Final stats & thoughts

So the results are in ... and we come in 7th out of 9 in the league. However, there's a big difference between us and the 2 teams below us--as you can see if you look at the W-L records:

Zylberberg: 14-2
Schlerf/Keay 12-4
Levy 11-5
McMillian 8-7 (they came in last last year!)
Duffy/Amoyal 8-8 (new team this year)
Smith 7-9 (they beat us in individ. match wins)
Cole 7-9
Dorkan/Mess. 3-12 (new team)
Dysart/Baker 1-15 (new team)

The record isn't totally complete--McMillian & Dorkman/Messersmith still have a match to finish-- but the outcome won't really affect much. As you can see, we were really in the middle of things, and our record was a vast improvement over last year's 3-12.

As for individual records-- here are a few to note:

THE WINNINGEST: Tie between our singles divas, Gayle & Mary, with 5 wins each and a single loss. (Technically, Mary had the highest, with 5 wins and a DQ win--Anna Qualls, from Levy's team, was just DQ'd this week due to lying on her self-rate form--if you want to hear more, ask me at Tark's next Wednesday!)

OTHER WINNERS with a .500 record or better: Kelly, Trish, Cecile, Katharine. Very impressive!

THE COMMITTED (or at least, maybe we should be committed): Donna and I tied in this category, having played 11 matches each. I must thank Donna for being ready to play at a moment's notice several times this year. Coming in a close second and third are Emily (10 matches) and Karen (9). I should also add Wendy to this list as she played 7 matches, ALL at #1 doubles (going 3-4)-- and she literally took one for the team, breaking her finger during a match vs. Schlerf after winning the first 3 points. All of these are examples of true commitment :-)

THEY ATE THEIR SPINACH (and were strong to the finish): Katharine & Sue Lin each won 3 of their last 4 matches. Now that's ending the season right!

So we have a lot to celebrate this Wednesday--6:30 pm at Tark's in Greenspring Station. It was a great season, & there's much to look forward to for next year. Keep your eye out for strong players who might want to join the team ... and have a great summer!

Last match a bummer ... but with a good singles win

Hi all--

Our match yesterday vs. Duffy/Amoyal was frustrating for most of us-- we just couldn't beat this team for some reason (and some of us lost really badly -- see #1 doubles, below ;-)). However, Sue Lin had a great straight-set victory at #1 singles, which gave us something to cheer about :-). Here are the final scores:

1D) Jean & Kelly let the match run away from them, losing to Ann Chouinard & Karla Lee 3-6 0-6. (OUCH! It still hurts to say it a day later!)
2D) Emily & Karen fell just short in a great contest with Janice Dent & Jenneca Ward, losing 6-7 (0), 4-6
3D) Trish & Jane lost to Farah Duffy & our former teammate Karen Sellinger 3-6 2-6
1S) Sue Lin had a comfortable victory vs. Courtney Nichols, 6-3 6-4
2S) Meghan Callahan had a great first set before running out of steam vs. Laura Bull, losing 4-6 1-6

So-- not the most uplifting way to end the season, but there it is. We end with a 7-9 record and are currently in 6th place out of 9 teams, and will either end up in 6th or 7th depending on what happens during the final matches on Wednesday (we have a bye). My guess is that Smith (the team below us) will likely end up squeaking past us into 6th place. Ah well. Teams 4-7 were all very close this season--it's nice to be in that middle group this year, after struggling to stay out of last during our first 2 seasons (we had a record of 2-13 (!!!) in both of those years). So-- we are making progress, ladies!!

Looks like the team get-together is ON for Wednesday, July 10. I'll call Tark's & see if they can reserve some outdoor tables for us. Between now & then look for a wrap-up post-- we have many things to celebrate this season!

Team get-together Wed 7/8?

How many of you would be able to do a happy-hour get-together on Wednesday, July 8? Most of the girls at the match today could make it. Last year we met at Tark's (in Greenspring Station), which worked out really well. Post a comment below with your yea/nay. Hopefully we can get at least half the team there like we did last year. Thanks!

