9/22 Results.

9/22/17:

"14 play (1 new, 2 return) at C.G.!":

There was just one session of GTA Friday Night Tennis at The Cedar Grove Courts and multiple sources reported results from the outing: "Killer Kat" Kathy Sheldon, "The Olympian" Marie Salamon, "The S Bomber" Genalin Capan and "The Lumberjack" Ryan Pienciak.

Let's get the scores!

The Cedar Grove Results:

Laurie Boughton/Arlene Hyde over Kathy Sheldon/Michele Panzitta, 7-6 (7-5)!  No Aces.  It was the official GTA Return of Arlene Hyde and the official GTA Debut of Michele Panzitta.

Kathy Sheldon/Michele Panzitta over Laurie Boughton/Arlene Hyde, 6-3!  No Aces.

The Kat's Meow: Just those two sets would have been a long match.  It was very good competition and close.  Glad to have these two ladies in the league.

Samara's Notes: I thank Kathy for the clarification on those two scores.  I second her opinion on welcoming both ladies to our league.  Arlene previously competed in some GTA action (though she was likely unaware of it at the time) when I included her in results from when I played at Marie Salamon's Indoor Group (at Fair Lawn Racquet Club) Season Ending Party last spring.  I am glad Marie brought both of them to Cedar Grove and I welcome to them to our mailing list as well. 

The first of those two One-Setters could very likely be a Nominee for One-Set Women's Doubles Match of The Year at season's end.  And now we go to Marie for another result.

2 out of 3 Sets Mixed Doubles Match:

Tito Castolo/Arlene Hyde over Jose Gonzales/Marie Salamon, 6-4, 7-5, as both teams entered the Mixed Doubles Division as the New # 52 and # 53 Ranked Teams respectively!  No Aces.

Samara's Notes: I thank Marie for her timely reporting of that result.  And now we go to Gen for the score of another full Mixed Doubles Match.

2 out of 3 Sets Mixed Doubles Match:

Kris Srinivasan/Genalin Capan over Dennis Cabanatan/Minnie Cabanatan, 6-2, 6-3, as both teams entered the Mixed Doubles Division as the New # 54 and # 55 Ranked Teams respectively!  It was the official GTA Return of Minnie Cabanatan.  Kris: 3 Aces on Minnie; and Gen: 1 Ace on Minnie!  They played this match from 8:56 to 9:52.

Gen's Notes: I was impressed with Minnie's level of play (especially her two-handed forehand) considering the fact that Minnie does not get to play all that much tennis.  The match was a lot of fun.

Samara's Notes: I thank Gen for her very timely reporting.  I'm also very happy to see that Minnie is back in action in the GTA.  We now go to Ryan for the last two scores of the evening.

Arthur Fontanilla/Erdem Alpay over Ryan Pienciak/Laurie Boughton, 7-5!  No Aces.

Ryan Pienciak vs. Arthur Fontanilla, tied at 5-5 (Incomplete, we stopped at 9:57 before the lights would go out at 10pm)!  No Aces.  I had been down 1-5, but came back to tie it up before we stopped.

Samara's Notes: I thank Ryan for sending in these results in a very timely manner. 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

Gtasamara5@gmail.com

862-596-3354 

 

 

9/21 Results.

9/21/17:

"Phoenix-Ortega, Wang-Toker part of 26 at C.G. as Samara hosts!":

There was just one session of GTA Thursday Night Tennis and it occurred at The Cedar Grove Courts.  "Hollywood" Frank Samara ended up arriving earlier than expected to host of the session (6:30 instead of 7pm).  Upon his arrival, he soon found out from "Salsa Picante" Edwin Ortega that he had just missed by a bit the first big match of the night as Ortega had faced Jay "The Rising" Phoenix in a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match. 

Also there at the time was "The Bulgarian Bull" Jordan Bachvaroff and "GDP" Guy Dupoux.  And out on Court One were "King Crush" Chris Chiaro and "Instant" Moka Pathan doing battle in what would be the first of two Singles One-Setters between them.

The other major match of the evening (which had been announced to the league earlier in the day) was another 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match as "J-Wow" Janice Wang would be facing "The Argentine Machine" Fernanda Toker.  It was set to have a starting time of 8pm.

Wang arrived early at 6:45 and Samara instructed her to hold Court Four for their upcoming match.  Meanwhile, "Big George" Jorge Solano had arrived five minutes earlier.  It was his first appearance at the courts in over a month as he has been nursing a knee injury.  He was coming to play on this night to test out the healing process/progress.

So on Court Three, we soon had Jordan and Jorge hitting against Frank and Guy and it eventually led to quite the Doubles One-Setter.

And then the arrivals just kept on coming: "Spin Doctor" Dan Martinelli at 7:05, "The Hit Man" Tom La at 7:10 and "JB Smooth" Justin Berardo who would all end up on Court Three in a hitting session together while waiting for a fourth player to arrive.

Toker also arrived somewhat early for her match as she got out onto Court Four around 7:25 and then entered into a lengthy hitting session against Wang.  I estimate their match began a bit early, possibly around 7:45 (I could not check exactly when as I was still in the midst of an epic Doubles One-Setter).

Arriving at the same time as Fernanda was "The Queen of Controversy" Louise Bysiek who became the fourth player on Court Two.

At 7:30, "The Levitator" Levy Lorenzo made his way out onto Court One just after Chiaro and Pathan had finished their action against one another.  Both were exhausted and sat on the sidelines recuperating and talking to each other.  Neither was interested in playing further at that time (and Chris would leave soon after).  So Levy took the opportunity to fix the net on Court One as he tied up the gaping holes that were just underneath the tape across the top.  Thanks to Levy for the handiwork and repair!

At 7:45, "The Lumberjack" Ryan Pienciak and Frank "Hydro" Hohorst both arrived and made their way to Court One to hit with Lorenzo.  Having now recuperated, Pathan returned to the court to make it a foursome and that led to some official Doubles action there as well.

And still more were on the way: GTA Women's Champion: Laura "The Aura" Gawley at 7:50, "The Art Font" Arthur Fontanilla at 7:55, "Tireless" Tommy Reszkowski at 8pm (strictly to make an extended cameo appearance and watch the Wang-Toker match), Tito "Touch" Castolo at 8:05 and "Rowdy" Rob Gawley at 8:10.

Laura chose to watch the Wang-Toker match for a while, but the rest did not have to wait too long to get involved in some official action. 

We still were not done as a bit later it was "EA Sports" Erdem Alpay and his son (I believe he said his name is Ahmed) around 8:20, "Laidback" Laurie Boughton at 8:25, Dupoux returned at 8:30 (as he had to leave right after the conclusion of the earlier Doubles One-Setter to go pick up his wife) and "The Adonis" Don Moya also arrived at that time (strictly to make an extended cameo appearance and watch the balance of the Wang-Toker match), GTA Champion: "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes at 8:40 and the "First Couple of Cedar Grove" – "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan and "The Marathon Woman" Doinks Srinivasan came across the street at 8:55.

As far as competitors go, they were the last arrivals of the evening and we ended up with a very impressive total of 26 official competitors for the night.  This last group experienced a bit of a logjam situation due to the high number of players there and the Women's Singles Match running long on Court Four.  But there were no complaints as many were willing spectators for the Wang-Toker marathon.

And then "Dynamo" Dino Celis arrived at 9:30 to strictly make a cameo appearance and see the balance of the action for the session.

In the past, it has often been said that Samara's presence as host serves to boost the attendance numbers somewhat...he usually defers to good weather or other outside circumstances that serve to contribute to the overall turnout.  Despite some humidity, it was a nice night and a great one for GTA Tennis…regardless of the reasons why so many decided to show up on this particular occasion.

