7/16

Kris hosts 9 at C.G.!”:

               

GTA Saturday Night Tennis took place at The Cedar Grove Courts (hosted by “Papa K” Kris Srinivasan). 

 

Let’s now go to Kris.

 

First, I must say that I neglected to mention the extended cameo appearances of both “The S Bomber” Genalin Capan and “Spin Doctor” Dan Martinelli at the Friday night session as both came to watch the entire M2 Men’s Doubles Quarterfinal Match.  It was much appreciated.

 

The Cedar Grove Results:

 

Greg Swierczek/Sairaj Srinivasan over Kris Srinivasan/Dan Martinelli, 6-4!  No Aces.

 

It was a good match that saw every one playing well.  I probably was a bit casual in a couple of games, resulting in a loss.  But the credit should go to Sairaj for his attacking shots that were winners.

 

Rob Gawley/Laura Gawley over Greg Swierczek/Sairaj Srinivasan, 6-3!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Both Rob and Laura were brilliant, especially Laura with her overheads, serves and solid shots.

 

Dwight Thomas Sr./Dwight Thomas Jr. over Rob Gawley/Laura Gawley, 6-1!  No Aces (apparently).

 

It was a very tired Rob and Laura, but the score certainly is deceptive.  And let me also say how good it was to see The Dwights back in action.  Chris Chiaro and Raj Shah may very well have their hands full in the M2 Quarterfinals.

 

Kris Srinivasan/Dan Martinelli over Dave Zhu/Sairaj Srinivasan, 6-1!  No Aces.  Simply put, it was Spin at his best!

 

Samara’s Notes: As always, thanks to Kris for being the catalyst for GTA Tennis up at Cedar Grove. 

 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara  

7/15

Gen hosts 3 at HP, Kris hosts 12 at C.G. as M2 begins!":

               

GTA Friday Night Tennis ended up taking place both at Holster Park in Clifton (with "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan acting as host) and The Cedar Grove Courts (hosted by "Papa K" Kris Srinivasan with an additional score also being sent in by Laura "The Aura" Gawley). 

 

Let's first go to the recap from Gen and then Kris will finish the balance of this report.

 

Mike Mole and I agreed to meet at 3pm at HP despite the weather being hot and humid.  We started hitting at 3:15.  After 30 minutes of hitting, I was already exhausted and needed to get a drink of water.  Of course Mike didn't seem bothered by the heat and told me this is just a "warm-up".  We proceeded to start a One-Setter.  Chazz Weldon sent me a text earlier and said he would be joining us, too.  Chazz arrived 5 minutes after we started the set. 

 

The HP Results:

 

Mike Mole over Genalin Capan, 6-0!  Mike: 3 Aces!  This set took just 14 minutes for Mike to put away! 

 

Chazz Weldon over Mike Mole, 6-2!  Mike: 1 Ace.  This set lasted 50 minutes. 

 

It started with an exchange of breaks.  Mike was broken on his service game.  Chazz's first service game was a battle.  It went to at least 5 Deuces and lasted 10 to 12 minutes (close to the time my previous set lasted).  Then finally Mike converted his 3rd Break Point to get the break back for 1-1.  Mike was broken on his service game again.  Chazz held his serve on the 4th Game Point after another 5 Deuce battle on his service game.  Chazz took the lead at 3-1.  Mike was broken on serve.  Chazz held for 5-1.  Mike was on serve at Break Point 30-40.  He took next 3 points to get it to Deuce, Game Point and then scored an Ace to get another game for 2-5.  Chazz held again to close out the set. 

 

There were some really good exchanges and extended rallies throughout their entire set.  Chazz is consistent and a very patient player.  Mike likes pace and at times ended up rushing the points.  There were moments when Mike hit some nice put-away cross-court winners, but inconsistency in his game today was a factor.  Chazz was only broken once in his service games. 

 

Mike Mole over Genalin Capan, 6-3!  No Aces.  This one lasted 32 minutes...much better than the bagel set.  Mike had the lead at 5-1.  I saved 2 MPs to get it to 2-5.  Mike was broken on his service game to extend the set.  Then he broke back to close out the set on the 3rd MP.

 

Chazz had to leave after our set.  Mike and I ended up hitting for another 20 minutes.  We ended the session by 6:20.

 

We got in a lot of tennis played despite the scorching heat.  It was fun.  Thanks to both Mike and Chazz for playing today. 

 

Samara's Notes: And thanks to Gen for hosting and providing us with such a comprehensive report.

 

We now head up to Cedar Grove to let Papa K take it away!

 

The courts were buzzing with action and the close matches added a feverish tempo to the atmosphere as the players were thrilled even in the humid conditions.

 

The Cedar Grove Results:

 

M2 Quarterfinal Match:

Moka Pathan/Nathan Fernandes over Kris Srinivasan/Senthil Kumar 6-1, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, to successfully defend their # 30 Rank in the Doubles Division while advancing to the Semifinals of The M2 Men's Doubles Tournament!  In the process, Srinivasan/Kumar entered the division as the New # 36 Ranked Team.  No Aces.

 

The first of the M2 Quarterfinals matches took place on Friday evening.  After the initial outlook of what appeared to be a one-sided affair turned out to be an exciting and competitive match that went to three sets to be decided.  We were up against two solid players in Moka and Nate.  That didn't deter us, but only inspired us to do as well as we could.  Unfortunately, we fell short so badly in the 1st Set as Nate and Moka overpowered us with a combination of some amazing overheads by Nate, plenty of unforced errors on our part in contrast to almost none by our opponents.  In no time, we lost the set 6-1.

 

The 2nd Set turned out to be a fiery one as we mounted an ultra-aggressive attack at the net keeping continuous pressure on Nate and Moka.  I should thank Senthil for teaming up with me at short notice. He was brilliant at taking on Moka's brutal shots at the net and, more importantly, set up nicely for me to close some handsome points at the net.  Still, it was a doggone fight as even points that we should have won or so we thought were brilliantly overturned.  Nate's incredible move to take Senthil's superb drop shot was out of this world.  Moka's down-the-line shots and his aggressive cross-court shots were simply marvelous.  So we had absolutely no freebies whatsoever.  We had to earn our points and we did in one helluva mindset that upped the pressure on our opponents and cracked the nerves.  Thus, it was a completely different set as we rolled up our sleeves and put a premium on our skills.  Senthil is a steady hand with a calming effect.  As we kept our nose in front, we were able to create the pressure we couldn't in the 1st Set.  The set went the distance and after being down 0-3 in the TB, we did well to earn a bunch of points at the net to win the set dramatically.  This was after saving a Match Point prior to the TB at 4-5, thanks to a superb serve by Senthil, that almost aced Moka.

