LaTuchie starts the 2021 season 2-0 and 1-0 to lead all Flights!
Finally, the sporting event of the year is here - 3.0 tennis! Both the young whipper-snappers in the 18+ Flights, and the greatest generation in the 40+ Flight, started their seasons, with a few surprises and a few greats already going at it! Read our less-than-accurate recaps that cover pretty much absolutely nothing below!
18+
Flight 1 Standings
W. Reserve 1-0
CSC 1-0
Mayfield 1-0
CVAC 0-1
Fairlawn 0-1
Green 0-1
Flight 2 Standings
LaTuchie 2-0
NCRC 1-1
P.Medina 1-0
Mentor 0-1
Wembley 0-1
CRC 0-1
Flight 3 Standings
Bay 1-0
Towpath 1-0
P. Westlake 0-1
Springside 0-1
Force 0-0
Flight 1 Recaps
CSC v. Fairlwan - 4-1 (click the link to see the detailed scoring; i.e., I don't have enough time for this)
CSC started their 2021 return campaign to the 78' of hard court jungle in style, enjoying a solid team win over a rapidly improving Fairlawn squad. Free agent signee Harmin made his manager, Captain Barry, proud as he earned his first win in a CSC shirt (we assume they have uniforms, because, shouldn't they? Shouldn't we all??) while late signee Jeff did the same, earning his first ever singles victory in his first ever attempt! Jack and Jacob, known by their friends as J&J (we assume) clinched the team win with their convincing doubles performance, a performance that saw Jacob earn his 10th career doubles win! Meanwhile, Captain Wayne led by example, as he and teammate Michael held their own at #3 doubles to add to the victory total. That being said, Fairlawn showed last season that they have the mental fortitude to carry on the fight, and fight they did (probably not literally, though, they seem like nice guys) as the doubles tandem of Mickey and Tim fought through three hard fought (again, probably not actual fighting) sets to get their beloved Fairlawn on the scoreboard!
The only sweep of the week, Western Reserve looks to regain their top 3.0 spot with a fantastic opening performance. Steven, another top free agent signing, showed why so many clubs were after this former Springside player when he won his first ever singles match to headline his Western Reserve career! In #2 singles, Horia enjoyed not only his first ever singles win, but his first ever 3.0 win, giving him and his team something to celebrate both individually and as a team! And speaking o team, the Western Reserve team just kept rolling, looking to get even more wins in the doubles events. But Green is a giant killer for a reason, and doubles stalwarts Jeff, Mark, Elbert, and Brandon weren't going to go down with a whimper, and they pushed eventual winners Steve, David, Andrew, and Matt to the brink, as both #2 and #3 doubles both went to SUPER TIE-BREAK finishes! WHOA! The Western Reserve team came out on top, but Green showed they'll be a tough out all season long with a fantastic performance belying the scoreboard. Although the tag-team of N/A and N/A didn't do so well as Ovidiu and Kurt DESTROYED them, dropping nary a point. WOW!
Mayfield, the Cinderella story of 2020, started their 2021 campaign as strong as ever, fielding no less than EIGHT King's on the five CVAC courts! WHOA! With each King looking EXACTLY IDENTICAL, it's no wonder that CVAC initially struggled to get in the match, as Mayfield's John ran off to a quick start in #1 singles. But rally CVAC did, and Steve put in a valiant effort, coming from behind to push the match to a deciding SUPER TIE-BREAK! John's experience outlasted Steve's rookie newness, but Steve showed he'll be a force to deal with as the 3.0 season winds on! In #2 singles, one of the best singles players in Flight 2 showed why we keep calling him one of the best singles players in Flight 2 as he enjoyed another victory in the event, an event it turns out HE'S NEVER BEEN BEATEN IN! In doubles, Karl and Christian gave Mayfield the advantage with their win, but the team score was soon evened up as Captain John led his CVAC crew to victory, teaming with rookie David to show him the 3.0 ropes! Thus, the entire fate of the world - THE WORLD - came down to #3 doubles! The King's, doing what they do best, threw in two raw rookie King's who, using their tight family bonds and communication, were able to overcome their obvious rookie jitters on such a big stage to not only enjoy their first ever 3.0 wins but to launch their team to victory!
