It's only April, but here are my (very early) impressions and random thoughts.
I'm not super impressed with the Hurricanes 4.5 roster, but I can't really figure out who to pick ahead of them. Right now it'd have to be the Good-er Guys. It's nice to see Hai Vu and Phi Huynh playing (and winning) together at 4.5 again. I've heard good things about this Gulzeb Niazi guy. I'm trying to figure out the Deucebags best lineup: Hall and Chavarria in singles? Does Ken Douds have any other roster adds to make? His team has potential, and another guy or two could push it over the edge. The matches this week don't look very exciting/interesting.
A friend opined that the 4.0 Hurricanes/Unicorns/Chancellor's division has 3 of the top 5 teams in the state. The USTA version of the SEC West, I guess. I think that's going a bit too far, but 3 of the top 10 wouldn't be a stretch. Sienna will try to prove they belong in the conversation this week against Chancellor's. The Hurricanes season was a few points away from ending last week. With only 2 wild cards, an 0-2 record in that division is a death sentence. I was surprised to see the Westside Warriors with an early loss.
5.0 League sure starts late this year. No matches until next week. Rosters aren't finalized yet, but Westside-Church Group looks strong.
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If Those are three of the top 5 in Texas, Texas is in no danger of winning a crystal ball... Again.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on that. But of course, we're in week two/three. Rosters can improve. I wasn't at the match on Thursday night. I'm trying to figure out who the best singles player in the division is. My guess is that he's someone who's been playing doubles. Maybe Eli Harper. Maybe someone else. The Kevin Nguyen-Evan Fontenot match in week one was some (for 4.0) high level tennis.
ReplyDeleteIt just dawned on me that the 4.0 Hurricanes are 0-4 in singles this year. That doesn't bode well.
Also: How good is Robbie Reneberg? Obviously not at his brother's level, but I'm guessing he's got quite a tennis background?
ReplyDeleteI think it's safe to say that at the moment the hurricanes are weaker this year than last year. What do you think about the unicorns team compared to last year? I think chancellors is about the same as two years ago.
ReplyDeleteUnicorns will rule this year. All you losers just wait and see.
DeleteChancellors will rule this year. All you losers just wait and see.
DeleteHurricanes will rule this year. All you losers just wait and see.
DeleteLakeside will rule this year. All you losers just wait and see.
DeleteAce and Spinners will rule this year. All you losers just wait and see.
DeleteIts the same person arguing with themselves.
Deletelol... that's a good one.
DeleteChancellors is very much the same as two years ago, many of the same guys that missed the semis at Nats by one set. That's why I picked them to win the flight, and I'll also pick them to win the city. Without some great additions, it doesn't look like Hurricane season.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure who Chancellor's was missing on Thursday. I know the Canes were missing Fontenot. I'm still not sure what the Canes optimal lineup is, but regardless, it's probably not good enough. The Unicorns were impressive. I was a bit cocky going in, thinking we had the edge. I had heard a lot about Emmott, and in my mind I was counting him as an "automatic", so that one surprised me. As mentioned earlier, Kevin Nguyen looked good. Heck, he played at least half the match wearing khakis and still looked smooth. And Le Coz was equally impressive. Not sure why he wasn't used much in singles last year, but he will be tough to beat. One of the kids I played against was new. He had nice looking strokes and some power but made more errors than Shishir. Still, it's not unreasonable to think they could have beaten us. The also had chances in the other doubles line. A sweep was possible. That said, I have no idea how I'd rank the three teams. On any given Sunday...
ReplyDeleteWhy is Thang Pham playing 4.0? Is his game that sucky?
ReplyDeleteProbably.
DeleteA bunch of the guys on the 4.0 Hurricanes were able to appeal down. Go figure.
DeleteYou haven't seen anything yet. Wait until next year.
DeleteAll of the Houston 4.0 teams are much worse than the best team in Austin, as well as 2 or 3 other teams in the state. All of the Houston 4.5 teams are much worse than the best team in Fort Worth. Freeman has not had a good recruiting year. Maybe 2015 will be better.
ReplyDeleteWestside v Copperfield is intriguing, but I don't think Westside captain overlooks copperfields talent and brings out an A lineup that cruises. JCC/Titans/Hurricanes all have a relatively easy time. Other league matches are interesting/closer but I don't think any of those teams really compete for top spots.
ReplyDeletePredictions
4.5 I
Westside def Copperfield 4-1
Lakeside CC def Net Crushers 3-2
4.5 II
JCC def Hulks 4-1
Djokers def HRC 3-2
4.5 III
Titans def Invincibles 5-0
Wolfpack def Yellow Balls 4-1
Deucebags def Other Guys 4-1
Hurricanes def Clambakes 5-0
You forgot one matchup - Bye Week def Sienna 5-0
ReplyDeleteGood call Freddy and Phil!
DeleteNot me. But funny nonetheless.
DeletePK
Red strikes again.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.atpworldtour.com/Tennis/Players/Vo/R/Ryan-Vogl.aspx?t=tf
That link is a bit deceptive. He's been playing League tennis for years. I'm sure he's very good, though.
DeleteBig match in Austin in 4.5 over the weekend. AusTennis destroyed Lakeway 5 - 0. Lakeway had been undefeated. AusTennis represented Austin at Sectionals last year and look to have a stud singles player in youngster Keaton Qualls.
ReplyDeleteWho is Kenya Gillespie on 4.5 Hulks? Looks like shady 4.5 self rate who should be DQ'd. He was 2006 state champion in Kansas and has recent wins vs. John Griffin and Will Brice. LINK to state champion: http://www.usd305.com/Page/2179
ReplyDeleteWe're not in Kansas any more.
DeleteCouldn't resist.
If he had waited a couple years, he wouldn't be a state champ. He would have faced Jack Sock.
DeleteObviously, I had to google the guy. Very impressive. Magna Cum Laude at Yale and is apparently even better at piano than he is at tennis.
DeleteLooks like a self-rate grievance would be upheld on the basis of lying on the self-rate questionnaire. The USTA NTRP General and Experienced Player Guidelines says "Former Junior who had a National or Sectional (foreign or domestic) ranking but did not tour or play in college" must self-rate no lower than 5.0 if they're 35 or under, which a high school 2006 champ would be. If he was ranked in the top 150 nationally, he would have to self-rate 5.5. If he had played in college, which it looks like he did not, the minimum would still be 4.5 or higher. Sorry, Hulks.
Deleteoops sorry if he played in college I meant the min would still be 5.0 or higher
DeleteThe Experienced Player Guidelines change yearly, it seems. ANY National or Sectional ranking requires a 5.0 rating? That seems strange. My grandmother could be ranked in the Intermountain Section if she could play boys 18's.
DeleteSo is he legal self rate?
ReplyDeleteI think I said "no" at 3:30 yesterday
DeleteThen please post a link to a sectional or national ranking. Winning a state title is irrelevant to the discussion.
Deletehttp://www.usta.com/presentations/USTAYearBook/43.pdf
ReplyDeleteRanked #25 boys 16 sectional. Enough to DQ?
Based on experience with just this sort of grievance, probably not high enough. You'd need to find a top-10 ranking in 18s probably. This covers the 6:21 May 6 poster's question too. USTA-TX does not interpret it as "any" ranking in my experience.
DeleteThanks Phil!
DeleteTime for 3 strikes
ReplyDelete