10/30 Results.

10/30/16:

"Samara hosts 14 at AP!:

There was just one session of GTA Sunday Tennis: the usual morning session at The Albion Park Courts hosted by "Hollywood" Frank Samara. 

When Samara pulled up to the courts at 10am, he saw "The Lumberjack" Ryan Pienciak out on the North Court (Ryan said he gotten there around 9:50 as he first thought 10am would be the starting-time per the e-mail from Samara...turns out Frank had originally said 10:30) while "The Vin Man" Vinnie De Benedetto was still waiting in his car.

Frank and Vin soon walked down the hill and through the gate before stepping onto the North Court as they each hit against Ryan until they later switched it up with Samara going solo.

It took a while for a fourth player to arrive.  These three players were hoping for some Doubles.

Finally, "MC Quick" Mike Carruci came through at 10:35.  Samara soon proposed the idea of a full Doubles Match which would enable his team with De Benedetto to remain active in the ranks of the Doubles Division while Ryan and Mike could get ranked as a team as well.

The only possible problem was the fact that both Vin and Mike said they needed to leave around noon.  So Frank proposed the idea of a 10-Point Super Tiebreak if the two teams ended up splitting sets.  The only caveat being at that point, the rank of the Samara/De Benedetto team would no longer be on the line.  The match would then just serve the purpose of keeping that Samara/De Benedetto tandem active in the ranks while also introducing the Pienciak/Carucci team into the Doubles Division.

The other three players were fine with this proposal.  And, as it turns out, it was a good thing that said conversation was had ahead of time.

The match officially got underway at exactly 10:43.  Around seven minutes later, GTA Champion: "King Crush" Chris Chiaro arrived and sat for a bit to watch the match.

The idea of scrapping the match and having it only be a One-Setter in order to make sure that Chiaro would not be "the fifth wheel" for too long did come up...but it also did not last long as "Mr. 500" Levy Lorenzo was the next to arrive at 10:55.

At 11am, both "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes and "Coach" Dino Celis made their way (separately) to the courts.  Soon there was a hitting session on Center Court as both Chris and Levy hit to Nate.  Meanwhile, Dino was eating his lunch while sitting on the bench alongside the North Court.

At 11:15, "Lean" Dean Delgado, "Bravo" Brenda Jordan and "Dominant" Dawn Peterson all arrived at the same time.  This led to Levy shifting over to the South Court with the three of them for some Mixed Doubles (it ended up becoming a full 2 out of 3 Sets Match) while Chiaro and Fernandes faced off in a Singles One-Setter on Center Court.

Celis, who fashions himself as something of a "photog", took some pics of the action going on at the courts around this time.

The Chiaro-Fernandes One-Setter finished at 11:45 and then Chris left just as "Eddie O" Edwin Ortega was arriving.  Five minutes later, "Holy Moly" Mike Mole also made his way toward the courts.

Mike and Edwin soon joined Nate and Dino in watching the way the full Men's Doubles Match was playing out on the North Court as a 2nd Set Tiebreak then gave way to a full 10-Point Super Tiebreak!  That match finally finished at 12:13.  Kudos to both Vin and Mike for hanging in and seeing it through to its proper conclusion.  They both left immediately after and Frank and Ryan then took the bench alongside the North Court to allow the four guys who had been waiting there a chance to play on the North Court.  Though first, Pienciak threw out an Open Challenge for someone to play him in Singles, but nobody bit at the bait.

The two teams of Fernandes/Celis and Mole/Ortega got their One-Setter underway at exactly 12:17.  Eight minutes later, "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan made her way onto the courts and soon entered into a hitting session with Pienciak on Center Court.

Hot on her heels was "Spin Doctor" Dan Martinelli, but he was only coming to make an extended cameo appearance as he looked to be quite banged up from his earlier Sunday football game at Latteri Park in Clifton.

When the Men's Doubles One-Setter on the North Court ended, Dino willingly pulled himself out of the next one in order to let Ryan take his place.  Celis and Capan then continued the hitting session on Center Court.

When the full Mixed Doubles Match finished on the South Court at 12:49, we did not have anyone in place to keep the court.  As a result, a mother with her two young boys were able to take it over at 1:05.  But, eventually, once Dino grew tired of hitting and joined Frank and Spin on the bench alongside the North Court...Gen headed over to that court and hit with the boys all the way until 2pm.

The last Doubles One-Setter on the North Court ended exactly at 1:01.  Mole then issued an Open Challenge for Singles.  Pienciak was tempted to bite at it, but knew he already had to leave if he wanted to stay in the good graces of his wife and children.  So Edwin jumped at the opportunity instead as Ryan called it a day.

Frank and Spin both left at 1:30 and Dino would soon follow as well.

After Mole battled Ortega, he then faced off against "Big Kaz" Mike Kazlauskas.  This gave us a total of 14 official competitors (which does not include Gen who only got involved in hitting sessions).

Given how extraordinary the weather was...sunny and 70 plus degrees with no wind...some of us were actually surprised that the total number of players wasn't even higher.

Let's now go to the results.

The Albion Park Results:

2 out of 3 Sets Doubles Match:
Frank Samara/Vinnie De Benedetto over Ryan Pienciak/Mike Carucci, 6-2, 6-7 (7-2), 10-7 (STB), to remain active in the Doubles Division (their rank was no longer on the line once it went to the Super Tiebreak) as the Pienciak/Carucci team entered the division as the New # 68 Ranked Team! No Aces.

1st Set: Frank held serve (Mike blew an overhead and then Frank hit a drop shot winner in the next point to go up 30-Love and then Ryan hit a hard return which forced Vin to blow a volley for 30-15, but then it went to Double Game Point and the hold), Ryan held (un-returned serve for 15-Love, 30-Love, 30-15 and then Double Game Point where Mike hit a winning volley to secure his partner's hold), Vinnie held (Triple Break Point where an un-returned serve made it Double Break Point and then Vin hit a vicious volley to cut it to Break Point where Frank hit a passing shot winner which was a shot hit on the run that made its way over the post as it streaked down the Doubles Alley out of the opposition's reach and now it was Deuce and then Game Point where Frank hit another impressive winner, this time down the middle to secure his partner's hold), but Mike was the first to be broken (Double Fault for Love-30, it then shifted to 30-All with an un-returned serve and then a winning Backhand Volley by Ryan, but then Vin hit a winning Overhead Smash to set up Break Point where another Double Fault caused Mike to break himself) for a 1-3 start!  Samara held again (an un-returned serve followed by a blown overhead by Ryan made it 30-Love, it then went to 30-15, Double Game Point and the hold), but Pienciak was broken (Frank hit his Windmill Overhead Smash which found its landing place back near the baseline but also gave enough time for Ryan to run it down and send back a short lob of a shot right where Vin placed himself only to then find himself confused and not play it at all as it ended up being a strange winner for 15-Love, then a Double Fault made it 15-All, it then went 15-30, 30-All, Break Point and the break) to fall to 1-5.  De Benedetto was also broken and it was all his partner's fault as Frank blew back-to-back volleys and then blew an overhead to set up Triple Break Point where Frank redeemed himself slightly with one winning volley to bring it down to Double Break Point only to mess things up again with a blown volley for the break as his team's lead was cut to 5-2!  But Carucci was broken again (Frank hit a victorious volley for Love-15, then it was 15-All, a Double Fault for 15-30 and then it was 30-All where Vin hit another one of his signature volleys to set up Break/Set Point where Frank hit a more whipping Windmill Overhead Smash than his previous one to get the break and take the set) as this set ended exactly at 11:08 (it had gotten underway on the North Court at 10:43)!  Just one minute later, they were onto the next one.

2nd Set: Frank was broken at Love as Ryan made a winning return and a great get along the way, Ryan then held at Love as Vin blew two volleys on the way to Triple Game Point and then an un-returned serve secured the hold and then Vinnie found himself down Love-30 on his serve after Mike hit a winning volley and then he hit a winning Backhand Volley.  This meant that the Pienciak/Carucci tandem had just taken the first ten points of the set!  It then shifted to 30-All, however, as Frank made a great get to swing one of those two winning points in his team's favor.  But then it went to Break Point and the break as Vinnie was broken for 0-3!  Mike was broken (started with a Double Fault and then Vin hit a winning Overhead Smash for Love-30, it shifted to 30-All as both Mike and Ryan hit winners, but then came Break Point and the break) and Samara held (back-to-back winning volleys by Vin made it 30-Love, but then it shifted straight to Break Point as Vin blew a volley and Ryan hit a winning return along the way, but then it went to Deuce where Vin hit a winning Overhead Smash for Game Point where Vin followed up with yet another winning Overhead Smash to secure the hold) to pull to 2-3.  Pienciak held again (Frank hit a wicked and winning Overhead Smash for Love-15, but then it went right to Double Game Point as Mike hit a winning volley and Frank blew a volley along the way and then Frank blew an overhead to allow the hold) as his team went up 4-2!  De Benedetto held (an excellent rally opened the game at 15-Love and then it was 30-Love where Ryan hit one of his monster Overhead Smashes for 30-15, it then went to Double Game Point and Game Point where Frank hit a winning Backhand Volley to secure his partner's hold) and Carucci was broken again (Frank made a great get/winner combo that had Mike backpedaling to make it Love-30, it was then Triple Break Point where Ryan hit another one of his big chopping Overhead Smashes to cut it down to Double Break Point, but then Ryan blew a volley to allow the break) to knot the score at 4-4!  Hollywood held again (Vin hit a winning volley for 30-Love, it then went 30-15, Double Game Point where Ryan made a great get/return combo on a near ace that caused Vin to blow the volley and bring it to Game Point where an un-returned serve secured the hold) to earn his team's first lead of the set at 5-4, but The Lumberjack held yet again (15-Love was where what was perhaps the rally of the match ended with an awesome get/winner combo from Frank for 15-All which was then answered by an untouchable drop shot winner by Ryan for 30-15, it then went to 30-All and Break/Set Point where Ryan made an amazing get/winner combo of his own to bring it to Deuce and then Vin blew a volley to set up Game Point and then came the hold) to stay alive at 5-5!  The Vin Man also held again (30-Love, 30-15 where Vin hit a big-time winning Overhead Smash for Double Game Point which was where Ryan made another great get/winner combo to cut it down to Game Point, but then came the hold) to go up 6-5, but then MC Quick came through in the clutch with a hold of his own (Love-15 went straight to Double Game Point as Vin blew an overhead, Mike made one of his speedy gets that caught Vin so unaware that he ended up blowing the volley by missing the shot entirely and then the hold came at that D.G.P.) to force the Tiebreak!  In the Breaker: Frank was broken on his lone serve and then Ryan was broken on the first of his two serves when Frank hit a winner, but then Ryan replied with a winner of his own to hold his second serve for 2-1.  Vinnie was broken on the first of his two serves to fall to 1-3, but then held his second to pull to 2-3.  But from there, Mike held the first of his two serves for 4-2 at the changeover and then he held his second as well after Ryan hit a crushing Overhead Smash for a 5-2 lead!  Samara was broken on the first of his two serves when Ryan hit a winning volley which made it 2-6 and Break/Set Point going into his second service where Ryan hit another one of those whopping Overhead Smashes to get the break, the point, the TB and the set to level the match at 12noon (they had begun this Tiebreak at 11:55)!  In the very next minute, they were into the Super Tiebreak!

