LEADERS OF THEIR PACKS

2015 Singles Club Championships

One of my favorite nights on the calendar is Club Championships Night. Apart for the free steak dinner (!), showcasing the top players in each category is a treat and I was delighted to see many young, new players battling it out for glory. We once again set a record for participation, and as we all know more players means it’s more competitive. More 5-set results, more rivalries being created, more roars of elation off-set by more shrieks of disenchantment. For those of you who couldn’t quiet reach the pinnacle of success in this season ending event, let it motivate you to work harder next year, and for those select few who actually managed to  grasp the golden egg, (or gift certificate in this case!), we salute you!

2.5 ~ Check it with Becket

35 and counting… The 2.5 category continues to grow and grow. We had a lot of new players join our squash community this season and many of them decided to give the Club Champs a crack. It’s the best thing for new players to do – jump in and experience the pace of the game, the angles, step on court with someone who wants to kick your derriere! I’m sure there was some “derriere-kicking” going on, but also many matches went the distance and no one can be taken lightly… otherwise that derriere may be yours!

One of the ‘dark horses’ for this category was John Rogers. Young and quick, he’s a soccer player so we won’t hold that against him (much), he does rely a lot on fitness to get him through. Winning his first 2 matches 3-1, his quarter final was against the big hitting Kevin Prather. One must be careful when setting up the ball for Kevin; he has the tendency to try to embed the thing in the front wall. I haven’t yet had to call engineering for any extraction jobs, but they are on constant standby just in case. John managed to be careful just enough to outlast Kevin 3-1, where his next task was the semi final versus the number 1 seeded Becket Marum. Becket had been a model of consistency up to this point, winning his first 3 matches 3-0, but the worry for Becket here would be his stamina. John had the advantage in that department and a long match could prove costly. And John almost pulled it off. Becket did win 3-1, but admitted afterwards that if the match did happen to go to 5, there was no way he would have won it. But the ‘could-haves’ are irrelevant, and Becket moved onto the final.

Becket Marum and Andrew Walawender

His opponent would be Andrew Walawender. Even though the cost to enter the club championships is zero, Andrew decided to get his money’s worth anyway and now I’m charging him $100. (Plus tip.) A first round 3-0 win, he then played one of my other ‘not-so-dark-horses’ Dino Ricci. Dino had a great run at the DAC Classic and was primed to continue that momentum here. And why play 3 games when you can play 5 and run to the point of euthanasia? And so long as you’re playing 5, may as well go to a tie break. Andrew “Rocky Balboa-ered” himself to a 12-10 in the 5^th win. He enjoyed the torment so much he went to 5 as well against Adam Pabarcus in the quarter finals, and winning that, he couldn’t resist beating Mike McCuish in 5 in the semi either. Becket was worried he would survive the final.

And for a while, it looked like he wouldn’t have to worry. Becket got the jump on Andrew from the start and raced off to a 2 games to zero lead. But of course, now that Andrew is paying $100 ( + + ) to compete, playing less than the full complement of games is out of the question. So, in true Walawender fashion, he just had to win games 3 and 4 – which he did – and then stand toe to toe with Becket through the 5^th. With his track record of his past 3 matches, another 5 set victory was within reach, but Becket dug deep and managed to buck the trend. A final score of 11-9 had Becket taking his first club title.

3.0 ~ Slam Dunking Chris Webber!

Once again, I’ll have to go back and study up on my tea-leaf reading. The two players reaching the 3.0 final weren’t even seeded in the top 12. But in fairness, this category was littered with close results and the finalists could easily have been someone else. We’ll start with Mike Rock’s path first:

It was actually very close to being one and done for Mike. We could be talking about Curt Pedersen instead here as he stretched Mike to 5 games in the first round but couldn’t quite close the deal. We also could be discussing John Mann, as he too went the full distance in round 2. Mike, it appears, is a cool customer in tight situations (does he take after he forever calm father, Jerry?) and steadiness saw him grab another 5 set victory. We’ll say that Mike had an easier time of it in the quarter finals, but that’s only because he won in 4 games and not 5 against Mike Ottaway, the match was still particularly vigorous. Not satisfied with winning in 4, Mike chose to go back at what he seems most successful at which is taking it to the edge. Living dangerously, his semi final against Marc Topacio went 11-9 in the 5^th, nerves of steel pushing him through to the final.