Let's get to the scores!

The Cedar Grove Results:

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Edwin Ortega over Jay Phoenix, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4, to become the New # 20 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division while also successfully defending his # 3 Rank in the Intermediate Division!  Edwin: 2 Aces in the 2^nd Set.  They played this one on Court Four.  Not sure when it began, but Edwin said it likely finished somewhere around 6:20.  Sounds like it may have an outside shot at being considered as a Nominee for Intermediate Match of The Year at season's end.

Chris Chiaro over Moka Pathan, 6-0!  No Aces.  They played this one on Court One.  Not sure when it got underway or when it ended as it went right into this next one.

Moka Pathan over Chris Chiaro, 6-4!  No Aces.  Also, really do not know when this one finished as there was so much action…just trying to get the results was a trying task!

Jordan Bachvaroff/Jorge Solano over Frank Samara/Guy Dupoux, 7-6 (7-3)!  Guy: 2 Aces (one on each)!  It went like this: Jordan held serve (Love-30 and then three consecutive un-returned serves set up Game Point where Frank hit a winner to bring it to Deuce, but then a winning volley from Jorge set up Game Point and then came the hold), Guy was broken (Love-15, Frank hit another winner to make it 15-All, a Double Fault for 15-30, a big sideline Ace against Jordan to make it 30-All, but then came Break Point and the break), Jorge held (an un-returned serve for 15-Love, a shift to 15-30 and then two more un-returned serves shifted it to Game Point where Guy made an excellent Overhead Smash winner to make it Deuce, but then came Game Point again and another un-returned serve for the hold) and then Frank was broken (15-Love then point for point to Game Point, Deuce, Game Point, 2^nd Deuce, Break Point which was then the rally of the match which ended with an excellent and well-placed winner from Jorge for the break) as his team found themselves down 0-4!  It should be noted that in that last game, I could no longer keep remembering or noting who was hitting what winners as I had to write down so many other details from the other courts during the changeovers.  I just focused on very key moments from there forward.  Bachvaroff was broken (15-Love then point for point until 30-All, Break Point and the break) to allow the opposition onto the scoreboard, but then Dupoux was broken again (15-Love went straight to Double Break Point where a truly un-returnable serve brought it down to Break Point, but then came the break) to fall to 1-5!  Solano was broken as well (15-Love and then straight to Double Break Point and then the break) and Samara held (Triple Game Point, Double Game Point and the hold) to pull to 3-5.  The Bulgarian Bull was broken again (Love-15 then point for point to Break Point and then the break) and GDP held (started with a big-time Ace up the T against Jorge and then back-to-back winning Overhead Smashes from Frank led to Triple Game Point, then came Double Game Point and the hold) to level matters at 5-5!  Big George was broken again (Love-15, 15-All where winners from Guy in back-to-back points soon set up Double Break Point and then a Double Fault caused the break) to lose the lead for his team, but Hollywood was also broken (Love-30 shifted to 30-All, then came Break Point and the break) as we were now headed for the Tiebreak!  In the Breaker: Jordan held his lone serve, Guy held both of his serves and then Jorge held the first of his two serves but was then broken on the second one for 2-3.  Frank was broken on the first of his two serves for 3-3 at the changeover and was then broken again after what may have been the best play of the entire match…an excellent get into a drop shot volley by Jordan for 3-4 and then Bachvaroff followed that with an un-returned serve for 5-3.  He then held his second serve as well to go up 6-3 and set up the very first Match Point of the match with service returning to Dupoux.  That point went to the opposition for a 7-3 TB score!  We played this on Court Three from 7pm to 8:01…exactly one hour and one minute long!

The Skinny: In a season filled with more impressive Tiebreak scores and multiple Match Points, this one will likely have to settle for an Honorable Mention rather than an official Nomination for One-Set Doubles Match of The Year at season's end.  Afterward, Jordan had a fairly long hitting session with Arthur Fontanilla while waiting for the next Doubles match-up to be made.

Tom La/Louise Bysiek over Dan Martinelli/Justin Berardo, 6-4!  Spin: 1 Ace on Louise!  Court Two hosted this one from 7:30 to 8:13.

Ryan Pienciak/Levy Lorenzo over Moka Pathan/Frank Hohorst, 6-1!  No Aces.  This one took place on Court One and lasted from around 8pm to only 8:15 (it was likely longer than fifteen minutes as it very well may have started a few minutes before eight)!

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Fernanda Toker over Janice Wang, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0, to become the New # 3 Ranked Player in the Women's Division!  No Aces.  This one got underway on Court Four somewhere around 7:45.

The Skinny: In the 1^st Set, Fernanda was up 4-0 when Janice finally got on the scoreboard only to get blanked again for the rest of the set.  The 2^nd Set was at 2-2 before Toker went up 4-2 only to have Wang take four straight games to take the set and level the match.  The 3^rd Set, obviously, was all Fernanda as she proved why she has earned the "Argentine Machine" moniker by simply outlasting an opponent half her age!  The 1^st Set finished at 8:25, the 2^nd Set ended exactly at 9:18 and the 3^rd Set and match was over and done at 9:48!  The match was very likely over two hours long!

Samara's Notes: To be fair, the 2^nd Set was during the height of activity in and around the courts as Fernanda was quite obviously distracted and frustrated with all the players heading into or off of the courts and the "levity lounge" atmosphere from the bench alongside Court Four.  But that should not also detract from the fact that Janice has excellent game…especially her lethal two-handed backhand down the line.  She just needs to get a bit more consistent and develop some additional stamina and she will truly be a threat to anyone in the Women's Division.  

Tito Castolo/Arthur Fontanilla over Jordan Bachvaroff/Jorge Solano, 7-5!  Arthur: 1 Ace on Jorge.  This took place on Court Three and lasted from 8:14 to 9:09.

Ryan Pienciak/Frank Hohorst over Levy Lorenzo/Laura Gawley, 6-3!  Laura: 1 Ace on Ryan!  Court One hosted this one from 8:18 to 8:56.

Rob Gawley/Justin Berardo over Tom La/Louise Bysiek, 6-1!  No Aces.  This foursome faced off on Court Two from 8:25 to 8:55.

Rob Gawley/Justin Berardo over Nathan Fernandes/Laurie Boughton, 6-4!  No Aces.  Also played on Court Two, it lasted from 9pm to 9:40.

Frank Hohorst/Erdem Alpay over Kris Srinivasan/Levy Lorenzo, 6-3!  No Aces.  It was the official GTA Return of Erdem Alpay.  This took place on Court One as it began at 9:04 and ended at 9:35.

Guy Dupoux/Laura Gawley over Ryan Pienciak/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-2!  Guy: 1 Ace on Ryan.  They battled on Court Three from 9:15 to 9:35.

Ryan Pienciak/Laura Gawley over Guy Dupoux/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-1!  No Aces.  They switched up the teams on Court Three as this one lasted from 9:37 to 9:57.

Arthur Fontanilla/Erdem Alpay leading Kris Srinivasan/Tito Castolo, 4-2 (Incomplete when the lights went out at 10pm)!  No Aces.  This one had begun on Court One at 9:40.

Nathan Fernandes/Dan Martinelli tied with Frank Hohorst/Laurie Boughton, 2-2 (Incomplete when the lights went out at 10pm)!  No Aces.  This one got underway on Court Two at 9:45.

After lights out at 10pm, there was a lot of chit-chat among various pairings or groupings from the still rather large contingent hanging around…and it likely lasted until 10:30 or so.  And Erdem's son was so eager to hit some balls, he and his dad had a hitting session on Court One in the dark!  Oh, what a night! 

