Monday, September 21, 2009

Houston Teams Show well at Senior Sectionals

Senior 4.0

Congrats goes out to the team from Lakeside for a very strong showing at Senior sectionals in Tyler this weekend.

Most of you who play 4.0 know these guys and they are really a "who's who" of 4.o+ all stars from around the greater Htown area.

The group swept their flight in pool play 4-0 and then got squeaked out in two 3rd set breakers by the Dallas team.

What a great season, going 10-0 in city while only dropping 3 lines.

If you guys needs some people for next year, I can get a fake ID!

Senior 4.5

The 4.5 team looks like they won and will go represent our great state at nationals. I don't know any of these guys personally, but I can only imagine the craftiness that exists at the level.

From the scores it looks like the were one of 3 teams that finished 3-1, but the math was in their favor as they won by fewest sets lost.

Way to go guys!


Senior 3.5

The 3.5 team from Sugar Creek took 3 tough losses in pool play. They lost all three matches 1-2. Looks like some tough tennis.

Upcoming Nationals

Hopefully Greg is working on getting someone to feed info back to the locals when the 4.5 team goes to Vegas here in about 6 weeks.

I am very interested to see how this group does out there. Hopefully they come with all their guns and do well for Texas.

The 4.0 event is upcoming here in two weeks. It will be interesting to see how the team from High Point (Dallas) fares at this event after squeaking by the 4.0 Hurricanes team in Dallas last month. The results at nationals will help normalize the inputs that determine EOY ratings for 2k9 so that people can start recruiting for 2k10.

Here is an interesting stat that I would have missed if I were guessing. Mid-Atlantic has the most titles from last year. We are way down in the pack with five. I for sure would have guessed one of the Californias or Florida as the winner.

Come on Freeman, time to get out an do some recruiting as this is your new back yard!

32 comments:

  1. No write up on 5.0 Team going to Nationals?? Come on Chris..

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  2. I thought Freemans new backyard was D.C. What are you referring to Chris?

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  3. Yes, forgot about the 5.0 guys and Betsie's team.

    The 5.0 guys is Oct 2-4 at Indian Wells.

    The 4.5 ladies is in conjunction with the men's in Vegas at the end of October.

    Mid-Atlantic is DC.

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  4. Thanks for the props, Chris. We may not have the legs and the power that we used to, and I don't know about being all-stars, but we work pretty hard at it. There were some great moments, like a comeback from 2-7 vs. Austin in the 3STB by Johnny Webre and Lew Arend (3 national championships between them) to get us into the semis. We probably ran out of gas at that point, unlike Dallas' line 2 team, 72 and 76 years old(!), who played in all six of their matches over three days.

    A fake ID and a serviceable lob will probably get you in the door.

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  5. what happened at combo?

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  6. It was a good weekend and a lot of fun. Here are the winners.

    LADIES:
    5.5 - Lees (Krushers)
    6.5 - Ryniak (Northsiders)
    7.5 - Beasley (Roustabouts)
    8.5 - Pike (Slammers)

    MEN:
    7.5 - Gabriel (Ace N Spinners)
    8.5 - Freeman (Combo 8.5)

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  7. Sounds like Combo went without a hitch and all the favorites pulled through.

    Combo is so boring with almost no upsets. Also, not many of the best players ever show up.

    Towle: How'd you do?

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  8. I think Texas needs to limit the number of self-rates per team for the combo.

    The winning team has all 4.0 that have a record and their 3.5's are all self-rates that are phantom's as far as USTA is concerned.

    We had our chances, but lost two breakers in the end. I would recruit all of the 3.5 self-rates to play 4.0 any day.

    I know it may sound like "they cheated better than me" but it almost takes the enjoyment out of it.

    Plus the draw was 3 teams. WTF? Why so few. I am not sure why year after year the combo event fails to get attention/entrants that it should.

    The team that won should do well and I would expect their 3.5's to be playing 4.0 next year.

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  9. Is there a National playoff for winners of Sectional Combo?

