Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Men's Sectionals is Done and Dallas had a Rough Year!


If you ask players from any city in the state which cities are the power cities, you will hear Dallas and Houston.  Austin and San Antonio are usually the next tier but the road to Nationals nearly always goes through either Houston or Dallas.  Yet, we don't have much to show this year.

Before I get to our shortcomings, I must give out the bright spot first.  Bartzen's 5.0+ 18s T-Bar team did win Sectionals and is headed out to Mobile, Alabama for Nationals this weekend.  It is their duty to represent Dallas with pride.  They are in a flight with the Caribbean, SoCal and Eastern.  I like their team to do well but SoCal is always tough at 5.0+.  Fortunately, it is not in California or Arizona so it is possible some of those usual SoCal former D-1 players won't make the trip.  Also, I notice SoCal only has a single 5.5 listed on the roster.  Good luck guys as I will be following closely.  This should be some fine tennis.

Now my finger wagging begins...

This is a strange year and everything was there for the taking.  Freeman's usual mighty Houston teams were Missing in Action so the usual roadblock wasn't there.  I am unsure why we didn't break through.

In 4.5 18s, we were represented by Rossouw and Reiman.  We knew SETX would be strong but they had depth issues.  Rossouw had the bad fortune of drawing them on Friday when they were still fairly fresh.  It happens but when you sweep singles, you must believe you can find a doubles line.  It appears Rossouw outthought himself and tried to go 3-2-1 in singles and probably wins if he goes straight up.  

Reiman (Wild Dallas) did make the finals.  That is a good year but second is still the 'first loser' and is probably a bigger punch to the gut than eliminated on Friday of flight play.  Nevertheless, they were one line away (even one tiebrak if Foster can pull it off) from a trip to Palm Springs and a chance to compete.  Yet, there are more lineup decisions I am curous about.

Now this weekend, we go to San Antonio with Rossouw and Sweeney taking their shots at making it in 40s.  After all, pretty much the same team that was close to beating SETX was about to take on a bunch of 40 year olds, except it wasn't as the better team somehow finished behind the worse Rossouw team.  We should have a chance.  Once again, it played out pretty similar to 18s.

Rossouw and Co. started with Abilene and lost 3-2.  When I look at the lineups, it is clear Rossouw did not have his best available.  I am nt even sure why this was the Rossouw team that snuck in with the Wild Card.  The other team was much better.  I do not fault Rossouw as he clearly had a thin bench but the other team should have finished no worse than second.

Sweeney is similar to Reiman except I cannot fault his finals lineup.  He played Feldman and Todd is a solid 4.5 but he is no match for the ageless wonder Juan DeKruyff.  I am sure some numbnuts will say if he only had Kelly but I have news, Kelly's chances are no better against DeKruyff.  Most of us have to pay good money to get a lesson from someone like DeKruyff and Todd got a 30 minute lesson for free.  Sweeney was down 1-0 before it started and this is not really a knock on Feldman; there is always someone better.  On the flipside, Sweeney used his 5.0s to crush Austin's 1 Dubs line.  At line 2 singles, Moore defeated Sevin... but not really as Sevin walked off the court with a lead after Austin gets three lines.  The other matches were not really close.

I guess what I am trying to say is:  I guess someone may actually be able to beat our 4.5s 17 times in a row.  With 18s and 40s (and wildcards), it doesn't take as many years as it once did.



At 4.0, I am not going to be quite as hard on them as Dallas won a National Championship in both 18s and 40s as the troops should be depleted.  With Move Up/Split Up, most of last years guys were moved up and the few who were not, were 1) not deemed good enough to move up and 2) just not enough players to make a difference.

With that said, at 18s, there was a new Sheriff in town that told everyone he was here to kick ass and chew bubble gum and he was all out of bubble gum.  From all accounts, he had the best team but still failed to win his flight, cities and sectionals (as some anon in the previous thread so eloquently put it).  Kanchi's team had clearly never faced any adversity and when they did their character was revealed.by losing three third set tiebreaks  so they were very close.  Only one line has to show up for 10 points.

Sisk's Dallas champions team went an underwhelming 2-2 at sectionals.  They did lose to the ultimate Sectionals champs of NOHO right out of the gate.  Yet, when one looks at that NOHO team, they are largely the same group of 55+ guys that have been eliminated in flight play for a very long time.  They are not bad but I have no reason to think they will defend the 4.0 titles for Texas.

Now to 40s, Dallas had Clark's defending Nationals Champions and as I predicted last week, I saw San Antonio winning this.  I must have a little Nostradamus in me as that is exactly what happened.  They were close but they got swept in singles.  It looks like it came down to a match tiebreak at 1 singles or 3 doubles.  Someone has to win a third set tiebreak and San Antonio did while Dallas went 0-2.  San Antonio beat down the Dallas Line 2 singles and Dallas Line 1&2 doubles beat down San Antonio's lines.  You cannot get swept in singles... I need to repeat that and scream so it will sink in...  YOU CANNOT GET SWEPT IN SINGLES!