Chris Webber’s passage to the final was almost as arduous. Like Mike, he also could have been bounced in the first round. Ian Edwards pushed him all the way but ran out of gas in the 5^th game. Chris then took on the second seeded Ted Morris. Ted was returning from an injury and after the match mentioned he was rather pleased with his performance despite losing in 4. Even fit, there was a good chance Chris would have beaten him anyway. A 3-0 win in the quarter final would be Chris’s easiest match of the event, but his semi one of the toughest. John Perkins was turning himself into one of the favorites for the title, taking out the third seeded Sean Moran in 4 games in the previous round. John and Chris beat up on each other pretty well, there was very little between them. Last man standing (or crawling in this case!) was Chris as he pilfered the 11-8 in the 5^th win.

I refused to prophesize a winner for this final. Both Mike and Chris had been showing good form and based on their wins and opponents in their respective semi finals, another 5 gamer was a likely possibility. However, it was not to be. Chris stepped up to the occasion well, and took control of the rallies early. Keeping Mike on the back foot and not letting him settle into any comfortable rhythm, Chris maintained a solid pace and swept all 3 games. This is also Chris’s first DAC club title.

3.5 ~ Josh Makes the Grade

Typically, I always find the 3.5 the most difficult of all the categories to seed. There are many situations that player ‘A’ can beat player ‘B’, who can beat player ‘C’ who can then beat player ‘A’. Simply, it’s on any given day, depending on what side of the bed you happen to wake up on, anybody can win this one.

Colin Bayer has been on an upward trajectory with his squash since he picked up a racquet not too long ago. His athleticism (and size) is an advantage, although his experience is lacking. Sometimes, though, its better not to know things otherwise you may fall into the trap of over-thinking and complicate matters. No one is yet to accuse Colin over over-thinking… (poke, poke!) and his blind determination has been troublesome for his opponents to counter. He has the knack of retrieving balls you think he has zero chance of reaching. Nor does he tire easily. A point proven after he took out the second seeded Mike Petix 3-2 in his first match, and then repeating the feat against Justin Jacobs in the quarter final (11-8 in the 5^th), acknowledging it was one of his best matches he had so far played. And then, in the semi final against Josh Slominski, he topped it.

Josh won his first 2 matches 3-1 and 3-0 respectively, and was looking strong to tackle Colin. If Josh’s mind is on track he can be particularly consistent and steady, he doesn’t over complicate the game, moving the ball around enough to wear out his opponents. Colin would be tough to tire out, however. After taking the first 2 games – the second being 16-14 – it was almost a 3-0 win for Colin, but Josh saved his skin, saving a match-ball and taking that set 13-11. It seemed to take the wind out of Colin’s sails a little. Josh rolled through the 4^th and now it came down to a 1 game winner take all. And it fittingly went to a tie-break. Colin admitted (again) that this match was the best he had ever played (eclipsing his match with Justin!) even though he lost. Josh once again overcame a match-ball and took it 12-10. Great attitude from Colin, and excellent focus from Josh to deal with the pressure.

I knew Jason Currie would be a formidable opponent. He won the 3.0 category last year, and has played a lot more squash this season. Quick, hard hitter, he has improved significantly. It wasn’t easy for him to reach the final, every match he played was a 3-1 result against a players who was very capable of beating him. Tenacity goes a long way and Jason has shown plenty of that. He also has the benefit of playing a lot of doubles which helps him with the pace of the game, reading of the angles and the shot making creativity. It would be an interesting final. To counter Jason, one will need to be ready to react quickly and not get sucked into his pace… would Josh have the ability to adjust?

The first game was a long one as both players settled into the final feeling each other’s games out. Jason won it 14-12 which normally is a great confidence booster, but Josh wasn’t rattled at all. The second and third games were all Josh. He took control of the match, maintaining a half-paced length, good width, pinning Jason deep in the back corners. Down 2 games to 1, Jason needed to do something. He picked up his intensity and put more pressure on Josh and the two of them went point for point, both of them stretching each other out all over the floor. But Josh was not going to let this slip away. Just staying steady, Josh took the 4^th 11-8 and picks up his first DAC club title.

