The Hollywood screenwriters couldn't have penned it any better. It was Kingwood-Hangovers part II. With rumors swirling about the playoff format in 4.5, it was hard to tell just how important this match was, but with the MIB fiasco still staining their record Jimmy and his boys needed another win to feel secure about their chances. Fittingly, it all came down to Deluca-Armstrong and another third set tiebreaker, again with the match squared at 2. This time, Jody came up big and the Hangovers took their place atop the standings.
The two teams are so evenly matched. This time there were 3 third set breakers. Kingwood took two of them, but got blown out in the other two. It was a night of redemption for the Hangovers. Jody got the monkey off his back from the last matchup with Armstrong. Old partner Allen Teague has been hearing the whispers that he's "lost it", but came up huge at number one doubles with Craig Bobo, spanking Glenn Wright and Rob Pekar. Finally, Li and Regent, fresh off an embarassing performance in 5.0 last week, played flawlessly in an easy victory.
Cheryl's on vacation right now. I'm still hearing so many different versions of how the playoffs will be run, so I will let everyone know when I hear something official. It will be interesting to see if the Kingwood-Hangover rivalry will have four chapters this season...with the City Championship on the line in Chapter IV. Kingwood's got its work cut out for it if that's gonna' happen.
Elsewhere in 4.5, Ssshhhwing kept rolling along, beating No Way Out 5-0. The big matchup with Jedi Knights (who just barely escaped Copperfield last night) was rained out a few weeks ago. Unless they play a makeup before then, they won't play 'til June 7th. Ssshhhwing had a competent singles lineup last night with Hunckler and Vu taking care of business.
At the midpoint of the 5.0 season, the top team has yet to be determined. It's been a roller coaster thus far. After last week, I was ready to write off the Rice team. Sure, they were still 2-1, but had "snuck up" on people. Surely they couldn't hang with a Lost Forest team that has waltzed through the league for five years or so. Last night's doubles lineup featured a guy who played 4.0 last year (David Yang) and another who played 4.0 two years ago (Alain Tran). Moving from 4.0 to 5.0 is supposed to be a huge jump. Tran came up big a few weeks ago, but yesterday was Yang's turn. He and Amit Garg trounced Hernan Guevara and Philippe Arnold and Arun Nanjappa again took care of the singles as Lost Forest dropped to 0-2.
I heard that Teague's 5.0 team shut out the Met team, but haven't heard details as the score hasn't been reported. If so, the 5.0 division now has 3 frontrunners with one loss, and a very talented team in Lost forest that still has a mathematical chance to get back into it.
In 4.0, there were no surprises yesterday. No drama either. The heavyweights kept rolling along. Lakeside finally dropped a line. The Hurricanes trounced a very weak Acers team. Rice had no trouble. The unheralded JCC dudes moved to 4-0.
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Since Teague and Lost Forest seem to be at war constantly adding players and Teague's is up to God knows how many players on a three line format I wouldn't be surprised to see federer show up on one of their teams for a crucial singles match dressed as Teague at this point. Apparently the novice captains at 5.0 aren't well acquainted with this constant recruitment tactic...
ReplyDeleteApparently people don't realize how many people flake out on you come sectionals time. Sad to say Lost Forest has been at Sectionals the last 3 years and basically have been shorthanded with only 5 players and 4 players one year. Although I dont think Lost Forest will be at Sectionals this year.
ReplyDeleteAt least we know League Tennis is Growing in the 5.0's. The past few years 5.0 league struggled even to make a league.
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to see that the 4.5 and 4.0 divisions haven't had to resort to hired guns.
ReplyDelete5.0 seems to be all about hired guns, but I'd differ in saying that Jason Freeman's 4.0 team has a lot of hired guns...
ReplyDeleteNanjappa was taken out in the quarters of the Copperfield tourney yesterday by Jules Devillier. Jules' serve and forehand were just too strong for Arun to overcome.
ReplyDeleteI don't see Jules beating Blessing Bvunzawabaya though for the title though assuming both win their next matches. The big surprise is Tor Krosby who has played great tennis on his way to a matchup with Jules in the semis.
Can someone give me an example of a ringer 4.0 ringer 4.5 ringer 5.0 ?? I would say Sarosh Almed is a 4.0 ringer. In 4.5 Jonathan Magid . In 5.0 Max Dunaev (Gallery Furniture Open Mens Open Champion)
ReplyDeleteIn 4.5 Adam Kent and Tim Hurlbert.
ReplyDeleteRemember, a 4.0 rated player is actually rated anywhere from 3.51-4.00. A 4.5 is 4.01-4.50. A 5.0 is 4.51 to 5.0. That's why USTA needs to release your actual ranking down to the hundredths place so you can see if you're a "weak" or "strong" 4.0, 4.5, etc.
ReplyDeleteAnother problem is a lot of 5.0's play at the 4.5 level, and because they're playing 4.5 and 4.0 guys, they're rating isn't going up; in Fall and Spring league you can have a 5.5 on a 4.5 team as long as he plays Line 1 with a 4.0. Copperfield did it with Kudrick and Blessing. Chances are a 5.5 playing 4.5 for a couple of seasons will probably get bumped down to 5.0 and a 5.0 to 4.5, which is what we see with guys like Kent, Bobo, et al who really are 5.0.
If the USTA released ratings down to the hundredth of a point it would be counterproductive. It would result in even more ratings "manipulation" by dropping games and matches.
ReplyDeleteI don't know; you'll always have guys that try to manipulate their rating, but I think there are more people trying to get it up than down, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteNot at all. The whole point of usta league is to field a team where at least half your players are above the ntrp rating of the league. Then you have those players keep the matches close and lose non essential matches. This becomes even more apparent at the sectional and national level where essentially no one plays at the appropriate level.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. I guess it makes sense from that standpoint.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's just me, but it's strange to see Kingwood in last place. I know that it's not indicative of the team's talent, and more a twist of fate. Just goes to show that some times it takes more than talent...