 

We lost the plot in the final set with some terrible unforced errors that resulted in a quick 5-1 lead for Nate and Moka.  This was after we missed a hold and also an easy break.  This is when we showed the play that got us going in the 2nd Set.  We won the next two games, but lost the momentum and the match in the next game.  It was a poor day for me in the "serve" department as the ball felt heavy in the humid conditions.

 

It turned out to be a fascinating match.  Kudos to Nate and Moka on a well-deserved victory!  They played beautifully, fully in control for most of the match.  We did well to give them a scare and make it an interesting match.

 

Samara's Notes: That was a great way to get the M2 Tournament started.  We now go to Laura for the lone score that she sent in before we go back to Kris.

 

Rob Gawley/Laura Gawley over Jose Gonzales/Jorge Solano, 6-2!  No Aces.

 

Samara's Notes: I thank Laura for sending that one in directly and in a very prompt manner.  And now we go back to Kris.

 

Sairaj Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan over Santosh Reddy/Marie Salamon, 7-5!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Apparently, the kiddo's return of serves was brutal and red hot.

 

Jose Gonzales/Jorge Solano over Sairaj Srinivasan/Marie Salamon, 6-2!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Jorge Solano/Santosh Reddy over Sairaj Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-4!  No Aces (apparently).

 

After leading 3-1, Sairaj and Doinks blew some of the games with double faults and unforced errors.

 

Samara's Notes: As always, thanks to Kris for being the host with the most up at Cedar Grove. 

 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

7/14

Washout at HP, Kris hosts 15 at C.G.!":

               

GTA Thursday Night Tennis ended up being one ill-fated session followed by one successful session.  The washout was at Holster Park in Clifton as "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan attempted to host a session there, but Mother Nature had other plans.  Still, Gen provided a brief report of how it all went down.

 

The successful session was at The Cedar Grove Courts (hosted by "Papa K" Kris Srinivasan with scores also sent in by "Dominant" Dawn Peterson and "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes). 

 

Let's first go to the recap from Gen and then Kris will finish the balance of this report.

 

We tried to get a session in at Holster Park in the afternoon…hoping the rain would hold off until later.  Mike Mole and Tony Shiao got there by 3:30 and then I joined them.

 

We got to hit until 4pm when dark clouds, wind, thunder and lightning rolled in and we had to leave.  Norman Taclob was also going to attend the session and I think he got there just as I was driving away.

 

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

 

And now we head up to Cedar Grove to let Papa K take it away!

 

It turned out to be a brisk and active night of GTA Tennis here despite the availability of just two courts as Sairaj was pushed out of one court (he was holding one waiting for me).

 

I did come late after 7:45 pm.  There was a match going from the early evening between Joe Rodrigues/Dawn Peterson and Jay Phoenix/Natalie Guzman on Court Three.

 

Samara's Notes: Dawn sent in that result directly and we will go to it right now.

 

The Cedar Grove Results:

 

Joe Rodrigues/Dawn Peterson over Jay Phoenix/Natalie Guzman, 7-5!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Samara's Notes: I thank Dawn for sending in that result in a very timely fashion.  We now turn this report back over to Kris.

 

Nathan Fernandes and Dan Martinelli (aka Spin) were pitted against Dino Celis and Levy Lorenzo on Court Four.

 

With Marijus Kuzavas, Sally Pillay and Sairaj all waiting on the sidelines and soon to be joined by Lou La Forgia, Moka Pathan and Doinks…it took some patience before they could express themselves out on the tennis courts.

 

Nathan Fernandes/Dan Martinelli over Dino Celis/Levy Lorenzo, 6-4!  No Aces (apparently).

 

It was a well-contested match with Spin making the most noise...:-)  Boy was he enjoying himself!

 

On the adjacent court, Phoenix was the man to make the noise over there…:-)

 

Kris Srinivasan/Lou La Forgia over Marijus Kuzavas/Sally Pillay, 7-5!  No Aces.

 

It was an exciting and close match that saw brilliant plays by Sally, Marijus and Lou.  The stand out was the exquisite backhand slices by Lou that were literally un-gettable.  Sally had an outstanding night playing her best tennis at the moment.  Marijus loaded up on his serves and his ground strokes were top notch.  It was some of his misses at the net that marred his aggressive play.  With Lou playing an attacking game, I had only to give a steady hand to keep the pressure on the opponents.

 

Dino Celis/Tito Castolo over Moka Pathan/Nathan Fernandes, 7-6 (7-4)!  No Aces.

 

It was a rollicking start for Nate and Moka as they were cruising 4-1 at one time before we saw the resilient Tito and Dino displaying a superb comeback to keep the match competitive and then to be decided in the Tiebreak.  It was a solid match that went down to the wire and wrapped up on time.

 

Nate's Notes: We actually were up 4-0.  Kudos to Dino and Tito for clawing their way back into it!

 

Lou La Forgia/Sairaj Srinivasan over Marijus Kuzavas/Levy Lorenzo, 6-4!  No Aces (apparently).

 

It was a terrific win for Lou and Sairaj, coming from behind 1-4 when Lou had a great chat with kiddo to be focused for the ultimate fight back!  They went on to win the next five games, but it wasn't an easy finish as the last game stretched an eternity going to multiple Deuces (8 maybe).  To kiddo's credit, he kept cool and got his first serves in for the most part, to stay in the hunt for the finish line.  It was a commendable win indeed.

 

Dan Martinelli/Sally Pillay over Kris Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-4!  No Aces.

 

It was almost one-sided for the most part as both Spin and Sally were firing on all cylinders.  Sally was one fiery player all night and played some exciting and aggressive tennis.  Spin was serving superbly for the first part of the match with his team leading 5-2 and they were ready to brush us off in quick time. Doinks started to get back some of her lost "mojo" to get us back on track before we succumbed on her serve. 

 

It turned out to be a fun night as all the players played their heart out in humid conditions.  Cheers!

 

Samara's Notes: As always, thanks to Kris for being the host with the most up at Cedar Grove. 

 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara  

7/13

"4 play at HP, Kris hosts 13 at C.G.!":

               

GTA Wednesday Night Tennis ended up as sessions in two different locations: Holster Park in Clifton (featuring two One-Setters, first one between "Stormin" Norman Taclob and "Holy Moly" Mike Mole and then another between "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes and "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan, scores were sent in by Mike and Gen) and at The Cedar Grove Courts (hosted by "Papa K" Kris Srinivasan). 

