News and information about Houston's USTA Men's Tennis league
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Tentative Sectionals Schedule
For those of you in Dallas who are interested in checking out the matches of some of your fellow Sectional qualifiers while you're up there, here is the weekend schedule.
If you didn't make it to Sectionals you could sign up for Jochen Moser's Tennis Tournament being held the same weekend as League Sectionals. Tournament Id # is 809669307.
For those of us who know some of the Teams around the State, who are the Top Teams in 4.0,4.5,and 5.0's? I'd say Freeman's Team from Houston will at least be in the Semis in 4.0's. In 4.5 I give Austin a good chance with their Singles player Holland carrying them. In 5.0's San Antonio and Fort worth are definitely the Top Teams.
If you are an all-around Houston tennis fan then cheer for the 3.5 guys going up to Dallas this weekend. I have seen several of them play in tournaments this year....they are very good (none of which look like any 3.5 players I have ever seen)...my 4.0 team (we were decent)could not beat them.
Does anyone know the situation with the Hangovers? I heard a lot of their players will not be going to the playoffs in Dallas. Is this true and how come? I bet it a huge issue with Tim Green if this is true. A friend of mine played up in Fort Worth and told me that Schmucker will not be going to league playoffs as well and he just won the 4.5 singles draw up there.
What other players from the Hangovers are not going?
Every Team struggles with making sure players are committed to going to Sectionals. Kingwood Crush and Hangovers will miss some players but they will still be competitive. Good Luck to Freeman's 3.5 Team.
Why is every one so obsessed with Shmucker? He's not even close to being good enough to actually play for the Hangovers or to actually win at Sectionals. Fort Worth tournament is a joke compared to Sectionals.
Schmucker has won two major zones already within the last month and a half and what I have seen is an excellant heat player. In fact he should not be playing 4.5, but a higher level. The fact remains he is not the only one from the Hangovers that will not make the playoffs in Dallas.
Any body who plays league knows that Shmucker is not sectionals-level player. He's no better now than he has been in past. And look at his record in league in past.
QUESTION: It was looking like the player bashing had stopped for a while so I'll pose a question. Which team actually has the best chance of going to Sectionals?
I think that both Freeman teams will be playing on Sunday with a chance to go to Nationals, there is a chance that the Crush will be playing on Sunday but not with any kind of realistic chance of advancing to Nationals and the Hangovers and Rice have basically no chance.
I predict Both Freeman's Teams will Fair Very well at Sectionals. Normally,teams that have good quality Tournament players on their rosters helps alot come sectionals time. In 4.5's Hangovers and Crush control their own Destiny. Hangovers have solid Doubles Lineups 1,2 and 3 but no go to singles guy. Crush have a solid lineup but they better be ready to Bring it in the Heat of the Day. As for the Rice 5.0 it's a going to be a Good Experience for them although they are definitely overmatched they still have Nanjappa and a Tiebreaker chance. The only Lock this Year is the Houston Open Team, after all they are the only 7.0 plus Team with Top Guns.
Sorry Doubs Specialists but winning Sectionals is all about the singles. If you have 2-3 top tier singles players (some may call them ringers) - I'm guessing a 95+% chance of winning - you'll win Sectionals. Doubles is too unpredictable. Singles is definitely more a sure thing.
It will be interesting to see if any teams in the 4.0s shy away from the Hurricane's 1-2 punch of Ahmed/Kern (Janek as well) in singles and go for all three doubles lines. I supsect you might see some "singles" players playing doubles against these guys with the bottom of their roster playing 1 and 2 singles. It is probably the only shot most teams have at getting 3 lines.
Having to take all 3 doubles matches to win is a tough way to make a living. Even if you play all of your best players in the doubles, you have to play them straight up, you can't "drop lines". Teams with superior singles players have an advantage of being able to tweak the order of their doubles teams. For example, if I as a captain am fairly certain we will win both singles the very least I could do is to drop my line 1 doubles to line 2, line 2 to line 3 and send line 3 up as a sacrifice on line 1. If I'm positive we will win both singles, why not flip-flop lines 1 and 3 to make sure we win 3 lines? I'm not a real proponent of "dropping lines" (the whole testoterone, mano-a-mano thing) which is why I am not a captain but I certainly understand why someone would do it. It is just too tough to win a match at sectionals if you can't keep the other team honest with at least one line of singles.
