International Tennis Trophy - IC

[Crown Alliance]

Participants from the Crown Alliance:

Single:
Milena Nicotera - the youngster in the Alliancean Tennis Court. With 20 years she's playing her third season and the first outside of the Crown Alliance. Sister of the more famous Emelie Nicotera she could become the force to be reckoned with this year.
Alexander Sneijder - National Champion three years in a row. With 26 on the peak of his career, various participations in smaller international trophies will give him a advantage for sure, allthough experts are not giving him high chances for a wonder in Ceni.

Double:
Filip Mariani / Milena Nicotera - a old pairing, playing their third season together and 5 years before that in the youth squad. It is said that Sneijder was very angry about the fact that he was not choosen for the pairing but in the end the result served the pair right, together they won 10 Tourneys and the last 3 Championships. The only disadvantage is the non existend international experience.

[Wray]

A biography pre-written for Kaitlyn Michaelson - hope to put up one for the others

SportsWray Profiles

A series of articles profiling athletes across all sports in Wray

Kaitlyn Michaelson - TENNIS

Fact-File:

• Age: 20
• Place of Birth: Goodesbury, Central Districts
• Sport: Tennis - Women's Singles
• Height: 5ft 8"
• Achievements: Nelson's Bay Open Women's Singles: Winner, Albion Grass Challenger, Women's Singles: Winner, 4x other National Circuit Women's Singles Finals

The next big thing in Wray tennis, to be sure, and has the power to galvanise tennis and allow it rival the myriad other sports which clutter the already packed sports schedule in Wray.

Born on the 15th June 1996, in the rural settlement of Goodesbury, Central Districts, 40 miles outside Cartersburg, to a farmer and a shopkeeper, Kaitlyn showed promise in tennis, amongst other sports (as seems to be the case for many athletes) from a young age. Attending the regional Secondary and High Schools, she excelled first in Netball, where she played at the Secondary School Championships at age 15, and then in tennis. She was a prodigious talent from the very beginning, learning the game from coaches at the Leither High School Sports Club, a school to which she later earned a Sports scholarship to enter 2nd form at the age of 17. In her first year at Leither, she dominated, and although against moderate opposition, won the District Girls Open with consumate ease. Her next victory was all the more impressive, as the step up from District level was regional level, which encompassed Cartersburg and all it's sporting-powerhouse High Schools and Colleges, such as Christ's College, St Lyon's and St Rinus'. Her skills were spotted by a talent scout from the Wray Tennis Federation (unfortunately abreviated to WTF) during the Regional U18 Open, and she was brought into the National Tennis Youth Development Programme (NTYDP) based in Jacobsville, South Western Districts. She spent an intensive training period at NTYDP, where she was coached by former 6-time national champion Mia Barnett. She first entered the National Circuit as a wildcard in the Albion Grass Challenger in 2012, where she impressed en-route to the the 4th Round. She won Girls Singles at the same competition, as well as three other National Circuit competitions, whilst also playing on the main circuit (the Girls competition allows entrants equal to or younger than 19). Her victories in the Girls competitions served her well, and she made her first Open final in 2014, losing to Gemma Sharoe, the Wray No. 1 in 3 sets. Success was not far away, and after dispatching Sharoe in the semi-finals of the Nelson's Bay Open in April of this year, she took her first Open title. She followed that up with a rise to number one in the Women's Rankings, and victory at the Albion Grass Challenger and a final appearance in the season closer, the Cartersburg Open.

A classy and fluid player, particularly at the net, Michaelson plays an exciting brand of tennis which has become popular with the fans. She posseses a sense of humour on the court, and likes to interact with the crowd, umpire and even her opponent whilst on the court. Her strengths lay in her ground strokes, her ability to serve-and-volley, classing a particular move as 'the Michaelson 1-2'. Exceptionally fit, she can survive those gruelling 3-setters in the high Wray sun. She also occasionally, at less prestigious tournaments, appears in Women's Doubles with training partner Ellyse Scott. Her talent and charisma hope to put tennis on the map in terms of major sports in Wray.

[Flardania]

Singles:
Ryoma Echizen 17 M
Omiko Hakodate 17 F
Doubles:
Haruka Nimi 24 F & Yoon Ji Moon 25 M

[Euskirribakondara]

Three-letter code: EUS
Nation Name: Euskirribakondara, the Great Pluricultural Harrikía of

Players (Given Name in Italics)
Singles:
Edurne Mandaburu, 17, F; from the Harrikes province (native language, Euskal)
Pàmêrësari Küíko, 18, M; from the Silva province (native language, Aöpík)

Doubles:
Kida Kaghakira, 22, F; from the Narni province (native language, Kraañl)
Marko Goitíaberrok, 25, M; from the Tal-Arabak province (native language, Euskal)

[Ceni]

Even though some people are too lazy to post two names on this thread, this is your first CUTOFF. Matches with a no-roster nation will be OOCly postponed but still ICly take place today.

Group A
Pemecutan vs Welwyn

Dewa Putu Adrian Putra      4   6   6   3   6
Greg Wilson                 6   2   3   6   4

Luh Putu Yundari            6   6   6
Emma Hunt                   3   2   0

Pemecutan leads series 2-0

Frenline Delpha vs Mattijana

Samuel Gerkin               6   6   6   6
Dimitry Popileev            4   7   3   4

Tracy Frenmore              1   4   6   6   6
Ivor Korlenko               6   6   4   3   4

Frenline Delpha leads series 2-0

Group B
Britonisea vs Estelar

Ricardo Toli                6   6   2   1   6
June Cruzeiro               3   2   6   6   4

Lance Mance                 6   5   7   1   3
Natália Paraíso             1   7   6   6   6

Series tied 1-1

Kannap vs Luxdonia

Brianna Powell              7   7   3   6
Richard Weir                6   5   6   3

Samantha Howell             4   6   6   6
David Johnson               6   2   4   4

Kannap leads series 2-0

Group C
Krytenia vs The Tiber and Wisdom

Stephen Perez               6   6   6
John Thomas                 2   1   4

Jessica Moreaux             7   5   6   6
Tom Iash                    5   7   1   1

Krytenia leads series 2-0

Patistan vs Natanians and Nosts

Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi        4   5   4
Rog Ion Tralito             6   7   6

Samir Iftikhar              6   6   4   6   6
Maria Cláudia Amúlio        0   4   6   7   3

Series Tied 1-1

Group D
Ceni vs Crown Alliance

Ciache Nagya                6   6   4   3   6
Milena Nicotera             4   4   6   6   2

Marisa Maradona             6   7   6
Alexander Sneijder          2   6   4

Ceni leads series 2-0

Sword Bloke vs New United States of Columbia

Shop Owner                  7   5   6   6
Richard Wilson              5   7   2   4