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

Gtasamara5@gmail.com

 

 

 

9/19 Result.

9/19/17:

"Gawley-Mazur at C.G.!":

There was just one session of GTA Tuesday Tennis at The Cedar Grove Courts and it occurred during the morning hours while it was still sunny and dry (albeit humid) outside as GTA Women's Champion: Laura "The Aura" Gawley put her Title on the line against the 2017 GAH7 Champ and Top Contender: "Automatic" Anna Mazur.  Both reported the result (along with their commentary) shortly after the match had ended.

As Hurricane Jose had his say later in the day by bringing rain and even heavier winds in the late afternoon and evening hours, this morning result was the only official action of the day.

So we now get the score and opinions from both Laura and Anna!

The Cedar Grove Result:

GTA Women's Championship Match:

Laura Gawley over Anna Mazur, 6-1, 7-5, to complete her fourth successful GTA Women's Championship defense of her first title reign!  Anna: 1 Ace in the 1^st Set on Set Point!

Chat from The Champ: We started warming up at 11:15 and started at 11:30.  After closing out the 1^st Set with an Ace, the 2nd Set started off great for me!  I was up 5-1 and had 3 Match Points!  Anna was able to win that game and, at 5-2, things started to turn around.  Anna started hitting short balls, pulling me into the net and hitting passing shots.  It was very effective.  I started to get very frustrated (with myself), but at 6-5 I was able to break her and win the set (and match) at 7-5.  She played a very solid game in the 2nd Set.  We had a lot of long rallies and I was getting quite winded.  I can see how she wears people down with her steady play.  The match ended at 12:55.

The Automatic Annotation: It was a great match.  She is an amazing player.  She doesn't have any weak sides.  She plays smart and has an excellent volley and net game.  It was a great experience to play her and I would love to play her again sometime.

Samara's Notes: I thank both of them for reporting in such a timely fashion.  I congratulate Laura on such a hard-fought victory.  And I also offer kudos to Anna for such a fine performance.  Nobody has tested Gawley so thoroughly thus far in the GTA.  Mazur now firmly places herself back in the conversation about contention for the Most Improved Women's Player of The Year (along with Natalia "Nitro" Sout). 

The Consequences: Now Gawley is free to defend her Title against any lady ranked in the Top 10 of the Women's Division (not the Non-Competing Women's Division).  She is only obligated, however, to defend it once in the month of October.  Any additional defenses are optional.

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

Gtasamara5@gmail.com

862-596-3354 

 

 

9/18 Results.

9/18/17:

"Mehta-Shah part of 8 at C.G.!":

There was just one session of GTA Monday Night Tennis at The Cedar Grove Courts, but it featured the last of the four Grove Cup XX Quarterfinals as "The AM Rush" Anish Mehta and "The Sultan of Swing" Raj Shah got together to play their match.  And then GTA Champion: "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes sent in the balance of the results.

Let's get to the scores!

The Cedar Grove Results:

Grove Cup XX Quarterfinal Match:

Raj Shah over Anish Mehta, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), to become the New # 5 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division while also advancing to the Semifinals of the 20^th Annual Grove Cup Tournament!  Anish: 1 Ace in the 1^st Set.

The Sultan Swings: We scheduled our match for Monday night (rather than Tuesday night as originally planned due to Hurricane Jose) and got together around 6:20pm at Cedar Grove.  We started around 6:45 and I believe ended around 8:45. 

I thank Anish for making an adjustment by meeting a night earlier since he is going out of town later this week.  It was a very tough match as we both are nursing injuries (his back and my knee), but once the adrenaline kicked in…both of us gave it our competitive best. 

He's a very quick player and gets to everything and on any given night the win could have gone either way.  I will let Anish add any additional commentary on the match. 

The AM News: We ended up playing on this night due to the storm - I wouldn't have been able to do Thursday and I was going to be gone for the next two weeks.  So it was either do it now or default. 

I was up 6-2 (the 1^st Set) and then 3-0 in the 2^nd Set, but I expended a lot of energy to get to that point (especially the third game).  I couldn't keep up that level and I ended up losing the next 8 games in a row as Raj kept up his consistency.  After being down 0-2, I managed to crawl back to serve for the match at 5-4 in the 3^rd Set.  However, we were both hurt by then and I didn't have much left on my serve (I also got tight again).  Raj continued to play a smart match and won it in the Tiebreak.  His knee injury never stopped him from running difficult balls down, so hopefully it won't be a factor in the next match.

Samara's Notes: I thank both of them for adjusting their schedules to get this match played in a timely fashion.  I appreciate the detailed commentary they both offered here.  And I congratulate Raj on a very hard-fought victory.  In fact, it may end up being a Nominee for Singles Match of The Year at season's end.

We now go to Nate for the rest of the scores.

Chris Chiaro/Ray Spadaro over Nathan Fernandes/Frank Hohorst, 6-4!  No Aces.

Chris Chiaro/Ray Spadaro over Nathan Fernandes/Frank Hohorst, 6-4!  No Aces.

Nathan Fernandes/Levy Lorenzo over Dennis Cabanatan/Frank Hohorst, 6-3!  No Aces.

Samara's Notes: I also thank Nate for reporting in such a timely fashion.  Those first two scores are not a duplicated typo.  It was a ditto-like repeat performance (the second one of the first one).

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

Gtasamara5@gmail.com

862-596-3354 

 

 

9/17 Results.

9/17/17:

"Samara hosts 17 at AP, Rich-Keith at PAC, Spin hosts at C.G.!:"

There were three sessions of GTA Sunday Tennis: the usual morning session at Albion Park in Clifton with "Hollywood" Frank Samara hosting; an early evening session at The Park Ave. Courts in Nutley featuring a full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match between buddies "Richie" Rich Liu and "Kaptain" Keith Lewkowitz (as reported by Rich); and a late evening session at The Cedar Grove Courts where "Spin Doctor" Dan Martinelli was the impromptu host that featured five players, but no official action.

The humid conditions which began midway through the past week continued right into this Sunday and once they were coupled with the sun, it was no mercy, baby!  It felt more like mid-July or mid-August rather than mid-September.  Still, that did not seem to dampen the spirits of the competitors of this fine league as we ended up with an impressive total of 17 competitors at the Albion session.

When Samara pulled up to the courts a little early at 10:50, he found that two of those competitors were already competing as it was "The Headhunter" Ralph Bernard and "Magic" Mike Mole (who earned yet another new moniker during the session...more on that later) facing off on the North Court in Singles action.  The night before (Saturday) in Cedar Grove, Bernard beat Mole in straight sets to take his rank.  This time around, the two agreed to meet early for what turned out to be a couple of One-Setters where they decided to forego the changeovers (likely to save energy rather than save time...also, the sun had yet to come out early in the session, so the sun was not yet a factor).

Center Court (whose net has now sunk far too low at this point...likely at the hands of some punk kids!) was vacant, but on the South Court there was a young mom with her very young son (four or five years old, perhaps).  When she soon saw that we had four more competitors heading down the hill to the courts, she was nice enough to pack up her stuff, pick up her kid and head to the park.  It is rare to find people this considerate nowadays and I thanked her for her thoughtfulness.

The foursome making their way to the courts was William "Bombs Away" Bobila (who overcame some health issues as of late), Sachiko "Sachi" Tokuda, "Fabulous" Fadia Nicolas (who likes her new moniker, but also feels unworthy of it) and "The Queen of Controversy" Louise Bysiek (who continues to maintain a peaceful presence at our courts, but I have been hearing many voices of concern since it was first announced that she is back on the scene).

