Clifford (Kip) Couch was one of the best players in the early APTA championships and was among the first group of individuals inducted into the Platform Tennis Hall of Fame in 1965. The sports writer George Trevor of The Sun (New York) called him the “stylist of the paddle tennis realm.”
Don McNeill and Rob Carlisle taped an on-the-spot Men’s Nationals commentary from Fox Meadow Tennis Club which was later broadcast over NBC’s “Monitor” program
The Nationals now included a Men’s senior event, the 45 or over (this was changed to 50+ in 1965 as too many 45+ players were still very competitive in the Men’s).
Fittingly the new APTA President James Carlisle won the inaugural Men’s Senior with partner Berkeley Johnson, and was a finalist in the Mixed.
The Women’s final pitted two-time champion Louise Ganzenmueller against her sister-in-law Louise Raymond.
The sister-in-law won.
Source: Fessenden S. Blanchard, Platform Paddle Tennis, 1959, and Paddle World Feb/Mar 1979
Carlisle had served as APTA Secretary the previous two years. He was a multiple Nationals winner and the only one to use an underhand serve.
Carlisle received the APTA Honor Award in 1966.
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