Vice Owner Jason Harley     6   5   2
Marco Paul                  7   7   6

Series tied 1-1

Group E
Albaie vs Sri Lankin

Patrick Park                0   6   4   6   6
Ayeisha                     6   0   6   4   0

Wendell Fisher              2   7   7   3   4
Abd al Bari                 6   6   6   6   6

Series tied, 1-1

Sargossa vs Welcomzia
Not played

Group F
United States of Devonta vs Flardania

Elizabeth Hines             3   5   6
Ryoma Echizen               6   7   7

Charles Sayer               6   5   6   7
Omiko Hakodate              2   7   1   6

Series tied, 1-1

Wray vs San Llera

Kaitlyn Michaelson          5   6   7   7   2
Arnaldo Pan                 7   7   5   5   6

Brandon Lissett             6   6   6   7
Marco Quintana              7   2   2   6

Series tied, 1-1

Group G
Electrum vs Euskirribakondara

Samuel Gates                6   6   6   6
Edurne Mandaburu            3   3   7   3

Mia Cassington              3   6   3   6   7
Pàmêrësari Küíko            6   4   6   0   9

Series tied, 1-1

Eastfield Lodge vs Coraspia
Not played

Group H
Neu Engollon vs Regalius

Paul Quiront                6   3   7   6
K'Pella Demorrah            3   6   6   1

Marla Gerard                6   4   6   6
Meran Pol                   3   6   3   4

Neu Engollon leads series 2-0

Kernansquillec vs Zillmerilic

Jason Stidolph              6   6   5   7   0
Keki Uriz                   7   3   7   5   6

Noelene Armistead           6   6   5   3
Raki Uriz                   4   7   7   6

Zillmerilic leads series 2-0

[Sri Lankin]

Players
Singles:
Ayeisha, 21 F
Abd al Bari, 18 M

Doubles:
Ayda, 25, F
Abd er Rahman, 23,M

Note:I dont know if this is enough.I will add more info though.

[Welcomzia]

OOC: I apologize for being late.

Singles Team:

Name: Surname:

Frank Wilson
Jeffrey Simmons

Doubles Team:

Dave Freeman
Jerold Helm

[Sargossa]

SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Sport


Tennis Goes International, Federation Unimpressed


Mario Najar reports;

The pantheon of Sargossan sports is a complex beast. The top’s fairly straightforward, football sitting unassailable at the top as the nation’s national game. A little lower down is where it all gets a bit messy, with the likes of Athletics, Aquatics, Volleyball and Tennis all jockeying for popularity, prestige and, most important of all, government funding. Tennis has always performed rather favourably against its rivals, but just recently the sport has found itself on the back pages for entirely the wrong reasons.

The drama took root some five years ago, following the appointment Hernan Paredes to the position of Tennis Federation president. Paredes had lobbied the Sports Ministry heavily for the post, gaining the role ahead of the popular choice Cristian Obolo. As a compromise the newly installed Paredes appointed Obolo to the post of Head of Coaching. For a time détente reigned but eventually fundamental disagreements regarding how Sargossan tennis was run came to the fore. Paredes was of the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ philosophy while the more progressive Obolo believed international exposure was needed for the nation’s best to really kick on. The fact that Obolo, generally considered one of the finest tennis exponents Sargossa has produced and an Olympic gold medallist to boot, was so respected in the domestic sporting sphere also rankled hugely with Paredes. The simmering tensions finally came to an explosive head last month.

Following a blazing row Obolo resigned from his Federation role and, using his sporting connections, signed the nation up for the upcoming International Tennis Trophy in Ceni. Obolo, with his successful academy and its affiliate coaching structure, had the pool of talent to call upon but has since met with certain logistical challenges. Although nothing official has been confirmed an unnamed Tennis Federation source has hinted that Paredes is set to name Obolo’s project as a splinter organisation and, as such, will look to ban any player linked to that organisation from tournaments sanctioned by the sport’s official government body. Consequently top Academia Obolo graduates including David Uribé and Diego Medina (both ranked in the EsportTec Pro Tour Men’s top twenty) and (Women’s number seven) Catalina Laurel distanced themselves from the International Tennis Trophy.

But there are always some young hopefuls happy to take the gamble and potentially make a name for themselves, so Obolo has picked four of his younger charges to don the darker blue and take on the world in Ceni. Whether the gamble pays off remains to be seen.

[Estelar]

Wilma Barcellos, from "Astrology Today/The Past/Forever", the main newspaper, radio station, television station and horoscope provider of the country, is the main reporter of Estelar covering the International Tennis Trophy, bringing the news from the first day of competition, let's hear from her

"Wow, just sensed something, like someone was narrating my arrival... I can't see this person but I can hear the voice... oh, just noticed that I am still wearing my in-ear receiver, oops. Well, hello everyone in Estelar, or at least people watching me. Just have the news involving the first matches involving the Estelarian athletes here in this tennis competition. One win and one loss, which is not that bad, considering the fact that we faced opponents who are better ranked... or, I mean, who actually have a rank, as our players are untested in international events. Both matches were intense and only ended after five sets, with Natália having to perform an amazing comeback while losing 2-1. It was like from one moment to the other she got really focused and spent her last energies to win the last two sets by nice margins, after three initial difficult sets. We can only hope she keeps performing this way. On the other match, June even attempted a comeback against Ricardo Toli, managing to win the third and fourth sets after losing the first two ones, and putting a fight in the last one, before finally losing. I am about to enter her dressing room, with authorization of course, to have some words with her... well, good evening, June, I am glad to be here with you, too bad you lost, heh? How do you feel about this bad start?

"Wanna some vodka, darling?"

"Well, thanks, but I can't drink while I am working... although I see you can."

"It is a magic liquid to make me forget my problems and the fact I lost."

"But that was a nice performance, you were really close and I think that Estelar got a good star.t"

"Natália did, not me, why are you interviewing me? Well, I'm famous, I know, but now I don't want to talk about tennis... I am more than tennis, you see, I have a personality, I know a lot about many issues and I want to share them with you... hey, do you know why I am named June?"

Erm... I guess, but please tell us."

"I was born in June! Isn't that cool? I'm June because I was born in June, initially my mom wanted to call me May, but I like my name, and I'd be a Gemini either way... hey, did I tell you the story of that time in which I travelled to the beach with my friend from university? Good times."

"That sounds fun, I remember you told this story to me before in one of our programs... well, how do you hope Estelar will perform in the next matches?"

"Depends on the horoscope, but I'm confident. Do you already have tomorrow's? I'd like to see it, my horoscope usually predicts the intensity of my headache the day after I drink, you know..."