Best win of the season ... 4-1 vs Dysart/Baker

Yes, we achieved a milestone today-- we win 4 matches for the first time this year, and about time, too! If the story of last Wednesday was being unable to win the important points, the opposite was the story today. Everyone played very well and made the key plays. Note that all 4 Ws were in straight sets as well:

1D) Sue Lin & Emily defeated Liz Deford and Sydney Hopkins, 6-4 6-3

2D) Joy & Kelly defeated Sue Basch and Irene Baker 6-1 6-2

3D) Trish & Katharine defeated Ann Hubbard and Bonnie Thomas, 6-0 6-1

1S) Donna defeated Nancy Murray 6-4 6-0

2S) Sara lost to Ellen Lichtman, but got a set off of her this time (she lost to Ellen in straight sets during the first round of play), 7-6 (7-2) 2-6 0-1 (6-10).

Note the bagels in the scores. We have not commanded a win like this all season. Let's carry this energy over to tomorrow's match.

Duffy/Amoyal is just ahead of us in the rankings right now, with a 7-6 record (we are at 7-8--they've had a rainout & a bye, so have played 2 fewer matches at this point than we have). We have been neck and neck with this team all season, and a win tomorrow could put us ahead of them for the year (their remaining opponents are the 1st and 3rd teams in the standings, Zylberberg and Schlerf, so they could very well lose to both of them). Our match against them in the first round was very very close, so let's try to push through for the W.

Match is at Bryn Mawr at 10 am; come for warmup at 9:30.

Arrgh--hard losses to Levy, 1-4

Last night was full of great tennis but only one win. All of the matches (except Gayle's win!) were closer than the scores indicate:

1D) Jean & Katharine lost to Anne Blue and Sharon Tennyson, 2-6 1-6

2D) Karen & Donna lost to Laura June & Beth Bolton, 4-6 2-6

3D) Cecile & Sue Lin lost to Carol McCarra and Wendy Day, 6-7 (5) 1-6

1S) Mary lost to Anna Qualls (after beating her the first time we played Levy), 2-6 1-6

2S) Gayle DEFEATED Mary Anne Facciolo 6-1 6-2

As Karen put it after the match, "I've never lost a match where I felt so much like I was winning!" (or something like that). I think what we see here is some really experienced teams who are used to winning sticking to their guns and, well, winning. This may be why Levy is now 10-3 and we are 6-8.

That said, we're still much improved this season and it would be great to close out the year with 2 wins to even out our record. This Saturday we play the last-place team in the league, Dysart/Baker (1-12). If you played this team in the first round (where we won 3-2), you will recall a lot of lobbing, not much pace, basically advanced 3.0 level tennis. But we need to be careful not to sink to their level. Let's stick to our game ... and go for a 4-1 (dare I say 5-0?) win-- it would be a first for us this season.

Sunday we play Duffy/Amoyal, to whom we lost 2-3 in the first round with that killer 15-17 third-set tiebreaker. Obviously, we are capable of beating this team but we will all have to have our A game on to do so. So whether you are playing Saturday or Sunday, get a good night's rest, hydrate, and show up early for warmup. Most of all, be set to have fun and play great. Go team!

McMillian squeaks by, 3-2

OK. We got this match in today, despite the crazy weather-- played indoors at Balto Fitness and Tennis (Pikesville Hilton) Saturday night instead of outdoors at St. Tim's on Sat. afternoon. Thanks to everyone who got lots of phone calls and tried to rework schedules in order to get the match played!

So this was a great team effort that came up just a smidge short-- our two Ws were easy victories, and two of the 3 Ls came in the 3rd set tiebreak. Arrgh! Oh well-- we beat McMillian in the first round and this is a team that has beaten all the teams we've been unable to beat this season, so kudos to them. The key to their wins has been having 2 very strong singles players who have won nearly all the matches they have played. Both of those players came out tonight. Here are the scores:

1S) Jane took one for the team, playing Jemine Bryon & losing 1-6 1-6.

