Congratulations to both sets of teams and to all tournament participants!
A-Division Final
The A-Division Final pits defending champions Russ Neale and Rick Riess against Jeff Copplman and 11-time doubles champion Scott Zenack. Russ and Rick narrowly won a back-and-forth first set, 7-5, with a break in the final game. The second set reached a score of 2-1 before the rains moved in and finished tennis for the day.
The final will resume on Tuesday at 6pm. Join us for what promises to be a riveting finish.
Shot of the Tournament
Unquestionably the shot of the tournament belongs to Rick Riess. Since no video survives, you'll need to allow me to set the scene. Rick and Russ had taken a one set lead in their semi-final match against Matt Langmead and yours truly. Midway through the second set, at ad-in, Rick spins a serve out wide to Matt in the ad court. Matt rips a cross-court backhand return that is angled so sharply that it is surely a winner. But Rick got a good jump on the ball and had other ideas. Sprinting out wide at full speed, he finds the forehand (remember Rick is left handed), making contact no more than three inches off the ground in the adjacent court. He rips the ball at knee height between the two net posts into the deuce-side alley to win the game. Epic. And afterwards, he apologizes for “excess celebration.”
SPEC Tennis Event
There will be a SPEC Tennis event on Saturday August 10 from 4-6pm. SPEC tennis is a fun alternative racquet sport. Played on a half court, it is like a cross between tennis and pickleball and is easy to pick up for any tennis player. Equipment and instruction will be provided. Chas Luca is the host of the event. If you have questions you can contact him at chas.luca@verizon.net. You may register to participate using Yourcourts.
Mixed Doubles Tournament
The annual Mixed Doubles Tournament will be held on the weekend of August 16-17. You may register on Yourcourts. There will once again be A, B, and B+ divisions if there are enough participants. I will send out more information in a subsequent newsletter, but if you have questions or need a partner, contact Scott Zenack at sazenack@comcast.net.
Cultural Corner
Member Steve Soares plays in a band called Soul Intensity. Just as rhythm and balance is the foundation of good tennis, rhythm and blues is the foundation of good music. So get your Soul Train on and come down to Memorial Beach in Sharon this Wednesday at 6:30pm for free music and free parking. Bring a beach chair or a blanket.
After several years as a member of STC I finally took a stroll down the Beaver Brook trail that starts in our parking lot. I was short on time, so only made it about a mile, but I heartily recommend it. It's an easy but scenic walk, with pine groves, hardwood stands, ferns and moss. And, unlike a lot of trails, not too wet or buggy. Give it a shot some day.
