News Flash! Tri-level Results Are In!

For those of you who can’t make it out to watch tri-level this weekend, here are the results.  I think.  At least the color commentary is accurate.  In a shocker, Robinson advances to sectionals.  Bloggers note: thanks to a couple of friends of mine who provided invaluable personal insights on some of the 4.0s.  As for the 3.5s, if it wasn't on tennis link I just made it up.


Friday evening – 6:00 at Canyon Creek

Sisk versus DeFeo: a matchup of former team mates, and a closer competition than the final result suggests, went 3-0 to Sisk.  Vassberg pulls out a win with Kelly getting a slow start, evidently something about having an allergy to Canyon Creek; Wilson and Taylor’s time together in the spring was too much; and Sisk’s 3.5s successfully started down their path to an undefeated cities run.

Robinson versus Alzuro: in another shocker, Alzuro sits Vahdat so he’s rested.  The match is stopped 20 minutes in when both Spellman and Carlquist injure their opponents from the baseline with blistering forehands.   Somabut actually played this match so he could have an up close look at the carnage.

Bye for Minter: confident in their chances, Minter has the entire squad out to scout Friday night’s competition.

Saturday morning – 8:00 at Canyon Creek

Sisk versus Alzuro: this one started out looking like more trouble than expected with Alzuro blowing up Kelly with his 5.5 serve.  Adcock steadied the ship for the win and Kelly hit Alzuro up to play as his 8.0 mixed partner next spring.  Vahdat filed a protest against Kelly and Adcock because he thought this was 8.5 combo again.

DeFeo versus Minter: in another meeting of former team mates, DeFeo’s crew takes a decisive 2-1 win.  The 4.0 line was retired 90 minutes in at 4 games to 2 in the first set after DeFeo wrapped up the 4.5/3.5 lines.  Evidently with his short bench DeFeo was worried that his 4.0s would be exhausted by all of Welch’s lobbing.  Impressed by the match, Muniz signed Welch to his 8.0 mixed team.

Bye for Robinson: Bearden spent the morning icing his knee and having a beer.  Nothing wrong with that, I joined him. 

Saturday mid-day – noon at Canyon Creek

Sisk versus Robinson: the marquis match-up and likely the only match that matters.  These are the players you will be leaning on at sectionals.  Sisk has Kelly and likely Chavez, with several options at 4.0 and 3.5.  Is it Wilson/Taylor again or Zackary/Clark?  Does he go with Bender’s group of Fenter/Nguyen or Gardner’s group of Adams/Wah?  All had deep successful runs at sectionals and aren't afraid of the big lights.  Robinson is limited at the 4.5 line, but can roll out Carlquist/Johnson at 4.0.  They were a formidable team at 18s sectionals, as good as there are in Dallas, and Carlquist had a great run through 40s sectionals as well.  Gardner/ Nordlund/Bennie bring their own sectionals success to the table.  Will Gardner face off against his former players?  A 2-1 win for Sisk that was worth watching, most of the matches this weekend weren’t.  Somabut sat out injured.

Alzuro versus Minter: in the only upset of the weekend, Minter’s crew pulled out a 2-1 win.  Evidently Vahdat pulled out of the competition after being outclassed by his 4.0 partner Saturday morning.  That and someone finally told him that this actually wasn’t 8.5 combo.

Bye for DeFeo: the squad takes a mid-event break to have a luncheon mixer and introduce everyone to each other.

Sunday morning – 10:00 at Brookhaven

Robinson versus Minter: another sweep in the making, although watching Spellman try to hit it through Rajani and Bearden hopping around on one good knee was entertaining.   Somabut sat out injured.

DeFeo versus Alzuro: USTA Texas shows up to investigate after another player goes down to a blistering forehand, this time from DeFeo.  DTA also fines him for the damage to the back fence.  Alzuro was down to only five players to start this match.  Evidently no one realized they could walk away until Vadhat left.

Bye for Sisk: it’s off to Snuffer’s for an early team lunch but they don’t have a table big enough for everyone.

Sunday mid-day – noon at Brookhaven

Sisk versus Minter: it’s Garland versus Garland.  In what has now become a tri-level tradition, this match didn’t actually get played but the scores were turned in as 6-1, 6-1 for every line in case it came down to tiebreakers.  

Robinson versus DeFeo: this might be the most interesting match of the weekend.  If there were going to be another upset it might be here but Robinson’s boys proved to be too much.  Somabut sat out injured.

Bye for Alzuro: he spent his lunch break trying to get Sherri to let him add another 4.5 and replay all the matches.

Latest Update

In an interesting turn of events, the DTA awarded the sectionals birth to Robinson.  Something about not handing any more local champion towels to Kelly.  Austin quickly upheld this decision but I understand an appeal may be in the works.