2S) Donna took Frances Ferdinand to 3 sets, but lost 6-1 0-6 0-1 (4-10).

1D) Jean & Katharine beat Elaine (Val) Parker and Joan White-McCain, 6-1 6-4.

2D) Emily & Karen lost to Toni Williams and Lauren Landskroner in a 3-set heartbreaker, 3-6 6-1 0-1 (7-10).

3D) Sue Lin & Cecile handled Meg McLean and Kim Caspari 6-1 6-2.

All in all, it would have been great to get a W here, but as far as Ls go, this was a very respectable one. This loss leaves us in the bottom half of the league (we currently have a 6-7 record), but there are still 3 matches to play, so gird your loins, girls! Let's end what has been a very good season for us as strong as we can.

Next match vs Levy (record 9-3): McMillian beat Levy (#2 in the league) in a match that was just completed this week (3-2), so let's take this close loss today and turn it into a W on Wednesday. Levy went to districts last year and lost some players who got bumped up, so they have weaknesses (especially in singles). However, you can't take anything for granted with this team so be prepared for anything. 8:30 pm @ Greenspring-- be there or be square ;-)

Ouch! A bad fall and a loss to Schlerf, 1-4

Well, this is what happens when your captain decides that getting a bobblehead is more important than tennis. Yes, we lost to Schlerf, 1-4 (more on this in a moment), but even worse, we've lost a teammate for the rest of the season due to injury. In the fourth point of their match, Wendy, one of the substitute captains, fell onto the back of her hand and had to go to the ER with the other substitute captain, Emily, leaving the team with no captains at all. After 3 hours in the ER, Wendy found out that luckily, her hand is badly bruised--no breaks or tears-- but she will be in a splint for a while and is dealing with a lot of swelling. Wish her a speedy recovery!

So #1 doubles (Wendy & Emily) had to retire vs. Joan Garlow & Beth Nguyen. Here's how everyone else fared-- some really close matches and a great singles win:

#2 doubles: Karen & Kelly were edged out by Sherry Dodson & Dale Gray, 5-7 4-6

#3 doubles: Sue Lin & Jane couldn't make the comeback vs Rebecca Hyman & Sydney James, losing 0-6 3-6

#1 singles: Donna shook off her first-round loss vs. Carolyn Norris and beat her this time in 3 sets, 3-6 7-6 1-0 (not sure of the tiebreaker scores, sorry--perhaps Donna could fill us in with a comment?)

#2 singles: Joy lost a close one to Beth Walters, 5-7 4-6

So really, despite the actual match score, things were very close here. In fact, I actually think we did better this time than we did the last time we played Schlerf; while in that match we lost 2-3, the losses were far more lopsided than last night. Great playing, everyone.

And yes, I got the bobblehead (Adam Jones) and it is immensely cool. Plus the Os won (6-4, vs. the Mets), even if Team Cole did not. So that's something.

Thanks to Wendy & Emily for subbing as captains in what ended up being a very eventful match. Luckily we were able to get the indoor courts without any problem.

On to McMillan this Saturday, 4 pm at St. Tim's. McMillan is just behind us right now in the standings and have been playing very well. So be ready for some tough opponents. Storms are being forecast--unfortunately, this team does not like to go indoors, so be prepared to have to reschedule if it rains. Lineups also may be changing, so stay tuned on all fronts.

Check tennislink--we win, 3-2 vs Smith

Hi all--Sorry I can't do a writeup tonight but it is late, I have an early match tomorrow (vs Cecile's interclub team ... GRRR! ;-)), and I am going out of town. The news is, we win, 3-2, in a very balanced effort and some really close matches. Check Tennislink for the scores.

