Force, Towpath Lead the Way!
WHOA! Marquee matches abound on the third matchday of the USTA NEOTA 3.0 season! In Flight #1, undefeated Wembley hosted undefeated Force in a matchup of the top two teams in the Flight while both CVAC and MVRC were angling for their first team wins of the season! In Flight #2, both undefeated NCRC and Towpath were looking to keep the good times rolling at the top of the standings while both Fairlawn and Green were looking to get their first team wins!
Unfortunately, due to budget cuts,* we were unable to send any reporters to any of these matches, but we do have it on good authority that some of what we are about to write actually happened!
(*Technically, this isn't accurate, as our budget is exactly $0, but, as the saying goes, "time is money," and if my wife found out I was spending time going to matches I wasn't playing while at the same time leaving her alone with the three kiddos, well, let's just say that there's a good chance that my money would be cut by one of the finer divorce attorneys in the Cleveland-Akron area)
So enjoy our somewhat accurate and very-likely made-up recap!
Flight #1 Recap
Wembley v. Force, 0-3
Singles - Brian Greene 0-6, 1-6 v. Andrew Payerl
1st Doubles - JP Ayyappan/David Ries 2-6, 7-6, 0-1 v. John Prince/Scott Mellino
2nd Doubles - Kiyotaka Fukamachi/Robert Mountain 1-6, 3-6 v. Adnan Kazazic/Joseph Miksa
Notes - In a matchup of undefeated squads (both of whom were predicted by this very website to lead Flight #1, by the way) this was no doubt the marquee matchup of the entire evening! On paper, both clubs were even-steven, with the Force having the slight advantage at singles and Wembley having the slight advantage at doubles. Where both teams were incredibly equal, however, was in terms of leadership, as both boasted two of the most experienced captains in not just Flight #1, but most likely the entire 3.0 world (and by "world" we of course mean Northeast Ohio)! That leadership displayed itself right away, as in the Force's biggest team match of the season (which is technically true as this was, well, their second match of the season), Captain Jeremy threw what seemed like a tennis curveball at Wembley by putting tennis rookie Andrew in at singles, which would be his first 3.0 singles match ... ever! What may have seemed like a risky move just proved once again why Captain Jeremy is one of the best in the business (and probably explains why Force pays him so extravagantly* to lead their squad) as Andrew, not phased by the moment, utilized his hockey skills to not only take both sets, but to also enjoy his first ever 3.0 singles win while setting his team up to have a chance to take the team match!
But Wembley wasn't going to go down without a fight (we would have said "proverbial flight" but we weren't there, so maybe there was an actual fight, which would be pretty amazing ... although ... well ... a tennis fight probably isn't the most impressive "fight" out there, all things considered). This was especially true considering Wembley had Captain JP at the helm, who decided to go strength versus strength, himself and David at 1st Doubles versus Force's John and Scott. Thus, in this potentially team-deciding doubles match, Northeast Ohio had two of the best doubles tandems in Flight #1 going head to head, making THIS the DFOtv MATCH OF THE NIGHT! (sadly we at DFO are still in negotiations with several broadcasters for the rights to 3.0 tennis and, shockingly, we aren't getting many offers as of yet ... for some reason) Making this match all the juicier was that both doubles tag teams were 1-0, meaning this was clearly the best of the 3.0 best! WOW! Clearly inspired by Andrew's play and Captain Jeremy's leadership, John and Scott ran off to an early set lead, but you knew that with the experience and moxy of JP and David, they'd get back in the match, and get back they did to the tune of a second set tie-breaking win! It all came down to the third set SUPER tiebreak, and in the SUPER tiebreak, John and Scott played - you guessed it - SUPER, to not only take their match, but seal the deal for their team as well. WOW! What a made-for-tv matchup of doubles titans! Not to be outdone, though, veteran Force 3.0er Adnan teamed with Joseph to not only win 2nd Doubles to maintain the sweep for Force but also earn his 20th overall 3.0 victory as well! Wow! Personal and team glory! When all was said and done, it was a great show of tennis with the two best teams in Flight #1 going toe-to-toe, tit-for-tat, yin-for-yang, etc., etc.! Congrats to all, especially the lucky fan(s) who took it all in!