At 11am, hot on their heels were "Vintage" Vinnie De Benedetto, "Sue B. Newbie" Suzanne Bujara and "The Webmaster" Senthil Kumar all also heading onto the courts.  With Bernard and Mole already into the second of their back-to-back One-Setters, the situation was quite ideal, actually.

We had four ladies in attendance (often a rarity and especially at a Sunday session) for some Women's Doubles action on the South Court while the four guys could play Men's Doubles on Center Court.  Samara offered up the possibility of a full 2 out of 3 Sets Doubles Match to the opposition (Kumar/Bobila), but only if others did not show up along the way.  If later competitors would have to wait long, that idea would be scrapped in favor of just a One-Setter (or perhaps two depending upon the timing of the other arrivals).  All were on board with this idea.

At 11:20, "Spin Doctor" Dan Martinelli made his way down the hill toward the park and was soon joined by GTA Champion: "Nate the Great" Nathan Fernandes who had walked across the other side of the park to get to the courts.  They sat together by the fence to watch the action while they waited their turn to get involved in some of it.

After Ralph and Mike took a bit of a breather after the conclusion of their second One-Setter, they called out the invite to Nate and Spin to head over to the North Court for some Doubles.  This made it seem like a full match may have a chance at fruition on Center Court.  Yet, that lengthy 1st Set was still raging on at the time.

When "Super Mario" Marijus Kuzavas and "The Smackdown" Sally Pillay arrived together at 11:55, said plans for a full match on Center Court were scrapped.  As it turned out to be an epic One-Setter, the four competitors were happy to have it be just that when it ended exactly at 11:58.  As the losers who should have been winners (three blown Match Points!), Frank and Vin stepped off like Costanza getting that dismissive directive from hunky "Tonay!"

The winners, Senthil and William, held court to face the New GTA Mixed Doubles Champions: Kuzavas/Pillay!  And the scenario was also ideal for the other four ladies to make it a full match on the South Court.

"Latino Heat" Jose Gonzales (maybe he will soon want to be called "Hurricane Jose"...hmm) arrived at 12:05.  He waited on the bench alongside the North Court with Frank and Vin while waiting to get involved in the action.  That opportunity arose when he had the chance to replace Spin in the next Doubles One-Setter on that very court.

The Doc was more than happy to sit alongside Hollywood and Vintage Vin and reform the squadron known as The Hecklers.  It soon became a scene of many one-liners and astute (or is that asinine? LOL!) observations.

At 12:45, "Dynamo" Dino Celis came down with a bucket of balls to the one entrance to the courts while The Inseparable Cousins ("Teej" T.J. Shah and "Ragin" Rajan Shah) made their way to the other entrance.

Very quickly, things shook out again so that nobody was left waiting all that long as Ralph and Jose soon headed home.  That left the North Court for a hitting session between Nate and Dino while Mike and William willingly watched as both felt exhausted at that time (Bobila would soon head home as well).

On Center Court, Marijus and Sally were now facing Senthil and Suzanne.  The four ladies had long left the South Court by this time.  That left The Shahs of Sunset to do battle with Spin and Vin...and later The Foundation (Samara/Martinelli).

The last official action of the day ended at exactly 2:12.  There was then a bull session featuring Frank, Spin, Dino, Nate and Mike that lasted until 2:35 until all decided to head home due to the high humidity.

Overall, the session truly could not have flowed and functioned any better considering we had 17 competitors over the course of it.  Nobody had to wait long and when they did, they were more than happy to do so.  It was also quite nice to have access to the nearby bathroom as organized Little League (perhaps Farm League) Baseball caused the door to be unlocked and wide open.  All in all, it was good times had by all!

The Albion Park Results:

Mike Mole over Ralph Bernard, 6-2!  Mike: 1 Ace.  Not sure when they had begun this one on Court One, but it ended exactly at 10:52.  Three minutes later, they decided to run it back.

Mike Mole over Ralph Bernard, 7-6 (7-5)!  No Aces.  This one finished at 11:40.  Some in attendance questioned why this was not a full match, but I understand the difference if that was not agreed upon at the outset.  They decided to forego changeovers in both sets, though they did switch court sides leading into the second one.  If you do not come into it with a full match mentality, it is then somewhat unfair to insist it was a full match just because one guy took it in what would be straight sets.  Hopefully, the two of them will play a full and proper rematch in the near future.

Senthil Kumar/William Bobila over Frank Samara/Vinnie De Benedetto, 7-5!  William: 1 Ace on Vinnie (on the very first point of the match)!  It went like this: William held serve (started off with a big Ace up the T on his very first serve in what was a "First In" situation and it caught Vin off-guard, but it was fair and it was followed by an un-returned serve for 30-Love, 30-15, Double Game Point where Vin hit a winning drop shot volley for Game Point, but then another un-returned serve secured the hold), Frank held (Vin hit a vicious volley winner for 30-Love, it was Triple Game Point where William hit a wicked Backhand Volley winner for Double Game Point, but then an un-returned serve secured the hold), Senthil held (a truly un-returnable serve for 15-Love, a Double Fault for 15-All which was where William hit a winning volley for 30-15, Double Game Point, Game Point and the hold), but Vinnie was the first to be broken (Love-30, an un-returned serve for 15-30, Double Break Point and the break) for 1-3.  Bobila was broken (30-Love where William blew an overhead attempt for 30-15, Double Game Point, Double Fault for Game Point, Deuce where Senthil blew a volley to make it Break Point which Frank then ended with a drop shot winner for the break) and then Samara held again (an un-returned serve followed by a victorious volley from Vin made it 30-Love, but that was where Senthil hit an awesome Backhand Volley winner for 30-15, then it went to Double Game Point where William had a winning volley of his own for Game Point, but then came the hold) to level things at 3-3.  Kumar was broken (15-Love, Double Fault for 15-All where Vin hit a winning volley for 15-30, then it was 30-All where Frank whipped out a big-time Windmill Overhead Smash winner to set up Break Point, it then went to Deuce, Break Point, 2nd Deuce, Break Point and the break) and then De Benedetto held (15-Love then point for point until 30-All, Break Point, Deuce and then all Game Points through to 3rd Deuce, another Game Point and the hold...and I could no longer remember who hit what winners where and when in this lengthy game!) to take a 5-3 lead for his team!  Bombs Away Bobila then held at Love as Senthil hit a winning volley, there was an un-returned serve, another winning volley from Senthil and then Senthil hit an impressive passing shot winner to secure his partner's hold as they pulled to 4-5!  Next came the most pivotal game as Hollywood hit an un-returned serve, followed by an impressive "revenge" passing shot winner against Senthil (who scored the previous game-closer against him) and then another un-returned serve to set up Triple Game/Match Point.  Frank then called out that score to the opposition, but said as Triple Game/Set Point as the idea of a full match was possibly still in play.  When he asked them if it should be Match Point, they said they planned on taking the game to Deuce!  Sure enough, Senthil hit a winning volley to then make it Double Game/Match Point.  He then hit another winning volley to cut it down Game/Match Point.  Frank then blew a quasi-overhead attempt to have his service reduced to Deuce.  It then went to Break Point and the break for 5-5!  The Webmaster then had a Love hold that got started off with a winning Overhead Smash from William as their team had just taken nine straight points off the opposition for a 6-5 lead!  Vintage Vinnie was now on serve and announced he would soon end that streak.  And it did end as Senthil blew a volley attempt by dumping it into the net to offer up a 15-Love lead for the opposition.  But that would be about it as a Double Fault made it 15-All, it then went to 15-30 where another Double Fault set up Double Break/Match Point which would be ended by a winner from William for a highly impressive comeback...taking 13 of the last 14 points for the win!  We played this on Center Court from 11:11 to 11:58.

