International Tennis Trophy 3 [IC|NSTT]

by **Ceni** » Wed Aug 23, 2017 4:05 pm

Hello, and welcome to Cenial, Ceni for the second edition of the International Tennis Trophy - the World Cup of NationStates Tennis! You can post your RPs in this thread, and results will be posted here as well. Please post any roster changes in the OOC thread.

Some suggestions for RPs:
Profiles of your players in the trophy
Match reports
Interactions within the city of Cenial
Interactions between your players/other players from other nations (get their permission first)
Information about/news from your nations

POTS

GROUPS
GROUP A
Ceni, Eastfield Lodge, Natanians and Nosts, Romaian, Novacoras

GROUP B
Neu Engollon, Electrum, Mattijana, Nombiliad, Jiyon

GROUP C
New Gelderland, Qasden, Tobiasia, Islana Lunigo, Buddharia

GROUP D
Mercedini, Britonisea, Rushmori Bojikstan, Bortonania, Very Small and Unusually Obscure Island

JUNIOR ITT GROUPS
GROUP A
Buddharia, Romaian, Mercedini, Qasden, Mattijana

GROUP B
Eastfield Lodge, Nombiliad, Britonisea, Very Small & Unusually Obscure Island, Rushmori Bojikstan

SCHEDULE
TIE 1 (3v4, 2v5, 1 bye)
Singles 1 and 2: Saturday, August 26
Doubles 3: Sunday, August 27
Singles 4 and 5: Monday, August 28

TIE 2 (1v2, 5v3, 4 bye)
Singles 1 and 2: Wednesday, August 30
Doubles 3: Thursday, August 31
Singles 4 and 5: Friday, September 1

TIE 3 (3v1, 4v5, 2 bye)
Singles 1 and 2: Saturday, September 2
Doubles 3: Sunday, September 3
Singles 4 and 5: Monday, September 4

TIE 4 (1v4, 2v3, 5 bye)
Singles 1 and 2: Wednesday, September 6
Doubles 3: Thursday, September 7
Singles 4 and 5: Friday, September 8

TIE 5 (4v2, 5v1, 3 bye)
Singles 1 and 2: Saturday, September 9
Doubles 3: Sunday, September 10
Singles 4 and 5: Monday, September 11

QUARTER-FINALS
A1 vs D2, B1 vs C2, C1 vs B2, D1 vs A2
Singles 1 and 2: Wednesday, September 13
Doubles 3: Thursday, September 14
Singles 4 and 5: Friday, September 15

SEMI-FINALS
Q1 vs Q2, Q3 vs Q4; Junior ITT - A1 vs B2, B1 vs A2
Singles 1 and 2: Saturday, September 16
Doubles 3: Sunday, September 17
Singles 4 and 5: Monday, September 18

FINALS
S1 vs S2; Junior ITT - S1 vs S2
Singles 1 and 2: Wednesday, September 19
Doubles 3: Thursday, September 20
Singles 4 and 5: Friday, September 21

by **Novacoras** » Thu Aug 24, 2017 11:51 am

rollo logarson interviewed on novacorian national news outlets "this is the very first international sporting tournament for us. so this is a big deal for the novacorian people. we are here to have fun and make our family's proud. we wish the other competitors good luck may the best win."

by **Ceni** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 9:56 am

About the Complex
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; Air Terranea 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 budget 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.

Cenial
Cenial is Ceni’s capital city; as such, the Cenian executive, legislative, and judicial branches are all located in Cenial. The Prime Minister has his home and offices here; office buildings for executive departments are also located in Cenial. The capitol building of Ceni, the meeting place for the Cenian Assembly, was recently redesigned and sits at the head of a park stretching to the Prime Minister's home. Judicially, the highest court in Ceni, the Supreme Court, meets here, as well as one of Ceni’s eight appellate courts. In elections, Cenial’s citizens are very active, with more than 85% turnout in national elections and 75% turnout in local elections.

Cenial attracts people from all over the region and the world with its world-class universities—the University of Ceni and the University of Cenial its two most prominent. The University of Ceni is renowned for its instruction in architecture, business, the humanities and history, politics, and law, while the University of Cenial focuses its academic investments in the science section. In fact, the University of Cenial is a leading research university in the fields of biotechnology and engineering.

A large part of Cenial consists of parks and greenery. One of the largest parks in the nation, Lake Cenial Park, stretches along the coast of Lake Cenial and provides opportunities for hiking, biking, canoeing and kayaking, Frisbee golf, and just plain old fun with friends and family. In the spring, when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, Lake Cenial Park is a very pretty sight, and its beautiful fountains are available year-round for all to enjoy. Another major park in Cenial is the Capitol Mall, a park stretching from the Capitol to the President’s House, with its memorial reflecting pool. Other green attractions in Cenial include the Japanese garden, in that section of the city, with its beautiful ponds, pagoda, and rock garden section for peaceful meditation, and the National Botanical Garden, with specimens from all over the world and exhibits of most major climates in the region. Not only is Cenial renowned for its green spaces, it is also renowned for its green attitude. Cenial is among the world’s leading cities in the proliferation of green technology, with a large number of buildings with energy saving measures. Many homes have solar panels, and the government has invested money into increasing the amount of renewable energy in the city; around 35% of the city’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

Cenial has a tolerant attitude and welcomes people from all over the world. As a result, Cenial has an incredibly diverse population. People from all over the world—from Asia, Africa, the Social Liberal Union, and all other regions of the world—have chosen to make Cenial their home. Because Cenial is very welcoming to all people, including refugees, Cenial supports a large population from Ciqi and Coconutstan, two countries ravaged by war. Because of its ethnic diversity, Cenial also has religious and language diversity. Hundreds of languages are spoken in different parts of Cenial, although English is mainly used in day-to-day communication. Religiously, no single religion makes up a majority of the population of Cenial. Atheism is the major religion in Cenial, with around 30% of people, although Christianity (almost equally split between Catholics and Protestants) (25%) and Islam (15%) both make up significant fractions of the population. Cenial has one of the world’s largest and most significant Chinatowns, while Little Saigon and Little Lyndainium are also significant ethnic enclaves. Ethnically, Cenians, Avaerilonians, Eurans, Electrumites, and Spanish make up a total of 75% of Cenial’s population, and there is a large diversity in the remaining 25%.

Cenial, as the cultural center of Ceni, is Ceni’s hub for performing arts. Cenial has the largest number of theatres, concert halls, and exhibition centers in all of Ceni. Cenial’s Royal Shakespearian Theatre Company is well renowned for its performances of Shakespeare’s plays, as well as other plays of Victorian English authors. Because of its diversity, Cenial has a large variety of ethnic restaurants of all kinds—from Westerheimian and Avaerilonian to Persian and Vietnamese, which are found mostly in ethnic sections of the city. Homemade Chinese noodles can be found in Chinatown, while Vietnamese culture is prevalent in Little Saigon. There are a number of excellent Avaerilonian restaurants in Little Lyndainium. Popular street foods in Cenial include Middle Eastern and Indian dishes. In the city centre, there are a large number of upscale restaurants catering to legislators, lobbyists, and richer tourists, while small cafes serving Cenian cuisine dot corner sides. Because of Ceni’s proximity to, and reliance on, the sea, Cenian cuisine places a large emphasis on fish and seafood. Popular Cenian dishes include Cenial Clam Chowder, widely regarded as one of the world’s best, various fish stews, and fish & chips. Other significant Cenian dishes contain crab, lobster, sea scallop, and cod. Alcoholic beverages are fairly common in Ceni, and there are a fair number of pubs, including some chain and local pubs. Cavalier Brewpubs and Machu Picchu Pubs, two famous chains, both originated out of Cenial. At night, a fair number of nightclubs serve alcoholic drinks and provide the citizen or tourist with the opportunity to party.

