Monday, August 29, 2016

The Way Too Early Fall Playoff Predictions



Since the rodent that picks winners based on uniform colors was unavailable we've brought in an expert.



Ok, ok, one of those animals that picks Super Bowl winners could probably make more sense of these fall teams than I can, but the fall has been flighted so here’s my first impressions.  Welcome to the way too early look at 4.5 and 4.0 flights.
4.5 flight A - call me a sucker but I never really see a reason to start with anyone other than Greenhill/Rossouw in this flight.  Yes, he has 20 guys already and may break an all time roster record this fall but it's still the favorite.  The fight for what I guess will be the second playoff spot is much more interesting.  Village/Valentin, Lakes/Way, Oak Creek/Pribadi and Gleneagles/Juhn all have playoff experience making this a tough one to call.  Looks like this could be a rough 4.5 fall flight.  And hard to say GH was getting a pass to the playoffs this time.


4.5 flight B - as with flight A, I see no reason not to start with JCC/Reiman here.  But unlike flight A, Brookhaven/Harllee looks like the clear favorite to take the other spot.  Not nearly as much depth in this flight but with JCC and BH in this flight together it would be hard to say DTA got this wrong.  These flights look pretty evenly spread out, at least at the top. 


4.0 flight A – based on reputation this should be the most competitive flight.  You have Dallas spring champion Garland/Sisk, and three regular playoff contenders in Brookhaven/Bartlett, Greenhill/Ohl and Oak Creek/Rich.  I also think the Canyon Creek/Nolen has a pretty good top eight but they struggle when the rest play.  This flight has enough good teams that it might come down to availability but let’s start with GTC and Brookhaven.

4.0 flight B – don’t really mean to rub it in but since McKinney/Kanchi still hasn't won a flight, city playoffs or sectionals yet, they've got to win the fall don't they?  Vying for second in this flight and a likely playoff berth will be Huffhines/Ratcliffe and a whole lot of not much else.

4.0 flght C – this looks like Huffhines/Jayaram and Oak Creek/Iyer again.  And not a whole lot to challenge them.  At least flight A will be fun to watch.


Looks like it's just a bad year to be in flight A - any flight A.




99 comments:

  1. Another losing year for Russo and his 50 man roster. That will be zero and 49 in trying to get to nationals. At least they are consistent.

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  2. Play starts in 12 days? Where's the schedule?

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  3. Does anyone know the last time a Dallas 4.5 team went to nationals?

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  4. Men's or trilevel nationals?

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  5. Murray,
    Kanchi won 4.0 last fall, does not count for much though

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    Replies
    1. Raja is a good guy, why the dig at him in the opening???

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    2. He didn't get dug, his team did. He won his match. But when you tell every one in the state you are headed to nationals and then don't win sectionals, cities or even your flight you probably should have just kept quiet.

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    3. Sorry to dissapoint but Kanchi has also won a mixed league as well. He is beginning to unleash the beast!

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  6. I think there was a men's team in 2010, a trilevel team in 2013 and another trilevel team in 2016. Any guesses who was on all 3 rosters for you trivia buffs? U have 5 seconds.. 1 2 3 4 5
    Answer: Valdemort Kelly on all 3 teams. Now begin the bashing and hate below.

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    1. Yes, the last 4.5 league that Kelly took serious (at least for men's 4.5) he did go to nationals. And yes Raja K won the fall league so he has already won something

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    2. I wouldn't call winning the fall something when all the good players are losing in the fall.

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  7. Raja reminds me of a young Kelley. I see 10-15 years of dominance coming for Kanchi. He is improving.

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    1. WTF is a Kanchi? Is he really better than Kelly?

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    2. I am saying Kelley will pass the torch to King Kanchi. I believe King Kanchi will eclipse queen Kelleys gawdy achievements next 15 years. All he has to do is average attending one national event next 10-15 years and he will surpass the king Bald e mort! He is poised and ready to carry the throne!!!

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    3. Kanchi can't winning anything that isn't in the fall.

      After telling the state of Texas that he would win nationals, he didn't win cities or even his own flight.

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  8. Where is the 40s sectionals preview? Are schedules out yet? It starts in 10 days.

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  9. Where do you people come up with this stuff? Simply incredible!

