So only two days till the Cotton Bowl starts. I don't play on Friday so three days for me but here are some interesting early matchups. Let me know if you see some others.
Singles
3.5
2nd round-- Robert Wisdom v. David Prather
4.0
1st round-- Kelsey v. Kraemer
2nd round--Buford v. T Nguyen, Dutchover v. Russell, Mcintosh v. Marcus
4.5
Favs to win: JD Miles, Warren and Griggs, anyone else who can beat these three???
Doubles
3.5
2nd round--Bostick/Muniz v. Leclair/Nichols
4.0
1st round--Kelsey/Marcus v. Kraemer/Ludwig
2nd round--Dutchover/Nguyen v. Helterbrann/Mattes
I like Kelsey alot in the singles draw and Kraemer should be a good warm up for him but John will hang tight for at least a set.
ReplyDeleteI have an eerie feeling about the doubles match though. I know Ludwig can handle their pace and Kraemer should be better off after seeing Jeromi once. This could go 3 sets.
What is up with your man crush on Kelsey?
ReplyDeleteHe has not proved anything, but that he can beat up on a bunch of 3.5 players on Sunday morning,
He maybe a 3.5 ringer, but he has to establish a track record against players of equal level before I give him any props.
I wish the best for Jeromiiiii,
But this is his first USTA tournament, If you want to go deep, it's a long weekend, you don't come out of the gate grabbing trophies,
I predict that he will not make it to Sunday,
My Prediction Scott Russell or John Blackwell
Also,
ReplyDeleteI think Ken E. Rutledge can take out Jonathan Marcus
Whoa. Marc, let's back up a little bit. You better think twice about that prediction. I've played Ken before in the Oak Creek 4.0 League. One that I finished in first place, blasting thru a couple of people who are on your team. Only losing one match in a three setter. My score against Ken was 6-1, 6-1.
ReplyDeleteOn any given day, I'm always beatable, but......I just don't see it.
yep I was assuming Jonathan would be in the 2nd round, don't see Rutledge doing damage.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Kelsey if the draw was tougher I wouldn't be as tough but looking at this draw you or I could make it to the 3rd round. I am not sure if he can win the weekend but I think he will at least get to the quarters or semis. Russell is good but beatable and I have never seen Blackwell play but I don't see many impressive wins on his past record.
I'm not making any promises, But ken has improved a lot in the last 12 months, and has a really good fitness level,
ReplyDeleteI don't think he will go far, But he has been working hard and i think he has upset potential.
i don't think there are any 4.0 tournament winners in the draw,
ReplyDeleteI think most who actually has a 4.0 tournament win last year, has been bumped to 4.5
In that aspect it wide open,
There are a number of 3.5>4.0 players in the draw, I am interested to see how they fair against legit 4.0's
I think a real 3.5 singles player has a identifiable and attackable weakness,
A real 4.0 singles player should have no glaring weakness (IE backhand, can't volley). but may not have a weapon to end points,
4.5 - 5.0 singles should have all the shots and ability for putaways, and then different levels of fitness come into play, Open kiss your ass good-bye if your nor a div I or II college player,.
I sent the paper work in this morning to have my name changed to add 4 more 'i' to the end of it. I should know in 4 to 6 weeks if it will go through.
ReplyDeleteAs for this weekend, my goal is to be playing Monday in both singles and doubles. Whether that is going to happen or not we will find out later. I'm just hoping to have fun and get in a lot of tennis.
Marc,
ReplyDeleteYou talk a lot of trash, for someone who has NEVER entered a 4.0tournament that I know of. My backhand is not that weak, just compared to my forehand it comes across as a point of attack. When you look at my 4.0 League won-loss record compared to yours, you see that I have had way more success.
Everybody that I play and I mean EVERYBODY tells me that I am easily a top 50 4.0 player.
There's a reason why I play in the singles draw on a 4.0 team, because I win my matches. Some people look at my 3.5 record and get deceived. Almost 2/3 of those losses credited to me are matches that I did not show up for. I always put my family obligations first and foremost, and when a situation arises, I choose family over a tennis tournament. There are probably no more than 7-8 losses, maximum.
Think about it Marc, you lost to Larry Reitzer, a person I beat
6-0, 6-0, and he is now rated
4.0. And the only reason the score was so one sided, is because he made a few comments to me prior to the match that irritated me, and my motivation got bigger and bigger. I tried to pay him a compliment about something, and he blew me off..........
You're right, maybe Ken has improved to the point where he can take me out, I guess I'll find out tomorrow evening.
uh... oh my. I go to lunch and kaboom.
ReplyDeleteReitzer v. Marcus, maybe you all can meet up in this draw, I would pay a $1 to watch that sounds like a nasty match could ensue.