Food and Lodging
The Orion, a 5-star luxury hotel owned by the Orion International Group, is the official hotel of the Cenian Open. All players from foreign nations have been given rooms free of charge at the hotel. 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 Prime Minister 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.

by **Mercedini** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 12:01 pm

International Tennis Trophy Preview
@ National Tennis Centre - Cenial, Ceni

Hello and welcome to sunny Ceni, we're outside the National Tennis Centre in Cenial which will host the matches in the International Tennis Cup. If you cast your mind back to this time last year, Mercedini came away with their first title in any sport, when Markus Carlgren, Molly Rhonic, Patrick Sintranov and Harry Rymin teamed up to win the first ever Junior ITT trophy and creating a little bit of progress. We're back with two more teams ready to take on the world in hope to win another tennis trophy for their own resume and to improve Mercedini's tennis prowess. In this edition of the ITT, Mercedini will be drawn into groups of five with the top two going through in both the adult's competition and the junior competition, so there is plenty of opportunity for Mercedini to qualify in both if they start off on the right foot. So without further ado, let's check out the groups that Mercedini have landed themselves in, which will be played between the 26th of August and September the 11th, so let's hope Mercedini can fly to the next round and not bomb like many others.

International Tennis Trophy: Woah I Know You From Somewhere!

GROUP D
ITT
MERCEDINI
BRITONISEA
RUSHMORI BOJIKSTAN
BORTONANIA
VS & UOI
Cenial, Ceni

Some familiar names and some... not so familiar names cropped up in the group draw for the senior International Tennis Trophy as Mercedini found out their group stage opponents for their second ITT campaign. Since Mercedini were drawn as a pot one side, they have the best chance of the lot to advance to the quarter finals and were first out of the hat.

The next nation out were Britonisea, our bezzie mates and fellow participants in the IAC championships (where we got further), the World Hit Festival (where we are currently winning), and the WorldVision Song Contest (make that three in three). Diplomatically, Mercedini and Britonisea are very close with officials sharing some spice banter with each other, but we aren't too sure whether that will translate to the court, due to the personality traits of the Britonish and the Mercedinian record in this tournament, which the players will be hoping to continue. It will undoubtedly be a close match with the singles' players matching each other in ranking, while the doubles are expected to in favour of the Mercedinians. Nevertheless, it will be the blockbuster match of the group with both nations expected to qualify for the quarter-finals over the rest of the group.

We don't know much about the rest of the group other than they are unranked and could be a banana peel for the team which many expect to beat convincingly on the court. Rushmori Bojikstan will be the most familiar name out of the remaining unranked teams, fielding a football team which went deep and also sending a song to the most recent World Hit Festival. Not much is known about the tennis prowess of the nation, but that could work in their favour since there aren't any easily accessible footage of the players. Quality and experience may be the deciding factor, although anything can happen at these types of tournaments, so were are expecting them to finish in third and narrowly miss out on a berth at the ITT quarter-finals. The final two nations, being honest, we have never heard of, so no point in making something up unlike other publications, so we will move swiftly on with the group draw for the juniors.

GROUP A
Junior ITT
BUDDHARIA
ROMAIAN
MERCEDINI
QASDEN
MATTIJANA
Cenial, Ceni

Mercedini came into the junior ITT group draw as reigning champions, but rules and regulations meant fresh faces were chosen to defend the crown for the Mercedinians. The likes of Rhonic and Carlgren are now well into their first senior season, which means its the turn of four more budding tennis enthusiast to enter the tennis cauldron which is the National Tennis Centre in Cenial which has seen the birth of many-a-world number one, and it could be the turn of another set of Mercedinians to make it back to back titles.

The group draw for the junior team through up some more familiar names, and by that I mean we knew two nation instead of one, mental I know. Qasden and Mattijana were considered to be the biggest obstacles to qualification with both nations producing some big names in the past, Mercedini will play Qasden in the opening fixture which should be the bellwether for both teams as to whether the teams are up to scratch or whether they will struggle in future fixtures, a win should put Mercedini on a solid footing going into their other matches. Mattijana is the other big dog in the group who have a decent track record in these sorts of tournaments, whether the next generation has enough talent as the adults remains to be seen. Buddharia and Romaian are the other two in the group and part of me thinks they drunkenly stumbled into the wrong country on a night out and decided to enter the tournament 'for the bants' as the kids would say. Don't know anything about them, so let's just go straight to the conclusion and then we can go for a beer.

I don't want to sound like the Britonish, but I would be surprised if we failed to qualify in either one of the tournaments being hosted here. We have a tremendous group of talented players who have a great opportunity to put solidify their nation's place on the tennis-playing map. The seniors have BYE and the juniors are playing the Qasden juniors in their first fixtures, so for those still bothered to read this, goodnight!

by **Bojikstan** » Fri Aug 25, 2017 12:28 pm

B.S NETWORK: YOUR TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE
ITT 3: Introducing Team Bojikstan
Posted by Grace Luna

Trey Engard and Fen Li during the Strasburg Major

The tennis scene in Bojikstan is a battle ground. The two small islands that make up Rushmori Bojikstan are powerhouses compared to the rest of the country, with many of the top players coming from that area or training there full time, and the scene in Strasburg is battling to both keep up with the islanders and the Odenans. Now, the battle is going to be contested internationally, with the Rushmori scene taking on the world and a few colonists that train full time in the islands joining them. There was much controversy over the team flying the territorial flag rather than the national one, but now that the competition is finally getting started, the critics have calmed down for now and put their support behind the new Team Bojikstan. But who are the players making up this team? Here's some quick profiles on them.

Trey Engard

The closest thing to the King of the Strasburg scene, Engard has been consistently at or around the top for recent years and took home the trophy at the most recent Strasburg Major, the most prestigious competition domestically. He grew up in North Shore and comes from an upper middle class family, but went to Providentia, in Rushmori Bojikstan, at a young age to train. He attended boarding school to do this, and learned from Terranea's tennis culture in the process. By the time he went pro, he became known for being an aggressive and pacey player that uses reach and speed as advantages. He's part of an elite group to win all three Bojikstani majors: Providentia, Strasburg, and Odena.

Fen Li

If Engard is king in Strasburg, Li is queen in Providentia. She put herself on the map by winning the Providentia Major as a twenty four year old, and then she showed everyone that it wasn't a fluke when she defeated Jorge Palacios the next year for the title again. That made her the only woman to go back to back in a Bojikstani major in the current era of competition. She would have a slump later, but she recently broke it by winning in Odena, and now at twenty six years old, she's an ambassador for Smoke Sports and one of the few tennis athletes signed by them at the moment. Raised in Goldtown, Golden Atoll, she grew up far from the lights of Strasburg, but still managed to find a dominant style for herself. She's smart, but not the fastest, but her positioning is good and her fundamentals are solid enough that she's never an easy out.

Jorge Palacios

One of the members of a new generation of athletic tennis players is Jorge Palacios. Most players aren't as athletic as, say, gridiron football players or MMA fighters, but Palacios has competed in both sports, switching to tennis late and having immediate success. A few years after his full time switch, he was seventeen and in the final of the Providentia Major as the youngest player to get there. Most players haven't faced someone like him, but his technical skill leaves something to be desired. How will he do when the competition is already rated much more than him, and he's a complete unknown? Nobody really knows... But he's definitely one of the top athletes in the competition, junior or not.

by **Mattijana** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 9:52 am

Mattijana Drawn Alongside Electrum and Neu Engollon in ITT
Nombiliad and Jiyon also in group B for tournament's 3rd edition

Mattijana's tennis team will face some tough tests in their second international tennis tournament as the draw placed them in group B, alongside Neu Engollon, Electrum, Nombiliad and Jiyon.
However the squad can count themselves lucky that they avoided Ceni and New Gelderland, the dominant top 2 seeds and favourites, who ended up in groups A and C respectively.

Here's a preview of Mattijana's squad for the tournament and the sides they will face.

Mattijana

Singles:

Mattias Burges: Mattijana's number one has enjoyed a recent spurt into the top 100 and is now on the cusp of a top 50 place, lying in 54th after a number of strong tournaments. A youth spent developing on clay courts means he possesses an exquisite drop shot, but can still unleash some powerful topspin and slice groundstrokes that are needed to punch through the dusty surfaces. Burges undoubtedly has the skills to make even more progress, but extra pressure and experience will serve him well.

