Wait. Didn't the 2021 Akron Open 3.0 Doubles Championships already take place? And didn't Giju and Abhi walk away with the title?
YES!
But this is the decade of the 2020's and who are YOU to say there can't be TWO Akron Open 3.0 Doubles events in one calendar year?! So here we go, the summer edition! And will Giju and Abhi walk away with another title?!
NO!
Bold statement? Or simply acknowledging the fact that they didn't sign up for the event?
YES!
Technically, Abhi and Giju's big win was the winter edition was the "Towpath Shootout" while this is the "Akron Open," part of the Akron Open Series, but who are we to judge what's what? Especially since we don't even know what's what?!
Be that all as it may, the third 3.0 event of 2021 will officially take place at one of the most historically significant tennis mecca's in all of Northeast Ohio - The Towpath Tennis Center!
So what is the format? Who is playing? And who will win?! FIND OUT HERE!
- Format
- Team Profiles
- Predictions
Format
Limited to eight doubles teams (sorry Matthew and Tim!), each team is guaranteed three whole 3.0 matches! Will the format be a bracket? Or a round robin? Or a round bracket?! NO ONE KNOWS! But what we do know is that it will be ... AWESOME!
Team Profiles
(in random order)
Robert Corts & Debabrata Ghosh...
Records: 10-1 all-time ... 5-0 in tournament play, 5-1 in league play ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 2.88 + 3.30 = 6.18 ... Tournament Experience/Highlights: 2020 Akron Open Doubles Champions (5-0) ... Pros: The odds on favorites and returning Akron Open Doubles Champions, this tag-team has the most extensive experience together of any other tandem in the event, playing in well over 10 tandem matches ... With tournament and league experience together, they're more one player than two ... Robert's aggressive backcourt play, combined with Debabrata's aggressive frontcourt play, make them one aggressive duo! ... Cons: As the number one seed in the event, will they be able to handle the pre-match hype, paparazzi, and super star trappings that so many big-time 3.0ers fall prey towards?!
David Gann & Travis Haselswerdt ...
Records: 7-3 all-time, 7-3 in tournament play, 0-0 in league play ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 2.87 + 2.96 = 5.76 ... Tournament Experience/Highlights: Two events, with their best finish as the 2020 Akron Open Doubles Vice-Champions (i.e., Runner's Up) ... Pros: David's power, wing-span, and ability to bring many, many adult beverages to the event ... Cons: Travis' rating has slipped .04 points since the last time this pairing played while David's has risen .12 points begging the question - will David be able to shoulder the burden of carrying Travis throughout the tournament?!
Scott Kessler & Renier Soto ...
Records: 0-0 all-time ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 2.77 + 2.34 = 5.11 ... Tournament Experience/Highlights: None, first event ... Pros: As members of The Towpath Tennis Center, they know the facility inside and out (but mostly inside as that's more important as that's where the courts are actually located) ... doubles specialists, their combined 8-5 mark shows they know their way around the doubles courts! ... Renier, hailing from Chicago, no doubt has some big-city play up his big-city sleeves! ... Cons: As this is their first ever tournament as a tandem, will the INCREDIBLE PRESSURE of 3.0 tournament play get to them?!
Corey Morrill & Mark Robeson ... Records: 0-0 all-time ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 2.93 + 2.25 = 5.18 ... Tournament Experience/Highlights: None, first event ... Pros: Like Scott and Renier, this tandem are also members of Towpath, meaning their courtside knowledge is second to none (or maybe second to Scott and Renier ... or tied with Scott and Renier?) ... With a combined 6-2 doubles record, they have the knowledge and experience to work their way around the Towpath doubles courts!... Cons: Similar to their Towpath teammates, will they be able to handle the incredible rec league pressure of their first event together? And what if these Towpath teammates face off versus their other Towpath teammates, Scott and Renier? How will they handle such a tennis Civil War?!
Scott Hovey & Patrick Renz... Records: None ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 3.06 + 3.14 = 6.20 ... Doubles Tournament Experience/Highlights: Second event entered, they finished 5th at the 2020 Akron Open ... Pros: Scott, a renowned singles player, and Patrick, a renowned singles player, used to each play one versus two, but now they can play two versus two, meaning now they'll do double as well! ... Both enjoy tournament experience, albeit in singles, but with Scott's Akron Open experience and Patrick's Vice-Championship in the 2019 PWC, both players are used to tournament pressure that can be nerve-shattering for some ... As both players stand in at exactly 18' of combined human height, lobbing or passing them may be nigh-impossible! ... Cons: Will their lack of combined doubles experience, combined with their Manute Bol-like big-man issues, stunt their 3.0 tournament tennis growth?!