Dallas gets shut out in these levels in a year that Freeman was nowhere to be found.  This is problematic but there is a ray of hope for 4.0 in that Move Up/Split Up will not affect you and from some appearances there is a Move Down movement going on.
As for 4.5, it is time for Rossouw & Reiman to join and drop about 45 players from your cumulative rosters.  Get the best of what you have ad pick up 4 or 5 ringers.  2 of those need to be singles ringers.

27 comments:

  1. Murray must have been left out of the lineup.

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    1. Neither one of the 4.5 team had ringers, thus no national advancement for Dallas 4.5's since 2010 ( ironically same year Kelley took 4.5 serious).... Hmmmmm. Coincidence I guess.

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  2. Pretty poor analysis of what happened at 4.5 last weekend. Rossouw's best team came from Fort Worth and lost 3-2 to Sweeney with 2 losses in 3rd set breakers. Some of those players overlapped the Dallas Rossouw team that did not earn the wildcard.

    In the finals, Sweeney lost line 2 doubles 4 & 5 which, by pretty much by any definition, is close.

    Sweeney and Rossouw (FW) represented well last weekend and either potentially could have pulled it out. Not sure why some are so focused on nationals....what does it mean if you pick up "ringers" just so you can advance? It's true that the way the Texas section is now, that if you do things the right way you're fighting an uphill battle - but isn't the challenge what makes it worth doing? If getting to nationals any way possible was the objective it would be easier to just tank down to 4.0.

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    1. You're not going to win at 4.0 either.

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    2. As a 4.0 player that has been to nationals I can tell you that the 4.5 players on those teams are a good deal better and would easily win at 4.0. If they tank down to 4.0, I'm going to tank down to 3.5.

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    3. Pretty sure this is about Dallas having a bad year and not Fort Worth. We are use to FW sucking. Marc, we know you hate pretty much everyone everywhere and can't stop it.

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    4. The Russo team could tank to 4,0 and still lose. I agree w everything except one. I can promise you Kelley would win more than ZERO games against Dkruff. As a matter of fact if nationals was on the line that match would be tight. Not saying Kelley wins but he fares better than Foldman

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    5. Absurd on both points. Kelly tanked down to hide from players like DeKruyff. Rossouw came 1 of 2 breakers away from 4.5 sectional finals, to think they wouldn't dominate 4.0 is naive.

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    6. yes, we were a tie breaker away from being a line away from finishing second in our flight to the team that finished third but could have won if that one guy was healthy. all I heard was you lost. again.

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    7. Sweeney's team - 2 doubles lost a close one and Moore was up 4-0 in the 2nd when Sevin walked off. I am not sure how this is considered a great failure, but y'all have your own opinion.

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    8. If you look at the results from last weekend and argue that Rossouw's team wouldn't dominate 4.0 you're obviously bitter towards him for some reason. Since he doesn't read this blog any longer it might be time for you to move on.

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  3. It is very simple. If you put all the ringers on one team, then complaints about tanking or actual tanking. If you play it straight up, then you will lose to other tanking section at sectionals. You cant have it both ways.

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    1. 4.0 much worse than 4.5. 18s worse than 40s. Last weekend demonstrated it's possible to maintain some level of integrity and compete at 4.5+ 40s.

      Mixed 7.0 and 8.0, however, are hopeless. Tankers will always dominate when results don't count toward ratings.

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  4. They need to count mixed as much as men's and ladies.

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  5. Screw the USTA and DTA. Let's just form our own leagues. Everyone man up and play your true level. Then we can have playoffs locally. No driving to San Antonio...7 am matches....more having fun and drinking a few beers and less bullshit and cheating. We'll have a he'll of alot more dough and time and at the end of the day you'll feel better about yourself and save all that wasted tanking time. Who is in? Participation trophies are extra!

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    1. But you can drink more in sectionals and nationals.

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  6. Nationals is a waste of money and time. How do you think Kelleys kids feel after spending probably $50,000 going to nationals and sectionals last 10-15 years? "Sorry kids but no college for you as Daddy has spent your inheritance tanking!"

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  7. LMAO,,,, LMAO.. Lol

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  8. Kelly has plenty of money.
    Kids are well taking care of..

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  9. CAN WE TALK COMBO?? SISK HAS BEEN THE MAN!

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  10. Yes, Sisk will take the Triple Baconator EXTRA LARGE COMBO please, and trust me, he's not sharing.

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  11. In 3.5 world (not that anyone cares here) Keith is taking both 18 and 40 teams to Nationals.. I am sure he is going to bring back Gold..

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  12. KELLY WILL DOMINATE COMBO LIKE NEVER BEFORE

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    1. He can't dominate any more than he has. He has never lost a combo match

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  13. Pretty terrible analysis on the 40s 4.5 weekend. The finals match was close and if Austin doesn't win Line 2 dubs it comes down to Sevin and Moore in a 3rd set buster. This from an Austin player at the match. Very strong Dallas team that was very close to winning the match. Smart move by their captain putting Feldman at Line 1 singles. Who was going to beat Juan at line 1 singles? Who cares what the score was? Throw the line away and strengthen other areas.

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  14. Silly move. TODD Foldman has no shot anyway

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    1. stupid, no one on the Dallas Team had a shot at beating J.D.

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