Dominika Lisicki: Lisicki's rise up the world order is arguably even more spectacular than that of Burges, as the former minnow is now ranked just 12 places behind the main man in 66th. Lisicki is more of a grass-court player, with a reasonable serve backed up by an excellent volleying technique. The 25 year old still has a way to go in her career, but is already a highly entertaining player to watch and will benefit from a guaranteed run of matches in the ITT. Lisicki is expected to get the nod ahead of last year's number two Corluka and will need to take her opportunity with a number of players keen to make their mark on the side.

Aljaz Corluka: Corluka's rise has stalled of late, but the Mattijanan remains an impressive 79th in the world. Potentially being dropped will be a blow, but may inspire him to make a come back. The 26 year old has a reputation as a baseline slugger and certainly prefers not to journey into the net, but he is far from a one-trick pony. Either way, Mattijana will have a number 3 more than capable of stepping up.

Maria Julenic: The 18 year old has gone relatively under the radar, but is now into the world's top 100 with consistent turnouts at tournaments and sits 94th in the world despite having only been playing on the world stage since last year's junior ITT. A product of the world-renowned Pulnik academy, Julenic posseses a beautiful technique and a quality all round game that should see her do well if needed against lesser-known opposition. Lack of experience means she may struggle more against the world's best, but Julenic is an exciting talent and senior ITT experience will only help her develop further.

Doubles:

Dominika Lisicki/ Rikard Kampl: The Mattijanan number one side, formed of number two Lisicki and doubles specialist Kampl, have become the dominant force in Mattijanan doubles and are now ranked 23rd in the world. Kampl is a brilliantly flamboyant player, with a casual, yet effective volleying style producing some brilliant work at the net, whilst a fierce one-handed backhand also comes into play. Lisicki is an excellent compliment, with the serve honed in her singles matches going alongside some sharp volleys. The pair will be a force to be reckoned with as well as great fun to watch.

Julian Slazic/ Lara Basic: Both doubles specialists, the duo used to be Mattijana's primary team until the rise of Lisicki and Kampl pushed them down to number 2. Despite that, the pair are still comfortably in the top 50, placing at 38th in the world. Slazic has a powerful serve, backed up by the net skills of Basic, nicknamed 'the cat' back at home. Basic's own serve is a potential weakness, but the equally smiley number two pair are capable of winning matches.

Electrum: Despite being a well-known force in world tennis, Electrum are yet to reach the heights of Ceni and New Gelderland. The much celebrated Ronya, who beat Lisicki and Lara Basic in the Olympics women's doubles, are back in action and will look to make their experience count against the Mattijanan opposition they faced part of last month.
Electrum's singles players will also represent a strong challenge. Andrew Simmons is their frontman, ranked 33rd in the world, and is backed up by Greg Meares at 45. Despite having been around a little longer than their Mattijanan counterparts, there is nothing to suggest that Burges and co can't nick a few points, and maybe even a tie.

Neu Engollon: Neu Engollon's are a fairly sedate pot one side when compared to the likes of Ceni, New Gelderland and Schottia, but the alpiners are still a difficult team to deal with. Although number 1 Mattias Doerwald will only be involved in the doubles, at least to begin with, Marla Gerard is no slouch at 23 in the world and there are numerous other top 30 players that could have been called upon. Despite that, the selectors have opted for world number 34 Felice Mareaux to be their number two despite a poor performance at the recent Electrum Slam. Despite being a seemingly curious pick, Mareaux does have a dynamic game and with plenty of matches to play, Neu Engollon may still call upon some of their more established names.
In the doubles, another bold call has been made for tie one with top singles player Mattias Doerwald joined by the relatively untested Macro Vrient. The partnership is a new one, but may freshen things up enough to take Neu Engollon to some strong results.
The lineup is unpredictable though, and Electrum, and maybe even Mattijana will fancy a sniff at rattling the early favourites.

Nombiliad: Little is known about the debutants, apart from their starting lineup for their first match, against Mattijana. Edmund Stevens and June Fisher will be looking to cause an upset in the singles whilst Claudia Madison and Michael Okonnal are the team's doubles specialists.

Jiyon: Faced second by Mattijana, Jiyon are also making their tournament debut and are expected to face off with Nombiliad for the group's wooden spoon. They will be represented by Karl Danvers and Polly Harris in the singles and will be testing their family fortunes with Harry and Jim Lands competing in the doubles.

Predicted Mattijanan Lineups:

Tie 1 vs Nombiliad:
Singles: Mattias Burges/ Aljaz Corluka
Doubles: Julian Slazic and Lara Basic

Tie 2 vs Jiyon:
Singles: Dominika Lisicki/ Maria Julenic
Doubles: Dominika Lisicki and Rikard Kampl

Tie 3 vs Neu Engollon:
Singles: Mattias Burges/ Dominika Lisicki
Doubles: Dominika Lisicki and Rikard Kampl

Tie 4 vs Electrum:
Singles: Mattias Burges/ Dominika Lisicki
Doubles: Dominika Lisicki and Rikard Kampl

OOC: Predicted lineups should be used as actual lineups if I can't get an RP or OOC note up to say otherwise.

Junior ITT

Like last season, Mattijana will also send a full cohort of Junior players to Cenial in an attempt to better their semi-final performance from last season's tournament. In accordance with the regulations, all of the squad are NSTT debutants.
Dan Ljukanic hails from the clay courts of Burges whilst Julia Marelika is another product of the famous Pulnik academy that helped to develop last year's semi final team of Julenic and Sami Dominikanov.

Doubles team Dominik Kuhn and Samira Ralic come from opposite ends of the country, but have developed a promising partnership in recent times during a two year stint at Pulnik. The team face Mercedini and Qasden, who sent teams last year, as well as new teams Buddharia and Romaian.

by **Britonisea** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:28 am

Let's have a little chat!
International Tennis Trophy 3

LET'S ROUND UP THE GOOD OL' PAST!

We are not sure whether the International Tennis Trophy has come at the best time for Britonisea or not. Britonisea has only started to regain it's prevalence in the tennis world after taking a hiatus from the NSTT. Leo Garry and Elizabeth Quehall, during the Electrum Open, won the competition, which marks the first time any Britonish tennis athlete has won a tournament this year. Leo Garry was very close to winning the singles title, but was beaten by the World Number 4 in the end. Now, when we say that we are not sure whether the International Tennis Trophy being held now is good for Britonisea isn't about our schedule, or anything like that, but Britonisea has been given a rank of 104, which is far from the best Britonisea has been in its part. The Britonish Tennis Association, who's name keeps on changing from tournament to tournament, has stated that the point of this year is to get as many Britonish tennis players in the top 50 of the rank table and of course, so far we have only managed to two in the top 50 (Elizabeth and Leo, and Leo by himself), and so this achievement, so far, has not been very successful. Compared to last year's ranking, Britonisea has somewhat improved. Last year, we were given a quite frankly abysmal 118 and the year before, Britonisea was ranked with 83 points.

During the first International Tennis Trophy, you could tell that Britonisea had form in it's old days. Easily reaching the knock out stages, Britonisea managed to beat Frenline Delpha 5-0, which meant that we won every match and had the upper hand on the hosts, who won 4 of their 5 matches. However, things seemed to have went pear-shaped after that point. Ceni's Ciache Nagya managed to beat Britonisea's Lance Mance, who once was in the Top 20. Britonisea, however, did retaliate, with the great Ricardo Toli winning his match against Andy Amada. Leo Garry/Elizabeth Quehall then won the next match, which put Britonisea in front with a 2-1 lead. Confident, the Britonish team went in to the last two matches hoping that the lead that they gained would help them a lot. However, it didn't. Ceni's players managed to win both of the last two matches, and to be honest, there is absolutely no point of telling you the scores. Ceni won the first edition of the International Tennis Trophy.

In the second edition, not much happened, other than a random country named Anglatia beating us in the group stages. The Britonish Tennis Association didn't even think that something like this would happen, especially since our first two wins against the nation came on the first day of action against them. The same thing happened in the Junior International Tennis trophy too, randomers Hannasea managed to beat the Britonish lot 5-0 which put a large dent in our nation's reputation in the tennis world. Derek Dubrovnik and Leo Garry, with the help of Elizabeth Quehall, managed to hit them back in the Senior tournament, winning 5-0, but it simply wasn't enough as the Anglatians (or whatever they're called) has beaten both of our teams.