"..."

"Come on, let's finish this interview... let's see what I can say... I think we played really well but were still getting used to the climate of an international competition, reason why we have some very difficult initial sets, both me and Natália, but after that we could manage to play our game. Unfortunately that was too late for me and I lost, but we are in a draw and I think we have all the chances of winning this tie. I am frustrated with my loss, but I think that since I was playing a higher ranked opponent I can be hopeful that this was just a minor mistep... was that good?"

"Very predictable, but satisfactory."

"Great, now we can finish the work for the day... to the bar?"

[Krytenia]

Stephen Perez is, put simply, the one-man standard bearer for Krytenian tennis. Since his storming run in the Electrum Slam, coming from literally nowhere to reach the last eight, he's appeared on chat shows, been interviewed for magazines, and basically done everything he can to raise the profile of the sport.

It's a wonder he's found time for training. He must have, though, as Krytenia's first match in the ITT started with the world number forty demolishing his opponent in straight sets. Admittedly, John Thomas (and indeed the nation of Tiber and Wisdom) aren't exactly tennis giants...but the same was said of Krytenia not too long ago either.

It's easy to forget, then, that there are other tennis players in the United Provinces. Jessica Moreaux, unfettered by the media scrum of her teammate despite being the nation's best female tennis player, has been working hard behind the scenes to ensure that she's remembered. It took a while to get going in her rubber, with Moreaux struggling for service accuracy in the first two sets, but once she got the double faults out of her system and the pinpoint backhand firing all over the court, it was as good as over. Tom Iash won just two of the last fourteen games, and the Cyan Courtsiders will be in full voice for tomorrow's doubles. A win for Simmons and Walsh will put the match beyond doubt; tougher tests, especially against the tenacious Patistanis, will await.

[Neu Engollon]

"Good evening, Neu Engollon. I'm Dom Toglani...with you as your nightly host for the NETV Sports 19 Update. The Confederacy's tennis team had quite a debut in the International Tennis Trophy with the initial matches of Paul Quiront and Marla Gerard. Both took on Regalian counterparts, albeit more evenly matched to their teammate than themselves. In the bigger picture, the NETC team is favored for their group, being the only ranked team of the bunch. Back to the matches...

Quiront didn't disappoint with on court antics as there were a few arguments with the chair umpire to the point where he was seriously jeopardizing his match. Some obviously under the breath comments to K'Pella Demorrah at the net went unreported by the gracious Regalian. She is a woman and a foreigner, two strikes in Quiront's mind, yet not a valid reason for his ire in most everyone else's mind, including this reporter.

Despite all that, Paul got through it with his record intact. Marla of course was the exact opposite of the spectrum from Quiront, being a good sport and model of what an ATP player should be. Her match, like Paul's, went the full set with the ultimate return of a victory over Meran Pol after some ace serves and decisive volleys. We will see these two continue to build on their ATP tournament experience as they progress through the ITT. Next up, we'll review the duo of Danjiella Zovic and Lizbet Rittenhaus as they approach their first match of the tournament. Stay tuned after the break."

[New United States of Columbia]

Thomas McKinley smiled as he watch the international tennis tournament taking place. It made for a good way to show the USC's ability and rugged individualism on the world stage without war. They eyes of roughly 80-90 million Columbians were upon their champions. Shame the T.Vs were Black-and-White but it went with the tech level they had. Only recently have they discovered he transistor.

Richard Wilson was nervous. Sure he was the best player in the USC but the fact he was "fighting" foreigners with likely more experience and skills than him didn't help with the anxiety of all of the Fatherland watching him. He tapped his foot and looked at the locker room exit to screaming fans. Only God could help him at this rate if he was going against a better tennis player. He knelt down and began to pray. After a few minutes of prayer he got to his feet and felt a lot better. He stopped trembling and sweating and, with confidence, marched out of the locker room.

OOC: typing on the iPhone sucks.

[Ceni]

Greater Vakolicci Haven
International Tennis Tournament Roster
Brought to the world by Havenssport
It is with great pleasure that I, Dmitry Neritov, Director of the Havenssport Directorate for Tennis would like to announce that the Greater Vakolicci Haven will, from this point forward, resume competition in international tennis events, beginning with the international tennis tournament. Havenic participation in this tournament has been allocated to the 2 highest-ranked players in the Havenic Tennis Rankings, published by this organisation on a continuous basing.

Lucciano Ziccardino IV: Age 9, Province Celeria, Havenic tennis ranking 1
The 'young dragon,' as Luciano was known was entered as a joke entry into a Kannapian tennis open some time ago, and the rest is history, after the Province of Celeria (not renowned for its tennis skills) demanded an entrent. Luciano was selected following a tour by then Havenic number 1 Martin Shearman around Celari schools, looking for people who could hold their own against a rather half-hearted serve. Shearman was impressed with Ziccardino's performance and recommended him, entering him into the competition. Despite not performing well, he caught the eye of the media, and the money of its purses, which drove him to continue developing his skills for the sport. Now, one Olympic medal later, Luciano is ready to take on the worlds greatest again at the International Tennis Trophy.

Col. Selav Tukerawan, age 33, Havenic tennis ranking:2
Colonel Selav Tukerawan is a long-established name in the world of Havenic tennis. After having left the military following his development of skills in the sport, Selav entered the Havenic tennis championships and came second to Martin Shearman. With Martin out of the picture, Selav believed he would be able to ascend to his lofty position, something that was crippled by the arrival of Lucciano Ziccardino IV.
These players will also form the Havenic doubles team for the event, completing the roster.

OOC: This was sent to me by Coraspia by TG, posting here for the sake of transparency.

[Ceni]

This is your second cutoff of the ITT!