4.0 ~ Star Trekken MacEachern

Tiny draw. Big matches. Only 5 players signed up for this one, and all were very equally matched. The draw literally was pulled out of a hat since the order of ranking the players could have been interchanged from day to day. The results reflected that.

Dane Fossee started his trek to the final against the experienced Paul Huth. They had played twice before in league and in both in those instances, Paul had won 3-0. But the Club Championships is a different animal, people tend to place more pressure on themselves and can step up well to meet the occasion. Dane did just that as he scored his first victory over Paul 3-1. He then took on Mike LoVasco, a player he has had success against in the past. In fact, of the 3 times they had played, Dane had won twice. A marathon contest ensued between them, and I can picture Dane with his hands on his hips, bent over, tongue hanging out waggling in the wind… but a tired smile on his face. And who wouldn’t smile after taking a 13-11 in the 5^th win? Poor Mike will be thinking about the one that got away.

Tom MacEachern and Dane Fossee

On the other side of the mini-draw, it was a re-match of the 2014 3.5 final. Back then, Tom MacEachern took a two games to love lead into the third only to have Scott Langenburg roar back to win in 5. It’s a memory Tom is surely trying to suppress, but it would have been front and center in his brain as he tried to wreak his revenge. Would it be motivation, or would it make him lose focus? As the match wore on, and as it drifted into a 5^th game, I’m sure Tom was reminiscing somewhat of that fateful day 12 months ago, but history would not repeat itself. Tom avenged his loss taking the final stanza 11-7.

Dane versus Tom for the final. I only have 1 recorded result between them and that was way back in 2013. Tom won that match 3-0. That doesn’t carry much weight now, but these two do practice together often and know each other's game particularly well. If Tom can get his game going and stay out of the tin, his hard hitting is difficult to counter. Dane would need to be on his toes and manage his length well. It was Tom who quickly gained the upper hand in this encounter, and once he had the momentum early he had absolutely no interest in passing it up. Tom stormed to a 3-0 win, and claimed his second DAC club title, adding to his 3.0 victory in 2013.

4.5 ~ Ward-ing off the Rivals

The squash game of Phil Pitters goes against pretty much all conventional tactics. Cross courts drops and flicks from pretty much anywhere, an occasional lob thrown in for good measure, length does not seem to be a priority, and he’ll run until he wears out the soles of his shoes (and then he’ll probably keep on running anyway!) or drops dead from exhaustion. Bret Williams would be a tough first round opponent for Phil considering his power. But being very new to squash, Bret would not have seen a squash style that Phil portrays. The longer the rallies take, Phil would have the advantage. It would be a matter of Phil being able to chase down Bret’s cannonballs*. Appropriately, their match went to 5 games and because of that, I’m not surprised that Phil ended up on top. In the semi final, Phil had an easier time dispatching his opponent 3-0 and earning a spot in the final.

Paul Ward’s progression to the final was just as taxing, if not more so. His first round was against Chris Van Tol. Chris and Paul’s last three matches have all gone to 5, with Chris winning one of them, Paul the other two. True to form, they would have another 5-setter here and it was a nail biter. If you have ever played a match that has reached the stage of the tie-break in the 5^th, it’s amazing how one can find the energy to keep running even though collapse is imminent; terrified to hit an error, but praying one comes from your opponent; hesitant to go for a winner and praying your opponent won’t try for one either. It’s an inward mental challenge, one that Paul happened to be more successful with – this time. He took it 15-13 in the 5^th. His next match was also a demanding task, but he managed to sneak it out in 4 games over Blake Ellis.

The last time Phil and Paul recorded a result was in 2011. That’s a long time between drinks. Paul was a little weary going into the match since you never know what you’re going to get with Phil. But in this instance, his apprehension wasn’t necessary. It was all Paul all the time as Phil couldn’t figure a way to get into the games. Paul took it 3-0 and picks up his third club championship title, his first in the 4.5.

*I know I keep touting Bret as a brute force player, but to be fair, he has been working on his touch as well. And it’s coming along. He actually does have a nice drop shot!

5.0 ~ Green Keeps it Clean

Clean sweeping any tournament is a challenging mission. You have to be in form for every game of every match, and it is so easy to lose that focus or concentration, falter just enough to let your guard down and suddenly the game (or match!) has slipped away. Eric Green is a solid player, knows how to punish a loose ball, and can keep it consistently tight and show patience in waiting for opportunities. His reliable game was good enough to see him through to the final taking every match 3-0.

