Friday
1st match 7a v. Abilene @ LBH: This should be one of those get off the court match quick matches and it won't be too hot at 7a so this not a bad way to start the tourney.
2nd match 11:30a @ LBH v. Wild Valley: It is also hard for me to see this 2nd place Valley team making a dent in Springpark. Not a bad way to start for them and shouldn't be sore at all on Saturday, no heavy drinking on Friday night Mitch, it will get tougher on Day 2.
Saturday
3rd match 7a @ LBH v. Waco. I know Bill Sanders won Nats two years ago but most if not all of the group is gone. Although they cannot afford to take a team like this lightly.
4th and final flight match:
4p v. Jason Freeman's Houston team @ LBH: This will be a great matchup and I will be shocked if both teams are not 3-0 when they meet each other. If I pick a winner I am just guessing because it all depends on how the lineups fall. The winner of this match has to be the favorite to win on Sunday.
High Point/Somabut (loud cheering, ooooo, aaaaaah) will be competing in Flight IV
Bob's team got the wild card and avoided a tough Houston team but still have to contend with some good teams.
Friday
1st match. 7a v. Noho @ Greenhill-Not a bad match to start off with although they are a solid team that will require an early morning Starbucks run for the team. This is one my way to work so I hope to stop by for the ending. They have a big roster but nothing that is making me quake in my sandals except for a few mysterious new self raters and some others mentioned on the Houston blog. This could be High Point's toughest match although #2 is not easy.
2nd match 11:30a v. FW @ Greenhill
This will possibly be the toughest match for the HP boys. FW has more than a few solid players that have done well in sectionals competitions before. I think this will come down to depth which I don't believe FW has but if they can push HP here if the lineups fall a certain way.
3rd match 7a v. Valley @ Greenhill
I think it is toughest on them to get all the way up here but they usually bring the minimum players and are tough to beat. The should be rested on this 2nd day but not sure they can contend with this HP team.
4th match 11:30a v. San Angelo @ Greenhill
If this flight gets tough and all have one loss this is the type of match you want as your final match. If HP needs a sweep they could get it here and if they need to rest players they could also use this match for that reason. Not ragging on San Angelo, I actually went to college there so I have many fond memories and many events I don't remember fully. Go RAMS!!!
I would love to see Dallas v. Wild Dallas final on Sunday and I plan on watching the final, so make sure you guys get there because the odds of me waking up at 6a to drive down and watch the semis are very slim.
Go Big D!!
Jason,
ReplyDeleteWe need the lowdown on the Freeman team. Do you know those guys? Any "unbeatable" teams like you and Sarosh were last year. Although I didn't see you play a lot, you would be competitive with Mitch and Gene.
Jim
Although you didn't ask me, I'll step in for Kern since I'm familar with both teams. I don't think Freeman's 2008 team is nearly as talented as the 2007 team. They don't have any absolute wins this year like they did last with with Kern and Ahmed. If Mitch and Gene are in the same league with Kern then I don't see any team, including Houston, taking you down.
ReplyDeleteThey are very beatable and barely survived the Houston playoffs.
Freeman had one lucky year with Kern and now people think he's god. His team is not any good this year.
ReplyDeleteWell, that may be true but he must be the luckiest captain in Texas over the past couple of years. You can't argue with results but its time for him to be de-throned.
ReplyDeleteGo Dallas!
OK Jim but if you use my advise and win I get some of Mitch's beer. First of all don't believe the misinformation machine that says Freeman's team is no good. They are very solid. I honestly believe only two teams can beat them at Sectionals. One is your team and one is Austin. No disrespect to HP because they have a lot of good players and good people on their team but I don't think the have Freeman's kryptonite like you do.
ReplyDeleteFreeman builds his team on the assumption that you have to at least split singles and hopefully sweep (I don't think HP has the guys to combat this but you do). He has two guys that will beat the majority of the players at Sectionals and at worst split. Then he can stack his doubles in such a way that he takes two lines almost everytime. If Gene and Mitch are as good as everyone says then you have a great opportunity (if they aren't then I'm not sure you can take them). If you sweep singles, Freeman will wish he was he was wearing Depends. I don't know if his teams have been swept in singles in 3 years. Then you just have to take one doubles line and those doubles teams haven't felt the pressure of having to sweep. They don't have a player as good as Sarosh so they don't have a guaranteed singles win. That is the way you beat them in my opinion. Take it for what its worth. I believe you play Waco in the morning who you beat last year with a weaker team. Rumor is Sanders is counting on next year to be his year so I don't think they'll give you trouble. Last year HP was gassed when they played us and that seemed to really hurt them. Freeman's got enough talent to keep his players rested. Good luck and don't forget about the beer :)
Finally while I appreciate people thinking I carried Freeman last year, I wasn't even the best player on the team and there were a lot of very good players who are having success in 4.5s so give the whole team the credit.