ReplyDeleteIt would be a crime if kingwood missed the playoffs and one of those pathetic teams (Sugar Creek or WestSide BlackSheep) made it. Those teams suck.
ReplyDeleteI'd agree that league is essentially trying to sandbag as much as possible these days, but I think it's really getting ridiculous. For example, I think it's pointless for a team like Kingwood or the Hangovers to play Copperfield (no disrespect to Copperfield they're just outclassed). If anything their individual games are probably getting worse so it seems pointless from a purist standpoint to sandbag regardless of the "but everyone's doing it" mentality. Besides, there'd be much more drama if people played their appropriate levels without score alterations, etc.
ReplyDeleteAt least Magid's a legit computer bumpdown... Ahmed's a seriously appealed player, not to say that he'd be a killer 4.5, but he's definitely not a 4.0.
ReplyDeleteI overheard the chinese fella from kingwood say he would "wax Magid and Kudva if given the chance"
ReplyDeleteI also agree with what people are saying about sandbagging. Between self rating and the DNTRP its just way to easy to cheat and it ruins the fun for legitimate players. I think most people have played a match where you are being given games or the match and its just a waste of time for everyone. Not sure what the solution is but I would like USTA to take another look at the current system.
ReplyDeleteThey need to re-evaluate the appeals process and how mid-year and year-end ratings are determined.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't like the fact a 5.0/5.5 can play on a 4.5 team in the Fall and Spring leagues. Is there that little 5.0+ talent in Houston that they can't have a legit 5.0+ league?
why does anyone care if 5.0's and 5.5's play in the 4.5+ hta league? absolutely nobody cares who wins those leagues anyway. there's nothing at stake.
ReplyDeleteheck, john kudrick, one of the 5.5 players we're talking about, managed to lose at line 1 doubles against two 4.0's in the spring league. it's good practice for the lower players to play some of these teaching pros.
Only to a certain degree though. There does come a point when someone totally outweighs another and the weaker player just isn't going to learn that much from being out on the court with a guy that smears him all over the court with a double bagel... Also, it does seem like there's a lack of commitment from the 5.0 level players so if they started a fall/spring singles league, nobody would play...
ReplyDeleteA 5.5 has to play Line 1 with a 4.0 in the fall and spring leagues. Put a 5.5 with a 4.0 ringer (a true 4.5) and the only thing the opponents will learn is they shouldn't be playing these 2 guys.
ReplyDeleteTo help line stacking, they should go back to the old system where line one is worth 8 points, line two, 7 points and so on. This should help to prevent having line one's playing line two or three, in doubles for example.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you guys think?
That was an HTA rule, not a USTA rule. I see nothing wrong with "stacking" myself. All players are supposedly the same level. It adds an element of strategy/guesswork to the equation and does give the underdog team a better chance to pull off an upset.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with "stacking" in the HTA league. Most people play in this league for enjoyment and to stay sharp. There is not post season, and all you can win is a coffee cup. If a line 1 player is repeatedly playing a much lower level player, then what are the chances that he will continue to play in the league? That is why we don't see a lot of the higher level players in the HTA season. Would you pay and put aside time to play a match with players who could possibly be 2 levels below you? Personally, I would not and I think most would agree.
ReplyDeleteFor the guy who said the Copperfield MIB "JV" team's top 8 couldn't beat anyone else's bottom 8: Dave McCarthy (DMac) and Chad Piper took down Henry Li and Phong Regent in straight sets last nite 6-2, 6-4 in a makeup of a rained out match.
ReplyDeleteNobody "stacks" in the HTA league. The rules prevent it to some degree, and apathy prevents it otherwise.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the JV team for picking up a line. I've never seen DMAC play, but if he carried Chad Piper to a win over Li and Regent he must be quite a player.
Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDMac is very good; played for NC State I think. He's a big guy, but not when he stands next to one of the Dibua brothers!
Li and Regent seem to be in a little bit of a slump after winning the coke it would seem, though I don't personally know the MIB JV guys, I'd say congrats as that is a great win...
ReplyDeleteWhile the HTA has the authority to institute a rule/incentive to discourage stacking in the non-USTA league (Spring and Fall) they don't have the authority to do so in USTA leagues.
ReplyDelete"A local rule requiring playing in order of strength is in violation of teh national regulations. Any rule dealing with this issue needs to be removed from your section, area, or local rules." See Questions and Answers (Interpretations) for the 2007 League Year; Match Play, page 18.
I think it would make the Fall and Spring more enjoyable if participants played in the correct rating group. Also, I may be wrong, but I believe in other Districts (San Antonio) they have a system that awards the winner of their Fall league with an automatic bid into the playoffs of the Spring League (or something like that...I'm not really sure). That would surely make things more interesting here in Houston during the Fall and Spring (much more competitive).
Li and Regent suck and are over rated. The proof is in losing to a JV team. I don't think they would make it as a line 3 on any other team. It was pure luck that they won the Coke. There are a lot of better 4.5 teams in Houston.
ReplyDeleteThey may be, but their records more indicate that they're sort of hot and cold. Anybody can be on or off from day to day and that's why doubles is doubles...
ReplyDeleteI did not write any of the above comments. I think Henry Li is a great player.
ReplyDeleteRegent and Li won the coke three times, that's "pure" luck I guess. They should play in the 4.0 league.
ReplyDeletePhong and Henry have had great success throughout the years. I guess that's what makes the recent stumbles so noticeable. It's amazing how many people are saying "they're not any good" now that they're in a little slump. For my money they're still better than Green/Morton and Deluca/Teague if/when they emerge from this slump.
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