Enjoy your weekend off-- after this, it's the last big push to the end of the season. We have some people leaving to go to the beach & other leisurely activities, so the rest of us will need to pick up the slack. Laura is moving back to Richmond tomorrow, and we will soon be saying goodbye to two of our most consistent winners, Mary & Gayle. *tear*

I'll post more if I have time when I am in Portland (Maine). Looking forward to cooler, drier weather! 

Congrats to the team for the win tonight!!

Tough team L but a nice singles W vs Zylberberg

So, it was another tough match vs. Zylberberg (currently #2 in the league), which we lost 1-4. However, as with our last confrontation with this team, the singles players did very well, and I think the doubles teams put up a better fight this time than they did the first time around. Progress must be measured incrementally, right? Anyway, here are the scores:

1D) Jean & Trish had a great time losing to a very good team, Mary Carter & Debbie Hill, 2-6 2-6. I know you are not supposed to say you have a good time losing, but it was really true in this case.

2D) Mary & Laura lost to a very seasoned team, Key Wagner & Karen Cigrang, 1-6 1-2.

3D) Donna & Karen lost despite being up 4-2 in the first set to Jaime Brennan and Dovita Lerner, 4-6 2-6.

1S) Emily almost but couldn't quite eke out a win vs. Tracy Butz, 2-6 6-2 0-1 (4). Hats off to Emily for *almost* beating Tracy, who very rarely ever even gets to the 3rd set tiebreaker!

2S) Joy notched the big win for the day vs. KC Murphy in straight sets, 6-3 7-5.

With our win yesterday and our loss today, we remain in the middle of the scrum with all of the other teams that, like us, have .500 (or close to it) records. All the teams are very close this year, which has made for a lot of great tennis. 

Now-- on to our next match. This Wednesday, we need to say good-bye to one of our stalwart players, Laura Doub. She is moving back to Richmond and may not be coming back to Baltimore next year. She told me today that she would definitely be at Greenspring this Wednesday (our match is at 8:30)-- please come if you can to hang out, watch the courts you can (we will be occupying courts 5-9), & have a beer with Laura. We beat Smith last time--let's go for another W for Laura! :-)

finishing, beginning

The finishing part: Mary completed our first-round match vs. Levy (from several weeks ago) by winning the second set vs. Anna Qualls, 6-1. So we lost the match 4-1, with several 3rd-set-tiebreaker losses. Congrats to Mary for hanging in there and getting the W despite the team L! Let's try to turn that around in the second round.

And now for beginning: we started the second round today by defeating Dorkan-Messersmith, the 2nd-to-last-team after round 1, 3-2. This is the same score we beat them by during the first round, but the margin seemed a little more comfortable this time. Here are the individual match scores:

1D) Jean & Wendy lost to Jeanne Mirchin & Anna Culiner, 5-7 5-7

2D) Emily & Karen defeated Susan Valerino & Lauren Bott, 6-2 6-3

3D) Joy & Jane lost to Tina Turk & Gina Messersmith (who should not be playing at #3, but whatever), 1-6 2-6

1S) Gayle blanked Diane Carson 0&0 

2S) Cecile defeated Trish Pollak 6-1 6-3

All in all, a good win. Great playing, everyone!

Tomorrow we play Zylberberg, who is currently in 2nd place. It will be a very different day in the ball park ... but if we are all "on" and playing well together, we can pull this one out. One slight change in the lineup--Kelly is ill and so Donna is taking her place (make note, Karen) at #3 doubles. Mary, Joy, Trish, Emily, Laura, Karen, Donna-- let's plan to meet at Bryn Mawr at 3:30 pm tomorrow for warmup.

We will also be playing a tough match this Wednesday at 8:30 pm vs. Smith at Greenspring. As you can see on the blog, I've put together lineups for the rest of the season so please contact me if you have any conflicts.

Go team!

Jean

Things couldn't be closer ...

