by Erik Barker
The Racquet & Tennis Club hosted the 88th annual Payne Whitney Intercity Doubles competition December 9-11. The tournament was comprised of six teams, (Greentree, New England, Tuxedo-Aiken-Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington), and was, as usual, well-attended and extremely competitive.
Play began Friday morning with Greentree combatting Tuxedo-Aiken-Chicago and New York taking on Philadelphia. The steady pair of Dylan Patterson and Hugh McDonald took down Charlie Michele and Jason Mengel (one has to laud Patterson and Mengel for even walking out on court, given recent severe injuries), and Will Thompson and John Beam survived inspired tennis from Kenny Soffer and Andy Dick, with the match being won in three tight sets. Greentree would continue its impressive start through the perennially outstanding Ben Stein and Addison West and would go on to seal the match through their seniors, headed by the reliable Simon Aldrich. Once again, a shoutout must be given to Ben Cook, Tuxedo’s captain who played the number one position despite not being 100% from recent surgery. Thus, though Tuxedo-Aiken Chicago attained one victory through the efforts of Guy Devereux and George Handy, they ultimately succumbed 4-1 to Greentree.
On the other side of the draw, Philadelphia regrouped from their first match and swept the remaining. A particularly phenomenal match occurred at the number one position, with rising star Freddie Bristowe and Will Hopton edging Peter Cipriano and Matt Mackin 6/5 in the third. After taking the lead 2/1 in matches as a product of a victory in the senior match, the exceptionally strong number two team of John Crowell and Henry Smith overpowered Zach Sacks and Phil Stockton, sealing the win. For good measure, the rapidly improving Mike Barton and Saby Bose won their contest and gave Philadelphia a 4-1 victory over New York.
With the early Friday matches over, the defending champion New England squad and last year’s finalists, Washington, took the court. Fielding a deep team that had arguably gotten even better (given the rise of Pete Dickinson and Andrew Peabody), the ensuing match between New England and Greentree was anticipated with great interest. The Friday night matches did not disappoint. Dave Tedeschi and Peabody came through their clash with Patterson and McDonald, with this being followed by what was perhaps the best match of the tournament. Aided by the steady play of Pat Winthrop and some sublime volleys from Todd Meringoff, New England was just able to overcome Stein and West 6/5 in the third, with the crowd constantly going crazy. This put New England in great position, taking a 2/0 lead over Greentree before the USCTA Annual Dinner. As this was occurring, Washington and Philadelphia commenced their own battle. Bristowe and Hopton showed no mercy in a statement victory over Washington’s John Motz and Brad Allen, but Washington would fight back, with Danny McBride and John Patton squeaking by a motivated Barton and Bose in two tight sets. As a result, Washington and Philadelphia were tied 1-1 by the end of Friday, with both teams going to sleep with plenty of hope.
Saturday morning would see New England build off their success of the night prior. Senior team Jeff Horine and George Bell defeated Aldrich (quite rare at this event) and Rob McLane, putting them in the driver’s seat to make the final. Ultimately, New England would overwhelm their opponents 4-1, with Greentree’s sole victory coming from the unorthodox but effective play of Brook Hazelton and Shep Skiff. Meanwhile, Washington had gone up 2-1 on Philadelphia (boosted by the return of Rich Moroscak, who had not played the event since 2018), and was looking to clinch the battle with a third win. Another epic match proceeded, with Noah Motz and Ryan Carey taking on Crowell and Smith. Both hitting the ball hard and in excellent practice, Motz and Carey stunned their opponents 6/5 in the third, giving Washington the victory over Philadelphia. With the pressure of a potential deciding match alleviated by their teammates, the returning Kris Motz (who had not played the tournament for seven years) and Erik Barker beat Soffer and Dick to give Washington a 4-1 triumph.
The final matches of the round-robin were subsequently played, with New England taking on Tuxedo-Aiken-Chicago and Washington combatting New York. Newcomer Jason Mcalheney and Vaughan Massie put on an impressive display but ultimately fell in three sets to the experienced Tedeschi and Peabody. Winthrop and Meringoff would come through their clash comfortably and Horine and Bell bested Alan McHugh and Joe Capella to claim a spot in the Whitney Cup final. Though New England’s team proved too much, the exemplary performance of Rakesh Jasani and Handy in defeating Dickinson and Alex Spence should be noted. The team can also leave with optimism due to the arrival of Nick Howell from Bordeaux, who will undoubtedly have a positive influence on tennis in Aiken.