I'd much have 2 great singles players than 4 great doubles players. I'm not sure there's such a thing as a sure thing in doubs - especially with a 3rd set TB. Just takes a little hiccup in the first set - letting that drop - and then it's all about the TB.
I think the best thing that you can do, is try to find doubles players first who can play singles as well. I think that is what makes Freeman's team so deep. If you look at some of his players, they are top 5 in singles and doubles. To me that is the type of team that you want to build.
Over the weekend I was informed that Austin is the Super Stacked Team this year at Sectionals. With Stuart Holland winning his appeal and playing the Top Singles line he will be very tough to beat. With the self rated players Bo Bowman who played for University of Incarnate Ward, Greg Kattwar who self rated from 5.0's and Graham Thurman who also won a appeal from 5.0's to 4.5 this team has added alot of depth also with Schlotterback,Martinez and Strawbridge they will be tough to beat. This Team will DEFINITELY be around Sunday at Sectionals.
If you didn't make it to Sectionals you could sign up for Jochen Moser's Tennis Tournament being held the same weekend as League Sectionals. Tournament Id # is 809669307.
ReplyDeleteFor those of us who know some of the Teams around the State, who are the Top Teams in 4.0,4.5,and 5.0's? I'd say Freeman's Team from Houston will at least be in the Semis in 4.0's. In 4.5 I give Austin a good chance with their Singles player Holland carrying them. In 5.0's San Antonio and Fort worth are definitely the Top Teams.
ReplyDeleteIf you are an all-around Houston tennis fan then cheer for the 3.5 guys going up to Dallas this weekend. I have seen several of them play in tournaments this year....they are very good (none of which look like any 3.5 players I have ever seen)...my 4.0 team (we were decent)could not beat them.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know the situation with the Hangovers? I heard a lot of their players will not be going to the playoffs in Dallas. Is this true and how come? I bet it a huge issue with Tim Green if this is true. A friend of mine played up in Fort Worth and told me that Schmucker will not be going to league playoffs as well and he just won the 4.5 singles draw up there.
ReplyDeleteWhat other players from the Hangovers are not going?
Every Team struggles with making sure players are committed to going to Sectionals. Kingwood Crush and Hangovers will miss some players but they will still be competitive. Good Luck to Freeman's 3.5 Team.
ReplyDeleteThanks, we will go up to Dallas and do our best to represent Houston. We don't have any ringers but we are deep...we'll see what happens :)
ReplyDeleteAlthough I realize this is primarily a 4.5/5.0 board it is nice to see some support from Houston's more talented tennis communitty.
Good luck to all Houston and NOHO teams over the next two weekends.
Thanks again!
Why is every one so obsessed with Shmucker? He's not even close to being good enough to actually play for the Hangovers or to actually win at Sectionals. Fort Worth tournament is a joke compared to Sectionals.
ReplyDeleteSchmucker has won two major zones already within the last month and a half and what I have seen is an excellant heat player. In fact he should not be playing 4.5, but a higher level. The fact remains he is not the only one from the Hangovers that will not make the playoffs in Dallas.
ReplyDeleteAny body who plays league knows that Shmucker is not sectionals-level player. He's no better now than he has been in past. And look at his record in league in past.
ReplyDeleteQUESTION: It was looking like the player bashing had stopped for a while so I'll pose a question. Which team actually has the best chance of going to Sectionals?
ReplyDeleteFreeman 3.5
Freeman 4.0
Crush 4.5
Hangovers 4.5
Rice 5.0
Or, what results do you predict for each team?
Both Freeman teams have a chance to make it to Nationals. The other three have absolutely no chance.
