Sunday, June 27, 2010

last match of the season!

It was hard fought, but we amazingly got blanked 0-5 by Zylberberg, losing 3 matches in the 3rd set tiebreak. A bit of a bummer way to end the season, but as always, the tennis was good and everyone played well. Here are the scores:

1s: Donna played a heartbreaker of a game against Sue Nettleton, coming back to win the second set after losing the first, and being up 3-0 in the tiebreaker before losing it, 2-6 6-3 0-1 (5).

2s: Sue Lin faced the very steady, very versatile Lisa Martin for a second time this year and improved on her score, but still lost, 2-6 3-6.

1d: Jean & Alyson played a close match against Gail Zylberberg and Patrice Williams, winning the first set 6-4 and then letting the second set & 3rd set tiebreaker get away from them, 3-6, 0-1 (4).

2d: Kelly and Katharine almost made a great comeback against Marlene Stoltz and Carol McCarra in another 3-setter, losing 1-6 7-5 0-1 (8).

3d: Pam and Sara couldn't crack the spin of Mary Ann Sattler & BJ Hall, losing 1-6 0-6.

Interestingly, despite this win, and despite the fact that they have won 5 more individual matches and lost fewer sets and games (by quite a margin), Zylberberg's team win-loss record was worse than ours, which kept them behind us in the standings. So-- pats on the back all around to a season of great teamwork that got us the important team Ws even though the majority of the team had individual W-L records below .500. It was great to see everyone stay to support the team, and to come cheer us on (thanks Joy & Neena!).

Our record continues to improve every year, and I'm especially pleased to see that we ended the year with a 6-6 record (last year I believe we were 7-9) ... reaching .500 for the first time! and in a very difficult division where every match came down to the wire. We are winning more of these close ones every year--kudos to all those 3rd-set tiebreaker wins!

And many thanks to Neena for unofficially but dutifully recording our efforts & uploading them to the blog. With this most recent set of videos, I have become almost painfully aware of my 4" foot-faults ;-).

See you all at b bistro on July 8 ... 5:30 pm!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Wed June 23 vs. Dysart


Solid 5-0 vs. Dysart/Baker

Last night at NERRC we prevailed as winners all around. The highlight of the night was Neena's first singles match with a win, you could see her glowing on court 4 after the match all the the way form the observation deck. Great job Neena! I know you were out for a win and you got it.

The stories...

At #1 doubles Wendy and Emily took on Liz Detford and Sydney Hopkins. Off to a slow start Wendy and Emily won the first set 7-5 but then got their game on to win 6-2 in the second with very solid playing.

#2 Doubles was Donna and Karen taking on Joyce Matoska and Connie Rodgers for a very easy win at 6-0, 6-1. Watching Donna and Karen they made tennis look so easy.

Joy and I were playing at #3 against Bonnie Thomas and Ann Hubbard. Strange match as it got started off with some unusual comments by Ann Hubbard in warm-up about Joy not hitting the ball to her and she had to go chasing balls around, then the amount of high fives going on on their side during the match was a bit ridiculous. We too like Wendy and Emily got off to a slow start with a 7-5 1st set win then blanked them 6-0 in the 2nd, started playing more of our game and not holding back.

#1 singles was Melissa who had a very solid win over Monika Bradik. I love watching Melissa play so clean and consistent which worked well in this match because Monika made all the mistakes. Why to put a "W" on the board Melissa.

As I said earlier Neena had her 1st singles win at #2 singles against Sue Lahatte, 6-3, 6-1. Nice to see Neena finish out the season on a high note.

Now onto our last match on Saturday, see you then.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Saturday June 19 vs.Schlerf / Keay







We lose to Schlerf/Keay 1-4

Schlerf/Keay really came out swinging today, trying to stay in the running to win our flight and go to playoffs. While we began the match with leads at 1 and 2 doubles, the Schlerf/Keay teams prevailed. But at 3 doubles Pam and Sara came back after losing the first set to take the last match, ending things on a very uplifting note. Scores:

1d: Alyson and Emily were up in both sets but couldn't hold on against a very "on" Rebecca Hyman and Sherry Dodson, losing 6-4 6-3.