Group A
Pemeuctan vs Welwyn

Komang Antari/Kadek Andreawati                               4   6   6   6
Terry Lloyd/Emma Hunt                                        6   2   2   4

Pemecutan wins tie, 3-0

Frenline Delpha vs Mattijana

Devin Tristen/Sally Martins                                  6   2   3   6   5
Dominik Vasileca/Alec Mendalez                               1   6   6   4   7

Frenline Delpha leads series 2-1

Group B
Britonisea vs Estelar

Leo Garry/Elizabeth Quehall                                  6   6   6   7
Celeste Alvear/Nina Braghen                                  2   4   7   5

Britonisea leads series 2-1

Kannap vs Luxdonia

Brianna Powell/Samantha Howell                               6   6   6
Samantha Bridges/David Smith                                 2   4   3

Kannap wins tie 3-0

Group C
Krytenia vs The Tiber and Wisdom

Owen Simmons/Perry Walsh                                     3   6   6   6
John Thomas/Tom Iash                                         6   2   4   2

Krytenia wins tie 3-0

Patistan vs Natanians and Nosts

Abid Ali Akbar/Aqeel Khan                                    4   3   1
Márcus Gabriel Alencastro/Iohanna Márcia Enderssen-Moura     6   6   6

Natanians and Nosts lead tie 2-1

Group D
Ceni vs Crown Alliance

Will Nolovor/Kell Korden                                     6   6   6
Filip Mariani/Milena Nicotera                                1   4   3

Ceni wins series 3-0

The Sword Bloke vs New United States of Columbia

Shop Owner/Vice Owner Jason Harley                           6   6   4   5   7
Mick Connors/Paul Foley                                      4   3   6   7   5

The Sword Bloke leads series 2-1

Group E
Albaie vs Sri Lankin

Francis Burton/Stanley Anderson                              2   3   6   6   8
Ayda/Abd er Rahman                                           6   6   3   2   6

Albaie leads series 2-1

Sargossa vs Welcomzia

Tejana Alaníz               7   6   6
Frank Wilson                5   2   3

Rodrigo Aja                 6   6   1   4   6
Jeffrey Simmons             4   3   6   6   2

Charro Camara/Estevan de Hoyos                               6   7   7
Dave Freeman/Jerod Helm                                      1   5   5

Sargossa wins tie 3-0

Group F
United States of Devonta vs Flardania

Fradina Johnson/Isabella Lopez                               4   5   2
Haruka Nimi/Yoon Ji Moon                                     6   7   6

Flardania leads series 2-1

Wray vs San Llera

Kane Adderson/Sloane McKeavy                                 2   7   7   6
Arnaldo Pan/Marco Quintana                                   6   5   5   4

Wray leads series 2-1

Group G
Electrum vs Euskirribakondara

Samuel Gates/Greg Meares                                     7   6   7   6
Kida Kaghakira/Marko Goitiberrok                             6   7   5   4

Electrum leads series 2-1

Eastfield Lodge vs Coraspia

Jaimy Leger                 6   7   7
Lucciano Ziccardino IV      2   6   5

Giorgio Irani               6   6   6
Col. Selav Tukerawan        3   3   4

Giorgio Irani/Clementina Travers                             6   2   1   6
Luciano Ziccardino IV/Col. Selav Tukerawan                   1   6   6   7

Eastfield Lodge leads series 2-1

Group H
Neu Engollon vs Regalius

Lizbey Rittenhaus/Danjiella Zovic                            6   7   6
Denar Keptalo/Hemir Advarah                                  2   6   4

Neu Engollon wins series 3-0

Kernansquillec vs Zillmerilic

Jason Stidolph/Morgana Pound                               6   6   4   6   6
Keki Uriz/Raki Uriz                                        2   7   6   3   4

Zillmerilic leads series 2-1

EDIT 2: Formatting
EDIT 3: Sargossa vs Welcomzia doubles match
EDIT 4: Formatting
EDIT 5: Formatting

[Patistan]

Day 1: Patistan VS Natanians and Nosts

Aisam knew that he was done after the first serve. He jumped a little for his serve which would start the match and the moment his foot landed on the ground he knew something was wrong, most players would give up at a normal tournament for the sake of their health but he was here on a mission. To prove that he still had it in him to win matches and that he earned the bronze at the Olympics and he was fit enough to still represent Patistan in the tennis world. The first game was won by his mediocre opponent and he was smart enough to realize that something was wrong in Aisam's leg and he couldn't move to the left of the court very fast and he took advantage of that. He lost the first set 4-6 but by the start of the second set the pain had eased a little and he gave a tougher fight to his Natanian opponent taking the set to the last game but by then the pain in his left leg came back, it took him with force and the opponent successfully broke his serve to win the second set. Aisam had a calm demeanor outside but he was raging from the inside. The third set was no competition at all and his mediocre opponent who Aisam knew he could beat on any given day comfortably won the set and the tie.

Aisam quickly rushed to the teams doctor and he was told that it was a hamstring problem and he would be out until their next tie against Kyrtenia. It was now up to his cousin, Samir to win his tie to keep Patistan in contention. He watched the TV anxiously as Samir comfortably won the two opening sets and he calmed down a little but his sturdy opponent did not give up easly, she took Samir's lack of aggression to her advantage and took the match to the last set. Aisam was about to faint as the the first 3 games went to his opponent but then he saw the aggression come back to Samir, the same aggression he had once many many years ago. Samir dispatched his opponent in the last set by 6-3 and had given Patistan hope. It was now up to Aqeel and Abid now to win the doubles.

[Natanians and Nosts]

Natanians and Nosts in provisory liderance in the first tie!

The games against Patistan have been quite good,since we've lost only one of the games.
The game Rog 3-0 Aisam-Ul-Haq,was quite hard,with the second set going to a seventh game,but the 2nd,3rd and 5th games of the third set won perfectly(game-love),and that means that Rog beated one of the best and most famous tennis players from Patistan.This resul was good and if we do get a good qualification in the ITT,our tennis supporters will grow in number,and also attract more players and be a promise to an Olympic medal,when the next one come to happen.
The game Maria 2-3 Samir was de facto a hard game,after lose the first set only scoring four times(1st game:game-30;2nd game:game-15;and 5th game:game-15),she played greatly the second set,and won the third set,and after take to the seventh game she won that set too!But,not everything that shines is Gold,all that's good takes a few time,she lost the fifht set by a short difference of 6-3.
The third game,of the doubles,was won by Márcus/Iohanna 3-0 Akbar/Khan.That game was quite easy considering the other two matches,the first set was 6-4,with their double winning the first game without leaving us to score any point,the second set was very easier and two of their games were won because our servers ware hitting the net too much times.The third and last set was the easiest one,with Abid Ali/Aqeel winning their only game when it was already 5-1!
Resuming:Ourr team was good,but we have to make it better,and Patistan proved to be a great opponent!