STB: Ryan was broken on his lone serve after Vin hit a vicious volley, but then Vin blew a volley on his first serve for 1-1 only to have Ryan then blow a volley to allow a 2-1 lead for the opposition.  Mike was then broken on his first serve after Vin hit a blast of an Overhead Smash for 1-3, but then Mike held his second serve to pull to 2-3.  Frank held the first of his two serves for 4-2 at the changeover and then was broken on his second to have his team's lead cut to 4-3.  Pienciak was then broken on both of his serves to fall to 3-6 and then De Benedetto held the first of his two serves after Frank scored with a drop shot winner that had just a little extra slice on it as they went up 7-3!  Vin was then broken on his second serve and Carucci held the first of his two serves after Ryan hit an emphatic winner of an Overhead Smash to pull to 5-7 at the time of the second changeover.  Mike was broken on his second serve, however, as an 8-5 lead was now handed to the opposition with Samara now going on serve.  Ryan made an amazing get/winner combo that caused Frank to be broken on his first serve and have his team's lead cut to 8-6, but Samara then held his second service to go up 9-6 and set up Match Point.  Service now returned to The Lumberjack who cut down that first M.P. with another chopping Overhead Smash to pull to 7-9 and the 2nd Match Point.  And then what happened next was the proverbial pin in the balloon as the air of opportunity burst in a most anticlimactic fashion when Ryan hit a Double Fault to end this one as unceremoniously as one could imagine at 7-10!  The time was 12:13 as both Vin and Mike headed for the hills to get home as soon as possible.

The Skinny: In a year full of great Doubles Matches, this one may miss the cut in consideration as a Nominee for Doubles Match of The Year at season's end.  Had it not ended with that Double Fault and perhaps if Pienciak held for 8-10...the chances for consideration would then greatly increase.  Oh well!  Still, it was a lot of fun and Carucci seemingly improved over the course of the match.  Meanwhile, his partner Pienciak was much like the opposition - Samara and De Benedetto, as they all had really hot moments followed by some downright cold and ugly ones.

Chris Chiaro over Nathan Fernandes, 6-3!  No Aces.  This was contested on Center Court from 11:20 to 11:45.  Chris left immediately after and then Nate had a hitting session with Dino before both of them were called into Doubles action.

2 out of 3 Sets Mixed Doubles Match:
Dean Delgado/Brenda Jordan over Levy Lorenzo/Dawn Peterson, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), as both teams entered the Mixed Doubles Division as the New # 44 and # 45 Ranked Teams respectively!  No Aces.  This match took place on the South Court from 11:25 to 12:49.

Nathan Fernandes/Dino Celis over Mike Mole/Edwin Ortega, 6-0!  Dino: 1 Ace on Mike.  This one did not occupy too much time on the North Court as it started at 12:17 and was over at 12:36!

Nathan Fernandes/Ryan Pienciak over Mike Mole/Edwin Ortega, 6-2!  No Aces.  Another battle fought on the North Court, it lasted from 12:37 to 1:01.

Edwin Ortega over Mike Mole, 6-4!  No Aces.  This one got underway on the North Court at 1:05.  Not sure when it ended as I had left before it finished.

Mike Kazlauskas over Mike Mole, 7-6 (7-5)!  No Aces.  Gen said this one got going on the North Court right around 2pm as she was leaving.

Mike Mole over Mike Kazlauskas, 6-3!  No Aces.  Mole reported that they did not have time to play a 3rd Set and make it a full match.

Mike Kazlauskas sent in some additional commentary and it is as follows:

Big Kaz says: I decided to come out to Albion Park around 1:30 in the hopes that there would still be some players at the courts.  Mike Mole, Dino and another gentlemen (probably Edwin) were still there working on their serves.

Mike stayed to play with me for a bit while the other guys left.  After a brief hitting session, we decided to play a set.

In what ended up being the first One-Setter, I took an early lead of 4-0.  But Mike did a good job of coming back and breaking me a couple of times.  In the Tiebreak, I was leading 5-1 and Mike came back and cut my lead to 6-5.  However, I was able to get the final point and take the set.
 
Then we decided to play another set (the second One-Setter).  I took an early lead again at 2-0 and that is when my game just turned off.  Mike M. took the next 5 games to take the lead at 5-2.  I was able to hold my serve to cut his lead to 5-3.  However, Mike served it out for the win.  In this second One-Setter, Mike played really consistent forehand and backhand shots while my game just abandoned me and all the shots started sailing long or short.

Samara's Notes: I thank Gen and both Mikes for their very timely reporting.  All in all, it was a solid session and it was nice to be back at Albion.

All the best,
Frank Samara

10/29 Results.

10/29/16:

"Mole-Truong part of 8 at C.G.!:"

There was just one session of GTA Saturday Night Tennis: the usual later session up at The Cedar Grove Courts.  But this time around the usual host, The K Man" Kris Srinivasan, was not there.  Instead, there was a 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match between "Holy Moly" Mike Mole and "A-Tru" Andrew Truong (which Mike reported directly) along with a pair of Doubles One-Setters (the results of which came via "Mr. 500" Levy Lorenzo) and a Singles One-Setter (as reported by "Big Kaz" Mike Kazlauskas). 

Let's now go to the results as reported by Mike M., Levy and Mike K. in that order.

The Cedar Grove Results:

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:
Andrew Truong over Mike Mole, 6-2, 6-2, to become both the New # 24 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division and the New # 7 Ranked Player in the Intermediate Division!  Mike: 3 Aces!

Levy Lorenzo/Herb Reiner over Andrew Truong/Natalia Sout, 6-2!  No Aces.  It was the official GTA Return of Herb Reiner.

Jose Gonzales/Levy Lorenzo over Andrew Truong/Natalia Sout, 6-3!  No Aces.

Jordan Bachvaroff over Mike Kazlauskas, 7-5!  Mike: 1 Ace.

Big Kaz says: Jordan's consistent play was the deciding factor.  I had a couple of chances, but could not convert.  Jordan was serving for the set leading 5-3, but I was able to break him and then hold my serve to make it 5-5.  Jordan then held his serve for 6-5 and I was broken again to take the loss.

Samara's Notes: I thank Mike, Levy and Mike for their very timely reporting. 

Best wishes,
Frank Samara

10/28 Results.

10/28/16:         

"Ortega-Santos in Wayne, Kris hosts 4 at C.G.!":                                          

GTA Friday Tennis took place in two locations: a late afternoon/early evening session at The Nellis Drive Courts (across from The Wayne Bubble) as "Eddie O" Edwin Ortega and "Stealth" Omar Santos got together for a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match (as reported by Omar), and then the usual evening session up at The Cedar Grove Courts hosted by "The K-Man" Kris Srinivasan (who acted as host, but did not officially play).

Let's go to Omar's recap right now.

The Nellis Drive Result:

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Omar Santos over Edwin Ortega, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, to become both the New # 22 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division and the New # 5 Ranked Player in the Intermediate Division!  No Aces.

The Stealth Report: We played from 3:15 to 5:30.  Despite the windy conditions, we managed to brave it out.  It is always a seesaw battle between us.  Edwin was still recovering from a cough and a cold, so that might have helped me get the win.

Samara's Notes: I thank Omar for his very timely reporting of this result and also congratulate him on an impressive victory. 

We now turn this report over to Kris.

I had not planned to play on this night, but Tito Castolo messaged me about playing with him and Norman Taclob.  Apparently, the reigning GTA Doubles Champions had to play a full Best of 3 Sets Match to remain active in the Doubles Division while waiting for their next two Top Contending Teams (the pending M2 Champs and pending Monk Memorial Champs) yet to emerge.

Senthil Kumar was willing to accommodate them and an early start was planned.  I was stuck and got there a bit late.  When I joined the others, Richard Reicht also was there…so I let him team with Senthil instead.

The Cedar Grove Results:

2 out of 3 Sets Non-Title Match:

Norman Taclob/Tito Castolo over Senthil Kumar/Richard Reicht, 6-2, 6-4, to remain active in the Doubles Division while Kumar/Reicht entered the division as the New # 67 Ranked Team!  No Aces (apparently).

Norman Taclob/Tito Castolo over Senthil Kumar/Richard Reicht, 7-6 (7-3)!  No Aces (apparently).

Senthil and Richard had a slow start, but soon were competing well…especially in that last One-Setter where they were in a good position to stay even until 3-All in the Tiebreak.  Richard was completely dehydrated and that affected his game.  Senthil was brilliant to a great extent.  Norman and Tito had the edge and with Tito scoring a ton of points with his drop shots where Richard didn't bother to kill himself trying to get to them...:-).

I left after the 1st Set (what with the cold temps and all), but Dave Zhu came after I left and summoned me back to the courts.  We just had a brief hitting session.  After the first two sets (the full match), I thought we would be next to get a shot, but that was not to be.  Cheers!

Samara's Notes: I thank Kris for hosting this session even though he did not get a chance to officially be a part of it as a player.  That is what we hosts must sometimes do.

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

 

10/27 Results.

10/27/16:         

"Shiao-Mehta in The Wayne Bubble!":                                          

Despite the rain, GTA Thursday Night Tennis did take place…it just had to be taken inside.  Tony "Sure Shot" Shiao and "Steppin' to the AM" Anish Mehta got together for a would-be full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match.  Too bad the clock had other ideas.