HP could beat Houston, Austin or Springpark but the funny thing is we won't have to. We'll just sit back and watch them beat up on each other.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to beat one of them
ReplyDeleteJason,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info. The league has warned me about bringing beer to city owned facilities. Mitch usually fills up his water bottles with beer from his keg, so just ask him for a drink of water.
Martinez and Narajos appear to be ringer singles players although they did have a tough match at cities. Possibly against equal ringers. Maybe, I should put Gene at doubles and try to get 2 doubles wins if we hit the right match ups.
Thanks. Jim
The Houston team can't hang with either Dallas team. They don't have the horses this year.
ReplyDeleteI love all the "predictions" of the finals! Sounds like when USC was the "team of the decade" and they got their ARSES handed to them by UT or last year's Superbowl winner's were crowned before the game. We'll see next week and HP likes being below the radar.
ReplyDeleteAustin will be playing someone other than HP in the final of 4.0.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
ReplyDeleteWhat makes Austin so good?
ReplyDeleteHP keeps trying to get on the radar, but keep losing their way back off the screen.
ReplyDeleteOk unrelated but no one is allowed to reference USC losing to the lucky ass Longhorns in that infamous game in which the refs blew two calls that cost USC the game.
ReplyDeleteOK back to tennis and it is fun to predict but yep for all we know it could be Austin and San Angelo in the finals. that is why we play the games.
to the one who asked why Austin is so good, just check out their season. most of their losses came by DQ, they have been winning big and easy unlike most of the other teams like Dallas and Houston so they are one to watch.
The Longhorns won, and were also on the short side of a couple of calls.
ReplyDeleteAs per Master Jim's request, I've been on a hops and barley I-V since yesterday's match against Gene and I get cut off on Wednesday.
You can always use that OU or T A&M bumper sticker for handicapped parking, Cary.
hp already showed they were scared of houston by tanking the dcc finals, not a good sign and will undoubtedly be on their minds all weekend
ReplyDelete4.0 Pool Rankings:
ReplyDeletePOOL I:
1. Houston (contender)
2. Wild Dallas (contender)
3. Abilene (sleeper)
4. Waco
5. Wild Valley
POOL II:
1. Austin (contender)
2. Wild Houston (contender)
3. Amarillo (sleeper)
4. SETX
5. Midland
POOL III:
1. NETX (contender)
2. Wild Austin (contender)
3. San Antonio (contender)
4. Lubbock (sleeper)
5. Corpus Christi
POOL IV:
1. Wild Dallas (contender)
2. Fort Worth (contender)
3. Valley
4. San Angelo
5. NOHO
LOL!!
ReplyDeleteHP tanked finals??
It takes 2 hours and 45 minutes to lose the last match and get within 3 points of a 5-0 loss?
Voss and Neuman (sp?) lose in a third set tiebreaker to SP on purpose? To SP's #5 or 6 team?
HP keeps winning the voting and losing the matches. At least they're participating.
HP is overrated!!!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see them get blown off the courts this weekend.
hp players didnt tank, the captain tanked the lineup, apparently sp did the same, not power lineups on either side
ReplyDeletehp players didnt tank, the captain tanked the lineup, apparently sp did the same, not power lineups on either side
ReplyDeleteKudos to whomever did the 4.0 pool rankings. I agree with the majority of your picks. Abilene as a sleeper is a good pick although I probably should stop there because of my new allegiance to Abilene. I do think SP and Houston are better but Abilene could surprise someone if lineups went in their favor. In pool II rumor has it that Amarillo has some young kids that can make some noise but Austin should be too tough but they may surprise Wild Houston. Pool III is little of an enigma to me as San Antonio always brings a good team and the NETX 4.0s were successful at Tri-Level and Austin always has talent. Pool IV is all HP all the time. They seem to be in form and have properly placed themselves in the proper section to make a run.
ReplyDeleteSo here are my picks
Pool 1: Houston (especially if Gene and Mitch do play doubles but good luck Jim as I love to see Freeman sweat and he certainly won't do that this weekend on the court)
Pool 2: Austin
Pool 3: San Antonio (least confident about this one but going with a hunch)
Pool 4: HP
Houston takes down Austin 3-2
HP takes down San Antonio 4-1
In a repeat final from last year Houston takes out HP 4-1 with the 5.0s Brouer and Robinson taking the one line.
I would like however to see SP, Austin or HP prove me wrong and take Freeman down because otherwise he may not be able to get his head into the wide brimmed hat. Hopefully I'll be able to catch some of the 4.0 action this weekend and possibly meet some of you in person.
Good luck to everyone
I think HP tanked big time to get the preceived easier road to the Sectional Finals. Both teams put less than their "A" lineups, but it looked like SP put out an honest effort and HP did not. We'll see how that works out for them this weekend. Not a lot of momentum backing into Sectionals.
ReplyDeleteI heard that the guy who won the 4.5 singles in Fort Worth is on a 4.0 team in Waco. I haven't looked it up but if that's true it's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteits not true, he is on a waco 4.5 team that will be in flight 1 this weekend at sectionals.
ReplyDelete