I think Marc is just stating some thoughts and has never said he can step out and beat people although Marc is not that far off from being a good 4.0 player.
I agree about draw at 4.0 there is no former winners so I think there are many players who could win including the man with 5 "i"'s in his name.
I agree a top 4.0 shouldn't have a glaring weakness although a big strength can mask a slight weakness.
I have seen plenty of guys with big forehands who don't have to use their backhands because they set up the point well are able to utilize their strength and depend on playing defense with their weakness.
I had no idea that Jonathannnnnn was so sensitive,
ReplyDeleteAs much as you talk on court I thought you could handle a little open discussion on your draw,
All admit I may be playing devils advocate here to simulate some discussion, lately Cary seems to have this Lovefest type atmosphere with all his hitting buddies,
I don't need to defend my record, Especially because since I did not bring it up,
We all have lost matches we should not have and our reason are our own, I don't make excuses
how dare you call me nice. i have never been so insulted.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that is why I don't play tourneys because it doesn't have that heightened intensity that team tennis has. I am excited to play this weekend but not near as hyped as I would be if this were opening weekend of the Spring season.
My only rooting interest is for Dallas to win as many events as possible, we don't need any FTW or Houston players coming here and winning at the big Dallas tourney.
"didn't know Jonathan was sensitive"
Oh you should have known better than that Jonathan definitely has "many" thoughts on his matches but for all the talk he has he does have some impressive results recently, save for the beating he took from Joel and I.
I think I'll be At Las Colinas County Club on Saturday checking out the action if anybody wants to have a fist fight.
ReplyDeleteOK
As far as the 3.5 Draw for Cotton Bowl it is pretty easy.
ReplyDeleteClyde Parker is going to do what he does and frustrate opponnents until the give up. Smart player
Delira is going to make it to the semis. He should be tired by then but he should beat up on Flores pretty good. You just never know which Flores is going to show up. Flores won a couple of tournaments with very very weak draws.
The Prather vs Aranda is the one I am looking forward to. Prather is beat Wisdom 6-3, 6-4. Wisdoms knees are shot.
Finally, you have Molina vs Getz which should be interesting. This is probably the easier quarter of the draw so both these players should be pretty fresh.
But you never know there is always a League player hidding in the draw or an up and coming player without a record.
These are my two cents.
I predict a Molina vs Delira final
The 4.0 draw is pretty tricky.
ReplyDeleteJeromi C. Kelsey got a bad draw with two pretty good players back to back. He has a good game but does he have the endurance. Kramer is going to keep him out there and so is Blackwell since neither has a put away shot and if Jeromiiii tries for too much his errors will significantly increase and might cost him the match.
Trevino vs Russell should be a very good match. Trevino should win in the third set. Trevino was the king of the 3.5s last year.
The bottom half of the draw has a bunch of 3.5s that recently moved up to 4.0. Very interesting to watch and see what happens. I can't wait. Interested in seeing how Marcus, Robert J. Foster, etc... The bottom half of the draw is the weaker half.
My prediction is a Trevino vs Walker final with Trevino winning.
Good luck to all playing the Cotton Bowl. The key to winning a tournament is having a good draw (50%), finishing the matchs quickly (20%), playing good tennis (30%), and having your body recover for the next day (30%) I think this is more than 100% but I stand behind my percentages.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time to everyone.
I think one of the best first round singles matches to watch will be Ismael Dutchover vs Casey Edwards.
ReplyDeleteLuckily for me, I play my two pretty hard matches on different days. I'll have almost a 18 hour break between matches. That and I prefer to play in the afternoon. I'm not a morning person at all. Win or lose this tournament is still going to be a fun local way to find out what I need to work on to get ready for a ranking.
ReplyDeleteThe 4.0 draw is tricky. But there are people who have won tournaments this year playing. Russell won the Denise Terrill 4.0 this year, and that was a pretty big draw. The guys from Houston, even though they played 3.5, won a ton of tournament this year, so they, I'm sure, are mentally and physically able. Blackwell, Trevino and Walker are all good enough. The top half looks the toughest on paper. No one is really talking about Somabut in the bottom half. He can beat anyone on a good day. A Somabut/Walker semi doesn't look out of the question to me. Don't forget Buford who plays out of Brookhaven. He'll have a home court advantage. Should be good stuff. Good luck to all!
