Here we go! It's almost time for the 2020 PWC! The first tournament of the decade is here and numerous questions shall be asked AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO WILL EVEN BE ANSWERED!
Questions such as ...
Will Peter repeat his 3.0 Singles title? NO!
Bold prediction? NO! Peter, now a 3.5, now lacks the one incredibly vital facet necessary for 3.0 competition - lack of talent! So now that Peter is enjoying the 3.5 life, there is GUARANTEED to be a new 3.0 PWC Champion!
What about in the doubles? Will Fon and Lin repeat their 2012 title? And I say repeat because the doubles event hasn't been held in almost a decade? Or ... has it been almost a decade and maybe there will be a new champion? OR - wait for it - MAYBE EVEN AN OFFICIAL ENTRY?!
Other questions abound as well ... will Matt make his record extending third trip to the championship finals ... will David make a third straight trip to a finals of some kind ... will Roderick extend his appearance record ... will Travis defend his two-time Consolation Championship and prove once and for all that when it comes to losing tennis, he's one of the best ... will there be enough entries to even host the event?! SO MANY QUESTIONS!!
Preview Formula Rationale (because we know you care):
The following previews count both U.S.T.A. tournament AND U.S.T.A. league play records and unless otherwise noted focus on the highest level of entry level play one can participate in - that's right, 3.0 tennis - and dismisses other levels, unless otherwise noted ... because we are just THAT dedicated to providing super in-depth analysis ... and it's snowing outside and we are stuck inside. Thanks, Ohio. Also, we include ratings from TennisRecord.Com which provides even more in-depth analysis for those of us that like going down the tennis stats rabbit hole. Moreover, we also include the completely irrelevant and almost impossible to understand U.S.T.A. Midwest Men's 3.0 NTRP Singles PPR Standings List from 2019. Please don't ask us what it means or how it's calculated or how there can be a standings list of the best 3.0 players in the entire Midwest that only calculates two total events from 2019 or the fact they only list 21 total rankings and we are guessing there MAY be more than 21 total 3.0 players in the entire Midwest, but hey, who are we to question things we don't understand.
3.0 Singles
Benjamin ... 43-35 overall, 34-26 in singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 2.91 ... Midwest Standing: #10 ... overall record is deceptive as his first 20 matches of career were at the 3.5 level ... in 2019, however, he played strictly 3.0, going an impressive 17-16 overall and 5-8 in singles ... Pros: Vast 3.5 level experience ... very strong forehand that, when on, can put points away quick ... generally aggressive player who goes for winners, he took last year's PWC champion, Matt, to an epic three setter in the second round... maintains a sweet, sweet, red beard...
Travis ... 43-35 overall, 34-26 in singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 2.95 ... Midwest Standing: #2 ... two titles, two runner ups, two consolation titles ... one doubles title ... Pros: Mobility and general overall consistency ... "pusher" mindset/ability/lack of ability ... solid backhand and net play ... such slow pace on most shots that he lulls opponents to sleep ... loud and obnoxious outfits...
Abhishek ... 9-8 overall, 8-5 in 3.0 singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 3.07... Midwest Standing: #4 ... two runner ups ... Pros: Began U.S.T.A. league career in 2018 at the 3.5 level and thus, like Benjamin, enjoys much high-level experience ... indeed, all of his 3.0 losses in 2019 came to players who were promoted in 2020 ... classic baseline game ... last name is almost as hard to spell as Travis'...
Roger ... 22-14 overall, 16-10 in singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 2.88 ... Pros: Enjoyed a fantastic inaugural U.S.T.A. 2019 season going 15-8 in singles as he played, and bested, some of the best 3.0's on the east side of Northeast Ohio ... relatively new to tournament play, enjoys the element of surprise...
Paul and John ... 0-0 overall ... Pros: Unknowns! Perhaps hailing from parts unknown, they have no official records, immediately making them tournament favorites...
David ... 29-35 overall, 9-14 in singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 2.76 ... one runner up and one consolation runner up ... Pros: Big serve is a big weapon that wins a lot of big points ... with vast doubles experience, David's acumen at the net is also a big advantage ... big wingspan and big height make it difficult to pass and especially to lob ... probably the biggest 3.0 player to ever play the game of tennis ... fantastic, upbeat attitude illustrates strong mental toughness ... upbeat attitude and mental toughness will be tested as he is also teaming up with Travis, who has a terrible attitude and is incredibly mentally weak, in the 3.0 Doubles event...
Patrick ... 2-2 overall, 0-0 in singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 2.99 ... Pros: Doubles specialist ... enjoyed victories over players eventually promoted to 3.5 ... has played against, and with, several of the entries in this event, thus enjoys knowledge of how to beat potential opponents (i.e., hit the ball over the net) ...
3.0 Doubles
Jeffrey/Scott ... Jeff (6-11 ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: N/A) and Scott (7-22, 1-4 3.0 Singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 2.76) ... true doubles specialists, both have competed at both the 3.0 and 3.5 level, mixed and otherwise, both in league and tournament play ... both have experience on the championship courts as Jeff won the '15 Dick Schultz 6.5 Doubles Consolation title while both he and Scott were 3.0 Doubles Runner Ups in the '19 Paramount Fall Classic ... Pros: Significant doubles experience ... know each others games and enjoy same-team doubles experience together as they've teamed up twice before... Jeffrey's big serve and Scott's all-court game make for a solid combo on the doubles courts ...
David/Travis ... David (27-34, 9-13 3.0 Singles ... Tennis Record.Com Rating: 2.76) and Travis (43-35, 34-26 in 3.0 Singles ... TennisRecord.Com Rating: 2.95) join up for the first time in their illustrious* careers ... has a singles Consolation Runner Up and a Championship Runner Up to his name ... Travis has a poor doubles record but does have one 3.0 doubles title he brags about way too much ... Pros: Significant championship court experience, mostly at the consolation level ... David's 47 foot wing-span and Travis's mobility make them a tough out...
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