Bit of a bleak history if you ask me...

by **Ceni** » Sat Aug 26, 2017 7:30 pm

GROUP A
Eastfield Lodge vs Novacoras

Estela Fenton-Millington (EFL)     4   6   5   3
Rollo Logarson (NOV)               6   4   7   6

Giorgio Irani (EFL)                6   4   4   6   6
Floki Evenson (NOV)                1   6   6   1   4

Series tied, 1-1

Natanians and Nosts vs Romaian

Rog Ion Tralito (NTN)              7   1   6   6   3
Georgios Sevos (ROA)               5   6   7   2   6

Maria Claudia Amulio (NTN)         3   6   3   6   4
Theodora Patrikiou (ROA)           6   4   6   0   6

Romaian leads series, 2-0

GROUP B
Electrum vs Jiyon

Andrew Simmons (ETM)               7   4   2   6   7
Karl Danvers (USJ)                 5   6   6   3   5

Greg Meares (ETM)                  7   4   6   6
Polly Harris (USJ)                 6   6   2   1

Electrum leads series 2-0

Mattijana vs Nombiliad

Mattias Burges (MTJ)               6   6   6
Edmond Stevens (NMB)               4   4   1

Aljaz Corluka (MTJ)                6   1   7   6
June Fisher (NMB)                  4   6   5   2

Mattijana leads series 2-0

GROUP C
Qasden vs Buddharia

Ty Kanelious (QAD)                 7   6   4   7
Amberly Mosier (BUD)               6   1   6   5

Paisley Brazzos (QAD)              6   6   4   6
Conrad Fox (BUD)                   7   1   6   7

Series tied, 1-1

Tobiasia vs Islana Lunigo

Paul Chinra (TOB)                  6   6   6
Kula Na'ia (ILO)                   4   4   4

Alex Sanders (TOB)                 4   7   3   3
Dodger Predator (ILO)              6   5   6   6

Series tied, 1-1

GROUP D
Britonisea vs Very Small and Unusually Obscure Island

Leo Garry (BRI)                    6   4   7   4   6
Ceci Lloyd (VSI)                   2   6   5   6   4

Derek Dubrovnik (BRI)              3   6   6   1   4
Donovan Fields (VSI)               6   2   0   6   6

Series tied, 1-1

Rushmori Bojikstan vs Bortonania

Trey Engard (RUB)                  6   6   6
Anwyl Ó Dubhghaill (BOR)           0   1   4

Fen Li (RUB)                       6   6   4   7
Hagen Hamundarson (BOR)            3   4   6   6

Rushmori Bojikstan leads series 2-0

Junior ITT

GROUP A
Romaian vs Mattijana

Manouil Nomikos (ROA)        2   3
Dan Ljukanić (MTJ)           6   6

Eleni Romanou (ROA)          3   4
Julia Marelika (MTJ)         6   6

Mattijana leads series 2-0

Mercedini vs Qasden

Monica Vinci (MRC)           6   7
Prada Nicorio (QAD)          4   5

Benjamin Kryoni (MRC)        6   6
Wesley Bajerman (QAD)        2   2

Mercedini leads series 2-0

GROUP B
Nombiliad vs Rushmori Bojikstan

Kindall Whittauch (NMB)      1   2
Yazhu Huang (RUB)            6   6

Rod King (NMB)               5   1
Jorge Palacios (RUB)         7   6

Rushmori Bojikstan leads series 2-0

Britonisea vs Very Small and Unusually Obscure Island

Norwich King (BRI)           6   6
Kelli Windsor (VSI)          1   4

Niltche Toriblesch (BRI)     6   6
Paul Nixon (VSI)             3   1

Britonisea leads series 2-0

by **Bojikstan** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 9:23 am

B.S NETWORK: YOUR TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE
ITT 3: Rushmori Bojikstan jumps to good start early on!
Posted by Grace Luna

With the weight of either one nation or two nations on them, depending on who you ask, the Golden Atoll based outfit representing Rushmori Bojikstan made an early statement by moving to 2-0 in both of their series. In the senior ITT, Trey Engard put away Anwyl Ó Dubhghaill of Bortonania in three sets, including a second set where he won 6-1. It looked like he had the better cardio, and the difference maker was that he didn't tire in the last set when the later games were close.

Fen Li, on the other hand, stumbled late and allowed a fourth set, but she was able to bounce back, storming back to a 7-6 comeback win in the final set. Her fans are always quick to remind everyone that she's one of the hardest outs in Bojikstan, and she proved that by dragging the tying game out and tiring her opponent before taking the lead with an ace. 'I could have done better in the end, but it is what it is,' she said, shortly after the match. 'I'm just thanking God right now that I didn't disappoint the Rushmori scene. We have a lot of pride, out in the islands, and I'm happy we can show that off to the world.'

The team also swept their Junior ITT matches, with Yazhu Haung and Jorge Palacios defeating opponents from Nombiliad, in two sets each. 'I didn't have the same hype coming into the tournament, but I did a little better than [Jorge Palacios], didn't I?' Haung told reporters, after her win. 'He has a great amount of power, but sometimes he has a broken stance and sometimes the positions he puts himself in aren't the best ones. But I'm happy for him, we're not rivals like everyone is saying.'

'Yanzhu is right about what she said, and it's true my stance isn't the best, but I don't think anyone else in the Junior ITT can generate as much power as I can with my right hand. If anyone wants to have a go and see what happens, you know where to find me,' Palacios said, upon meeting the press when he returned to the team hotel. 'About the performance, I think I did fine. Most of the greats don't come out quickly and use all their energy up in the first set. I'm happy with how things went, but I'm already looking at my next opponent and thinking about that matchup.'

by **Qasden** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 5:13 pm

by **Ceni** » Sun Aug 27, 2017 8:49 pm

GROUP A
Eastfield Lodge vs Novacoras

Phoebe Harvey/Berat Latif (EFL)                                    7   6   6
Kyle Larsson/Stuart Larrson (NOV)                                  5   2   2

Eastfield Lodge leads series 2-1

Natanians and Nosts vs Romaian

Márcus Gabriel Alencastro/Iohanna Márcia Enderssen-Moura (NTN)     3   3   1
Mihail Rigas/Eirini Phanou (ROA)                                   6   6   6

Romaian wins series 3-0

GROUP B

Sonya Gredello/Rosa Levinsky (ETM)                                 6   6   6   7
Harry Lands/Jim Lands (USJ)                                        7   3   3   6

Electrum wins series 3-0

Mattijana vs Nombiliad

Julian Slazić/ Lara Basic (MTJ)                                    6   6   6
Claudia Madison/Michael Okonnal (NMB)                              4   1   0

Mattijana wins series 3-0

GROUP C
Qasden vs Buddharia

Terry Reben/Icy Mellows (QAD)                                      6   5   6   6   6
Alex Ramos/Danielle Ramos (BUD)                                    1   7   7   1   2

Qasden leads series 2-1

Tobiasia vs Islana Lunigo

Paul Chinra/Alex Sanders (TOB)                                     6   7   3   6
Leo Sanchez/Lea Sanchez (ILO)                                      4   6   6   1

Tobiasia leads series 2-1

GROUP D
Britonisea vs Very Small and Unusually Obscure Island

Leo Garry/Elizabeth Quehall (BRI)                                  6   4   6   6
Perry Everest/Denver O'Neil (VSI)                                  1   6   3   1

Britonisea leads series 2-1

Bortonania vs Rushmori Bojikstan

Gauk Tostisson/Asulf Oswalsson (BOR)                               2   4   3
Trey Engard/Fen Li (RUB)                                           6   6   6

Rushmori Bojikstan wins series 3-0

Junior ITT

GROUP A
Romaian vs Mattijana

Eustratios Galatis/Eleni Protonotariou (ROA)     0   2
Dominik Kuhn/Samira Ralic (MTJ)                  6   6

Mattijana wins series 3-0

Mercedini vs Qasden

Liam Prozzo/Anastasia Traijikovic (MRC)          4   6  10
Ellie Taylor/Arnswois Douvier (QAD)              6   4   7

Mercedini wins series 3-0

GROUP B
Rushmori Bojikstan vs Nombiliad

Charlotte Cordova/Peter Ash (NMB)                1   4
Yazhu Huang/Yi Sun (RUB)                         6   6

Rushmori Bojikstan wins series 3-0

Britonisea vs Very Small and Unusually Obscure Island

Emma Benten / Jack Whealé (BRI)                  6   7  11
Enid Fox / Siobhán Brooks (VSI)                  7   6   9

Britonisea wins series 3-0

Formatting to come tomorrow on Junior ITT; doubles in juniors is played super tiebreak where the third set is a tiebreak played first to ten points, win by two.