 

Let's first go to the result sent in by Mike, then we'll go to the one from Gen and then Kris will finish the balance of this report.

 

This just in – "Bravo" Brenda Jordan reported the missing results (she thought that "Kevlar" Kevin Doyle had already submitted them).

 

The HP Results:

 

Norman Taclob over Mike Mole, 6-2!  Norm: 1 Ace.

 

The Mole Memo: We played from 4pm to 4:45.

 

Samara's Notes: I thank Mike for that result and also for sending it in a very timely fashion.  And now we go to Gen.

 

Nathan Fernandes over Genalin Capan, 7-6 (9-7)!  No Aces.

 

Gen's Notes: We played from 7:30 to 8:20.  Nate was up 5-3 prior to the Tiebreak.  I got it to 5-5 and then we went on to 6-6 and the TB.  I went up 4-1 in the Breaker, but then he came back!

 

Samara's Notes: This has to be the lead contender for One-Set Specialty Match of The Year.  And I neglected to state in yesterday's results report that the One-Setter between "The Legendary" Chazz Weldon and "The General" MaryFrances Patton is another likely Nominee for the same award at season's end.  I thank Gen for always reporting in a very timely manner.

 

And now we head up to Cedar Grove to let Papa K take it away!

 

It was a night where we were restricted to two courts for pretty much all the night, but that proved to be adequate.  Some of our players had started earlier and it enabled the players who came late to have a go.

 

The Cedar Grove Results:

 

Dean Delgado over Jorge Solano, 6-0!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Dean Delgado/Jorge Solano over Kris Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-1!  No Aces.

 

After a good start that could have seen us grab the first three games, we fell apart with misses and poor shots.  It was good to see Dean in action here after quite sometime.  With Solano, his team played well with fewer errors. Jorge did well at the net to put away some points.

 

Chris Chiaro/Kris Srinivasan over Dean Delgado/Jorge Solano, 6-2!  No Aces.

 

Chris stamped his authority and it didn't matter how I played...:-)

 

Chris Chiaro/Brenda Jordan over Jose Gonzales/Kathy Sheldon, 6-2!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Jose felt it would be good for him and Kathy to take on strong opponents.  Indeed, Chris proved to be a bit too strong with his aggressive plays.

 

The next two results come in from Brenda and they were likely prior to the two above.

 

Don Moya/Brenda Jordan over Dean Delgado/Kevin Doyle, 6-2!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Jose Gonzales/Kathy Sheldon over Kevin Doyle/Brenda Jordan, 6-1!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Tito Castolo/Kevin Doyle over Sairaj Srinivasan/Raj Tailor, 6-3!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Kevin Doyle/Brenda Jordan over Sairaj Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-2!  No Aces (apparently).

 

Chris Chiaro/Kris Srinivasan over Raj Tailor/Tito Castolo, 7-6 (7-1)!  No Aces.

 

It was a very good and close match that had incredible shots from all and that it went the distance.  With a bit more steady play from me in the initial stages, it could have made it easier on Chris.  But we got to see Raj serving and cracking some vicious topspin forehand shots along with deadly backhand slices, but Chris was up to it.  Tito played his usual crafty game, but it was Chris who moved so well that all those drop shots were not going to cut it.  Overall, it was a good match to cap the night.

 

Thursday should be a good day to be in Cedar Grove (tonight) with the possibility of all the courts available to us.  Given that our players who get to play first then make room for those in waiting which helps everyone to play.  Hope we get to see an exciting night of tennis.  Cheers!

 

Samara's Notes: It seems they had quite the session with only half the available capacity.  Impressive!  As always, thanks to Kris for being the host with the most up at Cedar Grove.

 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara  

7/12

Ortega-Mole at HP, 2 at Roseland, Sally-Mindy in Wayne, 8 at C.G.!":

               

On what was (once again) nearly a perfect night weather-wise for some GTA Tuesday Night Tennis, we ended up having sessions at four different locations: Holster Park in Clifton (featuring a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match between "Eddie O" Edwin Ortega and "Holy Moly" Mike Mole), The Roseland Courts (featuring an intense One-Setter between "The Legendary" Chazz Weldon and "The General" MaryFrances Patton), The Wayne Courts (featuring the GTA Women's Championship Semifinal Match between "Spicy" Sally Pillay and "The Amazing" Mindy Zhang) and at The Cedar Grove Courts (hosted by "Papa K" Kris Srinivasan). 

 

Let's first go to the result sent in by Mike.

 

The HP Result:

 

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Mike Mole over Edwin Ortega, 6-3, 6-1, to become the New # 21 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division while also successfully defending his # 11 Rank in the Intermediate Division!  No Aces.

 

The Mole Memo: We started at 4pm and the match ended exactly at 4:39.  It was a fast one as my serve was on and I only double faulted three times.  On the other side, he simply made too many unforced errors.

 

Samara's Notes: I thank Mike for that result and also for sending it in a very timely fashion.

 

We now go to Roseland for the recap from Chazz.

 

The Roseland Result:

 

Chazz Weldon over MaryFrances Patton, 7-6 (7-3)!  No Aces.  It was the official GTA Return of MaryFrances Patton.

 

All That Jazz from Chazz: We played at The Roseland Courts, the ones near the Roseland Police Station.  We got started at 2:45 and did not finish until 4:30!  We stayed on serve until MaryFrances broke me to go up 5-3.  I broke back and then held serve for 5-5.  She then held for 6-5 and then I held again to force the Tiebreak where I won this One-Setter.  It was very hot and the match was quite competitive.

 

On a side note, MaryFrances really enjoys playing at The Roseland Courts…so anyone who wants to play her can reach out to her and she will do likewise.

 

Samara's Notes: First, I thank Chazz for sending in that score.  Second, I welcome MaryFrances back to the league.  And third, Scott Bergenfeld had said he is willing to host weeknight sessions at The Roseland Courts.  If these are the same courts that he was talking about (on Harrison Ave.), he is within walking distance to them.   I know we have at least half a dozen players who live out that way.

 

It is now much easier to send an e-mail to the group as you only have to reply to the e-mail address that issues these reports.  There are no more situations where the mailing list is too big.  It would be nice to see another group of GTA players develop out in that West Essex area.

 

We now go to both Sally and Mindy as they recap their Semi in the GTA Women's Championship Tournament.

 

The Wayne Result:

 

GTA Women's Championship Semifinal Match:

Sally Pillay over Mindy Zhang, 6-2, 6-4, to successfully defend her # 2 Rank in the Women's Division while also advancing to the Finals of the GTA Women's Championship Tournament!  No Aces.

