Total Cup 2014

Summary by Rick Leonard

The first ever Total Cup was held November 8, 2014.  This tournament featured a new format based on the Davis Cup in Tennis.  It consisted of two man teams competing in short singles games and a doubles game.  Players entered as individuals and were assigned a teammate and division.  (We tried to make teams as even as possible and make the numbers work).  There were three divisions and the results were as follows:

125 Division:  

There were 4 teams in the 125 Division and the titled was secured by the team of John Staples and Frank Weichert.  John and Frank won their singles matches vs. Charlie Doyle and Bill Sidebottom Sr. to take a 2 to 0 lead. They needed only one more point to move on and secured this with a win in their doubles match.

In the other bracket, Bob Hilsinger and Tom Myers beat PK Sims and Larry Reuben.  They swept the singles and doubles closing out the match 3 to 0. 

In the finals, Weichert and Staples were able to slip by Hilsinger and Myers in close match that required all 5 games (The doubles game and all 4 singles games). 

A Division:

The A Division featured 6 teams.  

The qualifying round, where each team faced two other teams, narrowed the field to 4.   Duane Costanzo and Presley Sims earned the most points to earn the #1  seed.  They faced the team of Bob Kozak and Mike Piccolo.  The singles were split making it 1 to 1 and setting up the key doubles match.  Costanzo/Sims pulled out a close doubles game to move into the finals as Bob Kozak could not find enough Aces with his "rope a dope" serve to pull off an upset in the reverse singles game.  (Thanks to Bob for letting me move him up into this division and endure playing some much younger guys in singles).  

In the other semi-final, Mike MacDonald and Ken Mayer played  Paul Straetmans and Ryan Inman.  This was a close contest requiring all 4 singles games and the doubles game.  Ryan Inman is really moving up the ladder and made this a battle.  Ultimately McDonald and Mayer prevailed to move into the finals.  

In the finals, Costanzo and Sims were too much for MacDonald and Mayer and earned the title. 

Tommy Fabbri Jr. and Ken Luchkovitz won the 5th place drop down match over Angus McIntyre and Dan Costello.  

Open Division:

There were 4 teams in the Open Division.  Like the other divisions, a rally scoring system was used with games to 25.  This meant that games were short and fast and every game was up for grabs.  

In the first round, Craig Sickmiller and I (Rick Leonard) were able to sneak by a very tough Pat Oliver and Joe Ivy team.  Oliver beat me and Craig beat Joe in the first round of singles making it 1 to 1.  In the doubles, Leonard/Sickmiller pulled out a close one to take a 2 to 1 lead.  Sickmiller and Ivy played singles next with Joe needing to beat Craig to extend the match and force a deciding Leonard vs. Oliver singles game.  Joe was finally warmed up and pushed Craig into overtime but Craig prevailed 26 to 24 to secure the match 3 to 1.  

In the other semi-final, Jim Karner and Bob Balch beat Bobby Straetmans and Billy Sidebottom Jr.  The first singles were split with Karner beating Sidebottom and Straetmans beating Balch.  In the crucial doubles match, Karner and Balch played strong to win it comfortably.  However, they still needed to win a singles match to close it out.  In the Straetmans vs. Karner match, Bobby had a lead very late in the match but Karner pulled it out securing the match.  Balch edged Sidebottom in the other singles in a very close game.  A 4 or 5 points either way could have changed the outcome of the games and the match.  

In the finals, Leonard/Sickmiller split the singles with Karner/Balch as Karner defeated Leonard and Sickmiller defeated Balch.  In the doubles, it was close but Leonard/Sickmiller made a nice run midway and then held on to win it.  Sickmiller kept up his hot play in the doubles match and beat Karner in the singles game to secure the title.  

Thanks to all that played.  It was a different and fun format and amazingly everyone was able to keep score using the rally scoring system.