Washington, having somewhat surprisingly secured four victories over Philadelphia, were in mathematically great position: they needed just two wins to make it to the final. Motz and Carey retook the court and barely overcame solid play from Sacks and Stockton in three tight sets. Erik Barker and Kris Motz were up next and won in straight sets over Thompson and Beam, sealing Washington’s victory and spot in the final. Despite being out of the tournament, New York fought on, with the crowd being privileged to see some especially splendid play from Cipriano and Mackin. Unfortunately, despite holding a commanding lead, Cipriano would frame a vicious cut volley from Allen into his eye (get well soon Cip) and retire from the match. The efforts of Chris Holter and Will Fantini should also be mentioned, giving McBride and Patton a scare. Still, Washington would win, beating New York for only the second time in their existence.
Sunday arrived with palpable excitement and tension in the air. A rematch of last year’s final between two incredibly spirited teams, New England and Washington, was about to occur, with Washington looking for their first Whitney Cup in four trips to the final (Washington was 0-3 in their first three Whitney Cup finals, all against New England) and New England seeking to establish a dynasty. With history not on their side, Washington was desperate for a good start… and they got one. McBride and Patton brushed off commendable play from Tedeschi and Peabody to beat the pair 6/4 in the third, with McBride’s defensive volleys buoying the team to victory. Eager to pick up their team, Winthrop and Meringoff comprehensively triumphed over John Motz and Allen, evening the score at 1-1. Simultaneous action would ensue on both the West and East courts, with Noah Motz and Carey taking on Spence/Dickinson and Bill Barker and Moroscak battling Horine/Bell. Spectators frequently went back and forth between the courts and were treated to two dramatic matches. Washington would lose the first set and win the second set of both of their matches, bringing trepidation and jubilation to their supporters. Ultimately, Spence and Dickinson would end some of the suspense by reeling off four straight games to give New England a 2-1 lead. Their effort was especially impressive considering their two losses in the previous round robin, exhibiting mental strength and perseverance (this was, of course, helped by Spence’s ridiculous volleying and Dickinson simply not missing). Barker and Moroscak would further strike fear into the hearts of the Washington faithful by going down 4-3 in the third set but would eventually claw back to win 6-4. Thus, the match was tied 2-2, with the successful pair of Ben Hudson and Jeremy Wintersteen (7-0 when playing together in the Whitney Cup prior to this match) facing Erik Barker and Kris Motz for the title. Going up 3/1 in the first set, the New England pair looked strong once again. Despite this, Barker and Motz’s confidence never wavered, with the pair reeling off 11 straight games to win Washington’s first ever Whitney Cup!
On a personal note, I’d like to thank Temple Grassi, Robin Martin, Haven Pell, and a myriad of others for making court tennis possible in Washington D.C. This was a very emotional victory-we dedicate it to you.
Fun Facts/Numbers
1
Just one new player this year (Jason Mcalheney of Tuxedo-Aiken-Chicago). Welcome to the Whitney Cup!
3
The number of three-set matches played in the final (out of 5). This number is a testament to how close the final was and the competitiveness of the tournament overall.
4
Four different teams have won the tournament in the last four years in which the tournament has been played (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022). This is a Whitney Cup first and quite a departure from the prior decade which saw New York and Greentree dominate.
6
The number of teams that went undefeated this year (Freddie Bristowe & Will Hopton, Brook Hazelton & Shep Skiff, Pat Winthrop & Todd Meringoff, Erik Barker & Kris Motz, Danny McBride & John Patton, Bill Barker & Rich Moroscak). George Handy was undefeated with two different partners, while Cipriano & Mackin appeared on their way to winning their second match but were stopped by Cipriano’s injury/retirement.
14
The number of years since Washington first made it to the Whitney Cup final. Despite having lost to New England in 2008, 2009, and 2021, the team, which still fields many players that were part of the first final, never gave up hope… making this victory all the more special.
89
The Whitney Cup iteration that will commence next year. The seeds will be Washington (1), New England (2), Philadelphia (3), and Greentree (4).
