I'm actually somewhat curious to see what the level of play will be this year in 4.0. Let's face it, in all divisions the quality had increased a bunch since I started playing many years ago. Last season the top 30 percent of 4.0's were moved up, leaving a HUGE talent void, especially on the top teams. Hardcore captains were forced to beat the bushes for unrated players. In Houston, we saw some previously middle of the road teams qualify for the playoffs by virtue of retaining all of their players and beating up on the weakened field. The question for me is: Did the elite teams/captains manage to recruit well enough for Sectionals to have a similar level of play to previous seasons? I think the Lakeside and Hurricane teams are on the same plane as always...will other cities' teams be able to keep up?
Flight 1
Corpus
San Angelo
Valley
Wild Ft. Worth
Hurricanes
I'll be the first to admit I don't know squat about most of these teams, so I'll try to keep this short(ish).
Corpus squeaked out a win in a competitive league. Their top player David Nash went 3 sets with Jannuzzi in a seniors tournament but was handled fairly easily by McMullan. Daniel Rybak played line 1 doubles every week and won all his matches.
San Angelo played in a non-competitive league so it's tough to get a read on them. They've gotten credit from some commenters as being a dark horse. The Valley seems to have a decent team but shouldn't be a threat to Houston. The Wild Fort Worth team actually won their regular season but was handled easily in the city finals. Michael Moore had a nice season at 1 singles. I don't see this team as being a threat.
The Hurricanes should waltz through this group, giving them a chance to keep players fresh and getting all of their players some action.
Flight 2
Wild Austin
San Antonio
Fort Worth
Waco
Abilene
Wild Austin used Vlad Chub at 1 singles and Chris Lewis at 2 in the finals of their playoffs. My memory is fading...is Chris Lewis a big serving guy who used to play 4.5 or am I confusing him with someone else? Lewis is a self-rate who hasn't lost yet, including an easy win over Will Chism.
San Antonio's Blossom Smash waltzed through their playoffs, dropping only one line. Rodrigo Sabag was really tough playing singles, with a win over Carl Bain on his resume. Isai Martinez looks to be even tougher. (he beat Bain oh and oh...maybe a win over Bain is nothing to write home about?) This team looks really tough.
Fort Worth's team looks tough too...this is a tough flight. Jay Bigam is a flat hitter with old school grips, but has had success at the 4.5 level in the past. Chris Whipple has also been dominant in singles. Their doubles look solid.
Waco and Abilene don't have much data to draw from. Waco's Erich Schwarze is a 4.5 dropdown who was dominant the last time he went to 4.0 Sectionals.
Flight 3
Austin
Wild Dallas
NETX
NOHO
Midland
Austin had its "ringer", John Dwyer, DQ'd after their city playoffs, which will really hurt its strength. David Bateman will have to carry a lot of the load in singles. A lot of their doubles guys (Gow, Boyett, Fontes, et al.) have been around for years and may now be upper echelon 4.0's with the huge amount of bump ups.
Brian Morrison's Dallas runners-up had to make it through the Qualifying Tournament and their citywide championships to get here. Oleg Yaremenko is their top singles guy. He played 4.5 back in 2003-04 and then re-entered last year as a 3.5. He appears to be rounding into form, but has had mixed results. Chris Bergeron is a quality player who had a disappointing city playoffs. I think he'll bounce back.
Our NOHO representatives should not be overlooked. Paul Abokhair sat out last year and thus was spared the 4.0 purge. His record is exceptional over the last several years. Troy Quast anchors the singles lineup.
Your guess on Midland is as good as mine.
Flight 4
Dallas
Amarillo
Lubbock
Wild Houston
SETX
We've already spoken about this group a bit so I'll keep it brief.
For me, this group is about the top two singles guys: Carey and Huynh in Dallas, Coleman and Schaunaman for Lubbock, Wooten and Larrazolo/Ruiz for Lakeside.
Amarillo lost its top player to a DQ, which should take them out of the running.
Is SE Texas' Doug Mellen committed to Freeman or to Beaumont? Jeff Pham could be a factor in singles.
Lakesides Rodney Kubicek has had some nice results in the Oilman's tournament's top division over the years, and he and John Mitchener were solid in citywides. Maybe I'm being a homer, but wishful thinking is telling me Houston will squeak past Lubbock 3-2. Wooten will have to serve his way past one of the two Lubbock singles studs for that to happen, however. Larrazolo is fit and quick, but his style may be draining in the Dallas heat.