[Britonisea]

BVC LIVE

---

"NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE SPORTS NEWS, NOW WITH JAYDEN HILSBURY (JH) AND RETIRED TENNIS PLAYER, ms TURNER (TT)"

JH: Right, welcome to BVC Sports live with me, Jayden Hisbury. Moving on from Multi-Sports Games and Ceremonies, we now move on to Britonisea's National Sport, tennis. It has been a very tough year for Britonisea as Ricardo Toli, who was once 4th in the rankings slipped back all the way to 25th and Britonish Number 2, at the time 14th in the world slips back to an abomnibal 50th place. Other Britonish hopefuls are considered not even to be mention nor one to look out for. Lance Mance is a veteran here. He is one of the longest-careered players as he has had some wins in the first Britannual Open before the ATP came to life really. He has had a very successful carer however some critics say that this is coming to a halt, hopefully not. Then we have Ricardo Toli, who started as an Estoge player and was kicked out first round by Lance Mance in the First Britannual Open. It was quite sad to see this but Ricardo has improved so much, so looking at this dip that he is going through is quite out of the picture at the moment, and he says he is looking for a new coach. Hopefully this coach can get him back on track and he can succeed. This will be hard as Tennis Giants, Ceni, dominate the top 5, even the top 10 with world class players and it seems as though Britonish Athletes are being sided with them. This is a problem we need to overcome. We are now going over to Retired Tracey Turner to ask for her opinion of what is happening in the tennis world. So Ms Turner, why did you quit? What is going on with you?

TT: Hello Jayden! Hello Britonisea. I have decided to quit being a tennis player and maybe move on to participating in Squash. I am sure that either Lance or Peter took part in the Squash events or badminton so i question myself, why can't I do something like that? I am too far down the rankings of the ATP to even consider coming back and that is the way that the Britonish Athletes if they don't step up their game. I failed to step up my game and I failed at that point. Who do I blame, only myself. I could go back, however, I doubt that I will. I wish that Britonish hopefuls like Jason Gordon can push through. I also don't get why they didn't chose other to participate in this tournament as I think, personally, that you need to get less experienced people in this trophy, we might not win, but it is the participation that counts, am I right to say so? What is going on with me? Well I am chilling, I just recovered from having a baby child, who I will push to be put as one of the Britonish Tennis Players of modern day Britonisea. This will hopefully be a nice new start for them!

JH: Thanks, I think that the participation does count, and the winning counts too, why not have a pizza with pepperoni on it? I think that, I am confirming that the ABENTA, The Aben Tennis Association says that they only wanted these people, who hasn't been attending recent matches, to go up and start playing tennis again. When last have we seen tennis on television, where the players are Britonish? We haven't seen a Britonish Doubles nor singles in the finals for a very long time now; and that in it's self is quite poor. Britonisea used to be one of Ceni's main rivals, and we used to go against Anditia and Estope to fight to the top, however that was just a fake dream it seems now when you look at the league. It is quite horrendous.

TT: Even though Britonisea hosts the Tier-1 tournament, Britannual Britonish Open and we spend literally millions on tennis. we never, never, win or get anything in return. Unfortunately, Tennis is dying out in Britonisea in replace for track and field and this is a factor of the nation hosting two back to back multi-purpose games. Britonisea hypes up Athletics so much, that there has been a 20% increase on those participating in Athletics, and 70% of schools have either adopted a track and field event or even upgraded Athletics equipment, Whereas Tennis is seeing a mirror decline to this. We have to train our youngsters to grow up and be good in this lovely sport we hold so dearly to our hearts; it is the only way we can succeed. I wouldn't be surprised if Britonisea ended up not being in the top 50.

JH: What about these scores,

Ricardo Toli                6   6   2   1   6
June Cruzeiro               3   2   6   6   4

Lance Mance                 6   5   7   1   3
Natália Paraíso             1   7   6   6   6

Lance Mance lost his match against some new comer or something and Ricardo still fought for it but it was ridiculous how he had to fight for the first to the fifth set. In this match, you'd expect that Ricardo beats this guy in three straight sets however this is not happening. He did well in the first two sets, I will give him that, but after he slipped and he managed to get back up again. I don't know what to say about Lance Mance to be honest. He did so well in the first set but it was totally blown when the second set started. The fourth set was just wicked. Wicked as in vomit. It was horrific to see such a legend being rumpled by a jump star. Not a very good start to the International Tennis trophy, whereas the doubles;

Leo Garry/Elizabeth Quehall                                  6   6   6   7
Celeste Alvear/Nina Braghen                                  2   4   7   5

Did better. No more of that five set rubbish, they went in there for the kill with the skill and it paid off. Don't worry about the third set, that was just a slip up, however they managed to recover in the fourth set without going to a tiebreaker, however the others where hot on their heals, a major worry which needs to be sorted out. Thanks to Ms Turner and we will be back with more tennis news, very soon.

[Pemecutan]

Great Result on The First Match
Cenial, Ceni

In the first match of International Tennis Trophy, Pemecutanian delegation were met Welwyn, a newcomer in ATP tournament. But although a newcomer, some of Welwynian player able to difficult Pemecutanian player during their match.

At the first match, Pemecutanian's Dewa Putu Adrian Putra played against Greg Wilson of Welwyn. Wilson able to shocked Putra in the first set as he able to balance with Putra's performance. But Putra didn't give up and showed his best in the next 2 sets. He win easily by 6-2 and 6-3 respectively. The forth set was a slow down for Putra as he performed badly. Numerous unforced errors were created that advantage Wilson which take the forth set. The last set was somehow quite tight when both player want to secure the first victory for their country. Putra able to lead 5-3 before Wilson grab the 9th game. But Wilson widen shot lost him the 10th game which give Putra the victory point. 1-0 for Pemecutan.

The second match show another single match between Luh Putu Yundari of Pemecutan and Emma Hunt of Welwyn. Yundari were controlling the match from the beginning. Although Hunt able to steal 1 or 2 games, but she still unable to catch up with Yundari performance. Even in the third set, Yundari give a great play by win 6-0 over Emma Hunt and secure a lead for Pemecutan.

The third and last match were between double Komang Antari/Kadek Andreawati and Terry Lloyd/Emma Hunt. Lloyd/Hunt able to shocked the Pemecutanian double by stealing the first set with a nice netting that prevent Antari/Andreawati to force a 5-5 deuce. In the next set, Antari/Andreawati showed a better performance and try to always focus in the game. This situation resulted in a better finished for Pemecutanian double. But Lloyd/Hunt didn't give up. They try to outplayed Antari/Andreawati. In the forth set the situation gets similar to the first set. But this time Antari/Andreawati able to takes the 9th game which makes them lead 5-4. The 10th game when tight untul 40-40 deuce. The situation gets difficult after both teams interchangeably gets advantage but didn't able to pull through. Eventually after 5th advantage for Antari/Andreawati, Hunt's shot was to soft that Antari gives a nice smash to end the match.

With this result, Pemecutan currently lead Group A of International Tennis Trophy with Frenline Delpha in the second position after 2-1 win against Mattijana.