The Skinny: In a season of so many Tiebreak One-Setters, I doubt this will be a Nominee for One-Set Doubles Match of The Year at season's end...but it definitely deserves an Honorable Mention!  The funny thing is that when I told Senthil and William to team together against Vin and me, they thought they had the unfair advantage and that they should be split up instead.  That was all it took to rile Vin up (in a good way, of course) and it set the tone for a very competitive yet fun One-Setter. 

2 out of 3 Sets Women's Doubles Match:
Fadia Nicolas/Louise Bysiek over Sachiko Tokuda/Suzanne Bujara, 6-3, 6-1, as both teams entered the Women's Doubles Division as the New # 9 and # 10 Ranked Teams respectively!  No Aces.  This match was played on the South Court.  After a ten minute hitting session, the 1st Set officially got underway at 11:15 and ended at 11:55.  There was a brief hitting session between Fadia and Suzanne while both Louise and Sachiko took a breather in the high heat and humidity.  The 2nd Set then lasted from 12:05 to 12:43.

Ralph Bernard/Mike Mole over Nathan Fernandes/Dan Martinelli, 6-4!  No Aces.  This was played on the North Court from 11:48 to 12:19.  I started paying particular attention to it (from the bench alongside the court) when Fernandes/Martinelli were up 4-3 and Spin was about to serve.  He ended up being broken for 4-4, Mike held serve and then Nate was broken on Break/Match Point to end it.

Senthil Kumar/William Bobila over Marijus Kuzavas/Sally Pillay, 6-4!  No Aces.  Center Court hosted this one from 12:07 to 12:50.  Senthil and William jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Marijus and Sally bounced back to level it at 4-4.  Just as the opposition were finding their footing, Kumar and Bobila righted their ship to take the last two games and go out as a team as two-time winners on the day!

Nathan Fernandes/Jose Gonzales over Ralph Bernard/Mike Mole, 6-0!  No Aces.  They played this on North Court from 12:23 to 12:48.  I think, by this time, Ralph and Mike were both quite exhausted.  You then bring in a fresh Jose (who was very much on the money in this one) and team him with The Champ...and it was a recipe for disaster!

 

The Skinny: The Hecklers (in this case, Frank, Spin and Vin) had a lot of fun during this one.  Mole, who recently returned from a visit to his native Argentina, was in rare form from a comedic standpoint.  It has taken a few seasons for Mike to finally show us his lighter side.  He has one of the deeper voices in the league (though not when Nate took a shot at him right at the net and he let out a squeal much like a teenage girl would when being advanced upon by a man like Spin…yeah, that's right! LOL!).  He often sounds like Sylvester Stallone when he says "thanks, bro" and "sorry, bro."  And all that has led to his latest moniker: "Del Brotro!"  LMAO!

T.J. Shah/Rajan Shah over Dan Martinelli/Vinnie De Benedetto, 6-3!  No Aces.  South Court hosted this one from 12:51 to 1:23.  Team 130 (aka Spin and Vin, so named for their combined age of 130 years old!  Spin at 62 and Vin at 68!) jumped out to a 3-1 lead before The Shahs had the sun go down on their senior opponents by taking five straight games for an impressive comeback victory!  Vin hobbled home after this one as Spin then enlisted his Foundation partner Frank to take his previous partner's place.

Marijus Kuzavas/Sally Pillay over Senthil Kumar/Suzanne Bujara, 6-1!  No Aces.  They played this one on Center Court from 12:53 to 1:16.  After this one, Marijus shifted over to the North Court to go solo in hitting against both Nate and Mike while Sally was talking to Suzanne.  Once Pillay joined Kuzavas for one more One-Setter over on the North Court, Dino offered up a training session to Suzanne on Center Court.

Marijus Kuzavas/Sally Pillay over Nathan Fernandes/Mike Mole, 6-3!  No Aces.  This one was played on the North Court from 1:25 to 1:55.

Frank Samara/Dan Martinelli over T.J. Shah/Rajan Shah, 6-4!  No Aces.  The dirty lowdown: T.J. was broken (Love-15, 15-All where Frank hit a winner for 15-30, Double Fault for Double Break Point, an un-returned serve for Break Point and then the break), Frank was broken at Love as the game was book-ended by a raging return winner from Rajan at the outset and then a drop shot winner by Rajan for the break and then Rajan was the first to hold serve and this was also at Love as he started off with a winner followed by an un-returned serve as The Shahs had just taken eight straight points from The Foundation!  Spin was determined to end this and end it he did by starting off with an un-returned serve for 15-Love, it went to 30-Love which was where Rajan hit a winner for 30-15 and then came a Double Fault for 30-All where Rajan hit another winner to set up Break Point, but then another un-returned serve made it Deuce, it went to Game Point, 2nd Deuce, Break Point where Frank made a great get/winner combo to bring it to 3rd Deuce, then came Game Point and the hold to level things at 2-2!  Teej was broken (an un-returned serve for 15-Love, then came the rally of the match up until that point for 15-All which was where Spin made an amazing get/winner combo for 15-30 and then it was Double Break Point where Frank hit a wicked winner of his own for the break) and then Samara held at Love as he started things off with an un-returned serve, hit a wild net-cord-aided winner which stunned T.J. and set up Triple Game Point which was then followed by another un-returned serve to secure the hold and put his team up 4-2!  Ragin' Rajan was then broken (T.J. hit a very impressive volley winner and that was followed by back-to-back un-returned serves to set up Triple Game Point to only watch that lead wither in the humid conditions as it soon became Deuce before they knew what had hit them and then it went to Break Point, 2nd Deuce, Game Point, 3rd Deuce, Game Point, 4th Deuce, Break Point and the break...and I must admit to not remembering who hit what winners where and when once we went to Deuce) to fall to 2-5!  Martinelli was then broken (Frank blew a volley and then T.J. scored with a scorching return winner to make it Love-30, but then Frank had an awesome get/winner combo of his own for 15-30, but then it went to Double Break Point where Rajan walloped a winner for the break) and T.J. held (Love-30 shifted straight to Game Point as there was an un-returned serve, a winner from T.J. and then a winner from Rajan along the way and then came the hold) to pull to 4-5 and put some pause and pensive pondering proclivities into the thoughts of the team otherwise known as Spin City!  Then came the man known also known as The Wood to the rescue as Rajan blew a drop shot attempt for 15-Love, Spin made another outrageous get/winner combo for 30-Love, Rajan responded with another roaring return winner to make it 30-15 where Frank electrified the scene with a sizzling get/passing shot winner combo to set up Double Game/Match Point and then Rajan book-ended this game with another blown drop shot attempt to allot the hold and take a tough loss!  We played this one on the South Court from 1:27 to 2:12.

The Skinny: This one was a whole lot of fun as The Foundation finally rebounded from some pitiful performances as of late.  The Shahs also made it a lot more interesting with their near comeback toward the end.  I also must say that T.J. and Rajan are two really good guys with a great sense of humor as they never get offended by the often obnoxious antics of the always sophomoric (sometimes moronic) fiends known as The Foundation!

We now take this report to Nutley to get the result from Rich.

The Park Ave. Result:

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Keith Lewkowitz over Rich Liu, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, to become the New # 34 Ranked Player in the Intermediate Division!  Rich: 1 Ace in the 1^st Set.