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  10. New Raja Video: captions changed. Hilarious!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93cST8DgJ2I

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  11. I hope Sam and Kelley don't get on a 4.5 team bec if they play singles they are up 2-0. I think between Chavez, Sam, Kelly , Kanchi and Perez as a 5 man roster they would win fall with just 5 players. It's not quantity, ITS QUALITY

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  12. Man that would be hilarious. A roster of 5 winning fall while the other rosters of 50 come in second. Sam or Kelley winning singles to go up 1-0, the other four winning line one and two dubs and defaulting lines 3 and 4. Kelley would never risk his rating but that might top it all!!!

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  13. There's a big difference between MXD and Mens. Kelly was far from automatic at tri-level this year and Sam was doing his best to tank down to 4.0 before he gave up and started focusing on MXD.

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  14. I have seen Dallas 4.5. Sam and Kelley losing to nobody if giving 100 percent. And yes there is a big difference, Kelly has TWO trilevel titles. How many do you have?

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    1. I tend to agree. Two trilevel titles is ridiculous

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    2. I don't play trilevel, it's for sissies!

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    3. Trilevel best nationals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    4. How would you know?

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  15. Kelly played trilevel out of FW and lost to Dallas 4.5s. He didn't win a set in 2 pool play matches and put the pressure on the other two lines going 4-0 or else they're done.

    Kelly's great when he has 4.0+ MXD partners playing as 3.5s, or when he's on a trilevel team with 4.5+ guys playing as 4.0 and 3.5s. Anyone saying he's an automatic win at 4.5 is either Kelly himself or someone basing their opinion on what they've seen at 8.0.

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    1. Kelly lost because the other 2 lines win. He watches the matches and wins if he has to. He's taken to long to maintain his ratings.

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    2. Trilevel doesn't count toward NTRP ratings.

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    3. Tri level does. Combo doesn't.

      They have also used tcd against people.

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    4. Year end ratings state that tri level and combo are not counted. Neither is mixed, if you also play Mens.

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    5. Has anyone seen the Sisk trilevel roster????? Wow. That is impressive. I am gonna say they have a shot at a third national title. Unbelievable!

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    6. Kelly paired with Davidson would beat any 4.5s in Dallas, I'll concede that.

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    7. Sisk is prob best captain around. He gets Kelley locked up as a player, other people see that he is a proven winner and they continue to build around them. Just like mixed and just like combo. Again, like him or not he can get people signed up bec when he is on roster your chances of going to nationals increase 10 fold. That is a fact. I personally think w three trilevel titles he should have to sit out trilevel a year and give others a chance to win. When you have a guy like Red Benson from Houston coming to play Dallas trilevel you then realize the impact Kelley and Sisk have. And add Joel Thickett to the list as he also won a national trilevel. Joel is the Jimmy Johnson of captains, had he not retired he would still be dominating.

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    8. It says Kanchi is the captain and not Sisk. I thought Benson was a 4.0 bumpup.

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    9. I think Sisk and Kanchi combined. Sisk provides the 4.5s (Kelly and Davidson are a lock) and quality depth in 3.5/4.0 and Kanchi provides his guys at 3.5/4.0. Sisk probably convinced Kanchi their best bet to win a national title is to combine. Good for them that they decided to combine, gives Dallas a better chance to win.

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    10. Two tubby captains.

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    11. How in the world will all those players get eligible? Also don't forget Alan A playing on roster and he is on a mission.

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    12. They won't, that's not the point. By putting all of the guys with ratings below their actual level on the same team they guarantee advancing to nationals without having to actually compete against someone that might beat them.

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    13. That roster is stupid. There are a lot of extras on the 4.0 line. Kanchi and Alan are two.

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    14. Kanchi says he is the best 4.0 on the roster.

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    15. If he is the best, Kelly and Davidson better be locks or they lose.

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    16. Kelly and Davidson will be locks and raja and Alan very solid along w Seth and VJ

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  16. Wonder if Le will get wild card for 7.0 mix?
    If he does look out.
    Surely DTA not that stupid

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  17. Why the hate on Raja people, he hasn't won anything. I understand hating Kelley but Raja still trying to get out of sectionals. Give him a break

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    1. Yeah, Raja is the new King of the Fall.

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  18. Raja also king if mixed as he is headed to sectionals at 8.0. This guy just keeps winning!

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  19. Funny Sisk Trilevel roster would easily win Dallas 4.5 league if the top players took it serious

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    1. Not Sisk this is Raja's team.

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    2. Raja is the brains while John just brings Kelly.