[Welwyn (Ancient)]

Old stager, Greg Wilson, who rolled back those 35 years to win the first professionally organised Welwyn National Championship, continued that form in the opening rubber of the International Tennis Trophy against Pemecutan.
Up against the world number 13, Dewa Putu Adrian Putra, Wilson grabbed the first set 6-4 before normal service appeared to be resumed as the Pemecutan number one showed his class in the next two sets.
Any hope of an upset appeared to be gone, but with his 35-year old body creaking, Wilson started to serve & volley more, added in some chip and charges and his wonderful net play that saw him dominate Welwyn tennis a decade ago began to take hold forcing unforced errors from Putra and suddenly it was two sets all.
Once again, Putra stepped up and when he broke to lead 5-3, most observers thought the game was gone but, as if spurred on by the knowledge that this is likely to be his one and only international tournament for Welwyn somehow was able to break back, screaming as much in anguish as delight when heading back to his chair with the pain he was going through after three hours and 27 minutes on court.
This then immediately showed when he immediately missed two put away volleys to be 0-30 down immediately afterwards and the fairytale was over.
In comparison, rubber two was straightforward as women's champion, Emma Hunt, suffered a tennis lesson by world number 29, Luh Putu Yundari, never getting to grips with the step up in quality needed at this level, losing 3, 2 and love. This will strengthen calls for young rising star, Danielle Branagh to be given a go in the next tie.
Hunt was then carried through by Terry Lloyd, the player most consider to be Welwyn's best male player, as they took the first set against a Pemecutan pair that are considered one of the very best. At 5-4, Lloyd dominated the entire Antari service game like a man with a very large chip on his shoulder, to take the first set. However, any hope that this would spark a comeback from Welwyn was quickly extinguished by the sheer class of Andreawati and Antari as they took the next three sets to win the tie 3-0.

[Estelar]

More on news from the International Tennis Trophy, we lost contact with our representative Wilma Barcellos after her interview with June Cruzeiro, which unfortunately forced us to show the doubles match against Britonisea without any commentator on the place, but at least we were able to follow the match and show you its details...

This time, the match ended in just three sets, which led to the suspicions that Celeste's personal problems would interfere with her performance. She couldn't play well with Nina, and had several concentration lapses during the first two sets. In the third set, after a long talk with her partner Nina, she managed to perform better, but it was already too late and against more experienced opponents any mistake can cost the defeat. After the match, Nina preferred to not comment about her partner's issues, focusing on the ability of the opponents and her own mistakes to justify the loss: "They are good, experienced, they were better than us, simply that. We worked hard, but I guess that pressure was too big for us to handle and in the middle of the match I made several mistakes due to pure anger... I got really frustrated. But now the game is over and we must look forward to our next ties, I am sure we will be better prepared."

Later at night, we were finally able to retain contact with our representative. Wilma was at a local hotel in the centre of the city, and told us that she had just woken up after a wild party the previous day at the Eleuthium, which she is going to review in the next edition of "Happily Drunk Around the World" magazine. As a good reporter she is, she managed to retain her memory of the events even after drinking so much with June, and these stories will be included in her next book which will surely interest many fans of the tennis star. Thanks to the fact that during the night, at one point probably after the second shot of tequila, June gave our reporter her phone number, we were able to talk to her the night before her decisive match in the first tie of the tournament. June just answered: "Hey, how are ya doing? Come see me tomorrow, alright? You know I always play better when I am relaxed and girl, I am today! Promise you a nice win... or at least I hope for one, you can't guarantee these things... it is not that I am already giving excuses, but sports are unpredictable and erm... now I am undecisive about what to say... anyway, whatever the result is, we can go to that nightclub here at the hotel later... hey, you aren't Wilma... hmm, nevermind, you can go with us as well, just call her, alright?"

We also managed to talk with Natália, who seemed to be sleeping when she took the phone: "Well, I am glad that you called. I am really excited for the next match and I hope I can win again... it is always great to make the people around me proud!" And then she got back to sleep... while still holding the telephone, so the last seconds of the conversation were just she snoring, something we just had to record and reproduce during our next broadcast... but hey, that's a proof of how much she is working hard, giving all she has on the matches and training hard so she can't even talk properly on the phone later!

[Neu Engollon]

"Neu Engollon, a very good evening to you. I'm Dom Toglani, your nightly host here on the NETV Sports 19 Update. We're bringing live coverage of the International Tennis Trophy in Ceni, as well as in depth analysis. Tonight, we are lucky to have Marla Gerard with us, straight off her match against Meran Pol."

"Well, I did get a few hours to unwind and shower up, thankfully. Hi Neu Engollon! Hi NETV!"

"Wow! To think that last year around this time, we would barely get a peep out of you, Marla. You've come a long way."

"I am used to the press by now, Dom. That's for sure...and 'peep'? I hope that's not another squeaky voice comment."

"I hope you know me better than that by now, Marla. Just an expression. So, Pol...how was that match? Did you feel challenged?"

"I'm not going to down talk Meran, he was a worthy player with just not as much International experience as some other ATP players. I think we'll see more of the Regalians in time. I'll say it was a good warm up for me."

"Same for Paul then?"

"Ugh. Accorzu. Let's get the Paul Quiront talk out of the way now. I hate dwelling on this."

"Come on, Marla. You know we have to talk about Paul a little bit."

"Well, it's a non issue. None of us care what he does, as long as he stays away from us. We always get separate floors in the hotel, after the incident. Me, Liz and Danni on one, him on the other. We don't have to do press panels together anymore...The only way we have to deal with him is if we're assigned doubles together. Thankfully, the NETC is listening to us on that now. Once that old, wicked, cantankerous goat retires we won't have to deal with him at all anymore."

"Well, I guess that covers that then. So well loved, he is."

"He brought it on himself. I have run out of every drop of sympathy for the...Let's just move on."

"So, yes, then moving forward...How do you see the rest of the tournament going?"

"Well, Dom, it will be a steep up hill battle as always. We always seem to do well in the opening matches, through the beginning stages, then...that invisible wall. We have to find a way to compete better against the top ATP ranked like the Cenians, Permecutans and Electrumites, just to name a few. We have had limited success so far, with myself and a couple others of us. I feel that Liz and Danni have a great chance in the doubles this time around."

"I want to believe you're right. We'll see. Thanks Marla, we'll catch up again."

"No problem, Dom. Great to talk to the home crowd."

"We ran out of time tonight, but we have Volleyball World Expo up after the break. Later we will have Lizbet Rittenhaus and possibly Paul Quiront on to discuss their performance up to now. We'll see you tomorrow, folks."