ReplyDeleteHere are my predictions for 4.0
ReplyDelete4.0 Dubs:
Semis - Nguyen/Newman vs Stevens/Nishizaki
Helterbrans/Mattes vs Kelsey/Marcus
Finals - Nguyen/Newman vs Helterbran/Mattes
Champion - Nguyen/Newman
4.0 Singles:
Semis - Buford vs Madison
Newman vs B. Walker
Finals - Newman vs Buford
Champion - Buford
Matches that interest me are
Newman vs Somabut
Buford vs Shapaka
Dubs -
Nguyen/Newman vs Helterbran/Mattes will be a fun one to watch if they both make it to the finals.
Interesting predictions ….
ReplyDeleteIn regards to Don Buford winning the 4.0 singles division, I don’t think so. Don will not make it pass the second round. Tuyen will beat Don. I have played both of them and have watched both of them play several matches over the last year. Tuyen has an edge over Don.
4.5 Predictions -
ReplyDeleteJD Miles will have his hands full with his first match against Rocky. Rocky and JD had a good match in league play and JD won in the super tie-breaker. I think JD will win, but it will be a close one. The winner of the Miles/Griggs match will take the hardware home.
4.5 Dubs-
The winner of the Renwick/Rubel vs Cormier/Ledezma should take the trophy. I like Renwick/Rubel.
John,
ReplyDeleteGoing by Buford's league record, he has beat some high profile players in 4.0(Endress 2-2, Tran super tie-breaker).
I trust your judgement, so I'm going to change my prediction to Newman winning the whole thing. hahaha
I'm just trying to pick some under-dawgs to win.
I think that Cormier/Ladezma could be a pretty tough team to beat. I will probably try to go watch at least one of their matches.
ReplyDeleteyep Buford is a tough one but he has great fitness although that backhand needs some work and his net skills aren't the greatest but I think he should handle Nguyen. I hope to catch that match. I actually think the 4.0 draw is very interesting since there is no clear cut fav then there should be some great matches which in the end might favor someone with great fitness like a Dutchover or Buford.
ReplyDeletePossible 4.0 underdogs: JC Tatro and Lynn Khaning
ReplyDeleteHey guys. Good site here.
ReplyDeleteI'm not playing Cotton Bowl but would like to get some tennis in next week. I'm a 4.5 that has a hard time finding people to play (just a few months back from a looong layoff).
Work in Dallas, live in mid-cities. Anyone out there want to play?
Vik
Vic,
ReplyDeleteI'll play sometime. Give me a shout on my email.
Jeromi_k@hotmail.com
I'm not a 4.5 but I can get the ball back over the net on occasion.
Woo hoo! I won my first match. Look out John Blackwell!
ReplyDeletenice job. Good luck against Blackwell
ReplyDeleteouch 3 and 1, nice match.
ReplyDeleteI just saw Dutchover got knocked out in the first round. Ouch!!!
And Jonathan squeaked by Rutledge in two close sets.
I was almost right in my Jonathan upset prediction,
ReplyDeleteMaybe if I did not give Jon the heads-up Ken could have took him by surprise,
Houston - Quite a few Houston Losses,
It's a long ride home, maybe they can recoup in doubles.
I met JC earlier and he seems like a nice guy, but I didn't get to see him play. Jonathan's match was a close one. Another close loss was Sumabut's.
ReplyDeleteIt was a tough and very, very long match. It went 2 hours and a half. Started at 6:30, didn't end until 9:00pm.
ReplyDeleteKen played well, but my fitness and rustiness was obvious. I never could get my big shot to fall the way I normally do.
Also, humility is something I need to work on and checking my ego at the door.
Speaking from experience from someone who has played Don. The only type of player that can have true success against him is someone who is a serve and volleyer.
I'm looking forward to playing Scott tomorrow, and hopefully, I'll put together a better and more consistent showing than I did this evening.
Congrats Jeromi, you beat a very good player. The word that I am hearing about Blackwell, is that attack and attack and attack his backhand. Attack it, come on it, and you should have a successful outing. I got this info from a man named Forest Feuille, who has played him and beat him at the Southlake 4.0 Tournament. I personally would like Forest as a favorite in the 4.0 draw.
He looked very good in dismantling his opponent this evening.
Jeromi you played very well last night. Good luck against Blackwell!
ReplyDeleteJeromiiiiii
ReplyDeleteNice win over blackwell,
Sorry i doubed the batman's Conditioning,
Sucks to be the #1 seed, ans stuck in the consolation draw,
If you win the tournament it will definitely cement your 3.5 ringer status, and give the Oak Ridge boys a little bit creditability,
In 3.5, I watched ORB's Prather and Molina a little today, no fireworks there, but looks like they were handling things accordingly.
I got bounced in the 1st round. Anybody have any advice on not sucking after winning the 1st set that seems to be a pattern with me and my matches.
ReplyDeleteBut Steve and Thomas Adams are a good team they will give Nguyen and Newman a good test.
