The 2009 Maryland tournament season kicked off with the State Singles tournament, held April 4th in Severna Park. Once again the facility welcomed our players, and BBQ was served for lunch. A discouraging trend continued this year, as only 22 experienced players signed up for the event. This blow was softened by the efforts of Dan Ho and Nathaniel Frank, who brought in 6 novice players. Watching the enthusiasm and tournament interest of these new players was a highlight of the event. This tournament also had the added joy of bringing in many family members, creating a wonderful atmosphere as wives, children, and parents took in the matches and refreshment. Our youngest guest was the daughter of Logan Foley. At 1-month of age her disappointed at not being able to contend for a state title was expressed in typical fashion; however, a bottled lunch seemed to help. Again, special thanks needs to go out to the Frank family, as Nathaniel and Alan carry the process from application to match assignment.
The tournaments most competitive division final was the 60+ featuring Dan Ho and Bob Bardwell. These two know each other’s games well, and the similarities in style were evident from the first point. Fans knew a marathon match was on the docket as Ho and Bardwell traded deep shots and points came slowly on the few hand-errors these competitors make. Bardwell, who has had the advantage in previous tournaments in this match-up, won the first game at 21-14 but then fell to a late charge by Ho in the second game by a score of 21-17. As fans discussed the possible outcomes, Ho put all interest to rest early as he mounted a 7-1 and then 9-2 lead in the tie-breaker. This lead proved insurmountable as Dan Ho claimed the Champion trophy 14-21; 21-17; 11-2. Both players were too tough for their semi-final opponents, as Savino fell to Ho 5 and 10 and Parsons fell to Bardwell by a similar score. Savino won 3rd place with victory over Parsons.
Congratulations are well deserved for Joe Gunzelman, who launched into the Champion circle with a solid win in the 70+/B division. Gunzelman also deserved credit for being stalwart in his support for this division. At 84 years he willingly gives up almost 15-years in order to get tournament matches. Also present were his two sons, who cheered as Gunzelman faced the younger Howard Kolodny. The division is handicapped based on age so Kolodny knew his work was cut out as he started at a 0-7 deficit. Following his 21-2; 21-7 loss Kolony credited Gunzelman’s cross-court serves, which put him in an awkward returning position despite efforts to make adjustments in the second game. This is a wonderful division and we will continue to make requests for players to participate. As additional players enter scoring adjustments will be made to ensure a reasonable amount of play and good competition between athletes.
The new Novice division, composed of 6 players, evolved into a battle for second place as Sam Worchesky mowed down all opposition with great efficiency. Somehow seeing past his thick blonde hair, Sam’s ability to return service and create tough serves for his opposition proved the difference. The battle for the Finalist trophy ended up going to Tournament Co-Director NP Frank as he bested Keith Strofregen.
The notable absence of past champions like Roger Berry, Rick Anderson, and Jay Miller left the 40/50 division wide open. Bob Maguire took note and included himself on that short list as his all-around game and conditioning brought him the Championship. Stephen Bossung was likely feeling the effects of two tough matches necessary for him to arrive at the finals. He closed off two close games against Keith Neihart in the first round, coming from behind in the first game and then trading serves several times late before winning the first 21-19. Bossung then had to pull an upset against Jed Alexander in the semi-finals, winning a tough second game at 15 to advance. Maguire’s match was summarized most eloquently by Peter Peart, his victim in the semi-finals. “At yesterday's (April 4) Maryland State singles tournament, I lost in one of the semifinals of the 50+ bracket to the eventual champion, Bob Maguire. Despite my tenacious play, Bob's skill and quickness held me to 9 and 11 points in our two games. Once I saw the draw, I knew my obstacle to hardware heaven would have been Bob. I have been up against his skills before in the Dec 2008 MD state doubles. And at that meeting, my partner Bruce and I also were victimized by his court savvy and ball placement skills.To be able to show better against Bob and eventually beat him, I will have to study his game more. I began that lesson during our match and had the pleasure of refereeing his finals against Steve Bossung whom he handled 9 and 4 in about 30 minutes. Yes, being the ref is a chore that most people dislike, but it allowed me to watch Bob's movement to the ball, his shot making abilities, and his vulnerabilities. We all have tendencies and they are always on display throughout a match. Know those tendencies and exploit them and your winning percentage will rise.” Study hard, Mr. Peart – Bob Maguire has swept his age bracket this winter and has put himself on a short list of players able to perform that feat!
The B Division used to be a true test where endurance and error free ball were required over a 3-day weekend to receive the coveted stamp of now being required to play in the Open. While only 3 players signed up this year, the round-robin provided some unusual match-ups with players who have never seen each other before. The opportunity to take on new talent had been a hallmark of tournament play and one of the exciting aspects of these events, so it was great to see these new pairings. In his pre-tournament warm-up eventual champion Tim Grieshaber made sure to let me know that he was going to be walking away with the trophy. His words proved true as he didn’t drop a game in beating Randy Wolfe and William Vargas. Wolfe, who has recently taken on the Eastern PA Commissioner post, showed his devotion to the game by making the trip and competing despite an ailing back. Vargas, who played in his first Maryland tournament, came with his wife and three children – another example of how families have become an important part of this event.
The last match of the day was the Open Singles final. Despite playing each other nearly every week for a decade and competing in the same events year after year, this was the first time Dan Zimet and Alan Frank met in a Maryland State Singles tournament. Frank returned to the finals after a long absence caused by several injuries that now, based on his performance, are no longer an advantage for his opposition. Frank bested a very game Logan Foley in the semi-finals in two games that could easily have gone either way. Whether it was Frank’s experience or sleep deprivation caused by Foley’s 1-month old is to be speculated by the audience. The outcome was a 21-20; 21-18 victory for Frank. Foley’s road to the semi-finals went though CJ Raymond, who managed middle teens against the onslaught of Foley. Raymond later went on to win the Open drop-down against Josh Osborne. On the top of the draw Josh Ho emerged from the first round with a survivor-like battle against Osburn. Despite being down 14-2, Osburn turned on the gas with deep cracking serves to the left and flat kills struck with great power from his rangy swing. Osburn passed Ho at 17 and then closed off the first game 21-18. This change in momentum didn’t last past the first rally of game 2 as Ho came out with confidence and quickly forced the tie-breaker with a 21-2 victory. This win in the second game was less of a deciding factor in the outcome than Osburn’s injury to his left shoulder. At 1-0 in the tie breaker, while trying to halt his fall during a dive he jammed his arm and was unable to swing thereafter. Ho emerged 11-5 despite Osburn showing great heart in toughing it out. Ho was unable to mount any momentum against Zimet in the semi-finals. While Ho threatened with a 7-2 lead at the start of the second game he fell 21-2; 21-8.
The Open Finals was a repeat of the Virginia tournament held several months earlier and the outcome was the same. While Frank’s game has improved greatly since mid-winter, Zimet proved too tough. Combining strong serves, aggressive offense, and minimizing errors resulted in a 21-8; 21-15 victory. This marks the first time a player has repeated at the Maryland State Singles since Roger Berry won a string of around 8 in a row during the 90’s. Since 2002 we have had 5 different Champions.
Final results:
Open Singles: Zimet d Frank 21-8; 21-15
40+/B – Grieshaber d Vargas 21-13; 21-18
50+: Maguire d Bossung 21-9; 21-4
60+: D Ho d Bardwell 14-21; 21-17; 11-2
70+: Gunzleman d Kolodny: 21-2; 21-7
Novice win/loss records: S. Worchesky – 5-0; NP Frank – 4-1; Strofregen – 3-2