The Richie Rich Report: Kapt. Keith and I had a great match in Nutley.  We met up around 5:15pm and decided to play on the far court where there was a little bit of shade.  The weather was sunny and muggy.  Muggy was right as both of our T-shirts were soaked by the end of the match!  Keith caught the attention of the female tennis players next to us as he was changing his shirt afterwards…haha!

The sets were quite competitive as both Kaptain Keith and I were both serving well.  Not sure if our serves have improved or perhaps our ability to return serves has declined.  In the 1st Set, we basically each held our service games till the end when Keith elevated his game and won the set at 6-4.  The 2^nd Set was similar with many long rallies that totally wore me out, but still I took it at 6-4.  By then, it was almost 7pm and we decided to play a 3^rd Set to make it a full match.  Keith then dominated that set to take it 6-3 and win the match.  Then we went to get some food and cold drinks at the local Nutley Diner (which I highly recommend, by the way).

Samara's Notes: I definitely appreciate the timely reporting and the detailed commentary from Rich.  I also congratulate Keith on a hard-fought victory (especially under those steamy conditions).  Yes, I have witnessed firsthand how the ladies swoon over Kaptain Keith.  Also, I agree with Rich on his assessment of the Nutley Diner (though I prefer the Tick Tock Diner in Clifton).

We now head up to Cedar Grove to get the last word from Spin (he always likes getting in the last word…LOL!).

A cool but humid night leads to The Furious Five taking over the courts at C.G.!!!

Upon my reluctant arrival to The Cedar Grove Courts (I was rather beat up from the Albion Park session earlier in the day), I saw a sprinkling of orange cones on Court 3.  That meant only one thing…that former "Coach" Dino Celis and Natalia were engaged in a training session.  Court 4 presented us with two interlopers who actually did not stay all that long.  

Ryan Pienciak was "The Lonely Boy" practicing his serve on Court 1.  Court 2 was devoid of action and would stay that way thoughout the evening.  Ryan and I decided to have a rather engaging hitting session.  Ryan had sent out an e-mail to the league earlier in the evening and it later (around 9:30) served to produce the arrival of his buddy, Tony Shiao.  

No actual official action took place as we were content to just hold a massive practice session.  Kudos to Natalia…because she was the only one who engaged in tennis action the entire time!  Dino had her play a practice set (a scrimmage of sorts) first against Ryan and then myself.  When Tony arrived, he and Ryan took to Court 4 to hit amongst themselves.  

Shortly after the lights went out, Kris Srinivasan arrived to get the scoop on the evening's festivities.  The post-tennis conversation lasted until around 10:30 when Natalia, Kris, Dino and I called it a night.

Samara's Notes: I appreciate the update from Spin as it painted the picture of just how things were up at Cedar Grove.

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

Gtasamara5@gmail.com

862-596-3354

 

 

 

9/16 Results.

9/16/17:

"Ryan-Kaz at AP, Kuzavas-Daddio, Mole-Bernard part of 12 at C.G.!":

There were two sessions of GTA Saturday Tennis: an early morning session at The Albion Park Courts in Clifton as "The Lumberjack" Ryan Pienciak and "Big Kaz" Mike Kazlauskas got together for their Grove Cup XX Quarterfinal Match (as reported by both); and then there was a late afternoon into the evening session at The Cedar Grove Courts as first "Super Mario" Marijus Kuzavas and "Daddy O" Paul Daddio met in their Grove Cup XX Quarterfinal Match (also as reported by both) and then later in the evening there was a somewhat impromptu full 2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match between "Magic" Mike Mole and "The Headhunter" Ralph Bernard (again, as reported by both).  The balance of the night session at Cedar Grove was hosted by the usual host, "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan.

So we will first go to Clifton and then up to Cedar Grove.

The Albion Park Results:

Grove Cup XX Quarterfinal Match:

Ryan Pienciak over Mike Kazlauskas, 6-1, 6-2, to successfully defend his # 3 Rank in the Advanced Division while also advancing to the Semifinals of the 20^th Annual Grove Cup Tournament!  No Aces.

The Ryan Report: I knew I couldn't win many topspin hard-hitting rallies against Mike, so I tried to mix it up and hit different kinds of shots.  Luckily, it kept Mike off his best game long enough for me to close it out in straight sets.  I also perfected a new "oh God, the ball is going to hit me in the face" blocking shot which helped me cope with Mike's impressive first serves.  

All That Kaz: Great game plan by Ryan!  The 1st Set was a wash.  I was down 0-5 before I got my first game.  He won like 90% of his second serves.  Short serves would lure me into making an unforced error by trying to go down the line or cross-court.  Whatever I was able to return he would lob over me or hit a passing shot.  To win a point, I had to hit 2 or 3 aggressive, well-placed shots.  Otherwise, Ryan would run them down.  Congrats to Ryan on a well-deserved win!

Ryan Pienciak over Mike Kazlauskas, 6-4!  No Aces.

The Ryan Report: Mike got his groove back in the extra "for fun" One-Setter, but I still managed to squeak by and win it.

It was brutally humid. We started the match at 10:10am.

Samara's Notes: I thank both for their very timely and comprehensive reporting and I congratulate Ryan on a thoroughly impressive victory.  I know that many feel that Mole is the lead contender for Most Improved Player of The Year, but I beg to differ.  While Mike has definitely made great strides, he is still somewhat inconsistent in his results (as we will see later in this report).  Meanwhile, Pienciak has been on a roll throughout this Grove Cup tourney this year and the difference between the player he was last season and this season is readily noticeable.  Still, the season has yet to close and anything can happen between now and its conclusion.

Time to take it up to C.G.! 

The Cedar Grove Results:

Grove Cup XX Quarterfinal Match:

Paul Daddio over Marijus Kuzavas, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 6-2, to become the New # 6 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division while also advancing to the Semifinals of the 20^th Annual Grove Cup Tournament!  No Aces.

The Dilly-O from Daddy O: Two hours and forty minutes was the total time of the match!  It was a very close match where Marijus played some great tennis and had me on the defensive for its entirety.  The 1st Set was back and forth and mostly on serve.  Marijus was too good in the Tiebreaker and he took it pretty easily.  As the match pushed towards two hours plus in the 2nd Set, I continued to be consistent and my younger legs may have helped me out.  Marijus' great serve and overhead were very consistent all match and I'd be surprised if he does not take the Doubles Championship in the near future.

The Super Mario Memo: The 1st Set went 1-3, 2-4, 5-5 and 6-6 leading into the Tiebreak.  The 2nd Set went 0-2, 2-3 and then to 6-3.  The 3rd Set went 3-0, 4-1 and 6-2.  Paul played great defense, getting to all the shots and always making me play one more ball.  In the beginning I was able to impose my game by creating points and finishing them, but little by little he wore me down.  At the end, I had nothing left.  I hadn't played many full Singles Matches this year and it seems I need better stamina to be able to play Paul.  All in all, it was a fun match which I greatly enjoyed and I wish the best of luck to Paul going forward.

Samara's Notes: Again, I thank both for very timely and comprehensive reporting.  Congratulations to Paul for pulling off what many consider to be an upset as they expected Marijus to at least make it to the Semis where he would have faced "King Crush" Chris Chiaro (now Daddio has that honor).  The truth is that Paul is on an undefeated streak in Singles since he arrived in the GTA earlier this season.  The Chiaro-Daddio match-up is a very interesting one as each competitor has youth and speed on their side.  In the end, it will come down to which one will be more consistent throughout the contest.

And now the lone remaining Quarterfinal is "The AM Rush" Anish Mehta going up against "The Sultan of Swing" Raj Shah.  I hope they can play this match soon as the tourney is finally moving along at a good clip.  Pienciak is waiting for the winner of this one.