Flight 2 Recaps
The opening match of the 2021 season involved two cross-town rivals who enjoyed fantastic 2020 seasons, the young and hungry LaTuchie squad hosting the veteran laden and playoff experienced NCRC team. Highlights of the match included two of last season's best players, Scott for LaTuchie and Benjamin for NCRC, facing off head to head under the bright lights of the singles courts, with the hard hitting Scott getting his team on the scoreboard first with punishing serves and strong forehands. In second singles, Munir continued his fantastic singles run, earning his lucky number 13th career singles victory, meaning the match was tied up and was going to come down to the doubles teams! LaTuchie's Ronald and Jeff, with over 140 combined doubles wins between them, used their experience to run out to an early lead while Captain Jeff guided rookie Eric to his first ever 3.0 victory in #2 Doubles! While the match was sealed up with those impressive doubles wins, congratulations were in order to Skip as he enjoyed his maiden 3.0 victory, surely one of many more to come! However, with their tight 3-2 victory of last season's Final Four finishing NCRC squad, LaTuchie showed early on that they are a team to reckon with when it comes to Flight 2!
It didn't take long for NCRC to bounce back, and with an experienced leader like Captain Benjamin, it's easy to see why! Captain Benjamin once again led his team, like the leader he is, once again taking the #1 singles courts, this time against doubles aficionado J.P., one of the best doubles players - and captains - in the 3.0 area. Unfortunately for J.P., he was playing neither doubles nor acting as a captain and, perhaps out of his wheelhouse, he fell to the newly un-spectacled Captain Benjamin. Wembley, though, unleased the West Coast upon NCRC, as free agent signee, all the way from San Francisco, David, won a tightly contested match against fellow free agent Robert. WHOA! The intrigue of off-season signings already on display! Tied up, it would be the doubles acumen of NCRC that would win the day, as Andy and Mathew, two 3.0 rookies, would learn the hard way that no 3.0 match is ever over, coming back from a set down to win their first ever match in a SUPER TIE-BREAKER! Perhaps inspired by their performance, and his win the week prior, NCRC rookie Skip would team with veteran Edward to seal the team win for NCRC, evening up their team record at a very respectable 1-1!
One of the most storied clubs in all of Medina - all of it! - opened up their 2020 season with a convincing team victory as one of the best singles players in the area, the 12 foot tall Matt, took home his first singles victory of the season, inching him closer to a career milestone of victory number 20! Rookie Venkat joined Matt in the victory square (as this is tennis, there aren't many circles, but squares are nice, too), with his first ever singles victory! Needing one more match to secure the team victory, Captain Phil turned to one of the tallest and strongest players in all of Medina (actually, they're all tall and strong, so all Captain Phil really had to do was point in a random direction and chances are a 7' tall tennis player would walk on the court), Patrick. Patrick, the 2019 Paramount Winter Finalist, used his huge serves and adept hands to lead himself and Jonathan to victory, thus securing the match. However, Captain Phil knows that end of season tie-breakers matter, and with just missing out on the playoffs last year surely on his mind (maybe on his mind?), Captain Phil went for the jugular, sending in Dustin and Paul in at #2 doubles, two players who know how to win ... and win they did! That's not to say CRC went down without a fight, for rookies Miles and Robert not only enjoyed their first career 3.0 matches and their first career 3.0 wins, but they also helped their proud club get in the winners circle with their nail-biting three set SUPER TIE-BREAKER win!
LaTuchie @ Mentor - 3-2
Enjoying the obvious ride one gets from an early start, LaTuchie came out of the gates at Mentor with all their 3.0 balls a rollin'! WHICH IS A LOT OF BALLS! Ronald and free agent signing D.Reddy got the winning balls rolling with some solid singles play, with Ronald enjoying his fourth career singles victory while the former Barrington Club man D.Reddy took home his first EVER 3.0 singles win! Mentor, though, in their comeback season, wasn't about to roll over, and looked to continue to home-cooking winning-ways that every club so far had enjoyed, and boy howdy, did they ever as #2 and #3 doubles tandems Shane and Anthony and Mark - all 3.0 rookies, by the way - joined forces with doubles specialist Mike to get their beloved club back in the match, earning well-earned and hard-fought victories! Thus, it all came down to #1 doubles, where Captain John of Mentor put himself on the line as he and doubles specialist John would tag-team against LaTuchie's leader, Captain Jeff, and one of the hottest players in the league, big-hitting Scott. Scott, wanting to show the assembled crowds (we're sure there were SEVERAL PEOPLE in attendance), he wasn't a one-trick-3.0-singles-pony, joined with doubles veteran Jeff to not only earn his second win on the season, but more importantly to put his team in the Flight 2 drivers seat with their second team win of the season!
