4/3/17:
GTA Monday Night Tennis took place at The Cedar Grove Courts (hosted by "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan) and so we now turn this report over to Kris.
It was a late call on my part to know that I could get to play, but it was the message from Chris Chiaro that triggered me into action. So it was a session sans many players (most noticeable on the absentee list was our 'new' enterprising and invigorating host, "Spin Doctor" Dan Martinelli). That would mean missing out on a juicy and succinct recap of the results as well. We also missed our veteran host (Frank Samara), but then he had already informed the group of his pending absence earlier in the day.
Jordan Bachvaroff was the first to come, followed by Nathan Fernandes. When I showed up late, Nate and Jordan were playing Singles on Court 4 while Dennis Cabanatan was hitting the ball on Court 3 with Chiaro.
The Cedar Grove Results:
Nathan Fernandes over Jordan Bachvaroff, 6-3! No Aces.
It was tied up at 3-All when I came. Nate took charge of the match from there on to accelerate his hold and win fairly quickly to join us for a Doubles Match.
2 out of 3 Sets Doubles Match:
Nathan Fernandes/Dennis Cabanatan over Chris Chiaro/Kris Srinivasan, 6-3, 7-5, to become the New #33 Ranked Team in the Doubles Division! No Aces.
It was one of those matches where one player could mess up his solid teammate so much so that it was reflected in the results. To their credit, Dennis and Nate put on a superior performance. This was one of the best nights for Dennis as he played an aggressive style of tennis, whipping his forehand shots in a barrage. Nate was ever the solid player we always know with some unbelievable gets and placements.
For us, Chris played very well but was not helped by the ridiculous misses and poor plays that I constantly dished out. One of his shots, a cross-court forehand, was simply a missile! He had plenty of good shots, but Dennis (with his punishing forehand shots) put us in a defensive mode. Nate capitalized on every opportunity thrown at him. There were some nice down-the-line shots by me that were of some solace, but it was my rank bad shots that proved to be costly. I do owe Chris a big apology to leave him disgusted for the night.
Levy Lorenzo/Natalia Sout over Rob Gawley/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-2! No Aces.
Apparently, Doinks needs to catch up on her game as she has not played the entire winter. It was the same for Rob. But, they got to enjoy the match. Rob and Natalia left immediately after the match. Doinks and Levy ended up hitting the ball for the rest of the night.
Jordan Bachvaroff/Dennis Cabanatan over Nathan Fernandes/Kris Srinivasan, 6-3! Jordan: 1 Ace on Kris!
I continued to be a nightmare for my teammate. On the other side, Dennis was a menace and Jordan's play was a far cry from his play last week when he teamed up with Frank Samara. Jordan was serving well and had lots of winners at the net with his soft touch. Even his framed shots were going in for winners...:-). For us, Nate kept us in the game even in some improbable points. It was one of those nights where Dennis was on fire. He won lots of free points off his serves (specifically from me), but his forehand rippers proved lethal.
Nathan Fernandes/Kris Srinivasan leading Jordan Bachvaroff/Dennis Cabanatan, 5-3 (Incomplete when the lights went out at 10pm)! Jordan: 1 Ace on Nate!
We felt we could reverse the result, so we started another set. We got to break Dennis on his serve right off the bat only to give the break back. But we put on a much better performance as it just needed an improved effort on my part. A Love hold on my serve was a big help. We were leading 5-2 and with a few minutes left before the lights out, so we rushed and lost the next game in no time. Nate was ready to wind it up there, but I was adamant in continuing. We got the first two points, but then we blew an easy one. The lights went off at this juncture to ensure a 'winless' status for me for the night. C'est la vie!
Overall, the weather was great and it was a very good night for Dennis, Nate and Jordan! Cheers!
Samara's Notes: As always, I thank Kris for being willing to host GTA Tennis up at Cedar Grove and also for consistently providing us with such comprehensive and colorful reports.
Sincerely,
Frank Samara
862-596-3354
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