2d: Joy and Neena started off great against Theresa Hodge & Barb McClanahan, but let the first set-- and then the match-- get away from them, 6-3 6-0.

3d: Sara and Pam prevailed in a hard-fought, close contest against Jill Taylor and Sara Turk, winning 4-6 7-5 1-0 (10-8). Way to hang in there and tough it out!

1s: Melissa played well but could not find the Achilles heel of a very strong Elizabeth Lee, losing 6-0 6-0.

2s: Donna also played great but just could not get the edge against Jeanine Keay, losing a very closely contested match 6-4 6-2.

Coming up are our last two matches vs. Dysart/Baker and Zylberberg. We currently have a 5-5 record-- let's try to close out the season above .500!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Most Improved Players

So we had our final match-up with the Smith team last night and although we lost 2-3 we improved from our last two match-ups of 1-4. This match was very close as it has been in all 3 rounds with Smith. We took one singles and one doubles but all matches were hard fought.

Alyson and Joy took a pretty easy win at #1 doubles over Donna Bertling and Peggy Mignini, 6-3, 6-2. It may be from what I saw in this match-up that Smith might have been doing some switching up putting a stronger doubles team at #2, with Robin Bosley and Sandy Demski.

Karen and Kelly did a great job after losing the 1st set 6-3 to come back and take the 2nd set 6-1 but unfortunately they couldn't pull out that 3rd set tie break losing 10-6. I didn't get a chance to ask them how the line calls were this time around as I know Robin can sometimes have selective eye sight.

Jenn and Wendy were at #3 up against Martha Armenti and Pattie Leland which was a good match-up and even tied at 4-4 in the 1st set but in the end they couldn't over come losing 6-4, 6-3.

The big story of the night however was our singles matches Jean at #1 and Melissa at #2. Jean played Manette Frese, who is very consistent, but Jean found her weaknesses which were moving around on the court and hitting slice. It took a lose of 6-1 in the 1st set for jean to figure it out but when she dug back in the 2nd set from being down 4-2 to win it 6-4. As we all watched the 3rd set tie break it was a long one with Jean having a few opportunities to win by 2 which she finally did at 14-12. Great way to tough it out Jean well done ! Hope the leg is on the mend.

Then watching Melissa play Virgina Navid was just great both very hard strong hitters and consistent too. Most of the play came from the baseline so there were some long points. Melissa played hard up at 5-3 in the 1st but getting taken over with Virginia winning 7-5. In the 2nd set Melissa was trying to pull it back but never reeled it back in losing 6-2. What a match though!

Thanks to Sue Lin for coming out and cheering on the team.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

An additional observation

I just realized that we won all three doubles and lost the singles today vs. Zylberberg, and the last time we played them we lost all the doubles and won the singles (with many of the same players). Strange. Check it out on Tennislink. Anything to be gleaned from this?

Sat June 5 vs. Zylberberg



We move ahead of Zylberberg-- 3-2

So today was a day of dominant doubles, with all three teams winning in straight sets over a usually formidable Zylberberg team. Unfortunately, Sue Lin came to play with a cold and Sara ended up playing singles by surprise, so those two matches ended up in the "L" column. Here are the scores and highlights:

#1s: Sue Lin lost to a very steady, very good Lisa Martin, 1-6 2-6.

#2s: Sara let the first set slip away but had a good second vs. KC Martin, 0-6 3-6.

#1d: Jean & Emily had a very close match vs. Carol McCarra and Marlene Stoltz. Down in the second 2-5, we came back to take the match in 2 sets, 6-1 7-5. Very satisfying, if I do say so myself!

#2d: Alyson & Karen, playing together for the first time, were able to manage Cam Deline and Betsy Krum, winning 6-3 6-4.

#3d: Joy & Neena had what I am sure is a very gratifying easy win (due to their very good play, not weak opponents), beating BJ Hall and Shanna Hayward 6-1 6-1.

Great wins, everyone! This one puts us ahead of Zylberberg despite the fact that we have won and lost the same number of individual matches and sets ... and have, in fact, lost more games than them. The priority goes to the team with the most team wins. Our record is 5-3, and Zylberberg's is now 3-5.