ReplyDeleteI think that both Freeman teams will be playing on Sunday with a chance to go to Nationals, there is a chance that the Crush will be playing on Sunday but not with any kind of realistic chance of advancing to Nationals and the Hangovers and Rice have basically no chance.
ReplyDeleteI predict Both Freeman's Teams will Fair Very well at Sectionals. Normally,teams that have good quality Tournament players on their rosters helps alot come sectionals time.
ReplyDeleteIn 4.5's Hangovers and Crush control their own Destiny. Hangovers have solid Doubles Lineups 1,2 and 3 but no go to singles guy. Crush have a solid lineup but they better be ready to Bring it in the Heat of the Day. As for the Rice 5.0 it's a going to be a Good Experience for them although they are definitely overmatched they still have Nanjappa and a Tiebreaker chance. The only Lock this Year is the Houston Open Team, after all they are the only 7.0 plus Team with Top Guns.
Sorry Doubs Specialists but winning Sectionals is all about the singles. If you have 2-3 top tier singles players (some may call them ringers) - I'm guessing a 95+% chance of winning - you'll win Sectionals. Doubles is too unpredictable. Singles is definitely more a sure thing.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if any teams in the 4.0s shy away from the Hurricane's 1-2 punch of Ahmed/Kern (Janek as well) in singles and go for all three doubles lines. I supsect you might see some "singles" players playing doubles against these guys with the bottom of their roster playing 1 and 2 singles. It is probably the only shot most teams have at getting 3 lines.
ReplyDeleteHaving to take all 3 doubles matches to win is a tough way to make a living. Even if you play all of your best players in the doubles, you have to play them straight up, you can't "drop lines". Teams with superior singles players have an advantage of being able to tweak the order of their doubles teams. For example, if I as a captain am fairly certain we will win both singles the very least I could do is to drop my line 1 doubles to line 2, line 2 to line 3 and send line 3 up as a sacrifice on line 1. If I'm positive we will win both singles, why not flip-flop lines 1 and 3 to make sure we win 3 lines? I'm not a real proponent of "dropping lines" (the whole testoterone, mano-a-mano thing) which is why I am not a captain but I certainly understand why someone would do it. It is just too tough to win a match at sectionals if you can't keep the other team honest with at least one line of singles.
ReplyDeleteI'd much have 2 great singles players than 4 great doubles players. I'm not sure there's such a thing as a sure thing in doubs - especially with a 3rd set TB. Just takes a little hiccup in the first set - letting that drop - and then it's all about the TB.
ReplyDelete3.5 Sectionals:
ReplyDeleteWe (Houston 3.5) just beat NOHO 5-0, we have Midland at 1:00.
Houston #2 (Sienna) also just Corpus Christi 4-1.
Houston starting well.
I think the best thing that you can do, is try to find doubles players first who can play singles as well. I think that is what makes Freeman's team so deep. If you look at some of his players, they are top 5 in singles and doubles. To me that is the type of team that you want to build.
ReplyDeleteWe beat Midland 5-0, working our way towards a showdown with Dallas for a right to play on Sunday.
ReplyDeleteHouston #2 best Fort Worth #1 4-1 to go 2-0 as well.
If we get lucky we might play them in the semis...need to get there first.
Cheers,
Freeman
Congrats to Freeman's 3.5 team for making it to the semis.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't just make it, they blew everyone away, with an 18-2 record in their pool, the best I have ever seen.
ReplyDeleteWe are in the semis against Lubbock in the morning!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Freeman's team, and good luck at Nationals!
ReplyDeleteOver the weekend I was informed that Austin is the Super Stacked Team this year at Sectionals. With
ReplyDeleteStuart Holland winning his appeal and playing the Top Singles line he will be very tough to beat. With the self rated players Bo Bowman who played for University of Incarnate Ward, Greg Kattwar who self rated from 5.0's and Graham Thurman who also won a appeal from 5.0's to 4.5 this team has added alot of depth also with Schlotterback,Martinez and Strawbridge they will be tough to beat. This Team will DEFINITELY be around Sunday at Sectionals.