 

Sally says: Despite both of us having muscle strains, we gave it our all. The game scores were tight with a lot of Deuces.  Mindy played really well and fought great in the 2nd Set.  At 4-4 the courts were darker as there were no lights and that's when I secured the break and was able to close out the match. She is a great opponent.  I would like to wait until my back muscle strain heals before playing Laura. 

 

The Mindy Memo: Great match!  Lots of fun, despite the fact we both had some injuries.

 

Samara's Notes: Congratulations to Sally on a hard-fought victory, but also kudos to Mindy for a spirited effort.  Obviously, Sally does not have to jump right into the match with Laura Gawley in the Finals.  But I do hope she heals soon as Laura has already been patiently waiting in that position for a while now.

 

On another note, I believe Mindy usually plays her matches at The Wayne Courts near the high school…and not The Nellis Drive Courts near The Wayne Bubble (when it is up half the year), but I could be wrong.

 

And now we head up to Cedar Grove to let Papa K take it away!

 

It was a deserted scenario at The Cedar Grove Tennis Courts with most active tennis players shying away from the presumed occupation by The Pickle Ballers. It looks like the Pickle Ball evening sessions are over. Only on Wednesdays, are a couple of courts expected to be taken by the Verona folks. If last week was any indication, they did wind down about 7:45pm.

 

Senthil Kumar was looking for a fourth player up in Wayne, but given that all the courts were available here, he trotted to CG with both Tony Shiao and Raj Boddu following him.

 

Upon my entry close to 8:15pm, the GTA was in action on Court One with Mike Kazlauskas and Jane Fan on one side hitting against Rob and Laura Gawley on the other side.  Soon to come were Tito Castolo, Dino Celis, Marijus Kuzavas and Sally Pillay.

 

It was a hitting session initially, but within a few minutes, Laura sounded urgent coming over to our side of the courts and asking if Doinks was home.

 

Jane had fallen down on her side and indeed it looked like a nasty fall.  The first thought was to dash home and get ice. But Jane had fallen on her left wrist and right away, she felt she had broken something.  Laura was swift to call the ambulance as we saw Jane's wrist swelling.  Police came first and offered the ice pack, but Jane didn't want them to touch it. She was writhing in pain, but she was also incredibly calm.  The ambulance came and, after propping her hand, they took her to Mountainside hospital. Laura called Dave Zhu so he could go straight to the hospital.

 

Update: I was in touch with Dave late night and he informed me about Jane having to go through surgery today at 1pm.  It was tough and I pray that Jane recovers quickly.  She is a strong person and we expect her to bounce back quickly.  All our players were by her side till she got the medical help which was comforting.

 

The Cedar Grove Results:

 

Kris Srinivasan/Senthil Kumar over Tony Shiao/Raj Boddu, 7-5!  No Aces.

 

It was a good close match that saw the momentum shifting between the two sides. 

 

Marijus Kuzavas/Tony Shiao leading Sairaj Srinivasan/Tito Castolo, 4-3 (Incomplete when lights went out at 10pm)!  No Aces (apparently).

 

I am not aware of the score of the match involving Jane Fan.  And Mike Kazluaskas and Michael Chang played against Rob and Laura Gawley.

 

Samara's Notes: Since none of those parties reported to Kris or sent anything to me, whatever they played will have to remain as unofficial.  And now back to Kris for just a little bit more.

 

Dino Celis/Raj Boddu leading Kris Srinivasan/Senthil Kumar, 4-2 (Incomplete when the lights went out at 10pm)!  No Aces.

 

Both Dino and Boddu played really well.  We had a small hiccup but were on the cusp of wrapping up a game with a couple of Game Points when the lights went out.

 

Indeed it ended up as an eventful night after a deserted look in the early hours. We are wishing Jane a speedy recovery.  Cheers!

 

Samara's Notes: First off, I second Kris on the well-wishes for Jane.  I hope she can make a full and speedy recovery, indeed.  Second, it seems that the Tuesday night scene up at Cedar Grove is clear for us now.  Guess it will just be Wednesday nights that will be muddled with others for the time being.

 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

7/11

"Chiaro-Shah part of 19 at C.G. as Samara hosts!":

               

On what was nearly a perfect night weather-wise for GTA Monday Night Tennis, "Hollywood" Frank Samara called a last-minute audible about the idea of hosting a session at The Cedar Grove Courts (usually hosted by "Papa K" Kris Srinivasan). 

 

Frank sent a text message to Kris at 6:15 to inform him of his pending arrival around 7pm and that Kris could also inform the entire league via e-mail as well.  Mr. Srinivasan did so immediately.

 

On his way up there, Mr. Samara ran into a bad accident on Route 46 West not far beyond the merge of Route 3 West into it.  Frank sent Kris a "running late" text.  Also, Kris had indicated to Frank that he would need to leave at 7:15 to pick up Doinks.

 

Samara arrived at the courts at 7:10.  Upon his arrival, he saw "The Sultan of Swing" Raj Shah hitting with "The Secret Weapon" on Court Four.  Court Three was vacant.

 

On Court Two, "Spin Doctor" Dan Martinelli was hitting with "Big George" Jorge Solano.

 

And on Court One was the only official action that was already underway as "Ice Berg" Scott Bergenfeld was teaming with "Bravo" Brenda Jordan to take on "Killer Kat" Kathy Sheldon and "Dominant" Dawn Peterson.

 

Samara made his way over to Court Two to get involved in that hitting session, but within minutes we also had the arrival of "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes.  By 7:20, a Doubles One-Setter got started as Samara and Martinelli took on Fernandes and Solano.

 

Around that same time, GTA Champion: "King Crush" Chris Chiaro arrived and went toward Court Four.  Not too long after, a GTA Championship Match got underway with Chiaro putting the Title on the line against his Doubles partner, Shah.

 

Another five minutes later, we had the arrivals of Kris, "The Argentine Machine" Fernanda Toker and "Mr. 500" Levy Lorenzo.  I do believe "ME" Michel Encarnacion also showed up around this time.  But once he saw a packed house (Court Three was already occupied at this point), he decided to leave.

 

Doinks made her way over to the courts at 7:40.  She was able to get involved in some Women's Doubles action after Bergenfeld left Court One (and the session as well).

 

"Big Returns" Ralph Bernard arrived at 7:50 and had to sit on the bench for quite a while before being able to get involved in the action.

 

"Coach" Dino Celis arrived at 7:55.  Within another five minutes, we also had The Gawleys (Rowdy Rob and Laura The Aura) sit on the bench near Dino, too.