Let's go to Tony's report right now.

The Wayne Bubble Result:

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Anish Mehta over Tony Shiao, 1-6, 6-3, 10-7 (STB)!  Once they had to opt for a 10-Point Super Tiebreak rather than play a full 3^rd Set, Shiao's # 5 Rank in the Advanced Division was no longer on the line!  Anish: 2 Aces in the 2^nd Set!

The Sure Shot from Shiao: Anish and I were itching to play in this wet weather, so we reserved a court at The Wayne Bubble for 1.5 hours starting at 11am for a Rank Defense Challenge Match.  We met at The Bubble at 11am and got the match underway by 11:15. 

In the 1st Set, we were both adjusting to the indoors and the lighting.  I took this set at 6-1 which ended shortly before noon.  I got lucky with Anish's unforced errors on his one-handed topspin forehands and I had the stamina to run down his drop shots. 

When we stepped into the PM on the 2nd Set, Anish switched up his game and started hitting two-handed forehands which penetrated the court like a rocket.  His serves came alive and hit two Aces along with a few un-returnable second serves that kicked high and wide to my backhand.  He took this set at 6-3.

Due to the limited time remaining, we decided to play a 10-Point Super Tiebreaker.  We were going back and fourth on the points and it was tied 6-6 when we switched sides for the second time.  After that, it was soon over.  Anish took it at 10-7. 

We both played with high intensity and came in hard-charging.  I have to give Anish credit for figuring out my game and making the necessary adjustments in stepping it up from AM to PM!  It was a good win and I'm looking forward to playing him again!

Samara's Notes: I thank Tony for his very timely reporting of this result.  It is unfortunate that rank was no longer on the line, but rules are rules.  It has been long-established that in order to take someone's rank (or Title), you have to beat them in a full 3 Set Match.  Hopefully, the next time these two friendly rivals face off, they'll have the time to play a complete match where the rank remains on the line.

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

 

10/25 Results.

10/25/16:         

"Mole-Santos at AP, M2 Semi and Kuzavas-Celis part of 14 at C.G.!":                                          

GTA Tuesday Night Tennis took place at two locations: Albion Park in Clifton (featuring a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match between "Holy Moly" Mike Mole and "Stealth" Omar Santos, as reported by Mike) and The Cedar Grove Courts with "Hollywood" Frank Samara acting as host with assistance from the usual host, "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan and featuring the M2 Semifinal as GTA Champion: "King Crush" Chris Chiaro and "The Sultan of Swing" Raj Shah faced off against "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes and "Instant" Moka Pathan.  Plus, there was a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match between "Super Mario" Marijus Kuzavas and "Coach" Dino Celis.

We will first get the result from Mike at Albion and then we'll run the full recap of events at Cedar Grove.

The Albion Park Result:

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Mike Mole over Omar Santos, 6-3, 6-2, to successfully defend both the # 23 Rank in the Advanced Division and the # 6 Rank in the Intermediate Division!  No Aces.  We played this from 4pm to 5:20.

Mike Mole tied with Omar Santos, 3-3 (Incomplete)!  No Aces.  We didn't have time to finish this one due to darkness.

Samara's Notes: I thank Mike for his very timely reporting of those scores.  We now will detail all the comings and goings at Cedar Grove.

When Samara pulled into the parking lot at Cedar Grove, he saw that Courts One and Two were both vacant.  On Court Three, "Kevlar" Kevin Doyle and "The Rainmaker" Richard Reicht were having a hitting session with one another.

And on Court Four, the two teams in the M2 Semifinal – Chiaro/Shah and Fernandes/Pathan were already hitting against one another in preparation for their match.  In fact, the match officially got underway just three minutes later.

At 7:10, Kuzavas arrived for his upcoming match against Celis, but he took a seat next to Samara on the bench alongside Court Four as Frank was already taking notes about the M2 Semi.

Five minutes later, Natalia "Nitro" Sout arrived and also found a seat on that bench while Kris and Doinks Srinivasan (aka "The Marathon Woman") soon crossed the street as well.  Soon after, Natalia and Doinks went out onto Court Three for some Mixed Doubles with Kevin and Richard.

Kris, meanwhile, took a seat next to Frank and Marijus to observe the M2 Semi.  Despite the rapidly dropping temperatures (at 7pm, it was around 50 degrees…but the temps dropped precipitously…even more so once the winds returned), it was a very entertaining match to watch.  It captivated the attention of many along the way.

Celis arrived at 7:25 and then Kuzavas followed him out to Court One.  They had a hitting session just shy of ten minutes long as they got their match underway at 7:35.

In between those two times, "The Lumberjack" Ryan Pienciak had arrived at 7:30 and found himself to be the odd man out as Samara and Srinivasan continued to be in spectator mode for the M2 Semi.  So he took a seat next to them as well until an opportunity to play would open up for him.

At 7:50, the usual Asian couple (aka The Resistance…as they have resisted the invitation from Kris to come join us…LOL!) took over Court Four for a hitting session with one another.  The good thing for us is that they took the time to clear all the leaves off of that court.

But now we had a situation where all four courts were occupied.

"The Webmaster" Senthil Kumar arrived at 8:05 and he had to spend some time on the bench before finally getting involved in some Doubles action at 8:30.

The last arrival of the evening was "Rowdy" Rob Gawley at 8:20.  He was only able to find some crowded time on the bench alongside Natalia, Doinks and Frank as the four of them watched the still ongoing M2 Semi.  He decided to call it a night at 8:35 and head home.

Also, Kevin ended up leaving earlier at 8:20.  Doyle, ever the gentleman, gave up his spot in the ongoing Doubles situation on Court Three to make room for Ryan.  I just wanted to thank Kevlar Kevin for always being such a good guy.

We ended up with a fairly impressive total of fourteen players…given how downright cold it became later in the evening.  Not too shabby!

The Cedar Grove Results:

M2 Semifinal:

Chris Chiaro/Raj Shah over Nathan Fernandes/Moka Pathan, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), to advance to the M2 Finals while also successfully defending their # 8 Rank in the Doubles Division!  No Aces.

1^st Set: Chris held serve (Break Point where a winning Overhead Smash from Chris made it Deuce and then he hit an amazing passing shot winner to set up Game Point where his hold was then secured) and Nathan was broken (Double Break Point, Break Point and then the break) to start off down 0-2.  Raj held (Break Point where Raj hit a monster Overhead Smash for Deuce and then came a truly un-returnable serve to set up Game Point which was followed by yet another un-returnable serve to lock down the hold) to go up 3-0, but then Moka also held at Game Point to get his team onto the scoreboard at 1-3.  Chiaro was broken at Love to have his team's lead cut to 3-2, but Fernandes was broken again (Raj hit another killer Overhead Smash to set up Double Break Point where Chris then hit an equally awesome winner for the break) to fall to 2-4.  Shah held again (Raj hit another blast of an Overhead Smash to set up Double Game Point, but then Chris blew an overhead to have that lead cut to Game Point, but then came the hold) to put his team up 5-2, but Pathan also held again (an excellent rally led to Double Game Point where Moka then hit a blazing winner to secure his own hold) to pull to 3-5.  King Crush was broken a second straight time (on Double Break Point), but then Nate the Great was broken a third straight time (Chris blew what should have been an easy overhead to make it 30-All, it was then Break/Set Point where Raj hit a winning Overhead Smash for the break) to drop the set which started on Court Four at 7:08 and finished exactly at 7:44.  The next set began in the very next minute as Nate and Moka decided to switch up their return of service sides.

2^nd Set: Raj held yet again (Raj hit another lethal Overhead Smash to set up Game Point, but then Moka answered with an equally impressive Overhead Smash to make it Deuce, it went to Game Point again where Nate hit a winning volley for 2^nd Deuce, it then went to Break Point where Raj hit another winning Overhead Smash to make it 3^rd Deuce and then he came thru with an even bigger Overhead Smash to set up Game Point again and then came the hold), Moka held once more as well (it was Game Point where he hit a truly un-returnable hold to secure his own serve), Chris held (Triple Game Point where Chris blew a volley to cut the lead to Double Game Point and then Raj blew a volley to make it Game Point, but then came the hold) and Nathan finally held serve (Chris hit a precise drop shot winner to set up Break Point, but then Raj blew a volley to make it Deuce and then an un-returned serve set up Game Point and then came the hold) as they were on serve at 2-2.  Shah held yet another time (Chris hit the winner to set up Game Point, it went to Deuce where Raj hit a winning Overhead Smash to make it Game Point again and that was where Raj and Moka exchanged drop shots with the last one forcing the error from Raj to set up 2^nd Deuce and then it went to Break Point where Nate blew a volley to make it 3^rd Deuce where Moka then blew a volley which set up Game Point and then came the hold), but Pathan also held yet again (Moka hit an impressive winner for Double Game Point which soon got cut down to Deuce, but then it went to Game Point again where Chris blew a volley to allow the hold) as the set was leveled again at 3-3!  Chiaro also held (Triple Game Point where Raj blew an overhead to cut that lead down to Double Game Point and then a Double Fault made it Game Point which was where Moka hit an excellent passing shot winner for Deuce, it went to Game Point again where Moka made an amazing get which led to it going to 2^nd Deuce where Raj hit a big-time winner to make it Game Point, then it went to 3^rd Deuce which was where Chris hit a winning Overhead Smash to set up Game Point yet again and then an un-returned serve secured the hold), but Fernandes was broken at Break Point to fall to 3-5!  Then, The Sultan of Swing was broken for the first time (Raj blew an easy overhead to make it 30-All and then Chris blew a drop shot to set up Break Point, but then he hit a winner to make it Deuce only to have it go back to Break Point and then the break), but not Instant Moka who held yet again (Chris blew an overhead to set up Double Game Point, it was then Game Point where Raj hit a drop shot winner to make it Deuce, it went to Game Point again, then to 2^nd Deuce where Moka hit a winning lob for Game Point and then Nate hit a winning Overhead Smash to secure his partner's hold) to tie things up once again, this time at 5-5!  King Crush was broken (Game Point where Moka hit a sizzling passing shot winner for Deuce only to have Chris respond with a similarly successful passing shot winner to bring it back to Game Point, then 2^nd Deuce and Break Point where Nate hit a winning lob that just clipped the very back of the baseline for the break) to lose the lead at 5-6, but Nate the Great was broken yet again (Break Point where Nate hit a Samara-like Windmill Overhead Smash to make it Deuce, it was Break Point again where Raj blew what should have been a certain overhead to make it 2^nd Deuce, but then it went to Break Point again where what may have been the best rally of the match at that point was ended with an even better Overhead Smash from Chris for the break) as they were heading into the Tiebreak at 8:50 which they went right into in the very next minute!

