Things were hotly contested as usual on Day 2 of the Club Championships Doubles tourney. The Women’s Ball Bashers produced two three-setters and two tiebreaks in six matches, and the favorites were more than tested.
After cruising in their opening match, top-seeded Monica Robb and Pam Lemon, faced a scare from Angela Mitrisin and Beverly Adams. After claiming the first set 6-3, Monica and Pam dropped the second by the same score. Although games were competitive in the third set, Angela and Bev could not close any of them, losing 0-6.
Monica and Pam will face Bonnie Graham and Bev Auda, who upset the second-seeded pair of Connie Hess and Lili Canfield in two nail-biting sets. Bonnie and Bev won the first set 7-5, and went up 5-1, before Connie and Lili fought their way back to reach a tiebreak. Connie and Lili then clawed their way back from a 6-3 deficit in the tiebreak, but succumbed to the determine Bonnie and Bev 9-7. Tomorrow’s final ought to be another massive struggle to the end.
Maintaining the intensity of competition, the Women’s All Aces semis gave us one three-setter and one tiebreak in the two matches. Representing one half of last season's championship team, Kathy Lanzalotta, teamed with Janet Craycraft, who is recently off injury, in her repeat effort. Kathy and janet dropped the first set 2-6, to Judy Schafft and Kathy Karofsky, but rallied to win 6-1, 6-3 in the final sets. The scores of the final two sets are deceptive, because the quality of play was exceptionally high right down to the final points.
The other half of the final will feature last year’s Finalists, Carole Shapiro and Janie Heck, battled Jemin Martinsen, a Triple Crown winner last season, and Judy Wilson, a Double Crown winner in the Ball Bashers Division last year. Carole and Janie got out to a nice lead in both sets, but Jemin and Judy fought back both times, saving several match points in the second set. Carole and Janie eventually emerged with a very tough 6-4, 7-6 victory. They are hoping their second time around as a team will be the charm.
The women’s Court Crashers also produced at least one humdinger of a match, when reigning Doubles Champion, Sally Mellendorf, who is teamed with Meg Jacobs this time, faced Current Singles Champion Jayme Lewis and Linda Gardiner. In a symmetrical war, Sally and Meg eked out the victory (4-6, 6-4, 6-4), and will face the team of Lori Frantz and Nancy Davis. Lori and Nancy started a little slowly in their match against Linda Riedl and Kathy Masiello, but they finished strong, winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3.
The division that produced the most fireworks today was the Men’s Ball Bashers, as both semifinal winners had to go three sets to make it to the final. In one of the longest matches of the day (well over 2 hours), the “Double Doc” team of Dr. Rich Fox and Dr. Peter Karofsky, appeared to be on their way to an early termination, after dropping the first set 2-6 to Tim Jones and Bill Wright. But the docs had the “Wright” prescription, toughing out a second set tiebreak, and closing the third set at 6-4. Nice recovery Docs!
The second semifinal match features the team that is maximizing their time on the court. The Division’s top seeds, Bruno Glavich and John Hess, have played six sets in two matches, with five of the six sets going 6-4, and one finishing 7-5.
In their quarterfinal match on Friday, after receiving a bye, Bruno and John went 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 against Manny Lima and Peter Jensen. Today, they faced another team that got their money’s worth (six sets in two matches), Rich Meyers and Tim Baldwin, and won 7-5, 4-6, 6-4. If the final goes three sets, I don’t think anyone will be surprised.
The Men’s All Aces final will feature the only individual left in the Club Championships with the opportunity to win the Triple Crown, and if accomplished, it would his second consecutive sweep. Chip Graddy, who took all three events last season in the highest event division, is teamed with Geoff Negin (his championship teammate of a year ago) in attempts to repeat as All Aces Doubles Champion.
With a first round bye and a relatively trouble-free 6-2, 6-1 victory over a less-than-hundred-percent David Weber and Maxwell Thompson, a first-year competitor in this division, the two seem poised to repeat. However, Alan Canfield and Arnie Wohl, will do their best to derail such repeat hopes.
Alan and Arnie faced perennial Club Champion in multiple events, Gary Delanois, and Tennis Committee Chairman, Bob Ostrom in their semifinal match. Although Bob wasn’t 100%, he and Gary gave Alan and Arnie all they could ask for, falling 5-7, 4-6. It will be interesting to see what strategies Alan and Arnie will employ in attempts to derail the Graddy train that has been chugging merrily along since joining the club last season.
Perhaps Alan and Arnie should ask Don Pitts for some tips, because Don has become the upset specialist of the Club Championship season. After some surprising results in his singles foray, Don teamed with occasional player, Tim Carr, to topple the favored Ron Graham and Jim Masiello in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2 in the Court Craashers semifinal.
Don and Tim have another tough test in front of them as they will battle Ron Jones and Preston Clark. Ron and Preston dismantled the team of Tony Cupaiuolo and Ted Poppinga, 6-0 in the first set, but Tony and Ted scrapped their way to a close 4-6 loss in the second set.
There is no doubt that Ron and Preston have the tennis experience advantage over Don and Tim, but the speed advantage belongs to the latter duo. You know what they say about speed, right? Come out and see if what “they” say is correct, as the two teams collide in the morning.
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