On the lower half of the draw, determining the other finalist was not so easy. Sante Fratarcangeli won the 4.0 division last year, and has since improved enough to skip the 4.5 and tackle the 5.0. It was the right choice. He beat veteran Peter Shumaker 3-1 in the first round where he then had to lock horns with the awkward game of Brien Baker in the semi. The first two games went into overtime – one of them was 17-15 – and the players divided the spoils. They also split games 3 and 4 (although they didn’t reach the tie-break stage) setting up a 5^th game showdown. Both Brien and Sante pushed themselves to the brink, and there were only a few points in it at the end. Sante survived the carnage and earned himself a spot in the final – for the 5^th straight year. (This dates back to 2011, when Sante first played in the 2.5 final…)

Sante was also looking for his 4^th straight victory in the club championships. Eric was on the prowl for his second 5.0 title; he first won one in 2012. The match started with Eric controlling the ‘T’ well and moving Sante around the corners. He would push tricky little angles into the front when Sante was lagging behind, utilizing the opportunities well that were presented to him. He jumped to a 2 game lead fairly quickly, but the third would be a lot more taxing. Sante had to step it up – and he did. He started to extend the rallies, putting a little more pressure on the ball – and Eric - and slowly the armor started to crack. But the run was made too late. Eric could see the finishing line and he did not want to see another game. He was happy with the 3-0 win, and now he will need to venture up to the land of the Open.

Open ~ Jed is Number One

The addition of Vikram Chopra into our squash family this season has been wonderful. All clubs dearly love top level players joining, you can’t have enough of them to keep the competition fresh and interesting for the members. Vikram has an unusual technique. He is very wristy, there is a lot of racquet movement, and that is a double edged sword. On one side he can generate a lot of power and be considerably deceptive, on the other hand his consistency can suffer. Vikram won his way through to the final with 3-0 results, including the semi final against multi time club champ Peter Logan.

Jed Elley is our current club champion. His technique is more conventional than Vikram’s, a tighter swing, smooth mover, he can run the ball down with the best of them and can also put the ball away effectively. But, he is also prone to unforced errors and sometimes his shot choice can be questionable. Jed also moved his way through the draw without dropping a game, setting up a final bout that had most people wondering who exactly the favorite is. This could go either way.

The first few points of the final were a shaky start for both players as they traded unforced errors. It wasn’t an overly pretty game, both Jed and Vikram seemed to have a little trouble settling in. Maybe because Jed had been in this situation before, he was the one who finally started to keep the ball out of the tin and he ended up running away with the set 11-5.

Jed Elley and Vikram Chopra

The second game was a lot closer. Vikram began to find his sweet spot more consistently and ripped off some exceptional angles with that wrist of his. The extra pressure also forced Jed into some ill-timed attempts at winners and the unforced errors were starting to appear once again. But unfortunately for Vikram, even though he created some perfect opportunities to even up the match, he could not capitalize. The dreaded tin kept getting in the way. Jed escaped with the second game 13-11 and the 2-0 lead suddenly looked like a huge mountain for Vikram to climb.

Jed could now smell blood. Even with Vikram’s increase in intensity, Jed was not going to let this one get away. The pressure was mounting as the third game reached the final stages, only a couple of points separated the two, and Jed was able to nail the door shut 11-8 and notch up his second consecutive DAC Club Championship!

Congratulations to all our winners and finalists – remember: you have now earned your position to the 2016 DAC Farris Cup team! It was an outstanding finals night and awards dinner, and I would like to extend my gratitude to all the members for making this the most active season in history. The bar has been raised, and now we will raise it even higher!

DOUBLES DOMINATORS

2015 Doubles Club Championships

The natural progression of more players is stronger and closer competition. I wouldn’t say the DAC doubles is experiencing a ‘boom’, but it is clearly becoming increasingly popular. Even though we had a record amount of entries this year in the doubles club championships (66) – something I can hardly complain about - I actually expected more. But, where there were a few familiar faces that were missing from the event, we had enough new-comers to make up for it and that’s a good trade off.

