Barney Tanfield (NY) vs. Josh Dodgson (TUX)  6-4, 6-4
James Stout (NY) vs. Camden Riviere (TUX) 1-6, 5-6
Barney Tanfield & James Stout (NY) vs Josh Dodgson & Camden Riviere (TUX) 7-8

Tuxedo (6 Points) def. New York (3 Points) 2/1

MATCH SUMMARY by Orlando Mallinson

On Wednesday, February 6^thThe Racquet and Tennis Club hosted a National League match against the Tuxedo team. All players went into the match looking to open their accounts and put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the end-of-season final.

In the pre-match build-up, a group of twenty R&TC members and guests took to the court to compete in the USCTA target shootout. Paul Brooke opened up the scoring with a strong six points, awarded for hitting the winning gallery once and the tambour once in three shots. But ultimately James Crandell took the first prize, getting an outstanding nine points by hitting the winning gallery, the tambour, and the grill.

The first match of the night featured Josh Dodgson (Professional at the Tuxedo Club) versus our very own Barney Tanfield. The match was bound to be tight from the beginning with a series of intense rallies leading to a 6-4 win by Tanfield in the first set. As Dodgson started to adapt to Tanfield’s main wall boasts into the dedans, it was evident an eclectic approach was needed. Barney was beginning to dominate the service end, Dodgson started targeting the galleries, leading the two players to go game-for-game up to four-all. One particularly exciting rally included a rocket of a shot by Dodgson aimed straight at the grill, which was being covered by Tanfield, who, standing next to the tambour, executed an extremely rare tambour boast, catching Dodgson off guard and yielding a chase of better than three yards. Another heated rally involved Tanfield returning on a hazard chase; looking to beat the hazard with chase the line Barney fired one at the back wall, hitting the penthouse, it flew towards the net where Josh sprinted towards and even played a shot off the net itself to win the point. The second set ended with another 6-4 win by Barney Tanfield as he held the service end for the last two games.

The second match involved the world champions of two respective sports, rackets and real tennis. Unfortunately, for James Stout, they were playing the latter. The first set was a tough one for Stout, with Camden starting very strong and getting a 6-1 win. Despite the scoreline, the set was incredibly close with Riviere snatching a few very close games. At the dawn of the second set, Stout came back with a new fire in his eyes and even got to a 5-4 lead only for Riviere to show his extreme professionalism and talent by winning the next two games, and the match. Despite the close loss, all spectators were in absolute awe of Stout’s incredible ability to challenge someone as talented as Camden Riviere.

These two epic bouts led to huge expectation for the deciding doubles match — James Stout and Barney Tanfield versus Josh Dodgson and Camden Riviere. I think it’s safe to say the match lived up to its expectation with many thrilling rallies. The crowd was both stunned and frightened by the power of Barney’s shots into the dedans, with the net bulging frequently. Stout’s volleying was on top form with one particular backhand volley at full stretch stopping a blindingly fast shot by Dodgson heading into the winning gallery. The heated competition had some very extensive rallies with one lasting at least four minutes, with the ball only hitting the penthouse once. The strong desire to win from the Racquet club pros led to a 7-6 lead, but the Dodgson and Riviere partnership managed to snatch the last two games back after winning back the serve at 7-7. They won the last game from 40-30, the last two points being the only difference between the two very strong sides.

Special thanks to the Racquet and Tennis members and staff, who supported the event with a great turnout and fantastic appreciation of the high-class tennis played.

• Steve Virgona (CHI) vs. Nick Howell  (NE) 6-3, 6-1
• Josh Dodgson (CHI) vs. Leon Smart (NE) 4-6, 4-6
• Virgona & Dodgson vs. Howell & Smart 8-3

Chicago (6 Points) def. New England (3 Points) 2/1

On Thursday, February 7th, the Racquet Club of Chicago hosted the New England team in the debut of the 2019 USCTA Court Tennis National League.

A partisan crowd of 75 members was keen to cheer on Chicago to victory over an in-form New England team.