 

And we also had a surprise appearance by Sachiko "Sachi" Tokuda (who usually only plays at Robin Hood Park in Clifton).  She briefly disappeared just when there was an opportunity for her to play some Doubles.  By the time she returned, all courts were once again fully engaged.

 

Even with the GTA having all four courts, we still had somewhat of a logjam.  But eventually everyone who did decide to wait around eventually found their way into the action.  We ended up with a total of 19 official competitors for the evening…very impressive!

 

Also, there was a brief and late cameo made by Dwight Thomas Sr. as he came by to address the upcoming M2 Quarterfinal Match where he and his son, Dwight Thomas Jr., will face Chiaro/Shah.

 

I can go on and on, but let's get to the action!

 

The Cedar Grove Results:

 

2 out of 3 Sets:

Scott Bergenfeld/Brenda Jordan over Kathy Sheldon/Dawn Peterson, 6-0, 6-2!  Scott: 1 Ace on Kat in the 1^st Set.  Not sure when this one got underway on Court One, but it was over at 7:40.

 

Nathan Fernandes/Jorge Solano over Frank Samara/Dan Martinelli, 6-4!  Spin: 2 Aces on Jorge!  It went like this: Spin was broken at Love as Nate made a winning Overhead Smash to get things started and Jorge made a winning Overhead Smash for the break, Jorge held at Love as Nate hit a winning Backhand Volley, a winning Overhead Smash and a drop shot winner before an un-returned serve sealed the deal and then Frank got off to a Love-30 start on serve.  This meant that the opposition had just taken the first ten points of the match!  Finally, Spin made a great get/winner combo to get his team in the game at 15-30, but then it went to Double Break Point and then the break came on Break Point as The Foundation fell to 0-3!  Nathan held serve (started with a Double Fault and then it went point for point until 30-All…and Spin had hit a roller of a winning return along the way…but then it went to Game Point, Deuce, Game Point where Nate hit a winner to secure his own hold) and then Martinelli was broken again (Nate hit a winning Overhead Smash for Love-15 and then it was Love-30 where Spin hit a serve that must have seemed deceptive to Jorge as he reacted late and swung over it…which meant The Doc had a corner Ace for 15-30, but then Jorge hit a winning Overhead Smash for Double Break Point where Jorge then blew a volley to make it Break Point, but that was where Nate hit the winner for the break) as The Foundation how now almost completely crumbled to a 0-5 deficit!  Solano was then broken (Spin hit a killer return for Love-15, it shifted to 30-15 where Frank hit an angry Overhead Smash that bounced off the top of the tape to turn into a roller of a winner for 30-All and then Spin had another winning return to make it Break Point, Deuce, Break Point and then a scorching winner from Spin for the break) and Samara held (Love-15 shifted to Double Game Point with two un-returned serves and then came the hold) as the team also known as Spin City started to get their asses up off the canvas at 2-5.  Fernandes was broken (15-Love then point for point to Game/Match Point, but then it went to Deuce, Break Point and the break) and The Doc held (started with a big and true sideline Ace on Jorge and then it went point for point until 30-All, but then it was Break/Match Point, Deuce and then all Game Points to 3^rd Deuce, another Game Point and then a Double Fault for 4^th Deuce and then another Game Point where Spin made yet another great get/winner combo to secure his own hold) as The Foundation had been rebuilt all the way back up to 4-5!  I also must say that I forgot some additional winners in that last game, but basically it was Spin and Nate making most of the gets for their respective teams while Frank and Jorge were more inclined to try to end points with volleys or Overhead Smashes.  It was the best game of the match, but another great one was right around the corner with Big George on serve for the third time.  Frank got things started with a winning volley for Love-15 and then it was point for point until 30-All, Game/Match Point where Frank hit a roller of a winner off the top of the tape to once again stay alive and make it Deuce, then it was the 2^nd Game/Match Point, 2^nd Deuce, 3^rd Game/Match Point, 3^rd Deuce and then finally on the 4^th Game/Match Point…which was the 6^th M.P. overall…the hold came!  What looked to be an epic comeback for the ages by the man who yells out "AGE!" in a rage (Spin) and his sometimes even more vocal (and loco) partner (Frank) was cut short and denied by Nate and Jorge!  We played this one on Court Two from 7:20 to 8:18…just two minutes short of an hour!

 

The Skinny: Had we made the comeback a successful one or even if we extended this one to a Tiebreak, this would have surely been a Nominee for One-Set Doubles Match of The Year at season's end as the action was that good and the drama was that intense.  But as it stands now, it likely can only claim an Honorable Mention.  Still, it was a lot of fun.

 

GTA Championship Match:

Chris Chiaro over Raj Shah, 6-4, 6-0, to complete the second successful GTA Championship defense of his second reign!  No Aces.  This one lasted just about an hour on Court Four, roughly from 7:30 to 8:30.

 

The Skinny: Chiaro wanted to get in the July defense of his GTA Championship before he will be told to wait for the next Top Contender to emerge from the upcoming Grove Cup Men's Singles Tournament.  In fact, he may even try to give Former Champ: "Instant" Moka Pathan his rematch later this week before the tourney gets underway next week.

 

Kris Srinivasan/Fernanda Toker over Sairaj Srinivasan/Levy Lorenzo, 6-1!  No Aces.  This one began on Court Three somewhere around 7:30, but I'm not sure when it ended.

 

Doinks Srinivasan/Brenda Jordan over Kathy Sheldon/Dawn Peterson, 7-6 (7-5)!  No Aces.  They got this one underway on Court One at 7:45, but I'm not sure when this one finished either.  It did serve as a nice preview of the upcoming W2 Women's Doubles Tournament as both of these teams are in the draw.

 

Dino Celis/Fernanda Toker over Rob Gawley/Laura Gawley, 6-3!  No Aces.  Not sure when this one began on Court Three, but it ended at 8:55.  Dino and Fernanda jumped out to a 4-1 lead before The Gawleys tried to mount a comeback…but it ended up being too little, too late. 

 

Ralph Bernard/Jorge Solano over Kris Srinivasan/Levy Lorenzo, 7-5!  Ralph: 1 Ace on Levy; and Kris: 1 Ace on Jorge.  Not sure when this one got started on Court Two, but it was finished at 9:25.