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nice info. towle, tran, numbers, lance: ya'll have any opinion on sectionals in 4.0 or 4.5?
ReplyDeleteYou are confusing chris lewis with someone else. That was Chris M. who did get bumped down to 4.0 but is not on either of the Austin teams.
ReplyDeleteSorry guys, but I don't have any insight for this summer other than I think that Jason Freeman has put together an awesome team(s) not only for the 4.0 level, but for all levels. I injured my knee at the beginning of the season and needed surgery so haven't really been in the loop. Got back on the court for the first time on Wednesday and am very anxious to get back into the swing of things.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to all the Houston representatives, both male and female!
Yeah, I was thinking of Chris Miller. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteRegardless, this Christopher Lewis is GOOD. Nice win in his 4.5 tournament against Chris McDaniel and a tough loss to Rick Shirley.
As a self-rate who didn't appear to "score manage", he's somewhat fortunate to have lasted all season.
Its odd that Christopher Lewis was a self rate but got bumped to 4.5 for mid-year ratings.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear the Lubbock singles guys are really tough. Not sure I see Wooten and Larrazolo winning. Wooten and Larrazolo are very good, but at this point I think you need to be 4.5 good, and not sure they are there. No offense, just my observation.
ReplyDeleteWooten is a decent 4.0. top 10 in Houston probably.
ReplyDeleteName 5 guys better than Wooten.
ReplyDeleteThere are at least two guys from the hurricanes, one from noho and 1 or 2 from Sienna. He might be in the top 5.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you're right 5:12. Wooten should really be a 3.5. You guys are crazy! The guy should be playing 4.5 singles. I'm not sure what Lubbock has but I would put my money on Wooten.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Wooten is a tale of 2 game faces. In league play, it appears you get a Spoor "Eau de score managed" game or even a tank depending on how much they need to protect. In tournaments as I have come to witness 1st hand, you get an entirely different player.
ReplyDeleteWell, he did split with Troy Gor, who lost to Cuong Truong, who lost to Kris Knutson...
ReplyDeleteI don't think splitting with Gor was a Spoor special.
I think you said it all, 7:39. It'll be interesting to see what he's got in Dallas, without someone holding him back.
ReplyDeleteDepends on how many bad calls Wooten makes. The guy makes the worst line calls in Texas, a total cheat!
ReplyDeleteSpoor's results this year are proof positive that the level of 4.0 had dropped precipitiously. Compare them to last year.
ReplyDeleteNow that's just mean!
ReplyDeleteHas Wootsen played Knutson before? Who won or who would win?
ReplyDeleteI believe they played each other way back in a Coka Cola major in the 4.5's. Wooten won, straight sets.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Lakeside and Hurricanes should get together to practice like the Titans and CanesIII in 4.5. That should help both teams work on line ups.
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking, especially since they wouldn't meet until the finals. Great challenge preparation....well Captains?
ReplyDeleteHey guys can you help me out, I'm taking my kids to the MLS vs. Manchester United game Weds night and then staying the night at a hotel in the Galleria area. On Thursday am I want to take my sons out for a quick hit at a park with some tennis courts, any recommendations ? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMemorial Park Tennis Center. 15 minutes from Galleria, north on 610 to Memorial, right on Memorial, approx 1 mile to 1st light, go left, follow one way street 1/2 mile to courts on right.
ReplyDeleteYeah. It's more like 5 minutes from Galleria.
ReplyDelete10:49, maybe he was pulling a Knutson last year.
ReplyDeleteGood call on the singles in flight 4. That Huynh guy from Dallas won the major zone this weekend and beat Knutson in the finals. Lakeside is in trouble.
ReplyDeleteKnutson retired in that match. Does anyone know what happened?
ReplyDeleteThe Dallas blog also posted a summary of Sectionals. The Star Wars post was awesome!
ReplyDeleteThis is a Houston Blog isn't it?? Since Hurricanes won the City playoff, it is just fitting to show support to them. For now, do set aside any ill feelings or criticisms and cheer them on. Then when the new season begins. continue with all this love you all are giving.. Go Hurricanes!!!
ReplyDeleteNo thank you, I prefer to whine and complain behind my anonymous screen and throw sh1t at everyone. That way I bring everyone down to my level of play, and feel a lot better about my game, or lack of.