The Tiebreak: Raj held his lone serve, then Moka was broken on the first of his two serves but then held his second after Nate hit what may have been his most punishing Overhead Smash to make it 1-2.  Chris held his first serve and then followed that with an un-returned one for a 4-1 lead.  Nate held the first of his two serves for 2-4 at the changeover, but was then broken on his second to fall to 2-5.  Shah blew an overhead on the first of his two serves to have his team's lead cut to 5-3, but then he held his second serve to go up 6-3 and set up Match Point.  Pathan held the first of his two serves to get to 4-6 and the 2^nd Match Point, but after his second serve came what may have been the best rally of the entire match as it led to Raj hitting an emphatic volley winner to end this grueling battle in dramatic fashion at 8:59!

The Skinny: Congratulations to the winners and kudos to all four for going all out in a fierce encounter which felt like a full 3-Set war even though it ended in straight sets.  In all likelihood, it will be a Nominee for Doubles Match of The Year at season's end.

The Consequences: The Former Champs (Chiaro/Shah) now advance to face Kuzavas and "Big Kaz" Mike Kazlauskas in the Finals in what should be another epic conflict.  We shall soon see!

Richard Reicht/Natalia Sout over Kevin Doyle/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-4!  Richard: 1 Ace on Kevin.  They played this one on Court Three from 7:24 to 7:57.

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Marijus Kuzavas over Dino Celis, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0, to successfully defend his # 3 Rank in the Advanced Division!  Marijus: 5 Aces (3 in the 1^st Set and 2 in the 3^rd Set)!  This three-setter took place on Court One from 7:35 to 9:19.

Ryan Pienciak/Doinks Srinivasan over Richard Reicht/Natalia Sout, 6-1!  Ryan: 1 Ace on Richard.  Court Three hosted this one from 8pm to 8:24.

Ryan Pienciak/Richard Reicht over Senthil Kumar/Kris Srinivasan, 6-3!  Ryan: 1 Ace on Senthil; and Richard: 1 Ace on Senthil.  Ryan said it took at least 5 Match Points to finish this one off on Court Three which lasted from 8:30 to 9:10.

Frank Samara/Ryan Pienciak leading Senthil Kumar/Kris Srinivasan, 6-5 (Kris on serve at Deuce when the lights went off at 10pm)!  No Aces.  Here's how it was going: Ryan held (Ryan hit a winner for 15-Love, 15-All and then onto Double Game Point as Kris blew an overhead along the way and then Ryan hit a winning Overhead Smash to secure his own hold) and Senthil was broken (Kris hit a winning volley for 15-Love, but then it shifted to 15-30 as Kris blew a volley, but then Frank blew what should have been a nice and sneaky screen shot when he pelted his partner in the back with the ball to make it 30-All, but then Ryan hit a wicked winner to set up Break Point and then came the break) for an 0-2 start.  Frank was broken (Ryan hit a fast-reflex Backhand Volley for 15-Love, but then Kris hit a scorching winning return for 15-All and then Ryan blew two overheads on the way to Double Break Point where Frank then blew a volley to break himself) and Kris held (Senthil hit a winning Overhead Smash for 15-Love, but then Frank hit an excellent drop shot return winner for 15-All, then Senthil hit a winning volley for 30-15 only to have Frank hit another drop shot return winner for 30-All which was then answered with yet another winning volley by Senthil for Game Point and then Kris hit a blistering volley winner to secure his own hold) leveling matters at 2-2!  Pienciak held again and it was at Love as Frank hit a winning volley to get things going, then there was an un-returned serve and then Kris blew an overhead and then there was a truly un-returnable serve to lock down the hold, but Kumar also held again (15-Love then point for point to 30-All as Kris blew a volley to set that last score up and then an un-returned serve made it Game Point where Kris blew another volley to make it Deuce, then Break Point where Senthil hit a winning volley for 2^nd Deuce and then he hit another one for Game Point and yet another one to clinch the hold) to tie things again, this time at 3-3.  Samara held (an un-returned serve followed by another awesome winning Backhand Volley by Ryan made it 30-Love where Senthil hit a winning volley to cut that lead to 30-15 only to have Ryan hit another chopping Backhand Volley winner to set up Double Game Point where another un-returned serve secured the hold), but Srinivasan held again (Love-15 shifted to Double Game Point as there were two un-returned serves and Frank blew an overhead along the way, but then Kris blew a volley to make it Game Point, then came Deuce where Frank blew another overhead to set up another Game Point and then came the hold) to knot the score once more at 4-4!  The Lumberjack held a third straight time (there were two un-returned serves on the way to Triple Game Point where Kris hit another one of those laser-like winning returns to cut that lead to Double Game Point, but then Senthil blew what should have been a surefire winning volley to allow the hold) to go up 5-4.  At this changeover, Samara decided to forego writing anything down as he knew that the clock was rapidly running toward the 10pm deadline for the lights.  So from here on out, only the pivotal winners are remembered.  The Webmaster also held a third straight time (15-Love then point for point to Game Point, Deuce, Game Point and the hold) to make it 5-5 and then Hollywood had a second straight hold (30-Love shifted to 30-All, but then came Game Point where Ryan hit a monster of an Overhead Smash to secure his partner's hold) and then The K Man was on serve as it started off 15-Love and then it went point for point to Game Point where Ryan hit a winning volley to make it Deuce and then it was lights out at 10pm (we began this one on Court Three at exactly 9:17)!

The Skinny: While it was somewhat disappointing not to see this one to its proper conclusion, it was a fun way to end an epic and exciting session and at least neither team went away as the losers as all four players put forth a fine effort.

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

 

10/24 Results.

10/24/16:         

"Pillay-Toker finish at R.P., Monk Semi part of 10 at C.G.!":                                          

GTA Monday Night Tennis took place at two locations: Fellowship Park in Ridgefield Park (featuring the conclusion of the in-progress GAH6 Final between "Spicy" Sally Pillay and "The Argentine Machine" Fernanda Toker, with both sending in the final score and their own commentary) and The Cedar Grove Courts with "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan acting as host and featuring the Cedar Grove Final/Monk Memorial Semifinal as "The Sultan of Swing" Raj Shah and "Kaboom" Raj Boddu (aka Team Raj) faced off against "The Secret Weapon" Sairaj Srinivasan and "J-Rod" Joe Rodrigues.

The Cedar Grove session also featured the long-awaited return (well, behind the scenes somewhat) of "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes.  What some of us already knew while many others did not (mainly because I had yet to address it publicly) was that Nate was away in India for close to a month to mourn the unexpected passing of his father.

This was something that came up suddenly.  When Nate informed a handful of us that he had to make an emergency trip back to India (after having already spent some vacation time there late in the summer), we knew it was because he had to deal with the ill health (at the very least) of a close family member.  But it was not until much later in his trip did we know that his father had passed.  He also needed to spend time there to help his mother and sister with all that needs to be done in such a situation.

Having just lost my father last year, I can relate to what he is going through…though he lost his dad at a much earlier age for both of them…and this was not something he saw coming…so that makes it worse.

I have already offered him my condolences as have others, but let me just say that the league now welcomes him back after his absence.  I hope that tennis with us can be a welcome distraction for him as it has so often been for me and others as well.

I also thank all those who were involved in tournament matches which were delayed because of these circumstances for their patience in this matter.  Due to the gravity of the situation, some extra leeway was granted…as well it should be.  But he is now back and ready to fulfill his commitments to the tournaments in which he is still involved.    

We will first go to the final result of the Pillay-Toker match with comments from both of them before we turn this report over to Kris. 

The Fellowship Park Result:

GAH6 Final Match:

Fernanda Toker leading Sally Pillay, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, to become the New # 2 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division as well as the winner of the 6^th Annual Gail-ann Hamilton Memorial Women's Singles Tournament!  No Aces.

Toker's Take: We agreed to resume the match at Fellowship Park at 5:45.  Because of the cold and windy conditions, our warm-up session took longer than the balance of the match did.  Sally came in with an attacking style, but I was luckily able to send everything back.  Thankfully, I was on my game and kept focus.

Sally's Spicy Dish: It was difficult for me start the 3rd Set with her up at 4-1 as every point was crucial for me.  We only played two games in which there were several Deuces and I had a window of opportunity to get the break, but kudos to Fernanda with her great defense that she was able to hold her serve and then break my serve for the win.

Samara's Notes: I thank both of them for their very timely reporting.  And I congratulate Fernanda on a very impressive victory and overall tournament win. 

The Consequences: Fernanda is now the Top Contender eligible to receive the next Title shot against the reigning GTA Women's Champion: Laura "The Aura" Gawley.  In fact, that only tells half the story.  Due to the fact that Fernanda is a Former Champ who voluntarily forfeited the Championship due to a serious injury and then never received the immediate rematch for it…she is actually entitled to the next two shots in a row against Gawley. 

While I do not expect both of them to be played this season, it would be nice if at least the first one can take place before this 2016 Season expires…weather permitting.

We now let the man known as The K take it away!

With temperatures dropping, the turnout (as expected) was relatively on the low end.  I was tied up for a while, but I believe Brenda and Dawn were amongst the early players to start the proceedings.

Samara's Notes: Since neither sent in any scores, whatever they played will have to remain unofficial.  We now go back to Kris.

Then, of course there was the Monk Memorial Men's Doubles Semifinal/Cedar Grove Final set to start at 6:30.  I was a late-show (close to 8pm) upon hearing from Chris Chiaro that they were looking for a fourth player.

The Cedar Grove Results:

Monk Memorial Semifinal/Cedar Grove Final:

Raj Shah/Raj Boddu over Sairaj Srinivasan/Joe Rodrigues, 6-2, 6-4, to advance to the Monk Memorial Finals while both teams entered the Doubles Division as the New # 64 and # 65 Ranked Teams respectively!  No Aces (apparently).