EDITS 1 & 2: Formatting

by **Mercedini** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 2:29 pm

International Tennis Trophy Days 1 & 2
@ National Tennis Centre - Cenial, Ceni

Good afternoon all of you avid tennis fans, we're back of the National Tennis Centre where 24 teams are in action in both competitions of the International Tennis Trophy. The Mercedinian Senior Team is still soaking to the Cenian sun which means the main focus remains firmly on the juniors with Vinci, Kryoni, Prozzo and Trajkovic (not Traijikovic) all in action over the past couple of days. Let's see if Mercedini's juniors could start off how they mean to go on in their section of the group, they faced a big name in Qasden, who have risen to stratospheric heights in recent times, so would almost certainly prove a challenge on court.

International Tennis Trophy: World 1, Qasden 0

GROUP A
Junior ITT
MERCEDINI 3 - 0 QASDEN
Vinci bt. Nicorio
Kryoni bt. Bajerman
Prozzo/Trajkovic bt. Taylor/Douvier
Vinci vs. Bajerman
Kryoni vs. Nicorio

Cenial, Ceni

Mercedini made a perfect start in their Junior ITT campaign, securing an opening day win with a 3-0 rubber lead in their first fixture against Qasden, guaranteeing an overall win against their good friends and a rising star on the tennis scene. Almeronovic and Jokek were both in the small crowd which were present on the outer courts for the opening rubber of the Junior's title defence, giving the youngsters plenty of support in the first big international competition. While the other nations were wrapped up in their senior's matches, the BYE on the opening round of fixtures meant all eyes were focused on Monica Vinci as she came onto the court against her opponent, Prada Nicorio. A small crowd which included many Mercedinians and many Qasdonains and not many neutrals (obviously the Cenians don't want to see players that aren't already making the millions). The nerves of both players were settled within the opening couple of service games for each player with neither player making a move early on in the match. The heat was beating down on the players with little coverage for the crowd in the stands and obviously for the players on court. Vinci began to make it her own game, raising her energy levels with her magic juice and bonanza bananas during the breaks in between each of the games. The pivotal moment came as 4-4 on the Nicorio serve when Vinci took full advantage of a series of double faults and failed drops shots to take a break in the first set. Vinci then confidently held her serve to take the crucial first set with both players showing promise in what was decent match. The second set was none to dissimilar from the first with both players having an equalshare of the points, with Nicorio having a better fist of it in the second set, but the break was still proving elusive for the Qasden youth player. With the match seemingly heading toward a tiebreak Vinci finished off her opponent with one final break to take the second set 7-5 and complete a straight sets victory to open the scoring for her team and her nation.

Part two of the saga starred Benjamin Kryoni and his duel against Wesley Bajerman in the second of a Mercedini-Qasden double header. With the rest of the teams marching on and with much of the crowd staying for the conclusion of the day's play, there was plenty to anticipate in this match with either Mercedini going two rubbers clear or Qasden tying up the match going into the second day. As the match started, it was clear that there was a gulf in class between the two youngsters with Kryoni taking a quick 2-0 lead in the opening ten minutes. The Senior team were liking what they were seeing on their day with Mercedini's best seniors watching the next generation of Mercedinian talent. Kryoni's fast serving couldn't be handled by his opponent, with 14 aces in the opening set alone, Kryoni broke one more time in the set to take a 5-2 lead in the match. One more hold of serve and Kryoni was well on his way to another win and giving his nation a lucrative 2-0 over possibly the biggest opponents in the group. The second set was much the same with Kryoni's rapid serves and hard volleys overcoming the tentative yet assured ground strokes of his opponent. Like the first set, the second went the way of the Mercedinian 6-2, giving Mercedini another straight sets win of the Qasden player, giving them a 2-0 lead at the end of the first day.

Then it was the turn of the doubles with Liam Prozzo and Anastasia Trajkovic in action for Mercedini against Ellie Taylor and Arnswois Douvier of Qasden, for Prozzo and Trajkovic, the task was simple, win the match to win the fixture 3-0 with two matches still to play in the tie, taking the pressure off the remaining singles rubbers that needed to be played tomorrow. From the outset, the match was close with both doubles pairings matching each other in ability and technique, giving the small crowd plenty to cheer for regardless of their support. The Qasden doubles pair were more than holding their own in the face of a defeat and took the first set after a long and drawn out deuce which ultimately forced a last gasp break of the Trajkovic to take a one set to love lead in the crucial match. Ceni and Mercedini have a growing relationship for sporting collaborations with many Mercedinians moving to Ceni for sporting matters, which gave the neutrals a slight bias towards the Mercedinian players because of their extremely loose relationship with their favourite football teams and players. The Mercedinian pair hit back with an immediate break in the second set, meaning they had a 2-0 lead to defend. Cruise control was switched on Trajkovic and Prozzo and they held their final serve of the set to see out what was a tense and close second set in the match. The overall win or halved deficit hung in the balance and it was up to a champion's tiebreak to find out which outcome it would be. Both duos battles hard with long rallies combined with frantic action gave the crowd something to cheer for. Those who didn't get tickets for the main matches and those who were hoping to see some action for cheap were solely fixed on the match, considering it was between two well known nations which included the current junior's defending champions. In the end, energy levels faded but the Mercedinians managed to keep the pace up high enough to see through a three set match to give Mercedini's juniors the perfect start to their defence of the throne. Mercedini 3, Qasden 0, with two dead rubbers still to play in the fixture.

So there we have it, Mercedini are up and running with the juniors proving their worth against a very well known tennis playing nation, which can only spell good things going forward for the newly created junior side. The seniors have something to aim for with their opening group game but they must wait one more game to get going in the International Tennis Trophy, but in a day where the smaller nations were aiming to upset the big dogs, reigning champions Mercedini held firm in the Juniors to hopefully set up a successful title defence. From Cenial, goodnight!

by **Britonisea** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 3:52 pm

Let's have a little chat!
International Tennis Trophy 3

LET'S SPEAK TO THE BRITONISH NUMBER ONE!

Walking with Leo Garry through the streets of Cenial...

"Yeah, I have been to Ceni many times, as I am sure you know. When I come to this country, most of the times it is about tennis, you know ? So many tournaments happen here, so many valuable tournaments happen here, so I find myself regularly coming to this country to play. And everytime I come here, the sun is usually shining and the fans, oh en masse, do they come down to the tennis courts to watch all of us play tennis. You know, its a nice feeling to be appreciated for something I do, and I feel more than appreciate here, but then again, I feel appreciated at home too. But back to the point, I don't think people really understand what its like for a tennis player, like myself, to constantly be applauded for doing the right thing. And tennis is different to other sports, different to football.

Football, undeniably, is richer than tennis. However, the reward that us tennis players get, compared to the football teams, is far greater and far more personal I think. Now all sports have their own merits, and I am not here to idolise tennis more than football, but, you know, its my sport, so I am sorry if it seems that I am glamorising the sport. When you're on a football team, you share your success with your fellow players. Sometimes, in order to be recognised, you wouldn't have needed to do anything on the football pitch, apart from pass a ball from this player to that player. You win a trophy, golden and glistening in the flood lights of the huge stadium of 100,000 football hooligans singing your praises. A feel of euphoria is probably an understatement for the winning side. The captain lifts the trophy of your team, causing a loud eruption, an explosion of pride and power which, again, must feel eurphoric to the winning team.