This may not be in chronological order, but we will now go to the Mole-Bernard result before going to the balance of scores provided by Kris.

2 out of 3 Sets Challenge Match:

Ralph Bernard over Mike Mole, 6-1, 6-3, to become the New # 11 Ranked Player in the Advanced Division!  Ralph: 1 Ace.

Samara's Notes: Mike reported that they played from 8 to 9pm while Ralph noted his Ace.  I thank both for their very timely reporting.

And now we let The K take it away!

The highlight indeed was the match between Marijus and Paul.  Their match started early around 4pm and lasted for over 2-1/2 hours.  It also went the distance and it saw Paul emerging as the victor over an exhausted Marijus in 3 brutal sets.  Paul showed alacrity, agility and the consistency that paid off in rich dividends.  He also played a smart game as it was played true to his strengths.  Marijus was brilliant for the first half of the match even he was well-tested by Paul.  Marijus did clinch the 1st Set in the Breaker and started off well in the 2^nd Set winning the first two games and was serving up 40-15 in the third game before all hell broke loose!

Mike Mole came later and succumbed to Ralph Bernard in two straight sets in Singles!

The other significant aspect of the evening was the dominating run by Nate and Natalia for the entire duration of the session. 

Kris Srinivasan/Natalia Sout over Sairaj Srinivasan/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-1!  No Aces.

Nathan Fernandes/Natalia Sout over Kris Srinivasan/Sally Pillay, 7-6 (7-5)!  No Aces.

Nathan Fernandes/Natalia Sout over Ralph Bernard/Doinks Srinivasan, 6-1!  No Aces.

Nathan Fernandes/Natalia Sout over Kris Srinivasan/Ralph Bernard, 7-5!  Nate: 1 Ace on Kris!

Levy Lorenzo/Arthur Pelingon over Dennis Cabanatan/Doinks Srinivasan, 7-5!  No Aces.  It was the official GTA Debut of Arthur Pelingon.

Arthur is the husband of Emily who has played with us in the past.  Overall, it turned out to be a decent evening of GTA Tennis.  Cheers!

Samara's Notes: I thank Kris for hosting the balance of the session and providing us with his report.  Arthur is a good guy and a very solid player.  I played some unofficial tennis with him a couple of years ago.  It is nice to finally have him officially in our league.

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

Gtasamara5@gmail.com

862-596-3354

 

 

 

9/15 Results.

9/15/17:

"Samara hosts 15 (1 new) at C.G.!":

There was just one session of GTA Friday Night Tennis and it occurred at The Cedar Grove Courts.  Contrary to what he had reported to the league earlier in the day, "Hollywood" Frank Samara ended up becoming the surprise host of the session as he had a change of plans along the way.  He sent a text message to the usual host, "The K Man" Kris Srinivasan, at 6pm stating he would be there by 6:45 to host.  Kris, however, did not see that text until 7pm.  Minutes after, he sent an e-mail to the entire league to notify them that Samara would be there to host.

In the past, Samara's presence as host has arguably boosted the attendance numbers somewhat...but not on this hot, sticky and steamy evening as the humidity knob was set to full-blast!  We ended up having a session that featured fifteen competitors...not bad, but not great for a Friday night in Sept.

As promised, Frank pulled into the parking lot at 6:45.  Upon exiting his car, he saw that Court One had a Doubles One-Setter already in progress.  It was Mixed Doubles action featuring "Vintage" Vinnie De Benedetto and "Bravo" Brenda Jordan on one side of the court and "The Ambidextrous Machine" Herb Reiner and a new lady making her official GTA Debut.  Her name is Astrid Kaiser and she is a recruit via "Super Mario" Marijus Kuzavas who has been on our mailing list for close to a week now. 

Kaiser is very nice and seems to be a solid player as well.  As always a fan of alliteration, I will give her the moniker of "Astronomical" Astrid.  She seemed to enjoy our group and said she will be back again.

Speaking of new faces, on Court Four it was "The Bulgarian Bull" Jordan Bachvaroff hitting against an unfamiliar face (to Samara, at least).  As Frank walked out alone to Court Three while two of Jordan's tennis buddies walked out to Court Two to square off against one another, Bachvaroff told Samara that he wanted to introduce him to his friend, Erdem Alpay.

As soon as Frank heard that name, he knew that Erdem had been included in GTA results via Kris in the past.  This time around, Alpay wants to get involved in our league and he gave Samara his e-mail address.  He is definitely a solid player and also a very nice guy.  Although I've included him in the 15 players that night, he did not get to make his official GTA Return as they had to cut their Doubles One-Setter (which followed a very lengthy hitting session) short when both Erdem and Jordan had to leave.  I think a fitting nickname for Mr. Alpay will be "EA Sports!"

Just as Samara started holding Court Three, "The Sin Man" Mike Sindler arrived at 6:50 and made his way toward that court as well.  They soon had a hitting session with one another that would soon be joined by Mike's pal, "Sadistic" Syed Rashid, at 7pm.  At first, it was Frank and Syed hitting to Mike and it later shifted to Rashid and Sindler hitting to Samara.  The three of them were hoping for a fourth player to arrive and join them, but that did not seem to be in the cards.

So, at 7:35, Samara had Rashid and Sindler shift to Court Four for a Doubles One-Setter against Bachvaroff and Alpay while Frank would continue to hold Court Three.  Twenty minutes later, "GDP" Guy Dupoux arrived and soon started hitting with Frank.

At 8pm, the two guys on Court Two called it a night and headed home.  Fifteen minutes later, seemingly everything went into a state of flux as that was when Jordan and Erdem had to cut short their Doubles One-Setter to go home.  Meanwhile on Court One, it was a similar situation as a Doubles One-Setter was shut down prematurely early when both Vin and Herb had to leave.  And on Court Four, a half-set of Mixed Doubles (Samara/Jordan versus Dupoux/Kaiser) ended when Brenda and Astrid had to go bye-bye, too.

On top off all this, Natalia "Nitro" Sout, GTA Women's Champion: Laura "The Aura" Gawley and Dennis "The Menace" Cabanatan all headed toward the courts at the same time!  Samara did some fast thinking and directed Guy to go over to Court Four for Doubles action with Dennis, Syed and Mike (they decided the teams - Cabanatan/Sindler versus Rashid/Dupoux)  Meanwhile, Frank volunteered to hit with Laura and Natalia on Court Three.  Mrs. Gawley soon said that Mr. Gawley (aka "Rowdy Rob", aka "Squash Boy") was on his way.

Samara and Sout were working over the GTA Women's Champ when "The Levitator" Levy Lorenzo was surprisingly the next arrival at 8:20.  Within five minutes, Rob rolled in on his motorcycle.  Frank was ready to step off and let Rob take his place, but both Gawleys insisted on Frank playing instead of sitting, for a change.  It ended up being Samara/Sout versus Lorenzo/Gawley.

At 9:25, "Dynamo" Dino Celis arrived and first started practicing his serve on Court One.  Later in the evening, he had the chance to take Laura's side in hitting against Dennis and Guy on Court Four right after Dupoux and Mrs. Gawley had done the same on that court right after a Doubles One-Setter had finished featuring Laura and Dennis taking on Syed and Guy.

All in all, it was a fun and action-packed session...albeit more fitting for a steam room than four tennis courts!  Let's get to the scores!

The Cedar Grove Results:

Vinnie De Benedetto/Brenda Jordan over Herb Reiner/Astrid Kaiser, 6-4!  No Aces.  It was the official GTA Debut of Astrid Kaiser.  They played this one on Court One from 6:30 to 7:10 and it would have been even longer, but they decided to forego the changeovers.