First things first: We lost our match vs. Duffy/Amoyal yesterday by the skins of our teeth, 2-3. Both singles matches won; all doubles matches lost. It all came down to #2 doubles ... who lost in the 3rd set tiebreak, 16-18. Yes, that's right--16-18. This leaves us with a 4-4 record after the first half and puts us in a free-for-all with 3 or 4 (or 5?) other teams who are all vying for a .500 record of 4-4 after the first round of play (all other teams besides us have a match to play this Wednesday, and a few have rainouts to make up as well, so I'm not sure where everyone stands at the halfway point quite yet). But before I get to the second round, here are the scores from yesterday:

1D) Jean & Wendy lost to Ann Chouinard & Stacy Hoffman, 6-4 6-2

2D) Emily & Laura lost to Jen Korzakowski and Janice Dent, 3-6 6-3 0-1 (16-18)

3D) Sue Lin & Jane lost to Karla Lee and Theresa Furnari 6-3 6-3

1S) Mary beat Pam Heckler 6-2 6-1

2S) Gayle beat Courtney Nichols 6-2 3-6 1-0 (10-8 ... after being down 8-4!)

So-- in all, it was a great effort yesterday. We basically have the same record as Duffy/Amoyal, except we are just a set or two and 5 games (I think!) behind them. We were very evenly matched.

And now, a few observations about the second half of the season, which starts next Saturday vs. Dorkman/Messersmith (at the bottom of the league) and continues on Sunday vs. Zylberberg (at the top of the league):

1) If you look at Tennislink (there is a link on the left side of the blog) you can see that we won and lost nearly all of our matches 2-3 or 3-2. Last year, we lost almost all of our matches 2-3, so I'm glad to see some of these matches tipping our way this year. We're winning those tiebreakers this year, which is key, so let's keep up with the focus and consistent play.

2) I am going to try to keep successful pairings together for doubles, and to play the successful singles players more consistently. Hopefully this will pull more of those 2-3 losses into 3-2 (or 4-1 or 5-0) wins.

3) I am very pleased with how everyone has been playing and I hope you've had as much fun out there as I have. The league is VERY close this year--lots of good teams playing a lot of good tennis. We are definitely in the thick of things, so let's keep up the intensity!

4) I will try to have lineups for the next few weeks out to you in a day or two.

--Jean

Wild win vs Dysart/Baker, 3-2

So you say you hate lobs? If you weren't playing tonight, then you're lucky. Thousands of lobs were lobbed during the course of this match, which we won by the skin of our teeth, 3-2. It was enough to give you an ulcer ... or put you to sleep. Here are the scores (note: all 3 doubles matches went to the 3rd set tiebreaker!!!):

1D) Laura & Trish beat Sue Basch and Connie Rogers, 4-6 7-6 (5) 1-0 (8)

2D) Kelly & Karen beat Paulette Barnett and Janice Lemoine in the marathon of the evening, 6-3 6-7 (6) 1-0 (1)

3D) Meghan & Donna had a gutwrenching loss to Joyce Matoska and Bonnie Thomas, 6-3 4-6 0-1 (8)

1S) Mary had the only breeze-through of the match, defeating Michelle Holliday 6-1 6-1

2S) Sara lost to Ellen Lichtman 3-6 3-6

What have we learned here? Well, for one, do not underestimate craftiness (and effective lobbing). A number of people on this team were bumped up to 3.5 after their 3.0 senior team (captained by Marcia Dysart) WON nationals last year. Another thing? It's always good to win, no matter how ugly ;-)

Next match vs. Duffy/Amoyal (a team much more like us) this Saturday, 9 am at Bryn Mawr. Hopefully weather will cooperate. If you are playing, try to get there by 8:30 for warmup, and let's go for the W against a team we've been trading places with in the rankings all season long. This is the last match of our first round; if we win, we'll come out of the first half of the season with a very good 5-3 record. If not, we'll have a very respectable 4-4 record. We've now won twice as many matches as we did all of last season, so pat yourselves on the back!

PS: For those of you keeping track of these things, McMillan BEAT Zylberberg tonight (check Tennislink for the amazing scores). How the mighty have fallen!!!