We have one more round left to play. We begin with a bye this Wednesday, and are off next week due to USTA mixed doubles districts in Frederick (good luck, Sue Lin!). Let's finish strong!!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

A solid win vs Dysart/Baker, 4-1 ... and goodbye to Gayle :-(

We ended up having to play tonight's match at our ol' stomping grounds, Poly/Western, because when Emily showed up at Bryn Mawr insanely early at 5:20 she discovered the courts had no nets! She immediately called me and we got 5 courts at Poly to play our match, and everyone showed up by 6 pm so we were not really delayed at all. Given how things turned out, that's a good thing, because the #3 doubles team (Sara and Pam) played a marathon of a match that went until it was almost too dark to play. I propose a toast to people who show up insanely early for matches! Hear, hear!

So we had some easy wins tonight, a hard-fought victory, and one tough loss. Several people remain undefeated this season, and a couple people notched their first wins (noted below). Here are the scores:

1s: Gayle perfected her undefeated 5-0 season tonight vs. Monika Bradik, 6-3 6-1. She is now off for her summer travels, so will not be playing for us for the rest of the season. We can no longer count on Ms. Reliable ... :-( But happy, safe travels, Gayle, and speaking purely selfishly, we hope you will not get bumped up next year!

2s: Sue Lin also remains undefeated (4-0), beating Sue Lahatte 6-0 6-3. Great streak, Sue Lin!

1d: Jean (getting her first W) and Emily blanked Connie Rogers and Bonnie Thomas 6-0 6-0. We speculate that Dysart/Baker played their #3 doubles team at #1, but I (Jean) will take the win any way I can get it! :-)

2d: Katharine & Joy had the loss-- a really gut-wrenching one-- vs. Sue Basch and Sydney Hopkins, 6-0 4-6 0-1 (4). Sue and Sydney turned up the heat in the second set and Katharine and Joy couldn't keep them off.

3d: Sara (undefeated at 3-0) and Pam (getting her first W) beat Janice Lemoine and Paulette Barnett in a match that went well over 2 hours, 7-5 7-6 (3). Way to hang in there and get the win against a team that beat us last time we played them.

Saturday we play Zylberberg-- a team we should have beaten the last time we played them. So let's beat them THIS time. (eye of the tiger ... ha ha)

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Phew!

Well can't say it was an easy win but we pulled a "W" out tonight against Schlerf/Keay.

It started off with them defaulting the #2 singles because their player Rebecca Hyman called right before the match to inform Janice that her house had been robbed while she was out walking her dogs. So certainly not a good way to start off for them.

I was sure before that happened that they would not be playing Jeanine and Janice together unless they really were out for a win...well what did they do when we got the line-up and they had already lost the #2 singles, Janice and Jeanine played together at #3 doubles beating Donna and Pam who put up a great fight, losing 6-1, 6-3.

In the #2 slot was Wendy and Emily playing Sherry Dodson and Barb McClanahan in a long one. The first set was 7-6 and Wendy an Emily were ahead 4-1 in the second and then lost ground but in the end managed to close it in 2 sets with a 6-4 score in the second. They were the last ones off the court.

Karen and Joy took an easy 1st set at 6-2 but in the second there opponents, Sara Turk and Carolyn Norris gained momentum turning the tide by winning the second set 6-4. In the tie break the points went back and forth but we just couldn't pull it out.

And finally Gayle who I think we can just nickname Ms. Reliable, pulled out another win over Theresa Hodge 6-4, 7-5.

Always fun watching everyone play. Awesome job to all who played.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Saturday May 22, 2010 vs. Smith




3rd Time a Charm

We had our second match up against the Smith team which some of you may recall we fell hard to during last weeks Wednesday match. Again today they proved tough opponents but we made a huge improvement form last match and I am confident we can take them the 3rd time around.

Now for the important details...

In both singles matches we had a tough go Melissa playing at #1 against Peg Migini losing 6-1, 6-1. Donna played at #2 with Nancy Salabes and struggled due to a difference in their styles of play which made it difficult for Donna to keep the ball in play which is her edge, final score 6-0, 6-1.