Next up - Wembley @ Avon Oaks/Bay, Force v. MVRC
CVAC v. MVRC, 0-3
Singles - Christian King 6-3, 6-1 v. Mike Carroll
1st Doubles - Rick King/Brian King 6-2, 6-1 v. Jeffrey Spencer/Greg Marthe
2nd Doubles - Rick King/Karl King 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 v. Paul Olson/Carl Parker
Notes - With both teams looking to get their first team win of the season, Captain Rick's MVRC team of raw 3.0 rookies faced off against Captain John's veteran laden CVAC team. In singles, MVRC rookie Christian continued the stellar start to his 3.0 career with his second straight singles win while Captain Rick teamed with Brian in 1st Doubles to take on undefeated Jeffrey and Greg. Inspired by Captain Rick's leadership, the team of King and King emerged victorious, earning each player their first 3.0 victories of the season! In second doubles, Rick 2.0 teamed up with Karl, and with only one game separating them from CVAC's Paul and Carl, they too left the courts with the win, earning the MVRC team a well-earned 3-0 sweep! Yet, despite the loss, Paul and Carl, two CVAC rookies, could take solace in the fact they played such a tight match in their first official USTA 3.0 experience under the big lights of official USTA tennis! Meanwhile, Team King could celebrate their first team win of the season as well as the rock-solid play of so many rookies, showing they may be well on their way to challenge the rest of the Flight as the season progresses!
Next up - CVAC Bye, MVRC @ Force
Bye: Avon Oaks/Bay
Next up - Wembley
Flight #1 Standings/Records
Force 2-0
Wembley 2-1
MVRC 1-1
Avon/Oaks Bay 1-1
CVAC 0-3
Flight #2 Recap
NCRC v. La Tuchie, 0-3
Singles - Benjamin Young 6-3, 3-6, 0-1 v. Scott Hovey
1st Doubles - Munir Ahmad/Leon Crumpler 2-6,4-6 v. Ronald Thomas/Timothy Adkins
2nd Doubles - Chester McClain/Brian Harry 6-1, 5-7, 0-1 v. Brandon Walch/Todd Hofer
Notes - Undefeated and at the top of the standings table, Captain Benjamin Young had his work cut out for him as his NCRC team was hosting a determined 1-1 La Tuchie side. Indeed, in the closest team match of matchday three, NCRC's Captain Benjamin, a veteran of the 3.0 courts, took on La Tuchie's rookie Scott, and, in an epic and even three setter, La Tuchie drew first blood (figuratively ... we think). Captain Ronald then faced the daunting task of taking on NCRC's undefeated pair Munir and Leon, who's combined 4-0 mark was one of the best in all of Northeast Ohio! Not one to shy away from adversity, Captain Ronald led by example and joined 3.0 doubles vet Timothy in 1st Doubles and, in a close, see-saw match (we think), emerged victorious! What leadership! Inspired by their el capitan, rookies Brandon and Todd took on the veteran Chester and fellow rookie Brian in 2nd Doubles, and in another incredibly close contest, also emerged victorious, not only earning Brandon and Todd their first 3.0 wins ever, but helping La Tuchie to a 3-0 sweep that saw them climb the Flight #2 standings!
