The standings have begun to take shape, and this week there are a few match-ups that will have a big impact on playoff positioning.
In 4.5 GTAC will take on the Deucebags in a crucial match-up for both teams. There are four quality squads in Division I, and all four should be expected to sweep the five also-rans. So, how the teams fare in the three "big" match-ups will decide their fate. The Ball Busters have faithfully fielded teams for the last decade. They haven't made the playoffs since 2002 and in fact went 3-28 from 2005-2008, so Denny Dantimo should be commended for their resurgence. Jochen Moser must be considered among the top singles players in the league, and Ashley/McKeithen are a quality team, but I see the Deucebags squeaking out a 3-2 victory.
Copperfield hosts the (non-Morton? A-team?) Hurricanes in Division III. Both teams are undefeated and the loser will move into a tie with the Titans for second place. Dave McMullan and Ricardo Martinez have been solid in singles for the Lobsters so far. Copperfield's top two doubles lines have looked good thus far, but line three has been suspect, filled with 4.0 bump-ups.
The Rolido Boys and Hurricanes bump heads in 4.0, both entering the match-up with 3-0 records. The Rolido Boys managed to avoid the massive 4.0 ratings inflation that afflicted many teams, retaining Robert Kane, Greg Moran, Richard Walker and Randy Lawton. Kane and Walker are a combined 6-0 in singles this season. Tunde Olu has pitched in with three three-set victories this year as well. Still, I don't think the Rolido Boys are gonna' be able to match the firepower that Freeman will put out there in a "big" match.
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This is the year for the Rolido Boys. They have been dominating the Fall and Spring HTA leagues and have continued that dominance into the summer league. I predict the first of two losses for the Hurricanes to the Rolido boys, mark it down, Rolido Boys roll 4-1 as the torch is handed over.
ReplyDeleteDeucebags 4-1
ReplyDeleteBorkop wins singles
Januzzi wins singles
Deucebags will lose 1 line b/c Tran always has a sacrificial line in place.
Rolido Boys are still celebrating their fall HTA championship. Little do they know that Spring/Summer is when it really counts. Bring out the brooms in this match up.
gtac 3-2
ReplyDelete2 singles and 1 doubles win
If Hung Nguyen and Peter Borkop are in singles for Deucebags the GTAC team is done.
ReplyDeleteHacker, I think that your analysis of 4.0IV is a little premature. I think that the Nights and the JCC Dudes are still in the running. Both the Nights and the Dudes could easily pick off the Rolido Boys if they lose twice to the Hurricanes.
ReplyDeleteMy prediction is that the second place team in this division will have at least 3 losses with the Hurricanes dominating.
Hung Nguyen is out of the country, so I doubt he's going to be playing this Thursday.
ReplyDeleteIm playing with Hung tonight so I guess he better be back by 7 or I'm in trouble. Hung is also playing Copperfield tournament this weekend so he better have ben practicing.
ReplyDeleteCan Nguyen beat Moser? Can Borkop?
ReplyDeleteAre you kidding? That guy is no good. He wasn't even a dominant 4.0.
ReplyDeleteThe Rolido Boys will make the Hurricans look like a bright sunny day.
ReplyDeleteThere are two Hung Nguyen's. The good one and the one that plays out of Copperfield. And the one out of Copperfield would be lucky to get a game off of Jochen.
ReplyDeleteHung (Copperfield one)
Moser is playing some good tennis right now. I'd like to see him and Borkop square off. In the other line I'd like to see crazy Januzzi try and show us some old school tennis. Feucebags will have the edge in doubles with whatever teams they put out.
ReplyDeleteHung Nguyen from Deucebags is a RINGER !!!
ReplyDeletefrom hung's record, doesn't look like he'll play singles. so the #2 spot will be either:
ReplyDeletemorales
januzzi
schlensker
Interesting that there has been no mention of the Lakeside 4.0 team.
ReplyDeleteHacker mentioned Lakeside 4.0 many times. Too many. Hurricanes will wipe the floor with them.
ReplyDeletei love league smack talk... i could read the BS all day.... keep it coming
ReplyDeleteLakeside 4.0 is up to 21 people. If Spoor thinks that mediocre veterans like Dan Zebroski are going to help him beat the Hurricanes then maybe he needs to up the dosages on his meds.
ReplyDeleteSpoor is smart enough to know that he's not competing with the Hurricanes. His eyes are set on fighting SAP, Cincho Ranch, Chancellors, Sienna Plantation and other contenders for the other spot to sectionals. I like Lakeside's team and I think they will be the clear #2 come city playoff time.
ReplyDeleteLake 4.5 under the radar all of a sudden?
ReplyDeletehas Lock not been DQ'd yet even after all the chatter about people protesting him?? He's still on the Jedi roster
ReplyDeleteLast year Sienna had over 25 players on their 4.0 roster. Can Lakeside beat that? Let the drama begin.
ReplyDeleteLakeside 4.5 hasn't played anyone yet. My guess is a 5-3 season for them.
ReplyDeletedbags won 3-2 over gtac
ReplyDeleteI overheard Freeman's bitch, who was turning in his scorecard because he doesn't live anywhere close to Texas but still gives a shit for some reason, telling one of his plebs that teams don't last forever. Teams only last a couple of seasons at most. This is bullshit. The reason teams don't last is because any team they build in 4.0 is guaranteed to be bumped up to 4.5 the following season and you have to be a stud player to stay on his A Team. All the matches that the 4.0 Hurricanes played tonight would have beaten all the matches that my 4.5 bump-up team could have fielded. USTA listen up. You FUCKED UP BIG TIME!!! Good luck at Sectionals bitches.
ReplyDeleteHurricanes II won
ReplyDeleteLOL. So 10:48, it took you till tonight to figure that out???
ReplyDeleteThe USTA weakened the talent level at 4.0 significantly without ever modifying any of the self-rating guidelines. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that self-rates are going to end up dominating even more at 4.0.
If you read the USTA propaganda about the bump, they say that it is partly because the same teams keep going to Sectionals. At 4.0, that's utter bullshit. The same teams keep going because they exploit the flaws in the self-rating system.
A great example is one of the current 4.0 Hurricanes, Patrick Albro. He was 16-3 at 4.5 USTA from 2001-2005. Since he hadn't played USTA in 5 years, he self-rated at 4.0. I guess that Albro was worried about all of those 4.0 bumpups at 4.5 would own him.
If the USTA want to get really serious about preventing people like Freeman from gaming the system, they should have bumped a lot of people down to 4.0 and dramatically strengthen the self-rating guidelines. If you are a tennis pro or a collegiate player, you start at 4.5, no exceptions.
Anyways, the USTA doesn't give a crap that the same teams going over and over. The weak self-rating guidelines encourage new members to join the USTA (which is in the USTA's interest). Bumping lots of 4.0s to 4.5 just makes 4.5 leagues more viable and keeps the 4.5 folks happy.
Hung Nguyen beat Jochen Moser tonight. Sounds like Deucebags have solid singles guys in Nguyen,Borkop.
ReplyDeleteWhew! Glad I played "my friends" tonight as we barely squeaked out a win vs GTAC (otherwise known as Go To A Cop since they now play out of Lost Forest). Funny thing is that I don't ever recall adding an enemy to our roster.
ReplyDeleteAlain
Why did GTAC play out of Lost Forest? Deucebags and Shwwinng will battle it out next week. Losing team is out of playoff contention for sure.
ReplyDeleteCopperfield over Hurricanes, 3-2
ReplyDelete