C Draw:

Typically our biggest bracket, and this was no exception. There were a full mix of very experienced teams and complete greenhorns making for interesting matches all the way through. The most ‘experienced’ pairing was that of Drew Creamer and Jim Thompson and hats off to them! They had 23 years of living over their first round opponents (who were no spring chickens themselves in fact!) and let’s bow down to respect our elders! Drew and Jim pulled off a 3-2 victory – proving they still ‘have it’ and you can’t underestimate the veterans.

Nor, as it turns out, can you underestimate the raw recruits at the other end of the age spectrum. Colin Bayer and JC Tibbitts are 81 years (combined) behind Jim and Drew. That’s a lot of knowledge catching up to do, but what they lack in comprehension, is made up for with brazen bulldogging. Although the doubles game is all about angles (and power), speed can be a formidable weapon if you can reach the short court and counter. Colin and JC took care of business 3-0 in round one and then 3-1 in the quarter finals over two-times Doubles C Club Champion Ken Katz and his partner Bruce Shaw. The Bayer / Tibbitts team then made quick work of Justin Winkelman and Steve Murphy in the semi 3-0 to reach the final.

Meeting them there was a combination pair of youth and experience. Patrick Petz teamed up with John Mann who up until the club championships, had never even stepped onto a doubles court before. Patrick and John almost failed to get out of their first round encounter where they squeaked by in 5 games and they repeated that tactic in the semis against Ward Detwiler and Chris Webber. Ward and Chris were leading 2 games to 1 and were only a few points from victory in the 4^th but could not convert. Momentum lost, the 5^th game was all Patrick and John.

And the final also turned out to be another epic 5-setter. John, JC and Colin are all very competitive with each other on the singles court and that rivalry may as well be transferred to the doubles arena. It was no doubt a spirited contest, and we must give out the ‘He-Man’ award to John Mann who in the 3^rd game copped a racquet from Colin squarely on the top of his hand. Rubbing some dirt on it and sucking it up, even though it appeared broken, John played on and together with Patrick took the match all the way to a 5^th game. But the dream finish for them was not to be, as Bayer / Tibbitts held off the attack and took the match. As it turned out, John’s hand is not broken… just sore and swollen. Good news.

B draw:

A difficult draw to predict and as it turned out we did have a lot of close matches. Two-time doubles C champions Paul Flanagan and Andrew Spohn stepped up to the B’s this year – maybe a little reluctantly – but proved their worth. Once again, experience helped them as they have played together as a team often. Their first round was against two strong singles players but complete doubles novices. Chris Van Tol and Matt DiDio found out it takes a little time to translate. Chris and Matt were definitely competitive, but Andrew and Paul did take the win in 5 games. They lost their next match 3-1 to one of the lesser known couples in David Walker and Jason Currie. I say “lesser known” not because they are new members (they are not) and nor because they don’t play doubles often (they do). But because they aren’t in the doubles leagues and are on court at some ungodly hour of the morning, a time I am sure exists, just not in my world.

David and Jason came up against the interesting pairing of Manny Tancer and Sante Fratarcangeli in the semi. Sante is not overly familiar with doubles, but Manny is. I thought this match could go either way, in fact when I did the draw I was thinking to myself that Walker / Currie could go all the way. The report from the losers of this match was “this was one of the best doubles matches I have ever played”. Says a lot to the quality and evenness of the contest – and sportsmanship as well. The 15-13 in the 5^th score line fell in favor of Sante and Manny, just a little luckier in the end than Jason and David and sometimes that’s all it takes.

To reach the final from the other half of the draw wasn’t an easy prospect either. Paul Ward teamed up with Bret Williams, a rookie to squash, but he picked up the ability to crank the ball hard enough to be considered a weapon of mass destruction. Their first match was against Andy Adamo and Bob Garvey and on paper I thought Andy and Bob would struggle. The match was a struggle, but in a good way. Paul and Bret were in for a fight as Andy and Bob put up plenty of resistance. And, were close to upsetting the apple cart. But the cookie didn’t crumble the right way for them and Ward / Williams escaped with a 3-2 victory.

In the semi, they met up with Rich Stimson and Kevin Kennedy. Rich and Kevin also had a battle on their hands just to reach that stage. Their first round was against the father and son team of Len and Tom MacEachern who pushed them all the way and definitely could have taken the match. But in the end it was Rich and Kevin who hustled their way to a 3-2 triumph. Against Paul and Bret, it was another match-up difficult to predict a winner… on paper anyway. In reality, I was a tad surprised at the result. 3-0. Paul and Bret must have found some strong form for the day and dispatched their opponents in a clean sweep. Again, though, it doesn’t take long for Bret to ‘get with the program’, so maybe he already started to pick up some strategy to go with the power? Could he carry that through the final?