Next up - NCRC @ Towpath, La Tuchie v. Fairlawn
Fairlawn v. Green, 2-1
Singles - John Chlebina 6-3, 6-4 v. Elbert Enrique
1st Doubles - Richard Patterson/Mickey Remen 2-6, 6-4, 0-1 v. David Ginnetti/Rob Gonsor
2nd Doubles - Tom Giltner/Dustin Fox 6-0, 6-0 v. Chip Bond/T Bortz
Notes - With both clubs looking for their first team win of the season, you knew that both squads would pull out all the 3.0 stops necessary to end this one on the winning side! In singles, Fairlawn's John earned an impressive 9th career 3.0 singles win in a tight match versus Green's singles specialist Elbert to give his team the 1-0 lead. But in 1st Doubles, Green Captain Chip knew he had a great chance to even the team score as he sent veteran David to join with Rob to face off against Fairlawn doubles vets Richard and Mickey. With so much veteran skill and experience on the same court, it's no surprise this one went three tough sets, but in the end, David's experience, no doubt aided by his tournament tested play over the years, ruled the day, and with that the team match was even at 1-1! HIGH DRAMA! IT ALL CAME DOWN TO 2nd DOUBLES! JUST LIKE THE CONSTITUTION SAYS IT SHOULD (we think)! In what some might consider a rash move, Captain Michael sent two untested rookies, Dustin and Tom, into the biggest match of their season to face off versus two seasoned vets, Chip and T, in a classic match of contrasts. But Captain Michael is a captain and leader of men for a reason, and that reason is he knows his team and his men better than you (so pipe down!) and knows how to fire them up, and on this day, both rookies came to play! Despite the valiant veteran play of Chip and T, Dustin and Tom were able to take the 2nd Doubles win, and thus the match, bringing major honor to the Fairlawn tennis Dojo!
Next up - Fairlawn @ La Tuchie, Green v. Paramount Medina
Paramount Medina v. Towpath, 0-3
Singles - Matt Hutchison 6-0, 6-7, 0-1 v. Jason Dzik
1st Doubles - Bogdan Nicolae/Roderick Yamat 4-6, 3-6 v. Tim Trombetta/Mike Devine
2nd Doubles - Denny Huff/Joseph Stanziano 2-6, 1-6 v. Craig Warner/Bryan Dudiwka
Notes - Towpath, looking to stay undefeated and maintain their hold near the top of the standings went up against a veteran squad that was defending their home courts and looking to advanced up the table! The assembled Medina County virtual crowds were in for a treat, as singles standouts Matt and Jason went head to head, and what a match it turned out to be! Paramount's Matt, one of the more tournament tested singles players around (and holder of the 2019 Akron Open Shootout Championship) took on Towpath's Jason, currently undefeated and with a career 9-1 record in singles. WHOA! In the first set, Matt's tournament experience no doubt proved to be the difference, as his huge serves and his huge presence led to an early huge lead. But Jason, with an amazing 3.0 singles record of his own, had his own experience to rely on ... his 2019 playoff singles success! As such, he used said experience to help claw his way back into the match to take the second set in nerve-wracking tie-breaking action! What a comeback! In the deciding third set SUPER tiebreaker, Jason emerged victories, but the real winners were the fans who got to watch this match AND then see if Towpath could seal the deal in one of their two doubles matches! In 1st Doubles, Paramount Captain Phil teamed hard-hitting Bogdan with veteran spin-master Roderick (making his 132nd 3.0 appearance!) to take on relative newbies Tim and Mike, who, no doubt inspired by Jason's amazing display, put on an amazing display of their own, taking the match in two closely contested sets. In doing so, Tim earned his first ever career 3.0 win ... and what a way to do it, against two high-caliber players like Bogdan (the 2019 Wooster Championships vice-champion, by the way) and Roderick! With the team match clinched, Towpath Captain Frank teamed veteran doubles master Curt and Bryan against veteran Denny and Joseph, and despite the experience and moxy of the latter, Curt and Bryan emerged with the win, not only earning the Towpath team a 3-0 sweep but also earning Curt his 40th career 3.0 doubles league victory! WOW! No wonder many prognosticators (us) prognosticated Towpath to be the top team of this Flight!
Next up - Paramount Medina @ Green, Towpath v. NCRC
Flight #2 Standings/Records
Towpath 3-0
La Tuchie 2-1
NCRC 2-1
Fairlawn 1-2
P. Medina 1-2
Green 0-3
Conclusion
WOW! What a third matchday of the 2020 season! In Flight #1, Force takes the standings lead with the help of standout players John and Scott while rookie Andrew joins the perfect 2-0 club! But MVRC and Christian look to be making some noise as they climb their way up the leaderboard! In Flight #2, Towpath is looking perfect as Jason looks to be putting together a fantastic season but Fairlawn is looking to show they are the real deal as rookies Dustin and Tom look to be getting their 3.0 legs about them! Congrats to all and good luck next week!
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