Flight 3 Recaps
Towpath, one of the top teams in the history of 3.0 play, headed to Paramount Westlake and left with a tight 3-2 team victory. Legendary Captain Frank led his 3.0 troops, taking the #1 singles courts, taking on one of the top singles players in the Flight in John, and in a back and forth three-setter that wouldn't be decided until the third set SUPER TIE-BREAKER, Frank emerged victorious, getting him even closer to career 3.0 win #70! In #2 singles, two rookies earned their first ever 3.0 appearance with Paramount rookie Ryan enjoying his first ever 3.0 win! Tied up at 1-1, the match would be decided on the doubles courts, and if anyone knows anything about Towpath - and of course they do! - it's that their strength is as a team. Especially as a doubles team! And with stalwarts John (with over 60 career doubles wins!) and Jeff (over 20 career doubles matches!) in the lead, Towpath was in no doubt in good shape! And while super close SUPER TIE-BREAK matches followed, Towpath won the day, though Paramount showed, by pushing one of the favorites in FLIGHT #3 to the brink, that they're making a run for Flight #3 glory as well!
With the return of legendary Bay captain Captain Mark back at the Bay 3.0 helm, everyone in the know - EVERYONE! - knew that Bay would be back in good hands for the 2021 season, and what a good hand they started with as they travelled all the way to Akron to enjoy their opening team win of the season! Fellow rookies, Bay's Dietrich and SAC's Earl, battled it out in a tough opening match as both showed they've got the 3.0 moxy to move up the 3.0 leaderboard this season as both earned their first ever 3.0 appearances! Dietrich came out with his first ever 3.0 win while fellow rookie Nathan did the same in #2 singles, giving Bay a commanding 2-0 lead in the best of five team match! SAC Captain David worked with veteran Greg to stop the Bay momentum by winning #1 doubles which meant the ball was - quite literally - in Captain Mark's court. Captain Mark, the all-time winningest Bay 3.0 captain of all-time, taught rookie Greg the 3.0 ropes as they came back from an 0-6 first set to push the match to the deciding SUPER TIE-BREAK! Captain Mark's experience, talent, and experience (double experience!) proved the difference, and with his first individual win in over three years after a long hiatus to restore his 3.0 energy, Captain Mark not only helped rookie Greg win his first ever match, but helped his team seal the deal and take the team win as well! Captain Mark also showed his leadership skills as he teamed his two Avon Oaks free agents, Ted and Mike, together in #3 doubles, and the move paid off as both enjoyed their first wins of the 2021 season as well!
40+
Flight Standings
LaTuchie 1-0
CVAC 1-0
Wembley 1-0
P.Westlake 1-0
P.Medina 0-1
Bay 0-1
NCRC 0-1
Towpath 0-1
Force 0-0
In the much anticipated Battle of the Paramount, the northern Paramount emerged victorious versus their southern brothers in a closely contested match that was surely an emotional tug-of-war between these related sides. Legendary 3.0er Captain Robert took center stage, looking to inch closer to career victory #80, but standing across from him was 2019 Paramount Winter Championships finalist Patrick, who's big serves and big net game and overall big'ness won the day and proved that he's a 3.0er to watch this season! Matthew, though, evened up the match in a very close contest versus a rookie who will surely make more 3.0 noise this season, Alfred. Thus, doubles would prove the deciding factor, with John and Richard initially giving Medina the lead before one of the best tag-teams of 2020, Debabrata and Ben, once again evened up the match in a three set SUPER TIE-BREAK nail biter! Thus, just like the Tennis Gods of Yore decreed, the entire match would come down to #3 doubles, and with 3.0 veteran Robert leading the way, Westlake knew they were in good hands. AND GOOD HANDS THEY WERE! (seriously, Robert has some great hands at the net) Leading rookie Sean to his first 3.0 win ever, Robert also helped lead his team to an all important season-opening win, not only helping them stay atop the leaderboard in the Flight, but also giving them Paramount bragging rights for the entire season!
