Preston Clark and Ron Jones were favored to claim their second Club Championship and they didn’t disappoint. Although Don and Tim got off to a quick start, Preston and Ron came back to win the first set, 6-3. There was no quit in Don and Tim, however, and they took the second set 6-4. The crowd was anticipating another of the incredibly close three-setters we’ve experienced over the past few days, but Preston and Ron ran the table for a 6-0 third set.
Lori Frantz and Nancy Davis were in the hot seat in the ladies Court Crashers final, because they both play on higher level teams than Sally and Meg. The match was so even that teams and ratings were of little consequence.
Back and forth they went through the first set, and when sally and Meg broke serve to go up 5-4, it appeared that Meg would get her first Club Championship. But Lori and Nancy broke right back and held serve, losing only two points in two games, and went up 6-5. Sally and Meg held easily to get to the tiebreak, which was nip and tuck all the way until Lori and Nancy took the 7-5 breaker.
The second set was the same sort of back and forth affair, with Meg and Sally down a break early, before rallying to tie the set at 4-4. They were broken again, and Lori and Nancy served for the match at 5-4, but Sally and Meg stiffened yet again, to even the set at 5-5. Meg and Sally failed to hold once again, and after a tough deuce game, Lori and Nancy closed out the very entertaining match 7-5.
In the Men’s Court Crashers final, the speed and athleticism of Don Pitts & Tim Carr (who only plays tennis about twice per year at tournament time) were pitted against the experience and unorthodox shot-making of Ron Jones and Preston Clark. Just as a puncher always has a chance in a boxing match when faced with a superior boxer, speed and athleticism always has a chance in a tennis match.
When Don and Tim went up 2-0 in the first set, and had multiple break points in the third game, it appeared as though they had a pretty good chance. However, that experience came to the fore soon thereafter and Ron and Preston held serve in that third game and lost only one more game in the set, taking it 6-3.
The second set was nip and tuck until Don and Tim broke serve in the sixth game to go up 4-2, but neither team would hold serve again in the set, and Don and Tim evened the match, closing out the second set 6-4 by virtue of the fifth consecutive break between the two teams.
Ron and Preston were challenged on their serve in the fourth game of the third set, but they held, and that was the only challenge Don and Tim could mount for the remainder of the match. Ron and Preston eased their way through a 6-0 third set to earn their Club Championship.
Both the Men’s and Women’s Ball Bashers draws featured No. 1 seeds attempting to close the deal, and in both draws the top seeds had been tested before reaching the final. Monica Robb & Pam Lemon, who played in the All Aces Division last year, had to be considered ladies favorites coming into the event, and John was defending Ball Basher Champion, with a terrific partner, so he had to be the odds on favorite in the men’s.
Monica & Pam faced Bonnie Graham, a recent victor over cancer, and Bev Auda, a relatively new addition to the tennis family. Bonnie and Bev had edged the No.2 seeds in straight, but very tight sets the day before, and had proven their toughness in a three-set victory over the dangerous team of Jan Carlson and Gina LaManna. Monica and Pam had also proven their metal in overcoming the No.3-seeded Angela Mitrisin and Bev Adams in three sets in their semifinal match.
The stage was set for another of the nail-biters we’ve witnessed all tournament long. Bonnie and Bev started the match in fine fashion with a break of serve, then a hold, and held the break advantage until they served at 3-2. Monica and Pam broke serve, then held to pull ahead 4-3. But Bonnie and Bev would not be denied and ran off three consecutive games, fending off a break point in the last game of the set to claim it 6-4.
The stage was set for another of the nail-biters we’ve witnessed all tournament long. Bonnie and Bev started the match in fine fashion with a break of serve, then a hold, and held the break advantage until they served at 3-2. Monica and Pam broke serve, then held to pull ahead 4-3. But Bonnie and Bev would not be denied and ran off three consecutive games, fending off a break point in the last game of the set to claim it 6-4.
In the second set it was Monica and Pam who got the first break to go up 3-1, but couldn’t hold the advantage once again, and Bonnie and Bev tied the set at 3-3. They broke again to go up 5-4 and served out a love game to claim their first Club Championship. The victory was pretty impressive considering they had beaten a talented and seasoned team.
Although 10 of the 16 games played reached 40-30, only two games reached deuce. Apparently the two three-set matches Bruno and John had played in previous rounds resulted in their becoming a fine-tuned machine. John is now two-time Ball Bashers Champion, after losing in the first round two years ago. Yes, he’s come a long way baby!
Coming off what some might consider an upset victory over Gary Delanois and Bob Ostrom in the semis, Arnie and Alan had nothing to lose, and they played like it. Early in the match, however, points were hard to come by for Alan and Arnie. They won just three points in the first three games. But despite Chip’s high-kicking serve, his daunting presence of Chip at net, and Geoff showing improved doubles acumen, Arnie and Alan hung in there and clawed back to 2-3. Unfortunately they would win just two more points the rest of the set, as Chip and Geoff closed it out 6-2.The second set was a much closer affair, despite the 6-3 score. Chip and Geoff struggled through multiple deuces to hold in the first game of the set, and Alan and Arnie did the same, but both held. Alan’s athleticism and Arnie’s deadly lobs appeared to give them a fighting chance, and after a couple tough deuce games, they broke serve and took a 3-2 lead. Chip and Geoff broke back, and Alan and Arnie battled valiantly in the seventh game, holding multiple break points, but couldn’t solve the riddle of the Graddy serve.
It appeared that the steam had gone out of Alan and Arnie’s game, and they were broken at love to go down 3-5. But with Geoff serving for the match, Alan and Arnie stiffened and fought off two match points. Not stiff enough unfortunately, for they could get the break. Geoff had picked up his fourth Club Championship in three years in the top-level draw. Chip had claimed his fifth in two, and will be seeking to make it six straight when he teams with Jemin Martinsen (his Co-Champion of last season) in the Mixed Doubles Championship next month.
The match was dead even until Kathy and Janet broke serve in the seventh game and held to go up 5-3. Carole and Janie held at love to get to 4-5, broke back after saving set point to even it at 5-5, then held to go up 6-5, and were two points from the set at 15-30 on Kathy and Janet’s serve. But Kathy and Janet seemed to play best when the match was tightest. They held serve and ran away with the tiebreak, 7-2.
Kathy and Janet broke for a 4-2 lead, but showing incredible moxie, they saved game point in the following game and broke back. Janet and Kathy returned the favor to get within one game of the Championship at 5-3, but Carole and Janie refused to go away. They broke back, then held for 5-5. Both teams held to reach the tiebreak, but again, Kathy and Janet seemed to play best in the latter stages, and took the second tiebreak 7-2.
The quality of play and competitiveness displayed in the final match was a fitting climax to the best Club Championships we have seen over the past three years. We began and ended the first session of the event with the sensational Ball Bashers match played by Eddie Dance and Jake Keltner against Tom Auda and Charlie Beagan, and ended it with a thrilling Women’s All Aces Final. And, between those tremendous bookends, we had numerous other thrillers in all three divisions.
No comments:
Post a Comment