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    3. He might just bring Kelley but I think when he signs up that brings a lot of other caliber players. Every time you turn around Kelley is headed to another sectional or national. I don't think Raja has enuff skins on the wall to attract the big names.

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  20. That roster would do more than win Cities. That's a damn good roster. What I can't figure out is how Sisk can get those caliber of guys all together for TRILEVEL but not 4.5.

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    1. Trilevel doesn't count towards NTRP ratings.

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  21. Because a full season sucks. Three weekends are fun.

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  22. Trilevel does count toward ratings

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    Replies
    1. Do you have evidence of this? The year end ratings for 2014 and 2015 state that they do not count, did this change?

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    2. Trilevel cities and sectionals count

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    3. Trilevel counts for 2016 thru sectionals, not nationals.

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    4. Any evidence of this? The Texas section web site says neither Trilevel nor Combo count. There is no nationals for Combo so that statement can't be talking about nationals.

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  23. Fort Worth won trilevel last year, not Dallas. Earlier poster said Dallas has two trilevel titles, incorrect. Just sayin'

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  24. Easy to do when you are tankers!

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  25. Easy to do??! That's funny. Then why not do it ? Take a Trilevel team to nationals out of FW AND Dallas, then take a mixed team out of FW AND Dallas , then take another mixed team out of FW AND Dallas. Let me know how that works out for ya

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  26. Who has Kanchi brought to "his" this tri level team besides the players from his spring team?

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    1. Kanchi has 20 players on his roster so he brought someone.

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  27. Raja Sucks at 4.0 period.

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  28. Then how bad are the people he beat this year? Tony must not think he is too bad or he wouldn't have asked him to play in playoffs 7.0 mixed. I am on his 7.0 team and he destroyed Rene's 7.0 line during the season, we missed him in playoffs

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    1. Excuses excuses. Rene Alzuro was without his best 3.5 lady too bec she was playing 8.0 so quit making up crap

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  29. Raja is a good guy. Why the hate? Let him win something first then hate, pile on, suspend then hate some more. Until then let him be.

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    1. Raja, thanks for the input. The losers in Dallas tennis don't care that you lost too. They are mad because you beat all of them but Sisk.

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    2. It was to our advantage to lose to Sisk

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  30. And where did that get you? Not to nationals.

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    1. We have Tri-Level national champions guaranteed!

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  31. As much as I hate to say it since Kelley has TWO trilevel titles which in itself is ridiculous I would have to agree Raja team has a chance to win again

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  32. Whose team is it????? I have talked to a bunch of people and get different answers

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    1. Raja says it is his team. Looking at the roster, I think it is Sisk's team.

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    2. I'm the captain now.

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    3. We're all captains! We only have Chiefs and no Indians!

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    4. Sisk's team has Indians.

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  33. Sisk brought people. Raja brought people. Alan brought Kyle who's the best player on the team.

    It's a team and that's why we will win. No ego, no bs, and all support.

    That's what makes a team.

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    1. Everyone is a captain on our team. We have veterans with national titles and we have rookies but we are a team. Call us SAJA! ... A combination of Sisk and raja. Or u could call us Risk... Lol

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  34. Team Saja has a good ring to it!

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  35. I can promise you Sisk is the ringleader. Anyone who thinks otherwise is foolish!

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    Replies
    1. He gives the best massages for sure.

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    2. Happy endings for all. Lol

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  36. Anyone else looked at Sisk's 4.0 team and think he's the second coming of Roussouw... 20 ppl, wow.

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  37. Difference is Sisk has won something

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  38. Monfils was a "showman, didn't give full effort, borderline tanking and hit half hearted shots"... Hmmmm . Sounds like somebody we all know and love/hate

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    1. I think I heard McEnroe during the broadcast mention there was a guy down in Dallas who did the same. Maybe I was dreaming...

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  39. Good thing Monfils doesn't play for Alan or he would be suspended too

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  40. Pro tennis is plagued by gambling. Many of the matches you see on tv with top 50 ranked pro players are fixed. Monfils was too obvious with his tanking. He should take some lessons from Kelly.

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  41. I have to agree w6:49. Kellye can play slower and base his actions on score better than anyone I have ever seen. It's uncanny how he plays just enuff or waits to see what needs to be done. I don't think Monfils as good an actor but when it comes to looking tired you can bet Kelley will take some lessons from Monfees

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  42. Just start watching the scores, it is Fall tennis. You will see some interesting tanking results

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