 

Chris Chiaro/Raj Shah over Frank Samara/Nathan Fernandes, 6-3!  No Aces.  Here's how it went down: Chris was broken (Frank hit a winning Overhead Smash for Love-15 and then it went point for point to Break Point as there was an un-returned serve along the way and one point where Nate made several amazing gets on the way toward ultimately prevailing and then Nate hit a killer passing shot winner for the break), Frank was broken (Raj hit a blistering return for Love-15, it shifted to 30-15 with back-to-back un-returned serves, but then it shifted to Break Point where Chris hit a crushing return of his own), but Raj was the first to hold serve (Love-15 went straight to Double Game Point as Raj had a near-ace on Frank along the way and then came the hold) to go up 2-1.  Nathan was broken (Love-15 and then point for point until 30-All, Game Point, Deuce, Break Point where Raj hit the winner for the break) and Chiaro held (Love-15 went right to Double Game Point as Raj hit a drop shot winner and Frank blew an overhead along the way) to take a somewhat commanding lead of 4-1.  But then Samara held (Chris hit a winning Backhand Volley for Love-15, but then it went straight to Double Game Point as Nate another amazing passing shot winner along the way and then came the hold) and Shah was broken (15-Love then point for point to Game Point as Raj hit a drop shot winner along the way and both Chris and Nate had winning Overhead Smashes as well, but then it went to Deuce, Break Point and the break) as his team's lead was cut to 4-3.  But Fernandes was broken again and this time it was at Love as Frank blew a volley, Nate blew an overhead, Frank blew another volley and then Chris hit a winner for the break and then King Crush held again (Chris hit a winner for 15-Love, it then went to 15-All, but then it was off and running to Double Game/Match Point as Chris hit a winning Overhead Smash along the way, but then it was Game/Match Point, Deuce where Raj hit a monster Overhead Smash to set up the 3^rd Game/Match Point where an un-returned serve secured the hold and sealed the deal) to get a hard-fought win!  We played this on Court Four from 8:40 to 9:15.

 

Rob Gawley/Laura Gawley over Dan Martinelli/Fernanda Toker, 6-1!  No Aces.  The Gawleys gained a measure of revenge (albeit against a changed team) on Court Three.  This one went from 9:05 to 9:30.  After this one, Rob and Laura continued on against one another in a lengthy hitting session.

 

Dino Celis/Nathan Fernandes over Chris Chiaro/Raj Shah, 6-3!  No Aces.  Here's the basic breakdown: Raj held, Nathan held, but Chris was the first to be broken for 1-2.  Dino was also broken, but then Shah was broken for 2-3.  Fernandes was broken to level it at 3-3, but Chiaro was broken again, Celis held and then The Sultan of Swing was broken again to take somewhat of a stunning loss!  They played this one on Court Four from 9:17 to 9:55.

 

Ralph Bernard/Levy Lorenzo over Kris Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-2!  Ralph: 1 Ace on Doinks.  They got this one going late on Court One as it started at 9:30.  They did forego changeovers to save time.  Kris blames his own poor play for the loss, but also acknowledges the strength of Ralph's game.  This one ended just prior to the lights going out at 10pm!

 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara  

7/10

Mole-Nate (14) at HP, 2 at RHP, 4 at NTC, Scott-Andrew, Mole-Sairaj (7) at C.G.!":

GTA Sunday Tennis took place at four locations: Holster Park in Clifton (session hosted by "Hollywood" Frank Samara and featuring a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match between "Holy Moly" Mike Mole and "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes), Robin Hood Park in Clifton (a One-Setter between "Double R" Rob Ryan and "Bollywood" Hiren Ramani), The Nutley Tennis Club (hosted by "The Riz" John Rizzo) and up at The Cedar Grove Courts (hosted by "Papa K" Kris Srinivasan, but featuring two full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Matches - "Ice Berg" Scott Bergenfeld versus "Drew True" Andrew Truong and Mole again, but this time against "The Secret Weapon" Sairaj Srinivasan…Scott and Mike sent their scores in directly).

We will first go to the full recap of how things unfolded at HP, then scores from RHP and NTC.  We will then close the report with all that took place up at Cedar Grove.

Tito "Touch" Castolo sent a text message to "Hollywood" Frank Samara at 8:55am that he was heading to Holster Park.  Samara's reply was that he would be there around 10am or a little after.

At 10:15, Castolo sent a follow-up text to Samara stating that they only had three players there.  Frank's reply was that he was already on his way and would be there in about 15 minutes.

When Samara pulled into the parking lot at Holster at 10:30, he saw that "Big Business" Ayman Elbatanony was doing the same thing at the same time.  Frank told Ayman that he could complete the foursome on the Entrance Court while he would shift over to Center Court to hold that one.    

Besides Castolo, there was "Big George" Jorge Solano and "DC3" David Cardenas on the Entrance Court.  This foursome (including Ayman) would soon enter into a Doubles One-Setter.

Meanwhile, on Championship Court there were two interlopers (an older gentleman and a somewhat younger guy...both were very friendly).

Samara would not have long to wait alone as his buddy "Spin Doctor" Dan Martinelli arrived at 10:40 with tool in hand to adjust the height of the net on Center Court back to its proper status.  From there, the two of them entered into a hitting session.

At 11am, a new recruit of Samara's arrived.  His name is Nik Agharkar and Spin soon gave him the moniker of "Nik@Nite" as Frank silently predicted he would.  Nik is a good player, but quite rusty as he has been away from the game for about seven years.  He is also a nice guy with a solid sense of humor, so he should fit in quite nicely with the rest of our group.

The Foundation (aka Samara/Martinelli) were soon teaming up against Nik in the hitting session.

At 11:15, just as the two interlopers were leaving Championship Court, Cardenas was also leaving the Entrance Court after that first Doubles One-Setter had concluded.

And at the same time, "Latino Heat" Jose Gonzales was heading toward the courts.  Samara told him to take the place of Cardenas on the Entrance Court as Samara and Martinelli would continue to hit against Agharkar until another "fourth person" made their arrival.  And the threesome of Frank, Spin and Nik shifted over to Championship Court after those two guys left at 11:15.

The foursome on the Entrance Court got the second Doubles One-Setter underway at 11:22.  Just a few minutes later at 11:25, "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes made his way toward Championship Court to become the fourth player there.  Just five minutes later, they had another Doubles One-Setter underway.

At 11:35, "Holy Moly" Mike Mole made his arrival and then held Center Court while waiting for someone else to arrive.

Just as that second Doubles One-Setter finished on the Entrance Court at 11:55, "Coach" Dino Celis made his way onto the courts at the same time.

The third Doubles One-Setter (the one on Championship Court) ended exactly at 12:02.  From there, everything fell into place as Mole as Fernandes agreed to face each other in a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match which would enable Nate to get back into the Advanced Division and be qualified for entry into the upcoming 19th Annual Men's Doubles Tournament.

