Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Fall Week 1 in the books, Sorta

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The always much anticipated and all important fall season is under way.  Most teams played and most teams finished.  I never made a fall preview due to work and time constraints.  While this won't be heavy on analysis, I'll try to combine a week 1 wrap with a little preview.

4.5

Flight A
There are three flights with Flight A looking really tough.  T-Bar looks decent but takes a step back.  Rossouw has one of his rosters here Looks like Marc has added some pieces.  Tristan Stitt is the last guy on the roster.  I don't know him but I know his dad and if the apple doesn't fall far from the tree I think he will be good.  Marc added a few other quality parts.  Lakes has their usual group of good players.  I take Marc's Greehill crew to take this going away.

With week 1 in the books, Marc routed Fretz/Noel.  The competition gets tougher but I am sure Marc will put out a better lineup too.  Lakes defeated a good Oak Creek team 3-2.  Oak Creek would make the payoffs in a different flight.  T-Bar defeated a very 4.0 heavy Village team 4-1.

In the end, this is between Lakes and Greenhill with Greenhill having too much firepower.

Flight B
Marc has another good team in this flight.  This is definitely his B-Team but it has a very good chance to win the flight.  It has very good players like Fleming, Baker and Durten.  

The flight has Brookhaven/Harllee and his core group of solid geezers.  It also has Oak Creek Hegret with another group of experienced guys.  Gleneagles is probably the next team in this tough flight.

In week 1, Harllee's guys beat Gleneagles 4-1 and that is a good win to start.  Marc's team wins over cellar dweller LB Houston.  Oak Creek wins 3-2 over Royal Oaks but this Royal Oaks team does not have the depth and star power that they are accustomed at their disposal.  

In the end, Marc will send two teams to city championships...  Impressive, I guess that is what his plans were with those mega rosters.  These rosters are far more manageable.

Flight C
This is easily the weakest flight.  It does have JC/Reiman and I would think they are the favorite to win.  They beat Greenhill/Tucker in week 1 4-1.  That was closer than I would think as Jacob Vedane lost and Reiman/Hong went three as well as Reisteiner/Hunt.

Village/Warren has some great talent but 9 guy rosters are problematic.  Eventually a default or injury wil sink that.  It is early, I think Jason can get a few more bodies...  Just hope they are more than warm bodies.

I like JCC to take this flight.

4.0
I really hate to do 4.0 talk.  There are so many teams and 3 flights is a pain.  4.0 has 4 and I am already tired of looking through 4.5 but I know this is the level that gets the most interest.

The first thing I notice is how Sisk and High Point are intermingled on rosters.  Tony Le, De La Paz (Sisk B Team... Really????), Somabut are on Sisk rosters.  I am not sure what to read into that but I am sure the fearless anon posters will have some theories.

Flight A
This appears to be Canyon Creek's to lose.  While Canyon Creek has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory a number of times, I don't see how in this flight.  They did start with a 4-1 over Garland 2/Sisk (B Team).  De La Paz lost and Bob Somabut won.  Canyon Creek swept doubles.

There is nobody else in this flight worth mentioning.  It is a sad state when I find it more intriguing the players on the bad team winning and losing is more interesting than even mentioning the winning team.

Flight B
Garland 1/Sisk won 4-1 against Oak Creek/Some long name...  Like De La Paz, I see Tony Le is still struggling with his game.  Shame that De La Paz's game has fallen so far that he can't make Sisk's A Team.

Fretz Noel is my pick to win this flight.  This is a two team flight between Sisk and Noel.  There are a few bump downs that look like very solid 4.0s on the Fretz team.  They have McKinney and Phelps and others that have done well at in the past.

Flight C
In Flight C, I will go with McKinney/Peterson over Fretz/Clark because the Fretz roster looks a little different than the spring roster.  Peterson appears to have kept his roster intact.  Could go either way.

Flight D
This is another flight where you scratch your head because there is no good team or even makings of a good team.  I will go with Fretz/Narayam because I recognize the name and they won in week 1.  After that, it looks like a really weak fight.  

If anyone ever notices, my analysis gets worse by flight.  The truth is I get bored and tired.  The pay should make it worthwhile...

Have fun and talk a little trash.


47 comments:

  1. Thank you for the preview.

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  2. Tristan Stitt and dad won the national tournament for father and son and he is a three star recruit. That sounds a little better than 4.5. Our very own Dallas tennis conscience is not so high and mighty when it is his own team.

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    Replies
    1. Totally unbelievable. Russo would never allow questionable players on his roster.

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  3. ??? Isn't the computer suppose to self rate these guys at 5.0 plus?

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  4. Isn't it against the rules for any current super-champ players -- especially those on state-championship squads like Tristan is on Highland Park -- to play leagues while still in high school? Oh wait a second -- TBM teams think they're exceptions to any rules, right?

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    1. The rule makes sense but I am not positive. It looks like Mr. Clean is playing in the mud.

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  5. If you played super champs and won state arent you self rated a 5.0?