Bret Williams, Paul Ward, Sante Fratarcangeli, Manny Tancer

With Sante and Manny’s win in the semi, I was predicting they would take the final as well, more adept at dealing with Bret’s atomic forehand. But generally, when I forecast a victor, I’ve hexed them. Initially, it didn’t look like my (unintended) witchcraft was very effective though. If every rally took as long as their opening one, they would still be playing now. The omen was set – the match would be come down to the wire. With a first game 15-14 win, Manny and Sante took the second game as well, albeit a little easier. A two games to love lead is – on one side – very difficult to overcome, but on the other side all too easy to give up. (Weird, huh?). Bret and Paul were on the verge of a 0-3 loss, but after taking the third game 15-13, poured it on for the fourth and pounded their way to 15-6, evening the contest and setting up the one-game-take-all fifth. As fate would have it (it was written in the stars), it would be a one-point-take-all sudden-death rally at 14-14. That last rally was not as long as the first, but the pressure was monumentally greater. Maybe some hocus-pocus did actually seep through, because an unforced error from the Sante / Manny team awarded the match to Paul and Bret! Fantastic effort fellas!

A Draw:

This was probably the most competitive A draw we have seen in recent memory. Kirk Haggarty and Mike Eugenio are still the team to beat, they have held this title since 2012 and in each of those 3 finals Peter Logan has been on the receiving end – each time with a different partner. For 2015, once again Peter would try his hand with a new team mate and this time it would be with Robin Basil. Robin is fairly new to doubles but being a racquetball guru has all the angles and is used to the pace. Would this be the combination that finally knocks over the reigning champs?

Before we answer that, we had some interesting results leading up to the final. Back by popular demand (??!!) were the dynamic duo “Blue Chips” team of John (JR) Rakolta and George Kordas. Certainly rusty from their hiatus – or were they secretly training in some underground cave…? – the Blue Chips almost had their historic comeback cut very short by Mike Skaff and Fred Fordon. I’m sure JR and George will tell you the result was never in doubt, but the 3-2 score line was anything but a sure thing.

I didn’t hold much hope for them in their next round as they had to tackle Kirk and Mike. But when talking about the Blue Chips, logic rarely applies. Not knowing you should lose is a good thing, one can relax and play more freely. They stepped their game up and took it to the favorites, dragging them all the way to an uncomfortable 5^th do-or-die game. But that is as far as they would go. Kirk and Mike proved too strong in the final game and moved on to the final.

Meanwhile Peter and Robin were learning to play together. Robin, it appears is a reasonably proficient student. Playing Jamie Shea and Ryan Bendzinski in round 1, who are by no means a push over, they did struggle somewhat and almost bowed out early. But they got to live another day with a 3-2 win. They would have to play better in the semi.

Kirk Haggarty, Mike Eugenio, Peter Logan, Robin Basil

Ryan Covell and Jed Elley were my pick to challenge Kirk and Mike for the title. A straight forward 3-0 first round win set up the match of the tournament between them and the Logan / Basil team. Peter and Robin certainly boosted their performance. We expect Peter to play well anyway, but it was Robin who picked up the tempo and well and truly confirmed he belonged on court at this level. Four of the five games in this match went to 15-14 or 15-13, including the 5^th. Decided by a sudden-death rally at 14-all, Peter and Robin were the victorious couple. It was a great performance, but believe it or not, they would have to play even better to win the final.

This match did not go 5 games. It didn’t go 4 either. The 3-0 game score was closer than what it looks on the surface, and it was Mike and Kirk who established once again who the kings of the doubles court are. The match was full of bludgeoning rallies. The four participants stepping up and belting balls at each other until one would falter or the front wall would fall down. Luckily the court is still intact, and unluckily for Peter and Robin they simply were not as rock steady and their counterparts.

For the fourth consecutive year, Mike Eugenio and Kirk Haggarty are the DAC’s best doubles team! In fact, they have won 5 of the last 6 years, a dominance that demands respect!