That kind of scoreline seems like a Merion tradition. In 1967 Ben & Maurice Heckscher beat Vic Elmaleh & Kerry Martin 18-17 in the fifth in the finals. A year later Sam Howe (still the career leader with six White singles titles) saved two match points, squandered three more before beating Bob Hetherington 18-17 in the fifth. In 2004 Eric & Alex Eiteljorg beat Eric Vlcek & Tom Harrity 17-16 in the fifth, with Eric Eiteljorg rupturing his Achilles tendon on the double match point. And last year Vlcek & Harrity turned the tables when they won 18- 17 in the fifth in the vet doubles over Geoff Kennedy & Rob Whitehouse.
Close matches were again the norm in the golden anniversary William White, especially in the men’s open doubles. Trevor McGuinness & Whitten Morris lost last year in the finals when Morris tore his calf in the second game. Revenge was hard to come by. They won their quarters and semis matches 15-12 in the fifth; in the finals, trying to beat Shane Coleman & John White, a pair that they lost to in the semis of the Gold Racquets a month before, it went into overtime in the fifth, 18-16, before they won their fourth title.
Other notable stories. In the 60+ hardball singles, Paul Chan saved three match balls in the fifth to overcome Tefft Smith. Joyce Davenport, age 70, reached the semis of the women’s open draw, partnered with Suzie Pierrepont. Jamie Heldring was a monster all weekend. On Thursday he was asked to sub in for an injured Scotter Doring in the 55s. On Saturday night he and his wife Geri danced until the band quit at midnight and yet, having played five tough doubles matches already in the weekend, he rebounded nicely for two more on Sunday. Peter Stokes & Heldring won the 55s finals 3-0 over Bill Strong & Hobie Porter. Geordie Lemmon & Heldring then won the 50s finals 3-1 over Ned Edwards & Rich Sheppard.
The William White has always invited young players, and in recent years whole collegiate teams have descended upon Merion for the weekend. This year Amanda Sobhy, like Heldring, played in two draws. The Harvard first-year student won a match in the men’s open before losing to Penn’s Dani Greenberg in the quarters and easily won the women’s open draw (which had 30 women in it). For the second year, an “Elite 8” draw of professional men was also played. Daryl Selby again won it, beating Miguel Angel Rodriguez in a five-gamer.