Apparently, it was a good match.  Joe and Sairaj were leading 3-1 in the 2nd Set when I came across the street, but Shah and Boddu were focused on closing the match out in straight sets.  As per the feedback from Doinks, all the players did well and the errors made the difference.  It also seemed that Joe brought out the best in Sairaj. 

The Consequences: Team Raj now advances to face the team of "The Lumberjack" Ryan Pienciak and "Chito" Nick Inciong in a full 2 out of 3 Sets Match.  The match can be played anywhere.  The winning team will be the next Top Contenders to the reigning GTA Doubles Champions: "Stormin" Norman Taclob and Tito "Touch" Castolo.  That means the winners will be the New # 2 Ranked Team in the Doubles Division…unless the still ongoing M2 Men's Doubles Tournament somehow catches up and finishes first.  The M2 Semi featuring Chiaro and Shah vs. Fernandes and "Instant" Moka Pathan is set to take place on Tuesday night.  The winners of that match will face "Super Mario" Marijus Kuzavas and "Big Kaz" Mike Kazlauskas (aka M&M, aka The Lanky Lithuanians) in the M2 Finals.

It should also be said that Taclob/Castolo need to play a full Non-Title Match (it can involve a 10-Point Super Tiebreak if the first two sets are split) as soon as reasonably possible while they wait for this pair of Top Contending Teams to emerge in order to avoid an Inactivity Elimination from the GTA Rankings.

Back to Kris we go once more!

2 out of 3 Sets Doubles Match:

Chris Chiaro/Lou La Forgia over Nathan Fernandes/Kris Srinivasan, 6-2, 6-4, to successfully defend their #11 Rank in the Doubles Division while Fernandes/Srinivasan entered the division as the New # 66 Ranked Team!  No Aces. 

It was great to see Nate back in action.  He certainly has not lost his touch.  Both Chris and Lou were on fire.  Chris was especially brilliant and brutal with incredible shots.  His amazing shots were only marginalized sometimes by the brilliant gets by Nate, but it was one of the best days for Chris. 

Lou was equally firing on all cylinders, but it was some of his drop shots that just failed to get over the net in what would have been absolute winners.  He has lovely touch and, combined with his whipping shots, his play is a delight to watch.  Nate was superb, especially the way he was holding his services despite trailing Love-40.  Indeed, I was the odd man out, but the 2nd Set was a lot closer…especially when we missed out going up 5-4 multiple times.  Nate was pretty good but, with a better partner, he could have done more damage…:-).

Chris Chiaro/Kris Srinivasan over T.J. Shah/Rajan Shah, 6-3!  No Aces.

Chris was superlative, but it should not take away the brilliant performance of both Teej and Rajan.  They could have easily won if they didn't have to face Chris who put away the balls in the smallest openings for winners.  The balls were flying like "bullets" from the racket of Chiaro all night long.

Then, it was a small hitting session that involved Dino Celis, Doinks and me before we wrapped up the night.  It ended up being a relatively quiet night, but the action was intense!  Cheers!

Samara's Notes: As always, thanks to Kris for all he does for the GTA up at Cedar Grove.  It sounds like it ended up being an impactful session despite the reduced turnout.  Sometimes, quality prevails over quantity…so I would suggest this session was rather epic as well. 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

 

10/23 Results.

10/23/16:

"W-Dub and M-Dub Final part of 16 at C.G.!":

This year, for the first time ever, we held a W-Dub Women's Doubles Tournament with a format similar to both the Monk Memorial Men's Doubles Tournament and the M-Dub Mixed Doubles Tournament whereby the teams would be selected via lottery-style with the higher-ranked women drawing the names of the lower-ranked women out of a hat (a bag, actually).

This tourney came hot on the heels of last week's M-Dub as that event was postponed one week by rain the previous Sunday.  So this session's scenario ended up being that the M-Dub Final would end up following the W-Dub Tournament...and we were hopeful to have the entire W-Dub played all in the same day.

Mother Nature had her say as well.  After a rainy Saturday that saw temps drop 30 degrees from earlier in the week and wind gusts soar to 50mph in some areas, the conditions relented somewhat of Sunday...though not by much!  It was a beautiful day in terms of sunshine, but the peak temperature struggled to get past the mid-50 degree range and it felt like all of fall was taking place in one day as the leaves fell from the tress and then on and off wind gusts swirled them around tornado-style from court to court!

The situation was such that sometimes a court would be relatively leaf-free only to have the winds shift and return them to that same court once again.

For the second straight week, GTA Sunday Tennis got started before 10am at The Cedar Grove Courts.  As already alluded to, the featured event of the day was the W-Dub Women's Doubles Tournament.  As originally hoped for, it would have ended up being an 8-Player/4-Team Event in a single elimination format.  And there would have been two rounds of action - The Semifinals and The Finals all played in the same day (hopefully). 

Those rounds would have featured full matches except that if the first two sets were split in the Semis, those matches would be decided by a 10-Point Super Tiebreak.  The Finals would have to be a full 2 out of 3 Sets...and it had been announced earlier in the week that the option of the Final being continued another day if the session was running too long would also be on the table if one or more of the participants had to leave at a certain time.  This scenario would still trump the option of a 10-Point STB as a Tournament Final must go a full three sets if the first two are split.

Before we get to whether or not all of that came to fruition, let's first examine the timing of the entrances.  When Samara made his arrival early at 9:30, he saw all four courts empty as he was the first one to arrive.  He also replied to a text message that had come to him at 9:15 from "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan that she would be unable to participate in the tourney.  He replied OK and actually thought it best as that left eight eligible women still in the draw.

Looking out to the courts, Frank found that Courts Three and Four were in the best condition, though there was a minor puddle (with leaves in it) near the corner of Court Four closest to the side entrance.

Courts One and Two were less desirable with Court Two being an absolute leaf-fest (even worse than the prior Sunday)!

As Samara was prepping his notes in his car, Natalia "Nitro" Sout was the next to arrive at 9:35.  The two of them soon headed out onto Court Four together for what would have been a hitting session, but then "Latino Heat" Jose Gonzales was the next to show up at 9:40...so he took Samara's place.

"Bravo" Brenda Jordan also arrived around that time, so she headed toward Court Three to hit with Samara instead.  Brenda also brought bad news - "Dominant" Dawn Peterson was also backing out of the event.  Now we were down to just seven women...not a good thing!  An odd amount of entrants would cause a situation where one of them would have to sit out as an even amount was needed to form all the teams (even though the amount of teams could be odd). 

"Killer Kat" Kathy Sheldon was the next to arrive at 9:45 and she headed over to Court Three to hit with Jordan against Samara.  Omar "Stealth" Santos got to the courts around that same time and Samara invited him over to Court Three to hit with Kathy and Brenda as it would allow him to get back to organizing the tournament.

At 10am, "The Natural" Natalie Guzman arrived while "The Marathon Woman" Doinks Srinivasan came across the street with a broom in hand to wipe the water and leaves off the courts.  It was at this time when Samara sent a text message to "C.A.T." Christine Toth to see if she was still on her way.

At 10:10, "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan made his way over to the courts and he soon called for his son Sairaj to do the same.  Toth then arrived five minutes later and now we had a situation where six of the women were present.

Samara informed the league the day before that "Spicy" Sally Pillay would be running 15 minutes late for the tourney.  Well, now it was that time and there was still no Sally in sight.  Just as he was about to send a text message to her to ascertain her whereabouts, she sent one to him stating she was on her way but running later than expected.  When Frank's reply to Sally was that they already had six entrants without her and she would just complicate matters by coming in as the seventh player, she was more than willing to stay out of it.  Samara thanked her for simplifying things on his end.

The lottery drawing than took place soon after at 10:25, right after Samara wrote the names of the lower-ranked participating women onto ticket stubs as it would be the higher-ranked ladies drawing them from a  bag.  It would begin with the highest-ranked woman picking first (Doinks) and then working our way down the ranks from there.  The lowest-ranked lady (Brenda) would then get whichever gal's ticket remained in the bag.

With GTA Women's Champion: Laura "The Aura" Gawley, Pillay and "The Argentine Machine" Fernanda Toker all not participating in this event, the highest ranked woman in this event had become Doinks Srinivasan.  So she was first to choose and she pulled the "Natalia" ticket out of the bag...which meant she'd be teaming with Natalia Sout. 

Kathy Sheldon was the next lady to approach the bag and she produced the "Christine" ticket from the bag meaning she got Christine Toth.  This must have been a satisfying situation  for her as the two of them together are former GTA Women's Doubles Champions.  So this reunion was promising as they have had past experience teaming with each other.

Brenda Jordan was next up and she would get the ticket left in the bag, the one that read "Natalie", as in Natalie Guzman.

Samara then asked that those ladies return the tickets to him as there would be one more drawing to complete the process for a 6-Woman/3-Team Tournament.  In this format, we would have two teams first face off in a One-Set Qualifier to see who would first advance to the Finals (which would have to be a full 2 out of 3 Sets Match...no 10-Point Super Tiebreak option).

The third team would have to sit out and wait for this first One-Setter to finish.  From there, the winners would then sit out as the losers would stay out on the court and face the team that sat out first.  This would be another One-Set Qualifier as the winning team would join the first winning team in the Finals.

Frank called Jose over to the bag to make the draw so as to ensure he had nothing to do with the process in terms of any form of favoritism toward any one team (who even know if it would be an advantage to sit out first in this format).  Gonzales reached into the bag and pulled out the "Christine" ticket.

That meant that Sheldon/Toth would sit out first while Srinivasan/Sout versus Jordan/Guzman would be our First Round One-Set Qualifier match-up.  Kathy and Christine decided to go run an errand together during this First Round.

Meanwhile, Dennis "The Menace" Cabanatan had arrived at 10:30...but he was not dressed to play.  Having recently noticed the presence of the GTA on Facebook, he showed up in street clothes to play the role of the official "photog" for this event.  I was not able to note exactly when he left, but I do know he stayed quite a while taking many shots (not the tennis kind) along the way.  He also said he would later return dressed to play.

The First-Round One-Setter officially got underway on Court Four (the best of the bunch) at exactly 10:33.  Samara had wanted to take notes of it, but he was called to duty on Court Three as Kris and Sairaj along with Omar were looking for a fourth for Doubles as Jose opted to just watch the ladies play instead.

That Men's Doubles One-Setter soon got going on Court Three at 10:35.  Both of these One-Setters ended simultaneously at 11:13!