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  6. Tristan was nationally ranked, Mr. clean. Now captains are going to go hang out with high school kids so they can play mens USTA. Get a life!

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  7. Mr. Clean may be right but if someone else did this he would be the first to complain. Anyone else think the kid will manage his scores?

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  8. Mr. Clean is an awesome name. Does anyone else think Rossouw should start going by that?

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    Replies
    1. A nationally ranked junior? Then he can be DQ'd. And surely Captain Clean wouldn't allow players to manipulate score just to get a favorable computer rating.

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    2. He will never allow another team's player to get away with that.

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  9. I looked at this and it says former junior under 35 that a player with a former sectional or national ranking must self rate at 5.0. I guess he isn't a 'former' junior. If he had a Texas ranking... then that is a section ranking.

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  10. Mr. Clean is hilarious. Do you think he would shave his head?

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    1. Not far from it now. It could be a little wider. He doesn't have the Don Rickles head width. He is more like Bert from Sesame Street. Just shave that little tuft.

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  11. Russo and partner definitely managed their scores against a couple 40s. Looks like he finally succumbed to the temptation to cheat.

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  12. Ok tennis bloggers, let me hear from you! Who gets your vote for biggest tankers of the week??? Mike Kelly lost a meaningless match, so surprise there, who else?

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    1. Tony Le must be trying to get to 3.5 not 4.0

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    2. That was a hard fought, 3 set win. Kelly gave it his all but came up short. Love it when he gets beat!

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    3. Who says that was meaningless ? To his opponent that was the Super Bowl!!! That win will go a long way toward building confidence for his victor. And hopefully Kelley will realize 4.5 not as easy as he thinks. Great win CC!!!!

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    4. It was a surprise to everyone but Canyon Creek. Blake is a great player. Jellyfish Mike and Sisk will start taking Canyon Creek more serious.

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    5. Pretty sure they will be more effective in the spring.

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    6. CC always excels in the fall

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    7. Yes, cc and everyone on the planet knew the outcome before it started. Blake def the better player.

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  13. Congrats to Blake, after being down 2-6, 0-4 he found his game. That was a great turnaround. Kelly ran out of gas!!!!! Out of shape!!!

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  14. sounds like Kelly deceided to tank the match to me to be honest... and i dont like the guy

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  15. Kelly was a class act in defeat. Very emotional day at the creek. Tears and beers were flowing.

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  16. With so much on the line how could it not be emotional

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  17. Long live King Kelly. The rest of us are just making cameo appearances (and darn lucky to be doing so) in his ascension to league tennis royalty.

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  18. He most definitely is at the top of Dallas tennis and has been for years. Let's see how this decade plays out. Doesn't look to be aging on his ability at 50.

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    Replies
    1. Enjoy it while you can. In four more years he'll have another league to beat you in.

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  19. Some questionable results on Fretz/Clark 4.0 last week also. Not to mention Benders 3.0 team has started the season with two 1-4 losses. What is Bender trying to do win nationals at 2.5?

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  20. Tri-level teams are set now. Not a lot of teams but a couple are pretty good.

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    Replies
    1. When did participation fall off? No one care anyore?

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    2. I remember when they had wait lists for tri-level. Now it is just mostly spares.

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  21. Alzuro has scared everyone off

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    1. Don't you mean pissed everyone off?

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  22. Fort Worth has no one even signed up for tri-level

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  23. Jeeze - Just pulled up the Tri-level rosters and see Picket gave up control to Sisk. Looks like Sisk had to have his B team go out and start teams of their own so his A team has someone to play. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been a tournament in Dallas.

    Look at it --- Since when has Jerry Defeo and Michael Minter (both Sisk's boys) captain a team??? Somabut & Co. aka Keith Robinson has a team for fun - (although looks like they took Gardner at 3.5 after he donated a few of his own players to Sisk). Oh, and how could I forget Alzuro....Tri-Level Cannon fodder.

    The team is listed as John Sisk but we have Vince Kingsley listed as captain. Keith Clark is on the team, so if Sisk has any brains, he is letting Clark orchestrate things. 4.5s have the Egomaniac that posts more about himself than Kim Kardashian, coupled with a Brookhaven Harlee guy and Vassberg who Sisk befriended back after losing to him in Combo years back. 4.0s are Clark's with a few ringers from Oak Creek and Gleneagles whom must have impressed him during regular season. 3.5s are Benders and Ed Gardner's crew (yet they didn't have room for Ed so put him on Robinson's team).

    The Collusion that must have been involved to form this team, much less this whole flight of teams at Big Boy Tri is a bit sickening if you ask me. Will be interesting to see how the 50+ 4.5s hang with Freeman's team at Sectionals.

    Dallas better hope they move the tournament here in Feb. Otherwise, a useless trip down to the armpit of Texas.

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    1. Not sure I follow all of that but at least one person seems to care

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    2. Now that is blogging!!!

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    3. Looks like the work of captain fantastic to me.

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  24. We could bring back combo. That really stirred the emotions. Or mixed, nothing gets the posts flowing like mixed.

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