The first match would see the #1s face off–Local pro-Steve Virgona taking on Newport’s Nick Howell. The match started fairly even with both players hitting the ball crisply and finding their targets. At 3-all in the first set, there was a slight momentum shift as Steve somewhat fortuitously managed to win a point defending a chase after the ball bounced a little higher than anticipated! The second set was more one-sided as Steve controlled the service end with some tight serves, buoyed by a partisan crowd in full voice, and ran out the winner 6/3, 6/1.

The doubles were up next. With Conor Medlow unable to play due to injury, Josh Dodgson partnered with Steve against Nick and the Boston Tennis & Racquet club professional Leon Smart. Steve and Josh jumped out to an early lead, keeping Nick and Leon under tremendous pressure at both ends of the court. With a comfortable lead throughout the match, Steve and Josh ran out an 8/3 victory.

The final singles match between Josh and Leon saw two of the rising players in U.S. tennis square off on a neutral court. Josh was quickly out of the blocks with a 3/0 lead as his aggressive, accurate play won him three straight games. Leon then changed the tempo of the match and, took a close first set 6/4. Leon continued his winning momentum into the second set as he raced out to a 4/0 lead. The match looked to be over, but to Josh’s credit he came back strong to level the match at 4-all. After numerous long rallies and great gets over the next two games, Leon was slightly more consistent and finished the match 6/4, 6/4.

Thanks to the Racquet Club, the players and the spectators for their support in making the night such a great success.

On Friday, March 29, The National Tennis Club at the International Tennis Hall of Fame Hosted the New York Team Of Adrian Kemp & James Stout.

• Nick Howell (NE) vs James Stout (NY) 6/5 6/5
• Mike Gooding (NE) vs AJ Kemp (NY) 6/5 6/4
• Howell/ Gooding vs Stout/ Kemp 8/4

New England (8 Points) def. New York (1 Point) 3/0

The #2’s were the first match. Mike Gooding for New England had the tough task on taking on unconventional but very talented AJ Kemp in front of a large Newport crowd. The first set was a cracker.  AJ started off better and had Mike running in all directions with his no-look shots and volley boasts.  Mike worked his way back into the match with a lot of hard and aggressive shots. AJ went up 5/4 before Mike tied the set at five-all and received a huge cheer from a packed dedans and galleries. This helped give Mike an extra boost as he played a great game to close out the set. The second set was very similar to the first, with long rests and games traded back and forth. At four-all, Mike played some smart and decisive tennis to close out the set and the match 6/5 6/4.

The #1’s were up next: Nick Howell for New England took on the supremely talented James Stout of New York.

Much like the first match, both players were on form and the rallies were tremendous. Both players played with lovely control and were aggressive when they had the chance. James went up 5/4 in the first set, but Nick, with some strong returning and tight railroads, was able to eke out the set 6/5. The second set was like the first set– tight.  At three-all, Nick played some great games to find himself up 5/3 with a match point, and had a glorious opportunity to put the ball away, but hit the ball too hard going for the grille and the ball ended up a hazard. Nick was not able to close out the match just yet as James was playing some incredible tennis with unbelievable retrieving. James soon found himself with a set point, but Nick played a succession of good points to win a close match 6/5 6/5.

After the singles, the club had a grille competition for all the spectators. About 40 of the spectators had a go, while the rest preferred to watch and enjoy the complimentary beer and wine. Only two got through the first round: Pete Dickinson and Trevor Jones from Salve University. Trevor hit the grille on his first go, while Pete just missed, so Trevor won a $70 gift voucher for the pro shop.

The doubles started straight after the grille competition and a boisterous Newport crowd remained to cheer their team on to win the last match of the night and complete a clean sweep. Nick and Mike jumped out to an early lead, keeping James and AJ under tremendous pressure at both ends of the court. With a comfortable lead throughout the match, Nick and Mike ran out an 8/4 victory.

