Subflight 1 - Western & Eastern Cleveland!
In the most anticipated 3.0 season in years, possibly because it is quite literally the only 3.0 season taking place this particular year, the Northeast Ohio 3.0 tennis season is but a few short days away from taking … wait for it ... flight (get it? “Flight”? Because that's what the divisions are called? Hmmm?! OH, that’s good stuff…). And while the experience laden 3.0 40+ season may have been cancelled, the younger (relatively) and virile (comparatively) 3.0 18+ is a go! And with it, the best lowest level tennis Northeast Ohio has to offer! So now that it’s official that the 3.0 season (or at least a 3.0 season) will take place, questions abound … which team will win which Flights? Which captain will lead their team to (relative) glory? Who will lead the league in singles wins? In doubles wins? Which doubles tandem will lead their Flight in victories? Who will be the 3.0 Rookie of the Year? The Most Improved Player of the Year? Are any of these awards actually real? Who will take home all the bragging rights in 2020? And does a 3.0 player even deserve the right to brag?! So many questions!
The following information includes the players, their TennisRecord.Com rating, and all records from 2014 onward, including overall (O), singles (S), and doubles (D).
Avon Oaks/Bay - Captain David Karam, 2.26, 1-9O; Co-Captain Travis Haselswerdt, 3.0, 46-41O, 37-28S, 9-13D; Brian Chambers, 2.64, 9-11O, 0-3S, 9-8D; Donald McLeroy, 2.35, 17-63O; Erik Overberger, 2.79, 19-45O, 7-19S, 12-26D; Tony Slabicki, 2.51, 2-5O; Charlie Post, 2.88, 15-45O, 0-1S, 15-44D, Sean Curtin
Chagrin Valley - Captain Orlando Dangond, 2.44, 2-16O, 0-1S, 2-15D; John Fenner, 2.21, 3-14O; Jeffrey Spencer, 2.22, 8-25O, 0-6S, 8-19D; Jimmy Heiman, 2.76, 1-3O; Greg Marthe, 2.51, 1-14O, 1-4S, 0-10D; Chris Ciavarro, 2.51, 0-1O
Force - Captain Jeremy Benjamin, 2.51, 3-10O; Roger Godin, Co-Captain, 2.67, 16-18O, 1-1S, 15-17D; Scott Mellino, 2.85, 16-13O, 0-1S, 16-12D; Andrew Payerl; John Prince, 3.0, 20-4O, 1-0S, 19-4D; Chris Sorensen; Anthony Kulka, 2.65, 15-18O; Adnan Kazazic, 2.66, 21-36O, 6-16S, 15-20D; Joseph Miksa, 2.73, 3-6O, 0-3S, 3-3D
Mayfield - Captain Rick King, 2.66, 2-5O, 0-3S, 2-2D; Co-Captain Phil King; John King; Brian King; Karl King; Christian King
Wembley - Captain JP Ayyapan, 2.58, 39-60O, 3-5S, 36-58D; Brian Greene, 2.51, 3-4O, 1-0S, 2-4D; Dino Rizza; Kiyotaka Fukamachi, 2.51, 7-17O, 1-1S, 6-16D; James Abraham; David Ries, 2.93, 78-49O, 1-1S, 77-48D
Flight Breakdown – Western & Eastern Cleveland Area Technically known as Subflight 1, this flight has five very, very unique 3.0 teams, hailing from the western and eastern parts of the Cleveland area. From the experienced Force and Wembley squads to the veteran laden Avon Oaks/Bay team to the raw but talented Chagrin Valley team to the unknown darkhorse Mayfield team, winning this Flight shant, as I’m sure Shakespeare once said, be easy.
That being said, the experienced and talented Force team looks to be the preseason, Vegas favorite to take this Flight. With a veteran captain in Jeremy Benjamin, their lineups should be put in the best possible spots each match, giving them an early advantage before they even hit the C-19 safe courts o' tennis. Add in preseason MVP candidate John Prince, and Force looks to have a player who could challenge for Singles and Doubles Player of the Year, a never before seen double (partly because there's never been such an award given, but still...). But, wait, there's more! Not to be outdone, Roger Godin gives the Force even more flexibility, as he can play singles and doubles with equal aplomb, and enjoys several victories against veteran competition in this Flight, showing he has the skills and experience necessary to make a major impact every match. Add in doubles specialists Scott Mellino and Adnan Kazazic, and Captain Benjamin is spoiled with choices this season! No wonder Vegas - if they predicted such things - is predicting the Force team to take the Flight championship in 2020.