Having lost the First Round One-Setter, Brenda and Natalie stayed out on Court Four to face their next opponents - Kathy and Christine (who had already returned by this time).  This Second Round One-Setter (also on Court Four) got going at 11:25.

Five minutes later, "Coach" Dino Celis arrived and took a spot aside Samara while Frank took casual notes.  And while the official action was already underway on Court Four, Jose hosted a serving practice session on Court Three while he gave pointers to both Doinks and Natalia.

That Second Round One-Setter finished at 12:05 as Sheldon/Toth edged Jordan/Guzman in a close one.  Brenda and Natalie may have gone 0-2 on the day, but they both showed a lot of gumption (as well as improvement) along the way.  In fact, the feisty nature of Jordan (especially when she questioned a few line calls from her opponents) had Frank pondering changing her moniker from "Bravo" to "Bravado"...LOL!

The other good thing about the way the format worked out is that they got to play two full sets and did not suffer a "one and done" scenario.

So now we had our two teams for the Final: Srinivasan/Sout versus Sheldon/Toth (Former Champs).  It would be a full 2 out of 3 Sets Match and it seemed like an interesting match-up (on paper, at the very least).  As it turns out, it would play out that way on court as well.

It kicked off officially on Court Four at exactly 12:12.  The 1st Set concluded at 12:53.  At this time, "The Rainmaker" Richard Reicht had arrived and he would soon end up in a hitting session with Kris on Court Three while Dino would leave to eat lunch before eventually coming back for his M-Dub Final (which was scheduled to start at 2:30).

Sachiko "Sachi" Tokuda arrived at 1:30.  Had she shown up much earlier in the day (in time for the lottery-style drawing), we could have had her as the eighth entrant (along with Pillay, as we would have had her show up instead).  Oh well!

The 2nd Set ended exactly at 1:34.  At this time, Sachiko stepped onto Court Four with a camera of her own.  She suggested getting the four ladies together for a photo and Natalia added that Frank should also be in it (with the host in the middle of the four females).

As Tokuda decided to drop to one knee for a better angle for the shot, her knee gave out on her and she ended up tumbling to the court and rolling over onto her back!  We all were very concerned, but thankfully she had only lost her balance and was OK!  We then suggested that she remain on her feet and she took the photo that way.

The ladies, having split the first two sets, then launched into the 3rd Set at exactly 1:39.  Around 1:55, Sachiko took the place of Kris in the hitting session against Richard on Court Three.  She was fine throughout it, which was a good sign that she truly was OK after all.

It was at this same time that Celis returned from his lunch break.  He returned to hang with Samara to watch the balance of the action on Court Four as The K Man was now doing the same at this time.

At 2:05, Cabanatan returned to the scene (he would later get a shot of the victorious team).  He would soon be followed to the court area by "The Legendary" Chazz Weldon (arriving for the soon-to-start M-Dub Final where he would be teaming with Toker to take on Celis and Gawley).

Five minutes later, Gawley showed up as well.  Another five minutes after that, so did Toker along with her man "T-Rez" Tommy Reszkowski.  By 2:25, all four parties involved in the M-Dub Final were hitting against one another on Court Three in prep for the coming Final (though it soon became obvious they would wait for the W-Dub Final to end so that they could then take Court Four to play their match there, too).

That W-Dub Final did not end until 2:43 as it entered a 3rd Set Tiebreak at 2:31!  It ended up becoming a possible Nominee for Women's Doubles Match of the Year at season's end.

Samara had to leave at 2:50...just as the M-Dub Final was getting officially underway on Court Four.  For the balance of the session, Kris would act as host.   

The Cedar Grove Results:

W-Dub First Round One-Setter:
Doinks Srinivasan/Natalia Sout over Brenda Jordan/Natalie Guzman, 6-1!  No Aces.  Srinivasan/Sout advanced to the Finals!  The two teams faced off on Court Four from 10:33 to 11:13.  Despite the somewhat lopsided score, there were many multiple Deuce games...which is why this lasted forty minutes!

Non-W-Dub Men's Doubles One-Setter:
Frank Samara/Omar Santos over Kris Srinivasan/Sairaj Srinivasan, 6-3!  No Aces.  It went like this: Sairaj was broken (Sairaj hit a winning lob for 15-Love, then a Double Fault for 15-All, an un-returned serve for 30-15, another Double Fault for 30-All, Game Point, another Double Fault to make it Deuce, then Break Point and the break), Frank was broken (Love-15 then point for point to Break Point as Frank hit a winner, Kris blew an overhead and Omar blew a volley along the way and then came the break), but Kris was the first to hold serve and it was at Love as the game was book-ended by a drop shot winner from Sairaj and a passing shot winner by Kris to go up 2-1!  Omar also held (Triple Game Point where Kris hit a winning volley to cut that lead to Double Game Point, but then Frank hit a winning Backhand Volley to secure his partner's hold) to make it 2-2.  Then came an epic game with the young Srinivasan on serve once again as he started off with a near-ace against Omar for 15-Love, a Double Fault for 15-All, 30-15 and then another Double Fault for 30-All, Game Point and then another Double Fault for Deuce followed by yet another Double Fault for Break Point but then an un-returned serve for 2nd Deuce and it would be all Game Points until 6th Deuce...and obviously I forgot who hit what winners when and where during all that...but after that 6th Deuce it was another Double Fault that set up Break Point and then came the break as his team lost the lead at 2-3!  But Samara was broken again and this time it was at Love as it was lethal returns from first Kris and then Sairaj that found their target...Omar playing up at net and then Sairaj hit a winner to set up Triple Break Point where he then hit a scorching winner for the break and to level things once again, this time at 3-3!  Papa Srinivasan was then broken (un-returned serve for 15-Love, Double Fault for 15-All, but then back-to-back un-returned serves set up Double Game Point only to have it shift straight through Break Point right to the break) and then Santos held again (an un-returned serve and a blown volley by Kris made it 30-Love which was where Kris made a great get that led to a blown volley by Frank for 30-15 only to have that answered by a great get by Omar that led to a blown volley by Kris to set up Double Game Point, the hold came on Game Point) and then The Secret Weapon was broken again (30-Love shifted to 30-All where a Double Fault set up Break/Match Point and then came the break) to take a tough loss!  We played this one on Court Three from 10:35 to 11:13.

W-Dub Second Round One-Setter:
Kathy Sheldon/Christine Toth over Brenda Jordan/Natalie Guzman, 7-5!  No Aces.  Sheldon/Toth advanced to the Finals!  Here's the basic recap: Jordan/Guzman had leads (or ties) at 1-0, 1-1 to 3-1 to 3-3 and then Natalie had an impressive Love hold to go up 4-3!  Kathy held to level it once more at 4-4.  Brenda was broken, but so was Christine for 5-5!  Guzman was broken and then Sheldon held on Double Game/Match Point for a hard-fought victory!  They played this on Court Four from 11:25 to 12:05.   

W-Dub Final:
Kathy Sheldon/Christine Toth over Doinks Srinivasan/Natalia Sout, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), to win the 2016 W-Dub Tournament and become the New # 2 Ranked Team (aka the next Top Contenders) in the Women's Doubles Division while Srinivasan/Sout entered the division as the New # 15 Ranked Team!  No Aces.

1st Set: Doinks was broken at Love after starting off with a Double Fault and Christine was broken (Break Point, Deuce, Game Point, 2nd Deuce where the best rally of the match at that time ended with an awesome passing shot winner by Natalia for Break Point where Doinks hit a net-cord aided drop shot winner for the break) for 1-1.  And then came an epic game with Natalia on serve as Doinks hit a winner to set up Game Point, but then Kathy hit a winner for Deuce where Christine hit a winning volley to set up Break Point, but then it went to 2nd Deuce where Kathy hit a drop shot winner to once again set up Break Point, but then Christine blew a volley to make it 3rd Deuce, it went to Break Point again where Christine blew another volley for 4th Deuce and that was where Doinks and Natalia rushed to the same ball and swung their racquets at the same time as we could not tell which one of them had hit the winning volley to set up Game Point, but then it went to 5th Deuce, Break Point where Natalia hit a winner to go to 6th Deuce where Christine blew another volley to set up Game Point where the hold finally came for 2-1!  Kathy responded with a Love hold and then Srinivasan was broken again (on Double Break Point this time) for 2-3.  Toth held on Double Game Point and then Sout was broken (Double Game Point where Kathy hit a winner to cut that lead to Game Point and then Christine hit an excellent volley winner for Deuce, it then went to Break Point and the break) to fall to 2-5!  Sheldon was then broken (Double Game/Set Point, Game/Set Point where Doinks hit a winning Overhead Smash for Deuce and then Christine blew an overhead to set up Brek Point where Natalia then hit a net-cord aided winning return for the break) to have her team's lead reduced to 5-3, but The Marathon Woman was broken a third straight time and it occurred on the first Break/Set Point of the game which was the 3rd S.P. overall!  This set took place on Court Four from 12:12 to 12:53.  There was a four minute break before the next set began.

2nd Set: Christine was broken in a battle (Game Point where Natalia hit a passing shot winner for Deuce and then Natalia hit a winning lob to make it Break Point, then came 2nd Deuce, Break Point, 3rd Deuce, Break Point, 4th Deuce where Christine hit a winning volley to set up Game Point, but then came the 5th Deuce, Break Point and the break) and Natalia held on Game Point to go up 2-0.  Kathy held at Love and then Doinks was broken (Triple Break Point, Double Break Point and then the break) to level the set at 2-2.  Toth held at Double Game Point, but Sout held again (once again on Game Point) to tie it up again, this time at 3-3.  Sheldon was broken (Double Break Point, Break Point and then the break), but Srinivasan finally held (it came on Double Game Point when an exciting and extended rally ended with Natalia hitting a winner) to go up 5-3!  C.A.T. was then broken on Double Break/Set Point to drop the set and level the match at 1:34.  The two teams agreed to play the full 3rd Set (earlier there was talk of playing the 3rd Set at a later date if the first two sets were split and Christine was concerned with being able to leave the session by 3pm) and then took a five minute coffee break before launching into the deciding set.