• Barney Tanfield (NY) vs. Josh Dodgson (CHI) 3-6 6-1 6-3
• John Lumley (NY) vs. Steve Virgona (CHI) 6-3 6-2
• Tanfield/Lumley vs. Dodgson/Virgona 8-6

New York (8 Points) def. Chicago (0 Points) 3/0

We started off the evening with a Grille competition where Jon Crowell made three out of five to win the Pro Shop prize! Quick to follow, Barney Tanfield, playing for New York, took on Josh Dodgson, playing for Chicago, in a best-of-three-sets battle. Barney, raced out of the gate to take an early lead, but Josh fought back strong, playing smart tennis and keeping Barney’s force under control, to take the first set 6-3! A frustrated Barney came out firing in the second set and didn’t let up, finding targets all over the place to take the second set 6-1! With the third set starting at 3-all, the pressure was on. Barney, still firing on all cylinders, played some great tennis to close out the match 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 to thunderous applause from the crowd!

Next up, John Lumley, playing for New York, took on Steve Virgona, playing for Chicago. Both players started well, showing some great athleticism along with controlled court tennis. In the end, John found a few grilles to close out the first set 6-3. At the start of the second set, the players split the first couple of games. A big 40-all game point saw John take a lead, causing Steve to turn up his play to a more aggressive approach. Steve, looking for more forehands and turning on the serve, got him back to 2-4 before John, keeping the pressure on, closed out the match 6-3, 6-2. This gave New York a 2-0 lead on the night!

The last match of the evening saw all four players on the court for the doubles. Set to be a barn burner, this match didn’t disappoint. Barney, playing up, hit some great reaction volleys to give New York an early lead of 2-1. Steve, starting to turn on a lot, taking more forehands, kept the pressure on, but with John covering the main wall, New York keeps a slight lead. Josh covering the grille and galleries superbly meant for some fantastic high paced rallies, but in the end, Barney & John took the match 8-6 giving New York a clean sweep for the evening.

A big thank you to the Racquet Club of Philadelphia for a packed house and making the pros feel welcome.

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• Josh Dodgson (Tux) vs Rob Whitehouse (Chi) 6/0 6/4
• John Lumley (Tux) vs Steve Virgona (Chi) 6/5 6/4
• Dodgson / Lumley vs Whitehouse / Virgona w/o

Tuxedo (7 points) def. Chicago (0 points) 3/0

On Friday May 10th the final regular season National League match took place at The Tuxedo Club. The home team consisting of home pro Josh Dodgson and John Lumley took on Steve Virgona and Rob Whitehouse. This match would determine whether Chicago would make the finals over the New England side. Tuxedo had already earned their spot in the finals but were keen to achieve the clean sweep.

The second-string singles was promptly underway at 6pm. Josh, with his apparent home court advantage, came out of the blocks strong. Rob, having recently recovered from knee surgery was moving remarkably well, but Josh continued widening the court, making it hard for Rob to get into his groove. This resulted in a 6/0 first set for Josh and things seemed to be going his way. This run continued to a 5/1 lead in the second set, but the match was not over yet! The experienced Court Tennis Hall of Famer did not stop fighting and edged his way back to 4/5. This complete switch of momentum meant that it was anyone’s set. After a tight game the home-pro managed to squeak out a 6/0 6/4 win.

Next up, the headline match of John Lumley and Steve Virgona. Chicago, having lost the first singles needed a win more than ever. Both players were revved up and ready to go. Steve seemed to be a lot more relaxed at the beginning of the first set and was hitting winning openings with ease. With a 3/0 lead it seemed as though Chicago would go on to at least win the first set, but that was not the case. John, with his no ball is out of reach mentality kept the match alive and was right back in it. The players then traded games to end up at 5/5, deuce. Set points were defended and the rallies were lasting for at least 10 shots. After some amazing tennis John managed to take the first set 6/5.

After almost an exact repeat of the previous set, we were back at 3/0 to Steve and he looked as though he couldn’t miss. Steve’s railroad and force were on point and John could only sit tight and weather the storm. Fortunately for John, he was given a few of looser balls and he was able capitalized on these. His recent Instagram videos are proof that solo practice really does pay off. This, combined with a tighter railroad meant that John was right back in the match. The déjà vu continued, and we were back at 5/5, deuce. The crowd were on the edge of their seats as they witnessed some tightly contested set and match points defended. John’s slightly younger legs prevailed, and he was able to take the match 6/5 6/5.

