Stern's USTA Florida Sectionals Summary

In an email entitled, "What's the Point?" Mike Stern reflected on his Fort Myers Racquet Club 7.5 senior combo team's escapades in Daytona:

ever lose a point in a tennis match?

ever lose four in a row?

and does it really make a difference.

apparently so.

sectionals for our 7.5 senior combo team were this weekend.

here's the recap from daytona.

7 teams divided into 2 flights.

three teams in the flight.  play each team twice.

each team finished with 2 wins and 2 losses.

each match was decided 2 courts to 1.

so the teams were dead even on matches won and matches lost.

next tie-breaker:  sets lost.

s miami lost 12 sets.

fmrc (us) lost 13 sets.

escambia lost 14.

so we finished second in our flight.

here's the point.

our first match against s miami we lead in a set 5-3.  and the set went to tie-breaker.

we lead in the tie-breaker 6-2.

and lost the next point.

and the next point. 

and the next pont.

and the next point.

do you get the point?

seems pointless.

that's right.  win one of four points and s miami has an extra set lost.

it was that close.

and to make matters worse, s miami won the championship 2-1 against the other flight winner.

we could have been a contender.

final results:  tied for first, lost the tournament by a point.

you think we would be fit to be tied.

but we had a blast.

all three teams in our flights became friends and everyone had a great time.

and it's not like anyone has need of an extra trophy.

but over the course of 12 different matches, everyone can wince a bit when they think of might have beens.

i will not be one of them.

we had great opponents in our league, with park meadows being super people and incredibly closely matched opponents.

and the sectionals turned out the same way

i am so proud of our team for getting to sectionals, and for a great comeback with 2 big wins on saturday. nothing will deteract from the warm fuzzy feeling of being associated with such fantastic people and tennis players.  thanks to every team member for getting us to daytona, and to everyone who made the trip this weekend and played so well.

i'd say wait til next year, but that's too far away.

but all signs point in that direction.