    Also, what the freak are you doing playing 7.5 Chris? Come play with the big boys @ 8.5.

    They don't get much bigger then the Dibua bros...who incidently went undefeated since you weren't up there to challenge them.

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  10. I only played 7.5 b/c I couldn't play 6.5!

    No, the combo is a state event only.

    My father in law put together a team. We had a good run but came short against the self-rates.

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  11. There's nothing on the line. Combo and Mixed are for wannabes who can't win in the adult league. It's hard to get a good team together because noone wants to incur the expense, waste a weekend, and take the day off of work to go to Dallas. Another argument for moving Sectionals to a different venue every year.

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  12. Hey Chris,
    The mere fact that 2 of the matches went to tiebreak just goes to show that the teams played evenly. To go with your logic, the 3.5 players in your team should be rated 4.0 also!!! Therefore no one cheated. The team that played better won. If your team won, will your comments be the same?

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  13. Not my point.

    The team I was on was comprised of rated people that have a history of playing and have been around USTA for a while.

    These guys are no where to be found and show up as self rates. Two went to breakers and were close, but one was a slaughter.

    I guess the general feeling from our 3.5 guys and the 3.5 guys from Columbia Lakes was that it seems UNFAIR to have a team full of 3.5 self rates. I am not saying dis-allow then, just constrain the number.

    And yes, they cheated better than me and I am mad... haha.

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  14. Wasn't that the Sienna team you lost to Chris? I guess Sienna's 3.5 team will be the team to beat come summer time :P

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  15. No, it was some of the guys from the 4.0 Bear Creek team and then the 3.5 guys are phantoms. Not sure who they will play for next summer.

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  16. I assumed it was the sienna team since it's the name of the two sienna teams combined. Aces and Spinners.

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  17. Chris - Stepup as the 4.5 you are.

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  18. The Dallas 4.0 team won their first match at Nationals this morning. Looks like they were without their best singles player, however.

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  19. Brings up a good question. Are the 2 4.5 teams going to Vegas going to be full force?

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  20. The Women are not. Emma and Cori can't go because they are coaching their HS teams and regionals is the same weekend.

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  21. Copperfield Hurricanes 5.0 won their 1st match in pool play over Middle States 2-1.

    4.5 Mens Team will be in full force in Las Vegas. Hey Guys don't forget to bring your costumes for Saturday.

    FYI Nationals will not be at Las Vegas next year so let's do it this year.

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  22. The 5.0 team just squeaked out a 2-1 win. Otis Sadler suffered an injury but hopefully he will be ok to play in later matches.

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  23. The Brians and Jason can carry the team. Although, it is a definite loss if Otis is out for the rest of the tourney.

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  24. 5.0 Hurricanes Beat Mid Atlantic 2-1.

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  25. Houston 5.0 won again this morning 2-1. They are now 3-0 and play the other undefeated team today at 2 pm (Pacific time).

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  26. The Hurricanes 5.0 is In the semmi finals tomorrow verse Florida. If only Montez, strayly and otis could only win a match. It looks from the scores that Jason and Brian Smith and David Wanja are carrying the team thus far.

    Com'on guys lets bring the title home!

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  27. 5.0 Team is in the finals! Just won the semi-finals 2-1. Go HOUSTON!!!!

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  28. 5.0 team just lost both doubles lines in the finals. Great job on a 2nd place finish in the National Championships!

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  29. Copperfield Hurricanes 5.0 Team llost in the Finals to Southern team from Greensboro North Carolina.

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  30. man that is funny that Wanja carried the 5.0 team only one year removed from being a 4.5 player, shows the joke that the ratings have become.

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  31. Congrats to Monty's 9.0 Mixed team for making it to the finals. They had to regroup after a disappointing first round loss to Austin.

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  32. Mason Creek 9.0 lost to Fort Worth 5.5 guys from last year. Considering their line 3 guy beat Jason Pieters, I'd say they were pretty stacked. Three former 5.5 National guys playing with 4.0 women will win every time!!!

    Congrats to Houston 7.0 for Winning and making it to Nationals..

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