[Ceni]

About the Complex
All matches will be played at the National Racquet Centre, which is also the host of the Cenian Open grand slam tennis tournament. The National Racquet Centre is the premier tennis and racquet sports complex within Ceni, located in the capital Cenial, although there are many others (two of which, the Lake Cenial Tennis Centre and the Volatus Millenium Tennis Grounds, hold tennis tournaments within Ceni, the Cenial Masters and Volatus Open respectively), as tennis is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, sport in Ceni. The NRC, in addition to tennis, also has facilities for recreational and professional play for squash, racquetball, table tennis, and badminton. There are twenty tennis courts at the facility: two stadium courts, Judi Valemartin Stadium and Adio Zevael Stadium, which seat 25,000 and 20,000 respectively, both fitted with retractable roofs; two Grandstand Courts, Grandstand 1 and Grandstand 2, with capacity of 6,000 each; and 16 other courts, with capacities ranging from 500 to 2,000. When the Cenian Open or other tournaments are not in session, the courts are open to the general public. Practice courts for the event will be available at the Lake Cenial Tennis Centre if contestants so desire. In addition to the tennis facilities, the NRC has ten squash courts, ten racquetball courts, four stadium squash courts, four stadium racquetball courts, ten table-tennis facilities, the Summit Arena with capacity of 10,000 for table tennis matches, and the Palladium Arena with a capacity of 12,500 for badminton matches.

Transportation
Ceni has a good transportation network and it is very easy to get to and from the NRC. The NRC has its own subway station, which is connected to one of the most efficient subway networks in the world, serving most of City Centre and Cenial. Ceni's subway system has links to most major attractions and hotels within City Centre and Cenial. Ferries are also available to cross Lake Cenial. Downtown of both Cenial and City Centre are very walkable and there are multiple areas to rent bicycles for a bit easier transportation. To visit other cities within Ceni, a light rail service is available, with links north, south, and west to Santiago de Ceni, Nova Ascea, New Oxford, Whitehaven, and other points beyond Cenial. Overall, it is easy to get around in Ceni. Most options for getting to Ceni revolve around flight; Ceniana has a large route network out of Cenial International Airport (CEX), including to the sporting regions. CEX is located north of the NRC and has its own subway and light rail stations for ease of access. Most international flights operate out of CEX, as well as most general aviation, although there are some regional flights out of New Oxford Airport, and Santiago de Ceni Airport in the north has general aviation facilities. Since Ceni is so small, flight is not practical to get around the country, only to and from. However, besides some ferry services to nearby nations in the SLU, flight is the only option for actually getting to Ceni, both because of its distance from other nations and its island status.

Map of Ceni

Food and Lodging
The Orion, a 5-star luxury hotel owned by the Orion International Group, is the official hotel of the International Tennis Trophy. All players from foreign nations have been given rooms free of charge at the hotel on two floors normally reserved for Cenian Open players when that tournament is in session. For coaches and fans, The Orion is available, as are several other three and four star hotels in the downtown business district, which cater mostly to businessmen, as well as some tourists. There are some more affordable hotels closer to Lake Cenial as well as in other cities in Ceni. For food, the 5-star, modern restaurant Momentum located at the Orion is available. The hotel's breakfast lounge, Eos, has generously offered free breakfast to players. Also located within the Orion is the nightclub Eleuthium. For perhaps less expensive fare, the city is full of dining options, from classic Cenian food to Indian, Chinese, Avaerilonian, Arabic, and other types of cuisine located throughout the city. Each ethnicity has its own section of the city, and most ethnic restaurants are located in their own section. Since Ceni is located in the ocean, seafood is also available, and is generally quite good. Cenial is renowned for its many types and varieties of soup, including its specialty, Cenial Clam Chowder.

Other Attractions
There are multitudes of attractions in Cenial besides tennis, including the National Cenian Museum, which contains artifacts from Cenian and world history (Museum of History), paintings from all time periods (Museum of Classical Art, Museum of Modern Art, and the Lerrisor Sculpture Garden), and paper money, coins, and stamps (Museum of Numismatics, Currency, and Philately). Those interested in animals can visit the Cenial City Zoo; other museums focus on the diversity of Ceni and further collections of art and sculpture. The National Library contains an enormous volume of literature, poetry, and books. Those more culturally minded can visit the numerous opera houses, orchestra and choir buildings, and theatres, where there are performances almost every day. The Capital building and home of the President also attract numerous visitors every year. Break days in the schedule are good days for spectators (and players, if they feel up to it) to go sightseeing.

[Flardania]

A cool presence

Report by: Takehada Kenji

When discussing sports in Kirishima, the first thing that comes to mind is football, basketball and baseball. However there are some sports that are less known and are followed whenever Kirishima is involved in a tourney. The International Tennis Trophy is an example of such a presence. A cool presence where the fans are showing there support without being passionate and those representing the white lotus of the pacific are meticulous and getting the job done. 17 year old Ryoma Echizen and Omiko Hakodate are trying to lead the way through the singles while the pair of Haruka Nimi age 24 (F) & Yoon Ji Moon age 25 (M) lead the way for the doubles. The main goal for these young individual is obviously playing the sport they love but one must wonder if the can bring the sport to the mainstream of Kirishima sport.

Despite leading 2-1 against Devonta nothing is guaranteed during this first tie and these four individuals have to stick to their game. One thing is for sure is that these players are hungry.

[Ceni]

This is the last cutoff of the first tie, with some matches riding on today's results!

Group A
Pemecutan vs Welwyn

Dewa Putu Adrian Putra      7   6   6
Emma Hunt                   6   1   0

Luh Putu Yundari            4   6   2
Greg Wilson                 6   7   6

Pemecutan wins tie 4-1

Frenline Delpha vs Mattijana

Samuel Gerkin               5   6   6   6
Ivor Korlenko               7   3   3   3

Tracy Frenmore              3   1   4
Dimitry Popileev            6   6   6

Frenline Delpha wins tie 3-2

Group B
Britonisea vs Estelar

Ricardo Toli                4   6   5   3
Natália Paraíso             6   4   7   6

Lance Mance                 2   6   6   6
June Cruzeiro               6   3   3   4

Britonisea wins tie 3-2

Kannap vs Luxdonia

Brianna Powell              1   6   6   0   9
David Johnson               6   2   3   6   7

Samantha Howell             1   5   6   7   6
Richard Weir                6   7   3   5   4

Kannap wins tie 5-0

Group C
Krytenia vs The Tiber and Wisdom

Stephen Perez               4   6   6   6   6
Tom Iash                    6   7   4   3   3

Jessica Moreaux             7   6   5   4   1
John Thomas                 5   3   7   6   6

Krytenia wins tie 4-1

Patistan vs Natanians and Nosts

Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi        6   6   6
Maria Cláudia Amúlio        3   3   0

Samir Iftikhar              6   3   6   2
Rog Ion Tralito             3   6   7   6

Natanians and Nosts win tie 3-2

Group D
Ceni vs Crown Alliance

Ciache Nagya                6   6   6   6   6
Alexander Sneijder          4   4   7   7   1