Vinnie De Benedetto/Herb Reiner tied with Brenda Jordan/Astrid Kaiser, 5-5 (Incomplete when the guys both had to leave at 7:57...they had begun this "Battle of The Sexes" style One-Setter on Court One at 7:15)!  No Aces.  Again, they decided not to do the changeovers. 

Syed Rashid/Mike Sindler leading Jordan Bachvaroff/Erdem Alpay, 5-4 (Incomplete when both Jordan and Erdem had to leave at 8:15...this one got underway on Court Four at 7:35)!  Mike: 1 Ace on Erdem (it was Mike's very first serve of the match while down 1-2)!  They were on serve until 2-2 and then Syed was the first to be broken for 2-3.  Since it ended as an incomplete One-Setter, it cannot be recorded as the official GTA Return of Erdem Alpay (who, by the way, first made his official GTA Debut in the 2016 Season).

Guy Dupoux/Astrid Kaiser leading Frank Samara/Brenda Jordan, 2-1 (Incomplete when both ladies had to leave at 8:15...this half-set had started with that original intent announced by Brenda as she knew she'd have to go early as she was exhausted from the earlier action...and it was begun on Court Three at 8:05)!  No Aces.

Syed Rashid/Guy Dupoux over Dennis Cabanatan/Mike Sindler, 6-2!  Guy: 1 Ace on Mike.  Court Four hosted this foursome from 8:20 to 9:05.

Levy Lorenzo/Laura Gawley over Frank Samara/Natalia Sout, 6-1!  No Aces.  Here's how it went down: Frank held serve (15-Love shifted to 15-30, 30-All where Laura hit a wicked winner to set up Break Point, but then an un-returned serve made it Deuce, then came Game Point and the hold), Laura held at Love with two un-returned serves on the way there, but then Natalia was the first to be broken (an un-returned serve for 15-Love, 15-All and then Natalia made a great get on the way to Double Game Point which was then reduced to Deuce, then Break Point, 2nd Deuce where Levy made an amazing get to set up Break Point and then came the break) for 1-2.  Levy held at Love and then Samara was broken (Love-15 where Laura blew an overhead attempt for 15-All, but then she redeemed herself with a winning volley followed by a winning drop shot return to set up Double Break Point and then came the break) to fall to 1-4.  Gawley held again (an un-returned serve for 15-Love, then it shifted to 15-30 as Natalia made a great get/winner combo along the way, but then another un-returned serve followed by a truly un-returnable serve caused the shift to Game Point, it went to Deuce, Game Point again, 2nd Deuce and yet another Game Point which Levy finished off with a wicked winner) and Sout was broken again and it game at Love after Levy had hit another winner to make it Love-30!  We played this one on Court Three from 8:25 to 8:50.  Afterward, Samara was willing to step off as he rightfully felt that he stunk up the joint...but The Gawleys would not hear of it.  Laura had Rob take her place instead.  Luckily, she would not have to wait all too long to get back into some official action.

Levy Lorenzo/Rob Gawley over Frank Samara/Natalia Sout, 6-2!  No Aces.  The dirty lowdown: Levy held serve (Levy hit a whip of a winner for 15-Love, it then went 30-Love, 30-15 where an un-returned serve set up Double Game Point, Double Fault for Game Point, but then the hold) and Natalia was broken (Natalia made an amazing get that led to winning the point for 30-Love, it then went to 30-15 where Frank hit an awesome winner to set up Double Game Point which would soon be reduced to Deuce as Rob hit a drop shot that forced the error along the way, then it was Break Point where she hit a Double Fault to break herself) for 0-2.  Rob was broken (un-returned serve for 15-Love, but then Rob blew an overhead for 15-All before heading straight to Double Game Point which would be cut down to size as we went to Deuce with Natalia making another great get along the way, but then it went to Game Point, 2nd Deuce, Break Point and the break) and Frank held as he hit a net-cord-aided winner for 15-Love and then he made a wild get/net-cord-aided winner combo to set up Triple Game Point which ended when Levy launched a missile-like return right at Natalia near the net who had the presence and quick hands to block it back for a highly impressive volley winner to secure her partner's hold and level the set at 2-2!  But from there, Lorenzo held again (Rob hit a well-executed drop shot winner for 15-Love, it went to 15-All before going straight to Double Game Point right after an un-returned serve, it was then Game Point and the hold), Sout was broken again (Love-15 shifted to 30-15 as Levy blew an overhead and then Frank made another highly surprising get/winner combo along the way, but then it shifted again to Break Point after Frank blew a drop shot attempt and then came the break), Gawley held (Frank blew his attempt at his patented Windmill Overhead Smash when he mistimed it and whiffed on it and that was then followed by another precision-made drop shot winner from Rob for 30-Love, then came 30-15, Double Game Point and the hold) and Samara was broken (15-Love soon shifted to Double Break/Match Point after Frank blew another overhead attempt by sailing it just a bit too long and then Levy scored with a wicked return winner to set up the DB/MP which he would then end with another walloping winner!) to take a tough loss!  This, too, was played on Court Three and it lasted from 8:55 to 9:29.  Samara's level picked up just a bit in this one with some really sweet gets, but they were negated by some misfired overhead attempts.  Sout played well overall, but was miffed that she had yet to hold serve in two straight One-Setters.  Gawley was his crafty self, as usual.  Lorenzo, was the true story of the night as he was almost always spot-on and he then decided to head home on a high note (much like George Costanza scoring with a great one-liner at a board meeting) as a two-time winner!

Dennis Cabanatan/Laura Gawley over Syed Rashid/Guy Dupoux, 6-3!  Laura: 1 Ace on Syed.  These four played on Court Four from 9:07 to 9:40.  I know that Dennis is quite familiar with the GTA Women's Champion's work, but I don't think that Syed and Guy were.  I overheard and/or witnessed enough moments to deduct that they were highly impressed with her game.

After this One-Setter and on Court Four, Laura had a session with Guy where she asked him to hit his hardest serves to her.  It then morphed into a hitting session where Dino took her side and Dennis took Guy's side.

Frank Samara/Mike Sindler over Rob Gawley/Natalia Sout, 6-1!  No Aces.  Since we were starting this one at 9:30 on Court Three, we decided to forego the changeovers in the hopes of getting in a complete One-Setter (which we did).  As such, I did not write down all the games until after we were done.  I did remember the flow of the games, but not who hit what winners where and when.  Alas, the basic breakdown: Natalia was broken (Love-30, 15-30, Double Break Point and the break), Frank held (15-Love, 15-All and then right to Double Game Point and the hold), Rob held at Love, Mike held at Love, Sout was broken at Love, Samara held again (Love-15 shifted to 30-15, 30-All, Game Point and the hold) and Gawley was broken (Love-15 shifted to 30-15, 30-All, Break/Match Point, Deuce, it ended on the 2nd Break/Match Point).  This one came to a proper conclusion at exactly 9:49.

Mike, Rob and Natalia were still hungry for more tennis, but Frank wanted to write down the games while he could still remember them.  So Samara asked Syed to take his place.  It led to Rashid teaming with Sindler to take on Gawley and Sout.  As they only had ten minutes to play (they again decided to forego the changeovers), I did not bother to collect the incomplete score.

After lights out at 10pm, there was a little bit of chit-chat...but no enduring bull session as everyone seemed to desire an escape from the steam room conditions and head home to a cooler climate.  

Sincerely,

Frank Samara

Gtasamara5@gmail.com

862-596-3354