Sebastian Birceanu & Leon Crumpler ... Records: 1-1 all-time, 1-1 in league play ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 2.73 + 2.57 = 5.30 ... Tournament Experience/Highlights: None, first event ... Pros: The third most experienced group in terms of total doubles matches played, experience and doubles knowledge rate as high-level strengths ... With nearly double digits victories on the doubles courts between them, it's clear that the consistent Sebastian and the hard-hitting Leon have what it takes to make a deep tournament run! ... Cons: As this is their first tournament, will tournament stage fright play a role?! (hint: no)
David Bennhoff & John Clark ... Records: 0-0 all-time ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 3.0s + 2.96 = 5.96 ... Tournament Experience/Highlights: None, first event ... Pros: The most experienced tandem in terms of total tennis experience, David and John bring over 140 years of tennis acumen to the Towpath courts! ... A combined 40 years at the near-professional 3.5 level shows they will not be intimidated by the 3.0 opponents across from them ... while their 3.0 record is next to nil, they combined have well over 150 career doubles matches! ... Cons: As career 3.5ers, will they get bored of their competition?!
Erik Wasowski & Benjamin Young ... Records: 0-0 all-time ... TennisRecord.Com Ratings: 2.72 + 2.98 =5.70 ... Tournament Experience/Highlights: None, first event ... Pros: Erik, one of the young up-and-comers of the 3.0 tournament scene, matches up with Benjamin, one of the grizzled veterans of the 3.0 tournament scene, giving this pairing the perfect blend of youth and wisdom! ... While they have not played together, they did play against one another at the recent Akron Open, and the fact they were able to bury the 3.0 hatchet shows their communication skills are already top-notch ... Benjamin's serves combined with Erik's wingspan make them one of the odds-on-favorites to be walking the victory walk post-tournament! ... Cons: Have they really buried the 3.0 hatchet? Or will animosities on a 3.0 scale reveal themselves come tournament time?! OH, THE DRAMA!
Predictions
We've brought in the D.F.O.'s very own D.F.O. Maths Expert, Jeff, who is recently riding high after receiving the coveted D.F.O. 2021 Free Agent of the Year Award, to give some professional* predictions for this upcoming event!
Corts & Ghosh - 6.18/5 odds ... I let the U.S.T.A. do the math for me here. Defending champs of one of the 3.0 majors is too much to ignore!
Gann & Haselswerdt - 2/7 ... The odds here actually rose from 2/11 once I read David brings "refreshments" to the events. It will continue to climb if Travis partakes in a few prior to the event. Seems counter-productive to some, but that's how Vegas always wins.
Kessler & Soto, 1/27 ... Towpath v. Towpath will be too much for the tourney rookies. They would be wise to glean knowledge from their fellow Towpathians.
Morrill & Robeson, 1/27 ... I can see a bracket in which BOTH doubles Towpathites lock horns first round. It will go to a third set tie-breaker where they will agree to a draw for the good of Towpath moving forward.
Hovey & Renz, 1/3 ... In this case one and one does not equal two. The singles specialists will both want to cover the entire court, thus causing entanglement in their Manute-Bol-like combined 24' wingspan. Although the tallest combined duo, I'm afraid they will fall a bit - wait for it - short here. Get it?!
Birceanu & Crumpler, 1/12 ... I can see them making a little noise, perhaps being a difficult out for the higher ranked teams. Get them some tourney time and watch out!
Bernhoff & Clark, 1/2 ... This tandem is definitely one you don't want to see across the court. With 140 combined years, including 40+ of professional 3.5 level tennis, there is NOTHING these two haven't seen! But, will they be able to withstand the 3.0 ground and pound without falling asleep? Thinking a pre-match B-12 shot could vault them to perfection here...
Wasowski & Young, 2/9 ... Dark. Horse. Love this pairing enough to perhaps buy them a ticket to the semi's, or perhaps a consolation title! Look, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pulling for these guys. Benjamin, one of only three people to EVER defeat me in tournament action, has a nice blend of court coverage, strong forehand, and 3.0 laser-like serve. Combine that with Wasowski's wingspan and youthful exuberance, they may have just what they need here!
WHOA! Well, there you have it, the most accurate* predictions possible (which is probably a true statement as Jeff has accurately predicted exactly one of his previous two tournaments ... with successful data like that, you know he can't not be right!). Thank you, Jeff!
I'm rooting for Team Dark Horse! I should have made t-shirts. - Captain Benjamin