I am never going to feel exactly how they feel. Its neither sustainable, nor plausible to build a tennis stadium with 100,000 seats, and its quite unrealistic to expect an audience intoxicated on alcohol, screaming your name out loud. Well, not all of them drink alcohol, I'm just stereotyping haha, I'll try my best to not do that. Anyway, tennis is a more - dare I say it - prestigious sport. Yeah, people sit pompously on their chairs, averting their gaze from left to right, watching the ball go over the net and when we win the point, a respectable clap. I am going back on what I have said about football, and it might seem as though I was bigging it up, wishing tennis was the same. But no, I, argh, am not doing that. You see, when I'm on the court, its just me. I get a crowd of 20,000 people and they're all here to watch me, and of course my opponent. If I win a tournament, or even a match, a sense of pride falls over me, and its a different pride. I think with football its 'We did it, together.' but with tennis, its much more personal, you know? Its more 'I have done it', because tennis is a lonely, and sometimes bothersome sport, its a lonely world because you are fighting for recognition on your own. You don't have another ten people with you, picking you up when you fall down in those ninety minutes on the pitch. Its just you. And tennis, well you have to deal with a lot of personal things before you become a tennis player, like, a proper tennis player. So many insecurities, insecurities that I don't think footballers have, because they're covered under the umbrella of their team, their weight against each other - but who do I lean against? Who do I lean against when I've fallen at the last hurdle, unable to win my first Grand Slam? Who do I lean against when I've slipped fifty places in the rankings. No, I'm not going to talk about my coach, because everyone has a coach - I'm speaking about the personal battle, you know, a battle no coach can ever help you with.

What I'm trying to say is this - when I hear that crowd of 20,000 people cheer for me when I've won a match, I feel as though I've won a personal battle, and trust me, I've needed to win that battle, the battle within me recently. I nearly had it a couple of weeks ago, but not quite...the top prize, I mean. I might not get the applause of a 100,000 but why do I need that to show the merits of the sport of tennis....?

I am so sorry, I think I've babbled on a bit, its something I really do believe in, you know? Anyway, we were speaking about Ceni before I went off in to one. Ceni's Cenial- I wonder how they got that name, is a place like no other, to be honest. Just look around you. I've seen racial diversity at home, sure, but I've never seen so much cultural diversity - so many people from so many different places of the world, and its magnificent to see. 30% of people in this city are people of no faith, and while that's considerably lower than the Britonish percentage, its amazing to see the amount of diversity in religion - and despite problems that may arise between the difference of faiths, they all seem to get along. Its nice.

There's loads of Chinese stuff here too, haha. I go to Chinatown regularly when I come to Cenial, you know, I love me some noodles. A lot of food, people - just everything that makes me feel as though while I am in Ceni, I'm also elsewhere, its a nice espace from the city, the country - not that we need escaping or anything. Oh and its so nice for all these people to somewhat recognise me. I didn't know I'd be that known here, in this country, in that place, but it seems like I am. Go figure !

You know what, I'll see you next time, and I'll take you all around the city, and show you all the best bits."

by **Bojikstan** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:40 pm

B.S NETWORK: YOUR TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE
ITT 3: Bojikstan keeps rolling in doubles play
Posted by Grace Luna

Trey Engard and Fen Li took a break from singles to pair up for doubles play, but the change in format didn't result in a change of results. With Engard's pace and speed and Li's excellent positioning, they finished off their series vs Bortonania with a sweep and a victory in doubles. They looked like they didn't need to seriously push themselves, either, which is good. It's a long tournament, and Engard's hard running style sometimes results in him showing up tired to later matches. 'We're trying not to get too high or low off of this, even though it would be easy to buy into the media hype,' said Li, in the following press conference. 'You guys [in the media] like to print a lot of hype, but we're waiting to play some better competition before we get too excited.'

'I know we aren't supposed to get too excited, but it is nice to see some success early. We have to follow up strong and make sure that we don't get complacent, yes, but we're doing the right things early on and that's valuable, in my experience,' Engard added. 'I'm also happy for our junior program. It's not just me and Fen, the whole country is putting on a good showing and coming out and taking it to the world early on. Bojikstan versus the world is kind of our identity, even though we all come from the different major scenes in Bojikstan, and we're doing good with that so far.'

Yazhu Haung also had some interesting comments in the Junior ITT. 'Not to brag but I feel like the junior opponents are a little overmatched by me. I'm eating them alive right now and I don't think my form is going to drop anytime soon. I'm just being honest.'

by **Ceni** » Mon Aug 28, 2017 6:56 pm

GROUP A
Eastfield Lodge vs Novacoras

Estela Fenton-Millington (EFL)     6   1   6   6
Floki Evenson (NOV)                4   6   2   4

Rollo Logarson (NOV)               6   6   3   3   1
Giorgio Irani (EFL)                4   3   6   6   6

Eastfield Lodge wins series 4-1

Natanians and Nosts vs Romaian

Rog Ion Tralito (NTN)              6   7   7
Theodora Patrikiou (ROA)           3   5   6

Georgios Sevos (ROA)               5   6   4   6   3
Maria Claudia Amulio (NTN)         7   4   6   4   6

Romaian wins series 3-2

GROUP B
Electrum vs Jiyon

Andrew Simmons (ETM)               6   6   7
Polly Harris (USJ)                 0   4   5

Karl Danvers (USJ)                 6   3   6   6   4
Greg Meares (ETM)                  4   6   7   2   6

Electrum wins series 5-0

Mattijana vs Nombiliad

Mattias Burges (MTJ)               6   7   6
June Fisher (NMB)                  1   5   0

Edmond Stevens (NMB)               5   4   7   1
Aljaz Corluka (MTJ)                7   6   6   6

Mattijana wins series 5-0

GROUP C
Qasden vs Buddharia

Ty Kanelious (QAD)                 4   6   2   6   7
Conrad Fox (BUD)                   6   2   6   3   5

Paisley Brazzos (QAD)              6   6   4   1   1
Amberly Mosier (BUD)               3   4   6   6   6

Qasden wins series 3-2

Tobiasia vs Islana Lunigo

Kula Na'ia (ILO)                   3   4   6
Alex Sanders (TOB)                 6   6   7

Paul Chinra (TOB)                  6   6   4   6
Dodger Predator (ILO)              4   1   6   1

Tobiasia wins series 4-1

GROUP D
Britonisea vs Very Small & Unusually Obscure Island

Leo Garry (BRI)                    6   7   3   7
Donovan Fields (VSI)               2   6   6   6

Ceci Lloyd (VSI)                   6   2   5   6
Derek Dubrovnik (BRI)              3   6   7   7

Britonisea wins series 4-1

Rushmori Bojikstan vs Bortonania

Trey Engard (RUB)                  6   3   6   6
Hagen Hamundarson (BOR)            3   6   4   1

Anwyl Ó Dubhghaill (BOR)           3   2   4
Fen Li (RUB)                       6   6   6

Rushmori Bojikstan wins series 5-0

Junior ITT

GROUP A
Romaian vs Mattijana

Manouil Nomikos (ROA)        3   6   6
Julia Marelika (MTJ)         6   3   1

Dan Ljukanić (MTJ)           6   6
Eleni Romanou (ROA)          2   1

Mattijana wins series 4-1

Mercedini vs Qasden

Monica Vinci (MRC)           5   6   6
Wesley Bajerman (QAD)        7   0   2

Prada Nicorio (QAD)          1   6   1
Benjamin Kryoni (MRC)        6   4   6

Mercedini wins series 5-0

GROUP B
Rushmori Bojikstan vs Nombiliad

Kindall Whittauch (NMB)      2   2
Jorge Palacios (RUB)         6   6

Yazhu Huang (RUB)            6   6
Rod King (NMB)               2   4

Rushmori Bojikstan wins series 5-0

Britonisea vs Very Small & Unusually Obscure Island

Norwich King (BRI)           6   3   6
Paul Nixon (VSI)             4   6   0

Kelli Windsor (VSI)          7   6
Niltche Toriblesch (BRI)     5   2

Britonisea wins series 4-1

by **Mattijana** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:44 pm

"Hello everyone. Your ITT roundup today comes from the beautiful Lake Cenial park here in the Cenian capital. It's an immense green space, and we've got the glistening lake on our right and the city skyline way over to our left. There's a lot of people out here enjoying the early evening sunshine and we'll be catching up with some of them later.