That left six others.  Samara and Martinelli were quite willing to take themselves out of the action and go into their usual "Hecklers" mode.  That left Jose to team with Ayman against Dino and Nik.  While they were still hitting to warm up, Elbatanony earned himself a new moniker as he inadvertently hit Spin with a laser-like shot while Martinelli was walking along the sidelines.

The nickname is "The Sniper" as he can also be quite precise with his planned shots.  No amount of insensitivity is intended with regard to the recent tragic situation down in Dallas, Texas.  This moniker should be taken as a compliment...similar to the way we call Alfred Chen, "The Assassin."

At 12:25, we had "MC" Mike Carucci make his way to the courts.  Five minutes later, Jay "The Rising" Phoenix did the same.  Soon, they hit against one another on Center Court.

At 12:50, The Mendoza Family (Uni, Dora and daughter Natasha) took over Center Court and had a hitting session where it was just Uni against the two ladies.  They never got involved in any official GTA action.  They ended up leaving at 1:40.

At 1:35 we had our fourteenth official (and final) arrival surprisingly made by Former GTA Champion: "Double R" Rob Ryan.  He reported the result of a Singles One-Setter he had played at Robin Hood Park against "Bollywood" Hiren Ramani just a while earlier (we will get to that one after all of the HP scores).  Rob said that it looked like it would be a Doubles One-Setter, but then "P.S." Pankaj Savaliya and "Nasty" Nilay Patel decided to leave and head back up Jani Court.  Luckily, Hiren stayed around to play.

The HP session ended up with an impressive total of fourteen official competitors and it continued on long after Samara and Martinelli left the park around 2:05.

The additional results were sent in by Mole, Gonzales, Celis and Phoenix.  All are thanked for their efforts.

The HP Results:

Tito Castolo/Ayman Elbatanony over Jorge Solano/David Cardenas, 6-3!  No Aces.  This one was played on the Entrance Court from 10:40 to 11:15.

Jose Gonzales/Jorge Solano over Tito Castolo/Ayman Elbatanony, 6-3!  No Aces.  This was also contested on the Entrance Court and it lasted from 11:22 to 11:55.

Frank Samara/Dan Martinelli over Nathan Fernandes/Nik Agharkar, 6-2!  Nik: 1 Ace on Frank.  It was the official GTA Debut of Nik Agharkar.  This one was conducted officially on Championship Court from 11:30 to 12:02.  It went like this: Spin was broken (a winning return from Ayman made it Love-30 and then went to Triple Break Point which was where back-to-back un-returned serves cut it down to Break Point, but then came the break), Nik was broken (started off with three consecutive Double Faults to set up Triple Break Point where a sideline Ace against Frank made it Double Break Point and then Nate hit a winning Overhead Smash to make it Break Point, but then came another Double Fault for the break), but Frank was then the first to hold serve (Nate hit a big-time winner for Love-15 and then it went point for point until it was 30-All where Frank had just hit a missile-like passing shot winner to get there and then Spin hit a winning lob for Game Point and then an un-returned serve secured the hold) for 2-1.  Nathan then had a Love hold as he got thing started with an un-returned serve and Nik hit a drop shot winner along the way, but then Martinelli held (un-returned serve for 15-Love where Nik hit a winner for 15-All and then an awesome extended rally ended with a big Overhead Smash from Frank for 30-15 and then it went to Double Game Point, Game Point, Double Fault for Deuce, but then Game Point again and un-returned serve earned the hold) to go up 3-2.  Agharkar was broken again and this time at Love as three consecutive Double Faults led to Triple Break Point as his team fell to 2-4.  Samara held again (a winning Backhand Volley by Nik for Love-15 and then it went point for point to Break Point as Frank hit two un-returned serves along the way and then he hit another to make it Deuce, then it was Break Point again where Nate blew a volley to make it 2nd Deuce where Spin hit a monster of a passing shot winner for Game Point and then came the hold) to go up 5-2.  And then Fernandes was broken (an un-returned serve for 15-Love, but then it shifted to 15-30 right after an extended rally led to a winning Backhand Volley from Frank, but then it was 30-All where Nik blew a volley to set up Break/Match Point, then came Deuce, the 2nd Break/Match Point, the 2nd Deuce, the 3rd Break/Match Point and finally came the break) to take the loss. 

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:
Nathan Fernandes over Mike Mole, 6-1, 6-2, to become the New # 29 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division!  Mike: 1 Ace in the 2nd Set.  This one started on the Entrance Court at 12:08 and ended exactly at 1:08, but at 12:55 it seemed like almost a five minute break as Mike had busted a string on his racquet and then returned with a replacement. 

Jose Gonzales/Ayman Elbatanony over Dino Celis/Mike Carucci, 6-2!  Nik: 2 Aces (one on each)!  Jose and Ayman had leads of 3-1 going all the way to 5-1, then 5-1.  It then went to 2-5 with Nate up next for serve.  It went to Triple Break/Match Point where a corner Ace on Ayman made it Double Break/Match Point, but then came the break for the loss!  They played this one on Championship Court from 12:08 to
12:35.

Jose Gonzales/Jay Phoenix over Dino Celis/Mike Carucci, 6-4!  No Aces.  It was 2-1 with Jay on serve in a game that had multiple Deuces (too many to count!) before he finally held for his team to go up 3-1.  Dino held and Jose was broken at Love to make it 3-3!  At that point, the services of Samara and Martinelli were once again needed.  This one was played on Championship Court from 12:43 to 1:28.