In a battle between an up and coming squad versus a veteran laden squad, it was the raw rookies that won the day! In #1 singles, Scott continued his torrid 3.0 pace, winning his third 3.0 match of the year! Captain Ronald was close behind, getting the win in #2 singles while Jeff and Chris added to their impressive career win total with an impressive #1 doubles win over soon-to-be Hall of 3.0 Famer Ron (seriously, it's just a matter of time, Ron's records are incredible)!
Wembley started their 2021 season with an impressive come-from-behind victory despite losing the first two matches of the day! In singles, NCRC came out firing, as Munir continued his fantastic singles run while rookie Sebastian enjoyed his first ever 3.0 win! Wembley, however, is led by one of the greatest captains in 3.0 history, and with his back against the wall, Captain J.P. was in a tough situation, and came up with a bold, though controversial plan, to get his team back in the match - breaking up the dream team of himself and David! Yes, that's right! Captain J.P. and David, one of the best doubles duos of the past two seasons, split, attempting to divide and conquer. Would it work?! It's Captain J.P., so of course it would! David, with doubles standout Patrick, won #1 doubles while Captain J.P. earned a hard-fought win with rookie David. With the match evened up at 2-2, once again #3 doubles would be the deciding factor (we think ... we weren't there ... and it's possible that #3 doubles didn't finish first, but seeing as ESPN doesn't have 3.0 coverage yet, we're going to assume this is how this went down). Kyle and West Coaster David, bringing in some Bay Area magic, played a completely unknown style of NorCal tennis, no doubt (maybe) throwing their opponents off, giving the Wembley Club an all important opening day win!
In the final match of the evening (or on the posted USTA website schedule), CVAC enjoyed an opening win versus a slightly divided Bay squad. In singles, Captain Erik was forced to put in one-time potential former Bay player Travis who attempted to leave the team for greener tennis pastures, but, after being rejected by the other teams he was trying to join, had returned to the Bay team with his proverbial tail between his tennis legs. Travis, playing #1 singles, and supported by his teammates with classic tennis shouts (like "traitor," "go home," and "we don't need you") did his best versus rookie Matt, but Matt's consistency, fantastic backhand, and well placed head-band was too much to overcome, and after three hours of tennis (mostly because they had to wait 90 minutes before starting), Matt not only enjoyed his first career 3.0 win, but also enjoyed the applause of the crowd (who were mostly Bay players cheering for him rather than Travis). In #2 singles, fellow CVAC rookie Bill fared well versus Captain Erik, also enjoying his first career 3.0 win, while rookie Steve and free agent Mark wrapped up the team victory in #1 doubles. That's not to say Team Bay went down without a fight, as former captain Mike and rookie Dietrich enjoyed wins at #2 doubles while free agent Mike was shown the way be legendary 3.0er Don "Two to Deuce" McLeroy at #3 doubles!
Summary
WHOA! A few things stood out on this amazing week of 3.0 tennis! One, LaTuchie's Scott is en fuego, as the tennis experts say, and has started 3-0 in all matches! Two, LaTuchie as a club is on fire, as the tennis experts say, and is 3-0 combined in all Flights! Three, home cooking is the deal, as home clubs went 9-4 on the week, with the 40+ Flight showing just how important lack of travel is (as they are super duper old) as home clubs went a perfect 4-0! Four, writing recaps for 13 matches is pretty much impossible, and let's be honest, these recaps were never that good to begin with. Five, congrats to Force for having multiple byes in the first week! And finally, six, congrats to Western Reserve's Ovidiu and Kurt for being D.F.O. Players of the Week, as they not only won their match but did so without dropping a single set, game, or point! Congrats, gentlemen!
Correction. I was fully spectacled. The contacts did not work out well for me in warming up. - Captain Benjamin