Winter Travel Team 2024 - Week 7 Recap
Standings (click to view):
10U Rookie, 10U Adv, 12U Rookie, 12U Adv
The Tennis Titans cannot be passed, but they can be caught. That's all that stands in their way before winning the first championship of the winter, despite the Hulks asserting their power to win this week's 12U Rookie faceoff.
Overall five Tennis Central teams headed into Week 7 in first place, while the drama in the league's top tier will come to a crescendo on Saturday.
Mason Woodard won for the now 4-1 Titans. The Hitting Hulks, improving to 2-3, received stellar performances from Yasmine Maalouf and Krishna Fox to keep the championship from the Titans' grasp, at least for now.
Two games back with two to play, the Hulks need to win out to have a chance. But Team Plex stands the same chance.
Match Mavericks also all but clinched the championship at 14U Adv. Three games ahead with three left to play, they can do so on March 9 against the Volley Vipers.
It was Alexander Yu and Jake Snow at doubles who navigated an exceptional 7-6, 4-2 fight with QO Bears to bring them to the brink of the title.
Elsewhere at the top, Olivia Young won an intense match at first singles over Team Fink, who are the Top Spin Titans' main rival for the championship at 18U Int.
Together with doubles pair Ashton Ejtemai and Parts Seirafi closing out Fink 6-4, 6-3, the Titans leapt into first place.
Both Fink and the Titans are 5-1, so it'll be a sprint to the finish.
The pennant race at 12U Adv is hot. Smashinators and Deuce Destroyers again flipped positions, both due to close 2-1 ties.
Siena Auzoux won the deciding match for the Smashinators 6-3, 6-4 against the Rally Raptors at second singles to put her team at the top of the table again.
It came down to two incredible tiebreaks for Destroyers in their loss to QO Bears 2. Only one point separated Bohan Jin from the victory in the early ending match tiebreak. Max Mackoul also went neck and neck at 7-6, 3-2.
Ethan Massey and William Hedrick teamed for the doubles win.
Only two ties remain for both teams, the Smashinators in the driver's seat at 5-1, but with the harder remaining schedule and without a Feb 10 result that could factor into the standings. The Destroyers trail just behind at 5-2.
At 18U Adv it's not quite a race for second place just yet. Both the Set Point Strikers and the Court Crushers kept their title hopes alive with wins this weekend.
Caroline Peterson at singles and the doubles team of Noah Kim and Daphne Dunlap encountered little resistance in improving the Strikers to 5-1.
That means the Strikers will have to win against the 7-0 BTA All-Stars next weekend to stay in contention.
At 5-2, the Crushers also need the Strikers to win that match to have any chance of catching BTA the following weekend.
William Green grabbed the laurels in defeating fellow TC player Injun Chung at second singles.
All three clubs are assured at least a podium finish.
Defaults this week brought the Tennis Tornadoes to 5-1 and a tie atop the 10U Rookie division. They'll have March 10 circles in their diaries, because that's when they'll face Team Plex A to decide their fate.
Comments