2017 Doubles Club
Championships
Old winners. New winners. Mixed bag with the results this
time around, I can’t say I was knocked speechless with this year’s doubles club
champions - unlike the 2016 version when the Rakolta / Kordas “Blue Chips”
(still can’t figure out that name) catapulted us all into bizarro world with
their victory. Of course, there isn’t much that could top that, some of us out
there that are still pinching ourselves wondering if we’ll ever wake up, no one
more so than Jed Elley and Ryan Covell who were desperate not to
relive that agony that was inflicted upon them…
Doubles C
A healthy draw with 13 teams. It’s also the draw with the
widest difference of playing standards since there isn’t a lower category to play in. Beginners to the game have no choice but
to start here, and in reality have very little chance of winning. I do remember
years ago where we offered a Doubles D, but no one entered. As the amount of
players that we have increase, it probably would be a good idea to try to add
another level to the tournament again – it would make more parity, and (now)
maybe encourage more newbies to have a crack.
That being said, it was no surprise that all the first round
results came back as 3-0. It then started to get interesting for the quarter
finals. Top seeded Dave Devine and Tom McCarthy had high hopes of a
competitive run this year, considering they fell just a few points short of
taking the C title in 2016 (in fact held a match ball in the final but couldn’t
convert). However, once again, they would fall agonizingly short. This time it
would be a 15-13 in the 5th loss to Marc Topacio and John
Perkins, a frustrating result for Tom and Dave, no doubt, especially when
they could see later on in the event that Marc and John got through their
semifinal 3-0. The one that got away, maybe, but Dave and Tom will be back next
year I’m sure, hungrier than ever and certainly would have learned from this
one.
On the other side of the draw, the team to watch out for
would be Sean Moran and Jim Stroh. I was a little weary having
them in the C’s, this team had won this category before – way, way back in
2008. But, neither Sean nor Jim had played any competitive squash for a few
years, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I believe it was the correct
decision, even though they did win their first couple of matches comfortably
3-0. The final would be a different story, however.
Marc and John are not overly experienced at the doubles
game, being a solid singles player does not always translate to the doubles
court. And even though Jim and Sean have been M.I.A. for quite a while, no one
can take experience away from you. So when the going gets tough, the
knowledgeable step up and take control.
Marc and John’s tactic was to engage Sean as much as
possible. And that worked for most of the match. But in the end it also burnt
them. A tight, clean match, Marc and John were 4 points away from a 4 set
victory, until Sean’s racquet came alive and he ripped a couple of superb
forehand volley winners. The tide turned, momentum shifted and for anyone who
has played doubles, it can be rather difficult to stop a run of points. Sean
and Jim pinched the 4th and stayed on top to take the 5th
as well. Marc and John undoubtedly felt like Tom and Dave after their match –
the one that got away. But it was a great effort all around – congrats to Sean
and Jim for their second C title!
Doubles B
This category was the one with probably more ‘upsets’ than
the others. Not a huge draw, but the hardest of the three to predict the
winner. Chris Van Tol and Matt DiDio went in as the ‘favorites’,
based on the fact that they were last year’s bridesmaids. But neither Chris nor
Matt have spent a lot of time on the doubles court since, which of course is
not a great recipe for success. Just because that tactic worked for them 12
months ago…
 |
| Shail Arora, JC Tibbitts, John Mann, Joey Gaylord |
It almost got them
through this year too, but a 3-2 loss to John
Roarty and Len MacEachern in the
quarter-final would have them rethinking that strategy somewhat. Len and John
would then be dealt with in 4 games in the semifinal by Joey Gaylord and Shail Arora.
Joey and Shail in the final did surprise me to some extent, but on the other
hand, both of them play a decent amount of doubles so it really shouldn’t be that
much of a shock. Shail also won the Doubles C at the DAC Classic this year, no
easy task!
The opposite side of the draw also had its fair share of
drama. Colin and Chas Bayer teamed up and turned into
what was a reasonably effective partnership. After a first round 3-0 win, I
thought their campaign would be stopped abruptly against Dave Walker and Jason Currie.
Dave and Jason have had a number of close matches in this tournament over the
years, never quite getting over the hump. And they repeated that this year too.
An epic encounter with the Bayer-Boys, Colin and Chas jimmied and jived their
way to a 15-14 in the 5th victory, setting up a semifinal against JC Tibbitts and John Mann, a match that unquestionably involved a ridiculous amount
of trash talking, wagering, and probably something humiliating for the losers.
In the end, I’m sure Colin and Chas’ wallets felt a little lighter after their
3-1 loss and a few meals and drinks were involved.
The final – on paper anyway – looked like JC and John would
be favorite. But, after a first game 15-14 loss, they must have been a little
worried. Shaking it off, they stormed back in the second game, dominating the
entire way for a 15-3 win. Then parity set in again. Another sudden death point
to decide the game, this time it was JC and John walking off with the game
under their belts and the all important 2-1 lead. It was enough to break the
resistance from Shail and Joey. The 4th was more a one-sided affair
with a 15-6 score, JC and John taking their first doubles B club championship title.
Doubles A
Was the Blue Chips
victory of 2016 a once off fluke or would they again defy not just the odds, but
all logic as well? John (JR) Rakolta
and George Kordas started off their
2017 effort with a comfortable 3-0 win in the first round, setting up the much
anticipated re-match of last year’s final against Jed Elley and Ryan Covell.
JR and George certainly held the mental edge here, I’m not too sure that Jed
and Ryan have ever gotten over their 3-1 defeat just a year ago, it seems a
sore topic of conversation whenever the subject comes up and George has no problem
reminding them of that as he points to his and JR’s name on the championship
board....
Revenge is a sweet feeling in sports. Now the win for Jed
and Ryan did not guarantee them the title, but the 3-1 victory certainly stopped
the Blue Chips from their second one. With the monkey off their backs, they
could now focus on final and the challenge they lay ahead of them: Peter Logan and Vikram Chopra.
Peter is no stranger to the doubles. He has been in the Doubles
A final 9 times since 2007, winning 4 of them. Vikram on the other hand had yet
to reach a final so this would be his maiden appearance, and having an
experienced partner like Peter would be vital if they were to succeed.
Again, on paper, I was leaning towards a Peter / Vikram win.
And as usual, my predictions on these things generally indicate the kiss of
death. Sorry guys. Your fault for being ranked higher (at the time!). Kudos to Julie VandeVusse who was asked to live
webcast the blockbuster event, your dedication to the sport is recognized and
appreciated!
Jed and Ryan were on a mission taking the first game 15-9. A
great confident start, but also they needed to be careful not to get ahead of
themselves. I’m not saying they did, but Peter and Vikram stymied their
momentum in the second game to come back for a 15-10 win to tie up the match 1
game each. The third game would be the decider.
 |
| Ryan Covell, Vikram Chopra, Peter Logan, Jed Elley |
The psychological difference in walking on the court for the
4th game 2-1 up or 2-1 down can be significant, especially if the
third game ended in dramatic fashion. Which it did here. The rally that really
decided the match was at 14-all in the third. Ryan and Jed snatched that point,
a huge emotional boost that carried over to the next game. It wasn’t all one
way traffic that game, but being a lot closer to the finishing line than their
opponents gave them the extra push they needed. Peter and Vikram kept it
relatively tight but couldn’t close the small gap. 15-11 in the 4th,
and we can crown our new DAC Doubles Champions: Jed Elley and Ryan Covell!