I'm Daniella Jarama and I'm joined by former Mattijanan number one Alex Dimitrov and current Mattijanan number 4 and last year's Junior ITT semi-finalist Maria Julenic. Thank you both for joining us.

We've got two days of action to take a look at and the good news is that it's so far been a clean sweep for Mattijana as they wrapped up an unassailable 3-0 lead against Nombiliad in their opening group stage tie. Julian Slazić and Lara Basič won the doubles rubber against Claudia Madison and Michael Okonnal 6-4,6-1.6-0 to secure the expected victory and we're going to take a look at that first up.

Alex, were you encouraged by what you saw today?"

"Definitely. It was your classic doubles win today, a set to suss out the opposition and then two sets to thrash them, so it was almost the perfect victory. Of course the quality of opposition was perhaps not so good compared to the seasoned pros from Electrum and Neu Engollon, but the fact that this isn't even the first choice lineup shows that Mattijana really mean business and have excellent strength in depth too."

"We're just taking a look at some of these volleys from the pair. Do you think they'll be able to repeat this against higher quality opposition?"

"For sure both of them posess excellent technique. Basic is more of a conventional player, but Slazic disguises a very solid way of playing with his power, so it's no surprise they can regularly play shots like this. The pair from Nombiliad hit to the net player far too many times, but the pair tucked them away with very little fuss. It'll be interesting to see how Lisicki and Kampl play in the next tie, but they might be in for a battle for a place in the big matches."

"Maria, what do you think that Slazic and Basic offer that Lisicki and Kampl maybe don't?"

"I think Julian brings a little more power to the court, but the girls are very similar in style, so there's no wonder the two pairs were so similar in the rankings for so long. Rikard I love watching, but it's a results business, so it'll all come down to the next tie."

"Talking of the next tie Maria, do you think there's any chance of a runout for you?"

"Well I can't say for sure at the moment of course, but I'm very hopeful of a runout soon and I've heard the plan is to play Dominika and myself in the singles, so yes, I'm hoping to get some matchtime in the very near future."

"Excellent news. Yesterday of course the singles matches took place, with Mattias Burges and Aljaz Corluka both taking victories. Burges won in straight sets against Edmond Stevens whilst Corluka needed a fourth to overcome June Fisher. Alex, do you think Corluka can push for a place?"

"I'm not convinced. He played some excellent tennis yesterday, but had a pretty major blip in the second set, so he'll have to prove he has the mental focus to tackle the big guns because if you let a set slip like that against them, the match'll sail by."

"Well earlier we caught up with some of the fans here in Lake Cenial Park to see what they had to say about the tournament. Here's the product of my little wander."

"So you're a Cenial local. What's the build up been like ahead of this tournament?"

"Well the majority of people here in Ceni really love their tennis, so we're really excited to be hosting another of these tournaments. The format obviously adds a patriotic edge and it'll be amazing to see our best players playing as a team."

"Of course it's your players who dominate the world rankings at the moment. How likely do you think a Cenian victory is?"

"Well you don't want to take it for granted of course, but we won the tournament last year and mny of the same players are around the squad again, so it'll be tough for anyone to beat us this year as well."

"Who do you think does pose the greatest threat this year?"

"I would say New Gelderland. They've looked good so far this year and the rankings are starting to talk for them as well, so if we do end up with them in the final then it'll be a tough match."

"Thanks for talking to us. Hope you enjoy the tournament."

"I've also managed to find Jan Lossl, a Mattijanan fan from near Weststrand. Jan what do you make of what you've seen from your side so far?"

"It's looked good so far. Mattias Burges didn't drop a set and played very well at the same time and the doubles team were serving and volleying very nicely. Aljaž looked a little less consistent, but he isn't expected to play our tougher ties, so we'll have to see how Lisicki performs in the next tie."

"How far do you think Mattijana can go in this tournament?"

"Well obviously some of the matches against Electrum and Neu Engollon will be tough, but I think we stand a chance against them, so we could make the semis or even the final. Ceni and New Gelderland are in a league of their own, but anyone else I think we could stage an upset against."

"Who's your favourite player to watch out there?"

"I love watching Rikard Kampl and I think even the neutrals and opposition supporters appreciate some of his shots too. He's a real artist at the net and he has a beautiful backhand, so he's brilliant to be able to see. I think he's really become a fans favourite over the last year or so, particularly with this partnership with Lisicki he has."

"Thanks for talking to us Jan and I hope you enjoy the rest of your time here in Ceni."

"Well that was me earlier talking with some of the many tennis fans around the city. I have one piece of news to bring you from the last couple of minutes which is that the teamsheet for tomorrow has been released and here it is."

Singles: Dominika Lisicki, Maria Julenic
Doubles: Dominika Lisicki/Rikard Kampl

"Tomorrow we'll be on the Capitol Mall for your roundup of the next tie and we hope to see you then. Goodnight"

by **Bojikstan** » Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:19 pm

B.S NETWORK: YOUR TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE
ITT 3: Sponsor controversy begins as Palacios receives Smoke deal, Huang doesn't
Posted by Grace Luna

The Rushmori Bojikstan team has been an early surprise in the third International Tennis Trophy, and they took two more series. In the senior part of the tournament, Trey Engard defeated Hagen Hamundarson in four sets. Fen Li defeated Anwyl Ó Dubhghaill in three. The junior players also won their own matchups, Jorge Palacios and Yanzhu Huang beating Kindall Wittauch and Rod King respectively. However, the youth players were the ones that received more attention this time, because Jorge Palacios posted a picture of a sponsorship offer on his blog. The offer would sign him up with Smoke Sports for the next three years, and would pay him one and a half million.

'Playing internationally has opened a lot of doors,' he said after his match. 'I didn't get these kinds of sponsorships when I was doing MMA. You can put all my career winnings together and I'm pretty sure Smoke is offering more, so we'll see what happens. I'm probably going to accept the offer, I just have to talk to my camp first and see if it would be better to wait and hold out for a better one. Then again, any offer is a good one when you're dealing with this kind of money.'

When asked about her own sponsorships, Yanzhu Huang showed indifference. 'I'm not thinking of all that. I'm from the islands, I'm not from mainland Bojikstan like Jorge. There's less people, less companies, of course it's going to be harder for me to get sponsors. But I couldn't care less, I'm focused on tennis and on making my living through playing, not earning sponsorships.'

She was then asked if she's feeling bitter, because of the tone she used in her statements, and she didn't deny it. 'I don't know, this is a sore subject for me. You have these great players from Rushmori Bojikstan, from Golden Atoll, like me and Fen Li and Yi Sun, but we don't make as much because we're from some small islands and the others are from big cities like Strasburg and Odena. Our scene is just as good as the cities, but we never get the credit for it. We all still have to bust our asses to play at the highest level, while companies like Smoke give millions to the city players.'

Trey Engard commented later on Huang's remarks. 'I think her ideas about the mainland are slightly off. We don't all have expensive sponsorships. Hell, I'm the face of the team and I don't have a major sponsorship deal. Jorge got a deal because he's something special. He's the kind of athlete that can switch sports and have success in a new one, the kind that doesn't come around often. And he's still young enough to have major potential. Of course he's going to get a bit deal, when others might. He's a sponsor's dream, it's not because of where he's from.'

Huang's doubles partner, Yi Sun, defended his teammate. 'Yanzhu just says what she means and she doesn't filter herself a lot. I don't think she means any harm or has bad intent when she talks about someone like Palacios. We're all really passionate players, but she just shows it more and doesn't apologize for it when it rubs people the wrong way. She's also very smart, and the fact that you lot are talking about her and have been all day says something about that.'

Smoke Sports hasn't responded to Huang's allegations of regional discrimination against players from Rushmori Bojikstan.

by **Britonisea** » Wed Aug 30, 2017 2:55 pm

Let's have a little chat!
International Tennis Trophy 3

LET'S SPEAK TO THE BRITONISH NUMBER ONE!

Walking with Leo Garry through the streets of Cenial...