At #1 doubles we had Jean and Katherine up against Sandy Demeski and Ivy Goodwin and they were the last ones off the courts taking a very tough lose after winning the first set 5-7, they lost the second 6-4 after being ahead. The tie breaker 3rd set was closer then the 10-2 score represents. Look out because Jean and Katherine are out for a "W" and I know it is coming their way!

Having been able to watch the #2 match up of Karen and Kelly playing Robin Bosley and Lisa Murphy I was sure we had the comeback . We lost the first set 7-5 and then came back in the second with a 4-4 tie but just couldn't pull it off losing it 6-4. I tell you though I personally saw a shot that was in the court, not even on the line called out by Robyn. So everyone who meets up with her in the future be aware if the bad line calls. I don't think she likes to lose.

And finally at #3 Jenn and myself were able to pull off a win with a 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7). We had a very good start but the moment switched on us a bit in the second set but we keep our heads in the game and pulled it out.

A thank you to Neena for coming out to cheer us on.



Sunday, May 16, 2010

Saturday match May 15, 2010












Still ahead of Zylberberg despite losing, 2-3

First-- yes, we lost to Zylberberg yesterday in a heartbreaker, going 2-3 in a match we could have won. Second-- yes, we are still ahead of Zylberrberg in the standings, by a whopping 2-game margin. (Use the link to Tennislink on the left to see the standings, etc.) Here are the scores:

1s: Sue Lin had an easy first set vs. Kim Parker but had to regroup after losing the second. She did so in emphatic fashion, winning the 3rd set tiebreaker 10-1. 6-1 4-6 1-0 (1).

2s: We got a free pass on this one by default. We'll take it!

1d: This was a killer of a match. Alyson and Joy also cruised through the first set and were up 4-2 in the second before losing the second and getting eked out in the 3rd set tiebreak, losing to Lisa Vieira and Carol McCarra 6-3 4-6 0-1 (11).

2d: Second and thirds doubles had similar experiences and similar scores. Jean and Neena got off to a slow start and couldn't quite shift the momentum to take the second set, losing to Mary Ann Sattler and Lisa Martin 1-6 3-6.

3d: Katharine and Donna got even closer to making the comeback happen in their match vs. Lisa O'Boyle and Cam Deline, losing 0-6 4-6.

After the match, we talked about these near-comebacks and close wins/losses and came up with two lessons to be learned: in the case of #1 singles and doubles, it was to keep your focus in the second set if you have an easy first-set win. Even the 6-0 sets at this level don't always indicate that one team is measurably better than another, so if you're on the winning side, don't let yourself let up, and if on the losing side, don't give up. On the 2 & 3 doubles courts, the lesson was that we needed to really come out of the gate full on. Taking a set to "ease into" the match or just trying to keep the ball in play is not going to win you matches against these opponents.

One strength of Zylberberg's team is that they are used to winning (they are a consistent attendee at Districts) and so they started with that advantage. But it seemed to me that we actually fielded the stronger players. So next time we play them, let's get 'em!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Our first loss!

We had our chances (and will have them again, as we are playing each team three times over the course of the season) but suffered our first loss to a very strong Smith team, 1-4, last night in the cozy (and dry) confines of the NERC.

1s: Gayle notched the lone win over Virginia Navid, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 1-0 (5). Great win over a very tough opponent.

2s: Melissa lost to Lisa Murphy, 3-6 3-6.

1d: After being up 5-3 in the first set, Jean & Joy lost to the resurgent Robin Bosley and Sandy Demski, 6-7 (4), 2-6.

2d: Neena and Wendy were unable to crack Denise Marshall and Patti Leland, losing 2 & 2.

3d: Emily and Jenn were on the verge of a great comeback, being up 5-3 in the second set before losing to Justine Clark and Donna Bertling, 3-6 5-7.

Good playing everyone-- let's get 'em next time-- which comes up soon, in fact-- next Saturday!

As for this Saturday: we are finishing up our first round of play, facing Zylberberg, who is currently 1-2. They have very strong doubles players but are rebuilding after losing many of their players to 4.0 last year. So they are a bit of an unknown quantity. Match is at Roland Park, 9 am ... Don't forget to take into account the time it takes to get to the courts from the parking lot, & see you all there! Sara will be captaining this match so contact her with any problems.

Wednesday Match - May 12, 2010