3rd Set: Natalia was broken (Double Break Point, Break Point and then the break), Christine was broken (Game Point, Deuce, Break Point where Christine blew a volley to break herself), but Doinks was the first to hold serve in this set (Break Point where another marathon rally ended with Doinks hitting the winner to secure her own hold) to go up 2-1.  Kathy was broken (15-Love, Double Fault for 15-All where yet another extended rally led to 15-30, it then went to Double Break Point, Break Point where Doinks hit an amazing winner for the break) to fall to 1-3, but Sout was broken again (Break Point, Deuce where Kathy hit a winner to bring it back to Break Point, 2nd Deuce, Break Point yet again and then the break) to have her team's lead cut to 3-2.  Toth was also broken again (on Break Point) for 2-4, but then Srinivasan was broken (15-All, Double Fault for 15-30, Double Break Point, Break Point and the break) to have her team's lead cut to 4-3.  Sheldon was also broken again (on Double Break Point) to fall to 3-5, but Nitro was broken a third straight time (also on Double Break Point) to have her team's lead cut to 5-4.  C.A.T. finally held in this set (Love-30 shifted straight though Game Point with another extended rally leading to the hold) to level the set and match at 5-5!  The Marathon Woman held and it was on Double Game Point to go up 6-5!  But then it was Killer Kat holding at Love to force the Tiebreak.  The time was 2:31 as they headed into it.

Tiebreak: Natalia held her lone serve and it was un-returned and then Christine was broken on both of her serves for 0-3!  Doinks held the first of her two serves after hitting a winner for 4-0, but then Christine hit a winner on the second serve to pull to 1-4.  Kathy held the first of her two serves for 2-4 at the changeover and then she held again after another lengthy rally was ended by a winner from Kathy to then pull to 3-4!  Sout was broken on the first of her two serves to knot the score at 4-4 and then another extended rally on her second serve ended with her team losing their lead at 4-5!  Toth held the first of her two serves to go up 6-4 and have the first Match Point in their favor.  She was then broken on her second serve, but it was still 6-5 and the 2nd Match Point with her team still on top.  Srinivasan was then broken after yet another enduring rally as this one ended as a 7-5 TB on the 2nd M.P. at exactly 2:43 (the 3rd Set alone was one hour and four minutes and the entire match was 2 hours and 31 minutes in length)!

The Skinny: Congratulations to Sheldon/Toth who, as Former Champs, used their edge in experience to edge the competition!  Sout was particularly impressive in this one as she often displayed tenacity in the rallies which enabled her team to win the points.  Natalia is a definite contender for Most Improved Women's Player of The Year at season's end.  This match got closer once Srinivasan steadied her nerves and then Doinks was able to hold some of her serves.  This will likely be a Nominee for Women's Doubles Match of The Year as well.

The Consequences: Sheldon/Toth will be the next team to challenge Gawley/Pillay for their GTA Women's Doubles Championship.  It would be nice to see that match happen before the 2016 Season expires.

The Say from The K (on the W-Dub and especially the Final): It was a great Sunday session despite the howling winds and the courts full of debris (mostly leaves and seeds).  But it did not deter the W-Dub Women's Doubles Tournament nor the M-Dub Mixed Doubles Tournament Final from taking place.

The sun was glorious and the setting was beautiful.  It would only end up being six participants for the Women's Doubles but the way Frank organized it was perfect as it engaged all the players in intense play all the way to the Finals Match which saw an incredible finish.

The Final ended up as a classic full 3-setter that ended in an amazing win for Kathy and Christine and a very tough loss for Doinks and Natalia as they were up 5-3 in the 3rd Set and then missed out on closing it. Again, after a 4-Love lead in the TB, they fizzled out in the swirling winds.  Congrats to all the players and the winners that nearly finished close to 2:45!

M-Dub Final:
Chazz Weldon/Fernanda Toker over Dino Celis/Laura Gawley, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, to win the 2016 M-Dub Tournament and become the New # 2 Ranked Team (aka the next Top Contenders) in the Mixed Doubles Division!  Laura: 1 Ace on Fernanda in the 1st Set. 

The Say from the K: We then got to witness another epic battle between Dino and Laura against Chazz and Fernanda.  It was indeed a great match that saw the diminutive looking Fernanda and Chazz going up against the aggressive players in Dino and Laura.  We knew that it's going to be a tough match and the question was whether the steady play of Fernanda and Chazz would be enough to counter the missiles that would surely be thrown at them.

We got to know just that in the ensuing grueling match which consumed close to three hours!  It was a treat to watch the battle engulfing the concentration, the focus, the consternation, the misses, the efforts, the lead, the recovery, the pressure that the players went through, all of them and the spectators as well.  So, it turned out to be another blockbuster of the day.

Dino and Laura showed in the 1st Set why they were the compelling favorites for their aggressiveness.  They played their game their way and we got to see the familiar overhead crackers and placements from Laura and the great ground rallies from Dino.  Fernanda was unfazed and played her usual game which is amazingly consistent.  Chazz was slightly nervous in the beginning and we saw some unusual errors as he dumped a few into the net.  It was a clinical performance from Laura and Dino as they took the set at 6-3. Laura had a lovely Ace on Fernanda in this set.

The 2nd Set started to unravel for Dino and Laura.  The urgency of the situation had heightened the careful attitude of both Fernanda and Laura as they were hardly making any unforced errors, but that was not the case with Dino and Laura.  It became a challenge for Dino to hold his service games as a bunch of shots found the net and suddenly it was taking a lethal effect as they were behind staring at 1-5 before an angry Laura started to sparkle and, supported by Dino, stopped the hemorrhage.  They fought hard and won the next three games to take it to 4-5.  The next game was crucial and they did start well, but then it was 30-All and a Break Point that they couldn't save.  They were so close to tying the set, but when they missed that opportunity…what an uplifting feeling it was for Fernanda and Chazz as they breathed a sigh of relief in winning that set and leveling the match.

The momentum was clearly with Fernanda and Chazz as they fully believed that their game would help them stay in the match while it was a different mindset for Dino and Laura.  They had to deal with a bunch of things that didn't go their way.  Now it was difficult for Laura to smash the overheads as she started playing carefully not to blow them.  But that was not winning the points like before.  Dino had a poor day with his overheads as well and that was also losing points.  Both of them came aggressively to the net, but behind shots that were not deep and penetrating.  It was then easy for Fernanda to lob the ball over their heads.  Hats off to Laura for running back to retrieve those balls (how many times she had to do it!).  She did it all without making any errors, but some just got over the net so that Chazz had a crack at them to put them away.  Dino also had to run back and play his shots as well.  It was inexplicable that they ran so  aggressively to the net on so many balls that they only ended up then running back to play a defensive shot. I am probably not fair to make this point as it indeed sounds rude…especially when we saw 30-plus shot rallies that inevitably were won by Fernanda and Chazz.  The efforts of all the players in this match were absolutely incredible.

The 3rd Set looked close and still could have gone either way.  It was not easy to put away the shots for Laura and Dino as they had been playing for a while.  The situation also demanded extra care.  Still, they managed to put away some points…especially Laura.  There were some brilliant sneak attacks by Laura. For Dino, it was really unfortunate as even some of his shots that looked to be certain winners were retrieved with great dexterity by Chazz, and many for winners.  After being close halfway, a break ensured a 5-3 lead for Fernanda and Chazz.  In the penultimate point of the last game, we saw a contested point.  Laura played a shot from the Doubles Alley down the line to Fernanda.  Both Dino and Laura were certain it landed on the line, but Fernanda felt that it curved out.  It was 30-All and indeed was a crucial point. Laura said it would be best to replay the point.  Fernanda subsequently said that she was OK with replaying the point.  But Chazz reasoned to Fernanda that if she is clear of her call, then there was nothing to dispute. Well, it was Fernanda's call and they went with 40-30 (Game/Match Point).  It would have been magnanimous if they had replayed the point.  But it's understandable that it was a huge point given how intense Laura and Dino were till the last point was played.  So, congratulations again to all the players and the winners.  And most certainly to the spectators on the bench seeing the match to its glorious conclusion.

All in all, it was wonderful tennis on a day filled with sunshine but also clobbered by the winds...J.  Cheers!

The Consequences: Weldon/Toker will be the next team to challenge Tito "Touch" Castolo and "Dominant" Dawn Peterson for their GTA Mixed Doubles Championship.  Much like the situation in the Women's Doubles Division, it would be great to see that match occur before this season ends.  It is understood, however, that Tito is dealing with a lingering case of tennis elbow while Dawn stills suffers from some ongoing back issues.  Hopefully, something can be worked out.

Samara's Notes: I thank Kris for hosting the balance of the session.  I am also grateful to all the ladies who showed up for the W-2 Tourney (as well as Sally for being willing to back out of it to make things easier) and also appreciate both Dennis and Sachiko for taking some photos along the way.  Kudos to all!

Kris also indicated that there was Singles action between "A-Tru" Andrew Truong and "T-Rez" Tommy Reszkowki going on as he was leaving the session around 6:20.  He was under the impression that it was to be a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match, but it ended up being just a One-Setter.  Fernanda Toker provided the details.

Andrew Truong over Tommy Reszkowski, 7-6 (7-3)!  No Aces (apparently).

Toker's Take: Tommy was up 5-2, but then Andrew started getting more aggressive and came back to force a Tiebreak. 

Samara's Notes: I thank Fernanda for reporting that final result from the Cedar Grove session. 

In addition to the mega session (all day and into the night) at Cedar Grove, "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan sent a recap of the hitting session she had with "Holy Moly" Mike Mole in the afternoon at Albion Park in Clifton.  We go to Gen now.

Mike Mole and I ended up having a hitting session at Albion Park from 4pm to 5:30.  We were not able to play any official sets since my Achilles' tendon was still bothering me. 

We hit for 45 to 50 minutes.  Afterwards, Mike practiced his serves and I worked on my return of serves. We also got to try out Mike's radar gun gadget to clock how fast we were serving.  Mike's first serves were clocking in at an average of 100 miles per hour and his highest was 104 on this day!  His second serves were in the 85-88mph range.  Then, it was my turn.  My serves were in the 50's with a higher speed range of 58-59mph.  It was a lot fun.

Samara's Notes: I thank Gen for sending in that recap.

All the best,
Frank Samara

10/21 Results.

10/21/16:         

"Kris hosts 10 at C.G.!":                                          

GTA Friday Night Tennis took place at The Cedar Grove Courts with "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan acting as host, but "Dominant" Dawn Peterson also sent in some details as well. 