Tough losses vs Levy

The story of last night's match was: failure to convert. We came close to winning two of the matches, but lost them in the 3rd set tiebreaker. That said, we were unable to complete the match due to the fact that Mary took nearly 2 hours to complete her FIRST SET-- but we have lost all 4 of the other matches so it's going to be a team loss regardless of what happens. Here are the scores:

1D: Jean & Katharine went to deuce in nearly every game of what ended up being an oddly scored but very close match vs. Beth Bolton & Laura June, 6-2, 0-6, 0-1 (3-10). 

2D: Karen and Laura played first-time USTA players (read: ringers) Anne Blue and Sharon Tennyson, putting up a spirited fight but losing 3-6, 4-6

3D: In the other heartbreaker, Donna and Joy lost in the 3rd set tiebreaker to Linda Dauses and Connie Bird, 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 0-1 (0-10).

1S: Mary's match vs. Anna Qualls was tiring to watch--some rallies went on for minutes--she prevailed in the first set 7-6 (7-4) and will finish the match (hopefully with a W!) on June 5.

2S: Meghan lost to the relentless Mary Jane Facciolo, 6-0, 6-2.

Although we lost all four of the matches we completed last night, I felt really good about this one. Levy is currently the first-place team, and in the past two years we have not done well against them. The fact that we were/are competitive in 4 of the 5 matches is a very good sign that we can BEAT them next time out :-). It really could have gone either way-- as I said, we just failed to convert some key games & key points.

After the match, Sue Lin, Donna, and Joy expressed interest in having practice this weekend. Weather looks good, so let's do it. E-mail me if you plan to come, and I'll plan to see you at 9 am. We have no match this weekend so this will be a good chance for us to play some scrimmages and work on strategy. 

Doubles defeat McMillan, 3-2

Today the doubles teams swept McMillan 3-0, making up for two tough singles losses. I believe this is the first time all the doubles teams have won this season--a good milestone.

1D) Emily & Wendy had little problem handling Ivy Dench-Carter and Kim Caspari, 6-2 6-1

2D) Kelly and Karen pulled out the V in a close match against Meg McLean and Katrina Bland, 6-3 6-4

3D) Cecile and Sue Lin won by default vs. Elaine Parker and Dorothy France-Davis (who arrived 18 min. late), but ended up also winning their practice match against them, 6-1 7-5, so I think they deserve kudos as well :-)

1S) Sara was beaten by the very tough Jemine Bryon, 6-1 6-0

2S) Katharine lost to a current college player, Frances Ferdinand (yes, that's her name), 6-4 6-2

This win puts us over .500 and in 4th place. We've got a really tough match this Wednesday vs. Levy, a perennial favorite in the league, so if you are playing that match, come ready and focused!

Just one shy--we lose to Schlerf, 2-3

As predicted, Schlerf brought out a good team that was able to just edge us, 2-3:

1D: Emily & Laura, playing for the first time together, were unfortunate to face a team that has played (very well) together for years, Joan Garlow & Beth Nguyen, losing 6-1 6-3

2D: Jean & Katharine defeated Rebecca Hyman and Barb McClanahan, 6-2 6-3. Rebecca strained her calf during the first set, which made things easier, but hey, we'll take what we can get! :-)

3D: Trish & Cecile lost to Amy Gemmill and Sara Turk, 6-4 6-1

1S: Gayle prevailed, in her usual style (i.e., through dogged patience! :-)) vs Elizabeth Lee, 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (10-8)

2S: Donna, subbing at the last minute for Mary (whose son broke his foot on the volleyball court an hour before our match), made a heroic effort and played well, but could not get the edge on Carolyn Norris, losing 6-2 6-2

Right now it looks like we are basically on par with Smith (whom we beat last match) and Schlerf (whom Smith defeated) in the middle of the pack. A note: thus far we have won as many team matches as we did all of last season (2) so things can only go up from here! I think everyone is playing well and it's nice to have some established singles players and doubles pairs to draw from. 