Nathan Fernandes/Mike Mole over Frank Samara/Dan Martinelli, 6-4!  Spin: 1 Ace on Mike.  Mike held (an un-returned serve made it 30-Love, but then a Double Fault made it 30-15 and that was where Nathan hit a winning Backhand Volley for Double Game Point and then another un-returned serve secured the  hold) and Spin was broken (started off with a corner Ace on Mike and then Frank hit a big-time winning Windmill Overhead Smash for 30-Love, but then it went straight to Break Point right after Nate hit a winner to set that up and then came the break) as his team was now down 0-2!  Nathan was broken (Frank hit his usual monster Overhead Smash to make it Love-30 which was where Nate hit a drop shot winner for 15-30 and then it went to Double Break Point where an un-returned serve cut it to Break Point, but then came the break) and Frank held (un-returned serve for 30-Love, then it went to 30-15, Double Game Point was cut down to Deuce, but then Game Point again and then the hold) to level things at 2-2.  Mole was broken as he started with back-to-back Double Faults, then on Triple Break Point he hit an un-returned serve for Double Break Point, but that was yet another Double Fault caused the break) and Martinelli held (15-Love then point for point until 30-All as Mike had a hit a nice winner early and then he hit a winning drop shot return for Break Point, then an un-returned serve made it Deuce, then came Game Point, 2nd Deuce where Frank hit a nice Backhand Volley winner for Game Point and then the hold) to put The Foundation up 4-2.  But from there, Fernandes held as well (15-Love then point for point to Game Point, then the hold and it should be noted that each serve to Spin was un-returned, but The Doc fought back in one point where he made multiple gets until he prevailed and yelled out "AGE!" and then he also had a winning Overhead Smash in another point...but it wasn't enough), Samara was broken (Love-30, then an un-returned serve for 15-30 where Mike hit a drop shot winner for Double Break Point, but then it went straight to Deuce only to go to Break Point again and then the break), Holy Moly held in a crazy battle (an un-returnable serve followed by an un-returned serve made it 30-Love which was where Spin made a great get/winner combo for 30-15 and then there was a Double Fault for 30-All, but then Nate hit a winning Backhand Volley for Game Point which was where Spin made an even greater get/winner combo for Deuce, then there was a Double Fault for Break Point, 2nd Deuce, Double Fault for Break Point, 3rd Deuce, Game Point and finally the hold) and The Doc was broken (Frank blew a volley to set up Triple Break/Match Point where an un-returned serve made it Double Break/Match Point and then Frank hit a winning Overhead Smash to cut it to Break/Match Point, but then came the break) as Team Youth took four straight games for a win against the team also known as Spin City!  We played this on the Entrance Court from 1:12 to 2:02.

Dino Celis/Rob Ryan over Jose Gonzales/Jay Phoenix, 6-3!  No Aces.  This one got underway on Championship Court at 1:42 and then Jose sent a text message of the result at 2:27 (Dino sent a text of the same score at 5:10).

Rob Ryan over Mike Mole, 6-0!  No Aces.

Mike Mole over Jay Phoenix, 7-6 (7-4)!  No Aces.  Mike sent a text message of these last two results at 3:52.

Rob Ryan over Jay Phoenix, 7-5!  Rob: 1 Ace.  Jay sent this last one via e-mail.

The RHP Result:

Rob Ryan over Hiren Ramani, 6-2!  Hiren: 1 Ace!  This one actually took place before Rob's first-ever appearance at Holster Park (he loved it), but we report it here just to ease the flow of this report (and we learned of it once Rob got to HP).

We now go to NTC for some scores from The Riz.

The NTC Results:

Tom La/Dan Hwang over John Rizzo/Alfred Chen, 6-0!  No Aces (apparently).

Tom La/Dan Hwang over John Rizzo/Alfred Chen, 8-6!  No Aces (apparently).  Rather than play a Tiebreak, they decided to do it "old school" style and play out the games until one team won by two.

Tom La/Dan Hwang over John Rizzo/Alfred Chen, 6-3!  No Aces (apparently).

Samara's Notes: I thank John for sharing those scores with us.  We now head up to Cedar Grove for reports from Scott, Mike and Kris.

The Cedar Grove Results:

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:
Scott Bergenfeld over Andrew Truong, 1-6, 6-0, 6-3, to return to the Advanced Division as the New # 37 Ranked Player and also return to the Intermediate Division as the New # 35 Ranked Player!  Truong enters the Intermediate Division as the New # 36 Ranked Player.  No Aces.

The Great Scott Report: We played a full match at the courts in Cedar Grove around 4:30. He took the 1st Set from me at 6-1. He completely dominated the set. The 2nd Set I won 6-0. It was a completely different ball game. I found my groove and he was trying to hit too hard and made a lot of unforced errors. The 3rd Set I also won 6-3...a much more competitive set. All in all, it was a good match. It felt great to get back into the swing of things again!

Samara's Notes: I thank Scott for the timely reporting of this match.  It is also great to have young Mr. Bergenfeld back in the mix as he is a talented competitor who has been with us (until fairly recently) for a good number of years now.

From here, we let Papa K take it away as he echoes what Mike reported plus provides us with much more.

We had some decent action at our regular tennis courts despite a relatively low turnout.

First off, it was Senthil Kumar involved in a hitting session with Scott Bergenfeld and Mike Sindler.  I took the next court to hit a bit with Sairaj.  As Raj Shah joined us, Scott left.  Mike Mole was the last to come.

Kris Srinivasan/Senthil Kumar over Raj Shah/Mike Mole, 7-6 (7-3)!  No Aces.

After a good start by us leading 4-2, it was a nice comeback by Raj and Mike taking the next three games
as we slipped up a bit. We regrouped well to take it to the distance.

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:
Sairaj Srinivasan over Mike Mole, 6-3, 6-2, to become both the New # 30 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division and the New # 10 Ranked Player in the Intermediate Division!  No Aces.

The Say from Papa K: Kiddo did well in the rallies, aided by some Double Faults by Mole to take out the big man in straight sets.  Mike was magnanimous to play with Sairaj.  This match will give plenty of confidence and motivation to Sairaj to play more tennis this summer.

Holy Cow from Holy Moly: The kid kicked my butt!

Samara's Notes: To say that this win is incredible is a bit of an understatement.  For those that do not know, Sairaj will turn twelve years old next month!  He is turning out to be quite the player, indeed!  I also want to point out the "Marathon Man" tennis performance of Mr. Mole.  Scroll back up through this report and just see how much tennis he played in one day.  Incredible!  And he was not done…look at this next one…and the one after that!

Raj Shah over Mike Mole, 6-0!  No Aces.

It was a quick One-Setter by Raj as we then had a hitting session.

Kris Srinivasan/Senthil Kumar over Raj Shah/Mike Mole, 7-6 (8-6)!  Raj: 1 Ace on Kris!

It was yet another close match that could have gone either way at the end, even though I blew a sitter that could have secured a 6-4 win.  That blip almost cost us the set as we lost the game to make it 5-All.  Raj and Mike had a Match Point for 7-5 when a lovely return to a terrific serve by Raj ended up in an overcooked shot by Raj.  We saved another Match Point in the Tiebreak after an Ace on me by Raj.  After all the hard work, it was a shame that this ended on a Double Fault.  Raj was brilliant.  Mike did very well in the rallies. For us, Senthil anchored our boat beautifully as he kept us in play against some terrific shots by both Raj and Mike.  He also set me up for some good shots at the net.

Overall, it turned out to be a great night of brisk tennis.  Cheers!

Samara's Notes: As always, I thank Kris for all he does on behalf of the GTA up at Cedar Grove.  Kudos!

All the best,
Frank Samara