Unfortunately, during the grueling match Steve sustained an injury and was unable to play the doubles. This meant that Tuxedo won the night 3/0, giving them pole position in the standings. The Tuxedo Club are now due to play New England in the finals of the National league.

Thank you to everyone that came out to watch and congratulations to Dave Christensen on winning the grille competition.

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• Leon Smart (NE) def. Josh Dodgson (Tux) 6-3, 6-3
• Camden Riviere (Tux) vs Nick Howell (NE) 6-3, 6-0
• Riviere & Dodgson def. Howell & Smart 8-0

Tuxedo wins 2018/19 National League Title

2018-19 USCTA National League Final

New England v. Tuxedo.

It was a moonlit, bitterly cold night in Newport, Rhode Island, but inside the National Tennis Club at the International Tennis Hall of Fame there could not have been a warmer reception by the packed house for the stars of the court tennis world.

First match

After a bit of nervous fiddling around with grips and shoes, Josh Dodgson (Tuxedo) and Leon Smart (New England) took the court. The match started with both players making incredible returns off equally incredible shots, but then missing the easy slower balls, bringing to mind former World Champion Wayne Davies’ dictum: “Think too long, things go wrong.” This adage held true through the first half of the opening set.

The two players had very different strengths: Leon as a terrific volleyer and Josh playing excellent off the backwall.
It became apparent that Leon was winning with less effort by taking the ball early, edging Josh out of games and taking the first set 6/3.

The second set was a tighter affair and Josh had his chance at 3-2 up, 40-all with a chase 2. It looked as though he would increase his lead, but a poor railroad was dispatched with force into the dedans to tie the match at 3-all. This not only cost Josh the point and came, but also the momentum he had worked so hard to create.

Leon, sensing weakness, stepped up his game and ran off the final 3 games very quickly to win the match
6/3, 6/3. 1-0 to New England

Second match

A casual and relaxed Camden Riviere strolled onto court to face Newport’s Nick Howell, both players eager to impress with trick shots during the warm-up. Nick had a dream start, sprinting around the court getting Camden’s best shots and returning them for winners of his own to take the first game. Nick continued to play out of his mind and reach a 3-1 lead, which may not seem much but to do so he must have hit 30 shots that would
have been winners against any other player in the world.

Mr. Riviere took off the proverbial gloves, in this literal case, sweatpants, and donned his game face. The rabbit turned into the fox and with the loss of only 5 more points, Camden took the set 6/3. As sure and as unstoppable as a tectonic plate, Camden inexorably moved forward game-by-game to a 4/0 advantage.

Nick, realizing he needed to improve his winner-loser ratio, started upping the pace and fired a cut volley down the line which Camden picked up late and avoided but, in the process, rolled his ankle. Would he continue? Would he have to retire? The crowd was on tenterhooks while Cam limped up to the door and buried his head in a towel. It was only a few seconds, but time had slowed, as it does when waiting terrible news. Camden looked up with a grimace not only with pain, but in frustration, and a look that said, “Not now I’m about to embark on my run for the. World
championships and I don’t need this!” In a bad temper, he walked back to serve and finished off the match with
overly aggressive and frightening shots, designed to shorten points and, one assumes, to vent his frustration.
The final score was 6/3, 6/0 to Tuxedo. 1-all

Target Contest

It all came down to the doubles, but before that the club held a crowded participation target competition with many rounds. Bill Rives in socks and an elegant grey Fedora bested 20 people and won a $60 gift certificate to the NTC pro shop. Bravo, Bill!

Doubles

The crowd on the edge of their seats, hoping for a New England victory, was slowly silenced by the play: 1/0, 2/0, 3/0. . . Tuxedo was on a roll. Nick and Leon played some spectacular points, but the roll just kept going all the way to Tuxedo’s victory at 8/0. This completed Camden’s run of winning 17 games in a row.

Final Score: Tuxedo, 2; New England, 1

Congratulations to the Tuxedo team for a very well played night, and many thanks to all the supporters who came out to watch on such a cold night and to the generous sponsors who could not attend, but once again provided
the funds to make this event possible.