Due to the forecast for rain on Sunday, we will not have practice. Do let me know, however, if you'd like to have a practice on Memorial Day weekend. State your preference for Saturday or Sunday ... either day, let's say we'll start at 9 am.

A Very Good W vs Smith, 3-2

Well, today we had to improvise, having only 8 players who could play ... and managed to do what we seemed unable to do last year: win tiebreakers! We won 2 of our matches today in the 3rd set tiebreaker. Here are the scores:

1D) Jean & Wendy defeated Jean McCleary & Robin Bosley in a close contest, 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6)

2D) Sue Lin & Cecile lost to Sandy Demski and Patti Leland in a match closer than the score indicates, 1-6 2-6

3D) Kelly & Joy defeated Pat Amato and Donna Bertling 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)

1S) Donna won a match of patience and attrition, defeating Cathy Weaver 6-4, 6-1

2S) Sara lost to Peg Mignini 1-6 1-6

Great playing, everyone! This is a great win against a good team. Hopefully this is a harbinger of our season! 

I will be sending lineups for the next few matches very shortly, once I figure out exactly who is playing (surprise surprise, there may be some changes). No practice tomorrow. Happy Mother's Day! 

Prayers answered

FYI-- In #2 singles vs. Zylberberg, Mary finished her match by winning the 3rd set tiebreaker, 10-6, so we got one of the 5 matches. Hooray, Mary!

BTW-- We need a last-minute sub for Jane for Saturday vs. Smith, 2-4 at Greenspring. Please let me know if you are available. Also, practice on Sunday looks dubious due to lots of mothers being (rightfully) celebrated, anniversaries, people being out of town, etc. Will send an e-mail tomorrow confirming one way or another.

Hail Mary--

Not to get all Catholic on you (I do teach at Loyola, after all) but Mary is our only hope for avoiding the bagel against Zylberberg. They brought out their best players today, and while our singles players did/are doing really well, the doubles teams, esp. #2 & #3, got ... I hate to use the word, but ... the word is, KILLED. Scores thus far:

#1D: Laura & Wendy did not get killed, but were beaten by Kristen Burger & Cam Deline, 6-3, 6-2

#2D: Donna & Katharine lost to Karen Cigrang & Key Wagner, 6-1 6-1

#3D: Jean & Joy lost to Mary Carter and Heather Kuchta, 6-1 6-0

#1S: Gayle lost in the 3rd set tiebreaker to Karen Regan, 1-6, 6-4, 0-1 (3-10). 

#2S: Mary has split sets with Lauren Hurlbrink, 6-2 4-6 -- had to stop play due to running out of court time and scheduled to finish tomorrow. Stay tuned!

I looked up these players in Tennislink and they are very good players for Zylberberg. I wish we had gotten more games, but take comfort in the obvious threat we posed for last year's league winners, since they brought out their best players. Good effort, everyone! And ... on the "constructive criticism" side, I think this loss shows us that we have things to work on, so I hope to see a lot of you at practice on Sunday. It looks to be nice, if chilly in the morning, so let's plan to start at 10 AM. As usual, let me know if you plan to come so that I can contact you if it rains (wait ... has it been raining lately? No way!).

Tough loss today, but send strong, winning thoughts Mary's way to propel her to the W. Every match matters! --Jean

Switches and schedules

See the sidebar for changes to Saturday's lineup against Smith. Here also is who should plan to play for the next 4 matches (I want to see what happens this week before finalizing lineups):

Wed 5/13 vs Schlerf, 8:30 @ Greenspring: another tough team. Jean, Gayle, Mary, Laura, Trish, Emily, Katharine, Joy

Sat. 5/16 vs McMillan, 11 am @ St. Tim's: Emily, Katharine, Sue Lin, Karen, Kelly, Cecile, Sara, Jane

Wed 5/20 vs Levy, 6 pm @ St. Tim's: Jean, Gayle, Mary, Laura, Katharine, Joy, Donna, Karen

Wed. 5/27 vs Dysart/Baker, 6:30 pm @ Greenspring: Mary, Laura, Trish, Joy, Karen, Kelly, Donna, Meghan

Our first match--a W!

