Over Columbus Day weekend, October 9-11, 2015, 16 junior players gathered at the Prince’s Court for the under-19 junior doubles playing for the Lieb Cup. Named in honor of the late John Lieb who endowed a fund for junior player development, the Lieb Cup has been held since 2000 to bring junior players together to compete in level doubles at multiple age groups.
As in the past, the Washington families and professionals outdid themselves in hosting the event and welcoming the out of town players. Friday night featured a casual pizza dinner at the club and open court time for knock-up and informal doubles pairings. Many players made use of the available squash courts, as well.
With finals offered in four-age groups- U19, U17, U15 and U13, Saturday’s play consisted of three round-robin groups as qualifiers to establish pairings for the finals. This format provided plenty of court time for all players, allowing those less experienced to have as much developmental playing time as possible, while concurrently affording the opportunity for younger but more experienced players to possibly qualify in a higher bracket.
No huge upsets transpired, however, and Sunday’s play featured finals with pairings falling into place pretty much as predicted. The first match of the day was the closest. In the U15 finals, play between Charlotte Bell and Ben Dickinson versus Kornelia Mostrous and Tess Browne came down to one game ball! With the match tied up 6-5, 5-6, 5-all, Charlotte hit the dedans to close the match in style.
The U19 finals also featured some close play. The pairing of Noah Motz and Peter Dickinson took the first set 6-3, but their opponents Erik Barker and Chase Motz quickly rallied back to win the second and third set 6-1, 6-4.
The U17 finals featured Avi Fruman and Patrick Chitic versus Hala Gilbert and Ben Dickinson, which the later won 6-5, 6-2. U19 finals were also decided in two sets, with Erik Barker and Noah Motz defeating Chase Motz and Peter Dickinson in decisive fashion.
Anne and John Motz hosted the Saturday night dinner. While the adults enjoyed the casual atmosphere to chat, the juniors competed in the basement for the unofficial ping-pong championship. As the saying goes, “a good times was had by all”.
Next junior tournament: U13, U15, U17, U19 Handicap Singles in Newport, January 15-17, 2016. Mark your calendars!
Under 13 Doubles
Hala Gilbert and Ben Dickinson def.
Avi Fruman and Patrick Chitic, 6-5, 6-3.
Under 15 Doubles
Charlotte Bell and Ben Dickinson def.
Kornelia Mostrous and Tess Browne, 6-5, 5-6,6-5
Under 17 Doubles
Erik Barker and Chase Motz def.
Noah Motz and Peter Dickinson, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Under 19 Doubles – Lieb Cup
Erik Barker and Noah Motz def.
Chase Motz and Peter Dickinson, 6-1, 6-0.