Challenging for the top spot looks to be two clubs, Avon Oaks/Bay and Wembley. Avon Oaks/Bay may have a new captain in David Karam, but his passion, combined with the on-the-roster experience of former captains Erik Overberger and Charlie Post, will surely help alleviate any rookie captain jitters. In singles, David has two veteran singles players in Travis Haselswerdt and the aforementioned Erik to choose from, both of whom having enjoyed a lot of (relative) success at the 3.0 level. In doubles, Brian Chambers is a rock in that event while veteran Donald McLeroy will no doubt help cement the doubles teams with his 3.0 experience and skill. Filling out the roster, both David and Tony Slabicki will no doubt enjoy improvement after their steady rookie 2019 seasons. As such, the team looks strong, however, a relatively small roster combined the fact they aren’t playing on their beloved home Bay courts this season could be hurdles the Avon Oaks/Bay team needs to overcome if they’re going to truly challenge for a top spot in this Flight.
As for Wembley, they bring two of the most well-played and well-known veterans of the 3.0 world this Flight has ever seen. Captain JP Ayyappan leads the squad, and with over 100 matches to his name, you can be sure he has the experience necessary to put himself, and his team, in the right spot! His right hand man (or left, we're not sure which hand JP favors), is veteran 3.0er David Ries, who, with over 100 matches himself, looks to be in the running for Flight MVP with his stellar doubles play. Like Avon Oaks/Bay, though, Wembley suffers from a small roster that is going to put stress on their team, but if anyone can figure out how to maximize their talent, it's Captain JP. Darkhorse candidates in this Flight include Chagrin Valley and Mayfield Village Racquet Club. CVC Captain John Fenner has a raw group of hungry 3.0ers to choose from while Captain Rick King of Mayfield Village has an entire clan of King family members ready to prove themselves. Indeed, look for the MVRC team to surprise some people this season, for, as it says in the Constitution, "It's good to be King"!
Player Breakdown – Singles With an interesting format this season – one singles match and two doubles matches – there won’t be much time for the 3.0 singles player to shine this ... but then again, when is there time for them to shine? But if there is time for 3.0 singles to shine, this Flight looks to have some of the best and brightest 3.0 players known to ... well ... known to these two narrow, narrow Northeastern, Ohio Flights. Indeed, perhaps singles will be even more significant this season due to the limited structure, and if so, look for the Force’s John Prince, the preseason #1 player and Flight MVP, to take the 3.0 league by storm. Though a doubles player for most of his career, if John makes the switch to singles, his power and his prowess could make things tough for those on the other side of the court, and they may want to stay more than the recommended six feet away from him and his blistering shots if they know what’s best for them!
That being said, Force teammate Roger Godin, another player who has predominately played doubles, could challenge him as the best singles player in the Flight. Where John brings the power, Roger brings an all-court game that keeps opponents on their heels, whether it’s a baseline game or a serve and volley approach. This flexibility helps explain why Roger looks to have a fantastic season this year and why the Force team is a favorite to take the Flight Championship! Avon Oaks/Bay teammates Travis Haselswerdt and Erik Overberger, though, could challenge for Singles Player of the Year if things go their direction. Travis, having the most singles wins of any player in this Flight, and Erik, having the second most singles wins of any player in this Flight, are no doubt tough outs, and their consistent play could make the voting interesting as the season winds down.
Filling out the top five, the Force’s Adnan Kazazic has no reason to shy away from this list, as he is not only among the league leaders in singles wins but has the experience and all-around play to definitely put him in the mix. Add to the fact he’s another Force player, and it’s becoming increasingly easy to see why so many prognosticators are picking the Force to take the Flight. Player Breakdown – Doubles This Flight also enjoys a number of very good doubles players, players that could challenge for Flight MVP as well as Doubles Player of the Year! Dare to dream! Once more, the Force’s John Prince heads the list. Again, predominately a doubles player in his career, his 3.0 record of 9-2 in doubles speaks for itself. And depending on how he’s utilized in the Force lineup, John could be in the running for singles AND doubles Player of the Year awards! WHOA!
Wembley's David Ries, though, not only has an amazing record at doubles, but has the experience, with over 70 doubles victories, to back up his play and challenge for doubles accolades. And if he's teamed up with fellow doubles stalwart JP Ayyappan, the two of them could very well tag-team their way to 3.0 doubles glory!
The Force's Scott Mellino and Roger Godin, though, aren't to be left off this list, as Scott's veteran presence combined with Roger's all-court play, make them both intriguing tag-team partners when it comes to doubles!
Wow! What a potential season! So many quality teams ... so many quality players ... so much quality 3.0 play!
Be sure to read our Subflight #2 preview next to get a read on ALL the 3.0 tennis taking place this season...
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