Thanks for the congrats on beating Blackwell.
ReplyDeleteMy next match sucked!!! The guy that I played (Smithheisler) just kept flipping the ball back into the middle of the court and didn't give me anything to work with. It was a super boring match, but I was able to pull myself back together after my first set loss. I'm just glad that no one was there to watch it.
Cary was right. Jonathan and I were no match for our doubles opponents. They played a good solid match and won it pretty convencingly. Oh well. That just means that I can concentrate on my singles tomorrow.
Jeromi-
ReplyDeleteGreat job at the tournament this weekend. You have finally corroborated my story that you are a competitive 4.5 player. Or at least that is what makes me feel better after the butt whipping I received from you a few weeks ago.
It looks like your last match could have gone either way. I know it wasn't the outcome you were looking for but you have much to be proud of.
Anyway now who's ready to play me? I'll take on any of you guys. Let's go I'm ready.
Seriously if anyone wants to play this week my email is Jason@Frasercon.com and I'm looking for some good competition.
Happy New Year guys-
Jason
yep nice showing Jeromi. Lynn is tough, not much to attack on him.
ReplyDeleteJason I am sure Trae would like to play you now that he is finally back on the court.
Overall I am happy with the way that I played this weekend. I played good solid tennis all the way through. There really wasn't a glaring weakness in Lynn's game. I wish that I would have been in a little better shape physically for that match though. My body just finally gave out on me at the end of the first set. I was just lucky enough to have a cushion to fall back on to get through it. I enjoyed myself and I am already looking at couple of tournaments that are going to be going on through February. The CB has also helped me to see some things that I need to work on, and I think that I can do most of it in the living room so I wont have to freeze in the process. I am always looking for hitting partners if anyone is interested.
ReplyDeleteJacques,
Great job this weekend and good luck tomorrow.
Prather, Ed, and Enrique,
I think that I remember seeing that you won your first round matches so congrats.
Jeromi, I saw you play this weekend and some guys told me about you and your game. Congrats on beating Blackwell. I got to see you play while I was playing Lynn. I look foward to playing you next year for the top 10 now that some of the boys have been moved. Playing Lynn has also given me the courage to play some lower 4.5 tourny's. I got the first set of him easily 6-3 just by bringing him up on purpose then passing him. I just lost focus in the 2nd set with the loud people next to us. The 3rd I just sucked and stopped playing to my ability. Anyway good luck to all and have a happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI was going to go watch some doubles finals but have to work a little today. Best of luck to all today.
ReplyDeleteSo Nishaki/Stevens turned out to be the best of the High Point 4.0s and should have a good match v. the Brookhaven team of Helterbrann and Mattes, I have my money and the High Point team.
I know I rarely play in tourneys but I do have to say the few hours I spent at the CB this weekend I love watching all levels and formats going on at the same time. I loved getting to play next to two young kids just blasting away and having some great points.
I hate that I sucked it up this weekend so what is the next big point tourney or good solid 100 pt tourney in the area? I would love to join the 4.0 singles draw.
I would say the Brookhaven Men's Tennis Association Inddor Doubles Championships (February 8th) It's the next "local" tournament. The other tournaments in January are much further away. Also in February, if you are "travel" oriented, there is the SAPTA Open, which is a major zone, but the distance is quite much, and no telling how cold it might be.
ReplyDelete4.0 Doubles: Helterbrann/Mattes take out Nishaki/Steves 6-2, 6-1. Ouch!! so much for my prediction on that one.
ReplyDelete4.0 singles: Forrest Feuille wins 6-3, 6-3 over Khaning.
3.5 singles: Delira wins 6-4, 6-2 over Sewell. Nice win since Sewell had been cruising.
Jeromi, Congrats on a very good showing. Also we were right on our early season ascessment of your strenth in our league. To Jonathan Great prediction in picking 4.0 singles winner.Cograts to delira for winning 3.5 singles.Also to Prather hard fought loss in finals 3.5 doubles. To the anonymous person great predition on 4.5 doubles winner. Also bad report on Robert Wisdom having shot knees.Watched hard fought 3.5 Consi final and Ed Ratcliffe had him running everywear but he showed no sign of bad knees in winning a hard fought match.So congtars to him.
ReplyDeleteORB,
ReplyDeleteThanks. Good luck in the next season and no hard feeling from the last season on this end. You guys should have a pretty good team.
This is great stuff to read from beggining to end. I just found this blog and look foward to sharing info with all you tennis fanatics like myself. Thank you for the kudos from my win at The Cotton Bowl. The more I played the better I felt. Looking forward to playing 4.0 in Abilene Major Zone and running into better players and learning from eventual losses. Have fun and be nice!
ReplyDelete