Yes, we prevailed in our first match today vs. Dorkan/Messersmith, 3-2. This was a good first win for us. Here are the scores:

1D) Laura & Wendy defeated Ellen Schneider & Marion Meyers 6-2 6-2
2D) Kelly & Sue Lin lost a heartbreaker to Tina Turk & Gina Messersmith (I'm sure familiar names to many of you) in the 3rd set tiebreaker after winning the first set, 6-3 5-7 0-7 (6-10)
3D) Jane & Trish defeated Susan Valerino and Lauren Botti 6-4 6-3, in a match where they so far outclassed their opponents that it actually caused difficulties!
1S) Gayle handily defeated Trish Pollak (yes, she is the same Trish who played on our team last year), 6-0 6-1
2S) Meghan lost to a very steady pusher, Maria Jaewha Kim, 6-4 6-1.

This team is made up of a mixture of players, some of whom can barely get the serve over the net, others who are very experienced. It made for some very odd matchups and some odd situations. With the number of new teams in the league this year, this is something we'll need to watch out for-- a much wider range of ability at 3.5. I will try to keep you clued into what to expect with each match.

Wednesday (6 pm @ Roland Park) we play last year's league champion, Zylberberg. If you played today & are scheduled for Wednesday, expect a totally different ball game. I.e.: they will be very tough. However, if we play well, we can beat them (we lost to them 2-3 in our last match against them last year). Due to subs, I had to change the lineup around-- here is who is playing:

1D) Jean & Wendy
2D) Katharine & Donna
3D) Laura & Kelly
1S) Gayle
2S) Mary

Please try to be there by 5:30 so that we can have a good warmup. Hope to see a lot of you tomorrow! --Jean

rules

A few things: First, people playing on Saturday-- we are playing at Greenspring Racquet Club (at Joppa & Falls) NOT Greenspring Country Club. Please be there at 8:30-8:40.

Second-- attached are the local league rules. Please review them prior to playing your first match-- in particular, pages 4-10 which outline rules of play (including tiebreaker procedures), court conduct, late penalties, and changeover rules. Obviously, the point of the league is to have fun and so I don't want you to be unnecessarily doctrinaire about the rules, but there are players out there who will take advantage of people who don't understand the rules so it's best to familiarize yourself with them. If there is a question about any rule, please consult me or the acting captain if I am not at the match. The most important thing is, DON'T BE LATE.     

The second most important thing to remember is, in the case you split sets, we will be deciding the match using a 3rd-set (or "match") tie-break, rather than playing a full third set. This tie-break will be played the same way as a set tie-break except that you play first to 10, win by 2 (a set tie-break is first to 7, win by 2). Please make note of the Coman side-changing procedure in the rules (p. 5). I strongly suggest that you print a copy of the rules and have it with you so that you can consult them on court. In addition to these rules, there are the general USTA rules (contained in their book, "Friend at Court").

Third-- I know we haven't played our first match yet but I am putting together lineups for the next few. Please send me your schedule conflicts as they arise. We've already needed to get a lot of subs for the first three matches and I would like to avoid having to rearrange every single match. So, (hint, hint, hint) please keep me informed of your schedules so that I don't schedule you for a match you cannot play. 

Fourth-- Don't forget about paying your team fees ($63). I can get them at the first match you play, or at practice, or by mail. Make checks out to me; mail to 1203 Bolton St. Baltimore 21217. My bank account thanks you! 

Fifth-- It looks like we may get rained out for practice on Sunday. I'll try to send an e-mail by 8:30 to confirm one way or another & will also call those who have said they were planning to come.  

OK, enough for now. See y'all tomorrow bright & early! Jean