ReplyDeleteI believe we've got two dogs in the fight. Go Canes and Lakeside! I hope they meet in the finals.
ReplyDeleteSame here, let's make it another all-Houston final!!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that Houston Freeman appears to be the class of this group, but I wonder about the NOHO team, a team that is hard to understand. For example, Ron Travis is on that team, and I know several years ago he ran through the singles untouched. And, that was a much tougher group of singles guys. Yet, this year looks like he played in only the minimum amount of matches. They have a few guys that don't seem to play much (Steve Wolford is another example). So, who shows up? If Travis, Wolford, Abokhair all show and play, this team could be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteRe: NOHO....I don't know Wolford or Abokhair, but saw Travis play doubles recently, and while still strong for a watered down 4.0 league, certainly not the same player he was 5 years ago. Don't see NOHO as a threat to the top 2 in the 4.0.
ReplyDeleteAbokhair is very solid. So are a few other guys on that team. Definitely some bumps to 4.5 coming for them.
ReplyDeleteJust noticed that Paul Vorapunpisuit of the Fort Worth champ was ranked one spot below Antoine Ford in the Super 18 rankings in 2001 (ahead of people like Will Taylor and last year's 4.0 ringer Craig Weymer). He and Bigam will be a nice one-two punch. I'm picking Ft. Worth to win Flight Two, though rumor has it that San Antonio is very strong.
ReplyDeleteWow. And he has a computer rating. Looks like he played in a Prize Money Open Tournamnet in 2005 (Rattapol Vorapunpisuit)
ReplyDeleteCan current DIII College tennis players play at the 4.0 level? Waco 4.0 has two current college players who play for LeTourneau. The players are Bryan Crenshaw and Mitch Guerra.
ReplyDeleteNope, not if they are self-rated. Must play 4.5. There will be a bunch of DQs handed out this weekend. The bigger question is whether these captains will be foolish enough to play their DQable players.
ReplyDeleteThose players are not self-rated. They self-rated last year as 3.5 players :)
ReplyDeleteThey have a computer rating this year.
Cheats. They should have played 4.5. Just because they sandbagged last year knowing they were going to play college tennis does not mean they have a legitimate rating.
ReplyDeleteNothing you can do about it. According to the guidelines they were within their rights to self-rate 3.5. I know it's not right but it is what it is. Then they just have to skate through 3.5 without getting flagged and BOOM they're now legit 4.0 C players.
ReplyDeleteEat shit Houston!!!
ReplyDeleteThey are total scrubs. What kind of pathetic excuse for a college is LeTourneau?
ReplyDeleteThey do have the right to cheat the system and themselves. They sound like stand-up guys. They should be proud. I am sure their coach was out recruiting the 3.5 circuit last year and signed them immediately.
ReplyDeleteDamn, I'm proud to be a college player competing at 4.0. I love to beat up on all these has beens that have nothing to do but whine and complain about other players. Take it on the court this weekend, and I will make my momma proud.
ReplyDeleteThen go and clean my room.
these are the kind of players that usually are end up on a Hurricane team
ReplyDeleteMaybe Freeman is offering consulting services to other cities on how to manipulate the system
ReplyDeleteThe players have been scouted and would not make the Hurricanes roster. Now if they were bumped back to 3.5, then maybe.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry to tell you all that those 2 players are self rated correctly... crenshaw and guerra.... when they self rated at 3.5 they were both 3.5 level players... and they have since gotten a bit better and are now probably average to above average 4.0s, so please stop complaining
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter the rule is they are 45. Why not play on a 45 team?
ReplyDeleteBecause they are not 4.5 players.... crenshaw played the 4.5 fort worth major zone and lost 1,1 and another match 2,2--- they are playing 4.0 because they are 4.0
ReplyDeleteDidn't guerra split with cambon? And did crenshaw go to state in 3a the same year he self rated as ad 3.5?
ReplyDeleteCrenshaw never went to state, he lost first round in regionals in doubles to the eventual champions 1,1
ReplyDeleteDidnt guerra split with cambon? Didnt apalachian state (division 2 school) beat a top rated michigan squad in football a couple of years back? yes to both, but one out of your mind match does not make a player.
ReplyDeleteI hate to say this but what is up with people from san antonio ( just the ones in the waco flights) These guys are really a bunch of idiots, and i am glad they all were sent packing!!!!!
ReplyDelete