Marisa Maradona             6   7   6
Milena Nicotera             2   5   3

Ceni wins tie 5-0

The Sword Bloke vs New United States of Columbia

Shop Owner                  6   2   6   6
Marco Paul                  4   6   1   0

Vice Owner Jason Harley     6   4   1
Richard Wilson              7   6   6

The Sword Bloke wins tie 3-2

Group E
Albaie vs Sri Lankin

Patrick Park                2   6   4   2
Abd al Bari                 6   2   6   6

Wendell Fisher              5   4   6   7   6
Ayeisha                     7   6   2   5   2

Albaie wins tie 3-2

Sargossa vs Welcomzia

Tejano Alaníz               5   6   4   6   6
Jeffrey Simmons             7   2   6   0   1

Rodrigo Aja                 4   7   6   6   8
Frank Wilson                6   6   7   3   6

Sargossa wins tie 5-0

Group F
United States of Devonta vs Flardania

Elizabeth Hines             6   6   6
Omiko Hakodate              4   2   0

Charles Sayer               6   6   6
Ryoma Echizen               4   2   4

United States of Devonta win tie 3-2

Wray vs San Llera

Kaitlyn Michaelson          1   4   3
Marco Quintana              6   6   6

Brandon Lissett             6   6   3   6
Arnaldo Pan                 4   3   6   1

Wray wins tie 3-2

Group G
Electrum vs Euskirribakondara

Samuel Gates                6   1   6   4   3
Pàmêrësari Küíko            0   6   3   6   6

Mia Cassington              4   7   6   7
Edurne Mandaburu            6   5   4   6

Electrum wins tie 3-2

Eastfield Lodge vs Coraspia

Jaimy Leger                 0   4   2
Col. Selav Tukerawan        6   6   6

Giorgio Irani               5   6   3   5
Lucciano Ziccardino IV      7   2   6   7

Coraspia wins tie 3-2

Group H
Neu Engollon vs Regalius

Paul Quiront                6   7   2   6
Meran Pol                   1   5   6   2

Marla Gerard                6   2   6   6   6
K'Pella Demorrah            2   6   4   7   3

Neu Engollon wins tie 5-0

Kernansquillec vs Zillmerilic

Jason Stidolph              6   5   6   3   3
Raki Uriz                   1   7   2   6   6

Noelene Armistead           6   2   4
Keki Uriz                   7   6   6

Zillmerilic wins tie, 4-1

[Sargossa]

SSM | Sargossan State Media

International Edition - Sport


Dream Debut


Mario Najar reports;

Those at home, following the recent wranglings taking place at the governing body of Sargossan tennis, probably wouldn’t be incorrect in surmising that the mood of Tennis Federation President Hernan Parades has not improved. The expected national outcry over Crisitan Obolo and his supposed attempt to undermine the Federation did not come, nor did any official objection from the Ministry of Sport. And then some unusual pontificating from the omnipotent SargoSport network allowed Tele Primo to nip in and secure the International Tennis Trophy television rights, meaning the problem tournament would be available free-to-air to the Sargossan television audience. Finally, when the opening day arrived, Sargossa had the temerity to do rather well.

Welcomzia were the opposition for the Rushmoris on their international team tennis debut, a nation that had received something of a chilly welcome from the organisers after their delegation’s late arrival nearly throw the tournament logistics askew. They did manage to sneak in under the wire but after the treatment Frank Wilson received from Tejano Alaníz in the opening singles rubber they might have wished they’d stayed at home. Although he regained his composure quickly the emotional drop to the knees that greeted the win might have looked out of place in what was just the opening match of a best of five series. But for Alaníz it represented so much more. Once ranked as Sargossa’s top junior, the young Tejano Alaníz racked up a host of youth tournament wins before impressing further on the Challenger Circuit. He looked destined to be a genuine star before a serious viral infection effectively swallowed nearly two years of his career. After a long rehabilitation at the Academica Obolo being back in the spotlight proved to be the best tonic of all as Alaníz held strong in a tight first set before swatting his opponent aside in sets two and three to get the nation off to the best possible start.

The vocal section of Sargossan support were treated to another two impressive sets as Rodrigo Aja seemingly took control of the second singles rubber. But while Aja has evident talent there’s been a question mark hanging over him regarding his mental toughness, or lack thereof. There seemed to be no danger against Jeffrey Simmons and yet Aja fell apart in set three, losing 6 – 1. Simmons took the fourth set too before Aja, following some sterns words from Cristian Obolo in the player’s box, re-found his form in the final set to put Sargossa firmly in charge of the tie. Day two saw two doubles teams with very different mind-sets, the Welcomzian team of Freeman and Helm simply had to win while the Sargossan duo had little pressure on them. Which was ideal as Charro Camara and Estevan De Hoyos hadn’t actually partnered together for nearly three years. As a young team they achieved some success on the Challenger Circuit before splitting to find fame and fortune as singles competitors on the EsporTec Pro Tour. Neither managed to make double digits in the rankings and duly answered Obolo’s call to get the team back together. And it looked like they’d never been apart as they dismantled the opposition 6 – 1 in the opening set. The next two were much tighter, a single break settling each. But those breaks went in favour of the Sargossan pair, who took the acclaim from the crowd as they wrapped up the tie with a day to spare.

The third day of matches saw the Welcomzia delegation inject a bit of fight into proceedings, albeit after the horse had long since bolted. A perhaps overly relaxed Alaníz found himself two sets to one down against Jeffery Simmons, before stepping up a gear and taking the final two sets with just a single dropped game to his name to continue the procession. Then came match five and finally the crowd had an actual contest to enjoy for the first time in the whole tie. Rodrigo Aja and Frank Wilson were locked at two sets all, with a couple of tie breaks thrown in there too, and Wilson serving at 7 – 6 down. A couple of crisply hit returns, an unforced error and a blistering rally which ended with Wilson going long finally saw the match come to an end. Three days, five matches, 5 – 0 to Sargossa. As debut’s go it wasn’t too shabby at all.

So to the wider tournament, for which Sargossan bookmakers have already stopped taking bets on Ceni to win. You only have to glance around Cenial’s impressive National Racquet Centre to realise that this is a nation that takes its tennis very seriously. That and the conspicuous absence of a number of the sport’s major powers makes Ceni about as overwhelming a favourite as a favourite can be. Although if the pressure of being favourite in front of a home crowd does become too much the likes of Electrum and Pemecutan will be waiting to pounce. But what would success be for Sargossa? The truth is we’re not altogether sure ourselves. But with a strong marker already placed confidence will be high ahead of the clash with Group E top seeds Albaie.