We will first go to Dawn's comments before we turn this report over to Kris.  And we will run with the scores as Kris reported them as Dawn admitted she was not entirely sure about a couple of them.

The Details from Dawn: When I got there at 6:30, no one else was there.  Then, Mike Kazlauskas got there at 6:50.  Only one court was pretty dry. 

Then, Sairaj and Kris came.  Mike, Sairaj and I were hitting while Kris swept the other three courts with a broom to help dry them (that was nice of him).  Doinks then came over as well.

Even after the clean-up, the courts were treacherous and slippery in many spots.

Samara's Notes: I thank Dawn for her feedback and very timely reporting.  We now let the man known as The K take it away!

A couple of players had indicated their interest to play and we managed to put together a few more players as well.  It was a low turnout by Cedar Grove standards, but it was still a good session.  The weather was holding great and it ended up being one last warm day (for now).  We did, however, have a couple of puddles that we needed to get rid of.

The Cedar Grove Results:

Mike Kazlauskas/Doinks Srinivasan over Sairaj Srinivasan/Dawn Peterson, 6-2!  No Aces (apparently).

Mike was serving great and Doinks got into her groove quickly.  It was more of a warm-up for Sairaj and Dawn, but they started to get going by the end of the set.

Mike Kazlauskas/Dawn Peterson over Sairaj Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-4!  No Aces (apparently).

It was a solid One-Setter in which all the players did well.

Mike Kazlauskas/Dawn Peterson over T.J. Shah/Rajan Shah, 6-4!  No Aces (apparently).

This one took place close to the end of the night.  Teej and Rajan were warming up while waiting for a chance to play and then they stepped in when Sairaj was done for the night.

Doinks got to play with me on the next court.  Both Teej and Rajan are solid, but Mike's booming serves and aggressive play at the net along with Dawn's steady play made it slightly tougher for them to close the deal.

Senthil Kumar/Jose Gonzales over Kris Srinivasan/Ryan Pienciak, 6-4!  No Aces.

We started off poorly, but did well to make progress.  Senthil was solid and Jose had some lovely serves. I had broken my strings again, but was getting used to the alternative racquet fairly quickly.

Senthil Kumar/Doinks Srinivasan over Jose Gonzales/Ryan Pienciak, 6-4!  No Aces (apparently).

It started off very well for Ryan and Jose winning the first two games.  Ryan was deadly at the net as Jose set up some points nicely.  Senthil was clearly under pressure to pass Ryan at the net and even was forced to play aggressive shots that ended up in unforced errors.  A little patience and Ryan missing out on a few at the net changed the situation completely.  Senthil was back in his element and Doinks was playing freely.  Soon, Senthil and Doinks were leading 5-2 before a mini-comeback by Ryan and Jose threatened to take the set to the distance.  But they wouldn't win beyond four games as they were effectively shut out by Senthil and Doinks from there forward.  Jose had one of his best quick reflex shots which would be a winner and it fetched the last game his team won.

As Senthil had to leave, Doinks teamed up with me to play against Jose and Ryan.

Jose Gonzales/Ryan Pienciak over Kris Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-3!  Jose: 1 Ace on Doinks!

We played well, but never got to get the break back that we suffered in the early part of the set.  Jose was serving superbly and lots of good gets by Ryan meant we were not getting any freebies...:-).

Jose Gonzales/Ryan Pienciak leading Kris Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 5-4 (Incomplete when the lights went out at 10pm)!  No Aces. 

We played our best in this set and rued our chances lost, but Ryan played his best controlled game throughout the set.  Doinks was brutal going into shots both forehand and backhand.  I felt fantastic playing aggressively and was serving up 40-30 (Game Point) to tie the set when the lights went off!

Samara's Notes: As always, thanks to Kris for all he does for the GTA up at Cedar Grove.  It sounds like it ended up being quite a session despite the uncertain weather earlier in the day. 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

 

10/20 Results.

10/20/16:         

"Kris hosts 4 at C.G.!":                                          

GTA Thursday Night Tennis took place at The Cedar Grove Courts with "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan acting as host.  We turn this report over to him now.

Rains were expected and as such tennis was not in the scheme of things for me.  But then, the Monk Memorial Semifinal between the teams of Joe Rodrigues and my son Sairaj against Raj Shah and Raj Boddu had originally been scheduled for a 6:30pm start.  

With a parent-teacher conference in my son Jay's school, we were tied up but returned just before 6:30. 

Joe was there ready to call it a night as the courts were somewhat wet with a slight rain that must have taken place earlier.  It was a very slight drizzle that had stopped.  

We scrapped the initial thought of postponing and thought we could play and so that was conveyed to Boddu.  But a constant misty situation meant the courts never got to dry completely and looked suspicious.

Samara's Notes: Shah conveyed to the rest of the group that he thought it best to reschedule, so now the Semifinal is set for this coming Monday night at 6:30.  We now go back to Kris.

Initially, it was just a hitting session between Jordan Bachvaroff, Joe and Sairaj.  I joined them and as we started some Doubles, Boddu and took my slot so they could play a full Doubles One-Setter…the only one that took place for the evening.

The Cedar Grove Result:

Sairaj Srinivasan/Joe Rodrigues over Jordan Bachvaroff/Raj Boddu, 6-1!  Sairaj: 1 Ace on Jordan!

The conditions were not ideal and the guys played gingerly.  But I should say that both Sairaj and Joe were solid and played a clean game.  After a slow start, Boddu was getting in his serves but his rallies were impressive right from the beginning.  It was a mixed bag for Jordan, but then it was difficult to play freely given that the courts were a bit wet.  It was more than misty to enable further play.

My wife Doinks came to hit the ball when the first match was on its concluding stage.  We decided to call it a day and Ryan Pienciak just showed up, a tad disappointed that we had decided to play another day.

Temperature-wise, it was great but for the wet conditions.  C'est la vie!  Cheers!

Samara's Notes: This time around, everything was the opposite of how it usually goes with Cedar Grove remaining dry while just about every other surrounding town would experience some level of rainfall.  Well, last night in Passaic, it remained dry all the way until the overnight hours.  So I had assumed the same was holding true up at Cedar Grove (which would have enabled a greater session).  Turns out you can't count on what is happening weather-wise just a town or two away nowadays. 

As always, thanks to Kris for all he does for the GTA up at Cedar Grove. 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

 

10/19 Results.

10/19/16:         

"Kris hosts 10 (1 New) at C.G.!":                                          

GTA Wednesday Night Tennis took place at The Cedar Grove Courts with "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan acting as host.  We turn this report over to him now.

It was a night that started off with all the courts being taken away from the GTA players as The Verona Crew invaded promptly usurping three courts with the fourth court going to the Asian couple who preferred to play just with themselves last week.  

An "in your face" stance from me helped as the Asian couple feeling the stare caved in and gave up their court.  My son Sairaj got to hit a bit with me.

Soon to join us were Jose Gonzales, Brenda Jordan, Dan Martinelli (aka Spin) and my wife Doinks in that order.  Later, we would see Dennis Cabanatan, Dino Celis, Senthil Kumar and Abhilash Gadi, new to join our league, thanks to Senthil.

After quite a few blockbuster sessions last week, culminating in the blockbuster bonanza on Sunday featuring the M-Dub Mixed Doubles Tournament, it was a relatively quiet session on yet another beautiful night.  We did have a great session on Tuesday though.  

The Cedar Grove Results:

Jose Gonzales/Brenda Jordan over Sairaj Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-2!  Doinks: 1 Ace on Brenda!

The start was kind of lethargic as Sairaj was not playing his usual aggressive game.  On the contrary, both Brenda and Jose were steady.  It certainly looked like a warm-up for Doinks, but she did hold both her service games.

Dino Celis/Senthil Kumar over Kris Srinivasan/Dan Martinelli, 6-3!  No Aces.

It was a fairly good match as it was quite close at 4-3 in favor of Dino and Senthil.  Spin did pretty well for us, but we missed out on the very first game that Spin served and he should have held comfortably but for the poor play from me that plagued the entire night.  I did enjoy hitting some cross-court rallies against Dino, but Dino and Senthil almost always managed to close the points.

Dino Celis/Senthil Kumar over Kris Srinivasan/Jose Gonzales, 6-1!  No Aces.

It was one-sided to some extent as we never cashed in on our opportunities.  Jose was sitting out for a while, so it turned out to be a warm-up for him.  The pace of Dino's shots and Senthil's steady play kept us honest, indeed.

2 out of 3 Sets Doubles Match:

Senthil Kumar/Jose Gonzales over Kris Srinivasan/Dan Martinelli, 6-0, 6-1, to successfully defend their #51 Rank in the Doubles Division while Srinivasan/Martinelli entered the division as the New #63 Ranked Team!  Spin: 1 Ace on Senthil; and Jose: 1 Ace on Spin!

One of the most pathetic matches I played despite Spin serving well.  Senthil was amazing with his skillful touches at the net and had quite a few winners.  Jose was serving very well and playing with Senthil boosted his confidence.  He was back to playing his usual aggressive game and had some nice backhand "smackeroos"!

2 out of 3 Sets Mixed Doubles Match:

Abhilash Gadi/Doinks Srinivasan over Dennis Cabanatan/Brenda Jordan, 3-6, 6-4, 10-7 (STB), as both teams entered the Mixed Doubles Division as the New #42 and #43 Ranked Teams respectively!  No Aces (apparently).  It was the official GTA Debut of Abhilash Gadi.

Senthil had brought his friend, Abhi who we teamed up with Doinks to play against Dennis and Brenda. Dennis was hot, serving well and he got Abhi in a tangle in the 1st Set.  But Abhi has got great control and, after the initial hiccup, he was quite steady along with Doinks' proper shots on display…it was a well-contested match that saw the teams split the first two sets.  Given that they didn't have enough time for a full deciding 3^rd Set, they played a Super Tiebreak that was equally close.  It was a satisfying night for these players, but a forgettable one for me for sure.

It was a quiet session, but the weather was absolutely beautiful!  Cheers!

Samara's Notes: It killed me to miss the last summer-like night of the season (quite likely), but I had to make sure to help my children with school projects and other homework.  As always, thanks to Kris for all he does for the GTA up at Cedar Grove. 

And an extra thank you to Senthil for recruiting his friend, Abhilash, into the league as well…plus all that Senthil does for the league as our official Webmaster.

Sincerely,

Frank Samara