"I cannot believe the words that I'm about to utter out of my mouth, and I never, in my life, thought that I would say something like this, but I am genuinely scared to play the team from Mercedini. Now, when I say scared, I don't mean scared that we will get thrashed, but scared that our opportunity to really show ourselves, to show our tennis sporting nation on the big stage do well.
I mean, its embarrassing enough that we are not even ranked number one in the group. Now, don't get me wrong, its not Mercedini that I'm embarrassed about, no. They're a truly fantastic team, and I can only wish the best for them, moving through the tournament. But, what is embarrassing is our country. I had a looked at the rankings before I came here, and I found out that I am not even in the top twenty for the singles rank, and sure, I understand that it will take time, and yeah, I understand that coming back after a break will mean it will take time, and yeah, I understand that I have only played four tournaments compared to other players in the top 20, playing around 14 tournaments yearly. The second ranked Britonish player is, ugh, well he is ranked 104th in the world. I think its Newkärn, and I am so proud of my buddy, I am pleased. I think that he has the making of a star, and I'd love to pass my baton down to him, he can be the new Britonish Number one, I'd be proud of that... Truly. But I can't help but feel a bit embarrassed that my country, the country that once used to have many in the top 50, only has one in the top 100. And its just me. I feel so lonely sometimes, and while I race against others on the tour, trying to get back at the top Cenian players or whatever, it is lonely when there are no Britonish players to tussle with. It might sound stupid to say this but I would love to open the rankings and see that while I am ranked highly, a fellow Britonish player, whether that's Newkärn, Gordon, Quehall - anyone, has overtaken me for Britonish number one. Its the willing drive to be the best in Britonisea that keeps me going, and while I maintain the top placing, it hasn't been that difficult, I feel as though it was too too easy, as though I didn't deserve it.

You know, the leg injury that happened to me last year, really tore me... Then I heard that Britonisea is going to cut funding from the Olympics budget, despite the increasing amount of money spent on the Games, and the government stopping funding to the tennis association. It really disheartened me, you know? It gave me a feeling of 'why should I return? Why the hell should I return?' I felt as though I wasn't appreciated. I had been on top of the Olympic rostrum, proudly singing the national anthem only to hear that funding for the sport, one of the few sports that more than one medal was collected in for Britonisea, was going to get a smaller budget for these 2017 Games, and look where that brought us, aye? Nah, I'm not going to blame the funding cuts to our pretty pour performance, I won't do that. But, I felt as though there was no reason to return. There came a time where there were no Britonish players in the top, what, 50? I hurt so bad, it stung. I knew I had to do something, I had to return. I couldn't not return. Peter P Larry and Lance Mance, two of the best players of Britonisea, and maybe even of all time - despite not even reaching top position - had both rules out a chance of coming back, and Ricardo Toli said that he was still going through some treatment and so he decided that he would come back at a later time. Well, he is coming back by the next tournament, which makes me excited. He said that it will take time for him to get his mojo, but the Estogian will be on top form again, under the Britonish banner of course. As much as it may seem nice to you, the people who are watching this video, or people at home, it isn't nice having the whole nation's weight on your shoulder, and I need someone to carry this pressure I have with me.

Thats where I thought Derek Dubrovnik came in to all of this, you know? He was supposed to be the best Britonish player after me, he was supposed to be my successor. At one point he was the Britonish number one but that was during the Electrum Open change over period, or whatever they call it. He has now seemingly just dipped to under 100, possibly under 120th in the world. Newkärn is now ranked second, in 104th place as I've probably already mentioned. I like Derek, you know, and he's a good friend of mine, but he has some serious stuff going on both psychologically and physically that he needs to have some help with. Derek gets there, to the top, but never delivers sometimes, and it makes me upset, to be honest. Ah Derek. I don't know what else to say. Perhaps he should try the smaller competitions first where he is likely to get through to the quarter finals and get a few points in his back pocket. I think he needs it more than anyone. But me, well, I'm just chasing to be in the World Tour Final again. It won't be an easy ride, but I just have to keep on going, don't I? I think in the end, it will be worth it. I'll be at the World Tour Finals, and I would be proud to represent the country, but come next year, I'd love to see more Britonish talent spring through.

But all in all, I'm ready for the upcoming match! Are you?"

by **Ceni** » Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:42 pm

GROUP A
Ceni vs Eastfield Lodge

Johmer Vales (CEN)                 6   7   6
Estela Fenton-Millington (EFL)     1   5   1

Kika Dovan (CEN)                   3   6   7   6
Giorgio Irani (EFL)                6   3   5   3

Ceni leads series 2-0

Natanians and Nosts vs Novacoras

Rog Ion Tralito (NTN)              7   7   5   4   6
Rollo Logarson (NOV)               5   6   7   6   2

Maria Claudia Amulio (NTN)         4   5   6   6   6
Floki Evenson (NOV)                6   7   1   1   1

Natanians and Nosts leads series 2-0

GROUP B
Electrum vs Neu Engollon

Felice Mareux (NEG)                3   1   7   2
Andrew Simmons (ETM)               6   6   6   6

Marla Gerard (NEG)                 6   6   4   4   6
Greg Meares (ETM)                  3   4   6   6   4

Series tied, 1-1

Mattijana vs Jiyon

Dominika Lisicki (MTJ)             5   6   7   7
Polly Harris (USJ)                 7   3   5   6

Maria Julenic (MTJ)                7   6   6
Karl Danvers (USJ)                 5   1   2

Mattijana leads series 2-0

GROUP C
New Gelderland vs Qasden

Liam Penderyn (NGD)                6   6   6
Ty Kanelious (QAD)                 3   3   4

Andrew Lamar (NGD)                 3   6   6   3   6
Paisley Brazzos (QAD)              6   2   4   6   3

New Gelderland leads series 2-0

Tobiasia vs Buddharia

Alex Sanders (TOB)                 6   6   6
Conrad Fox (BUD)                   3   2   2

Paul Chinra (TOB)                  5   1   6   6   2
Amberly Mosier (BUD)               7   6   3   3   6

Series tied, 1-1

GROUP D
Mercedini vs Britonisea

Cracik Almeronovic (MRC)           6   5   2   5
Leo Garry (BRI)                    1   7   6   7

Mei Jokek (MRC)                    2   6   6   5
Derek Dubrovnik (BRI)              6   7   3   7

Britonisea leads series 2-0

Rushmori Bojikstan vs VS&UO Island

Trey Engard (RUB)                  6   6   6
Donovan Fields (VSI)               2   4   2

Fen Li (RUB)                       3   7   7   6
Ceci Lloyd (VSI)                   6   5   5   3

Rushmori Bojikstan leads series 2-0

Junior ITT

GROUP A
Buddharia vs Romaian

Rodney Vega (BUD)            6   3   7
Manouil Nomikos (ROA)        4   6   5

Shane Fuller (BUD)           3   6   6
Eleni Romanou (ROA)          6   3   4

Buddharia leads series 2-0

Mercedini vs Mattijana

Monica Vinci (MRC)           6   6
Julia Marelika (MTJ)         4   3

Benjamin Kryoni (MRC)        6   6   4
Dan Ljukanić (MTJ)           1   7   6

Series tied 1-1

GROUP B
Nombiliad vs Eastfield Lodge

Kindall Whittauch (NMB)      1   6
Rufus Steward (EFL)          6   7

Rod King (NMB)               7   7
Novia Ortiz (EFL)            6   5

Series tied 1-1

Britonisea vs Rushmori Bojikstan

Norwich King (BRI)           6   4   3
Jorge Palacios (RUB)         1   6   6

Niltche Toriblesch (BRI)     6   6
Yazhu Huang (RUB)            0   2

Series tied 1-1

by **Mercedini** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 10:08 am

International Tennis Trophy Day 3
@ National Tennis Centre - Cenial, Ceni

Good afternoon and welcome back to the National Tennis Centre in sunny Cenial for our coverage of the International Tennis Trophy. If you joined us last time you will remember that Mercedini had already recorded their first victory in Ceni, with the Junior team taking victory with their first three matches against the Junior team from Qasden. The final two matches of the fixture have been played today with only pride at stake for the players and the nations involved. With much of the attention focused on the big hitters of the senior competition, it gives the junior sides a chance to breathe, but gives them plenty of exposure and a chance to play their best in one of the cathedrals of international tennis. Let's see if they could round out a whitwash against their opponents on day three.

International Tennis Trophy: A Bigger Whitewash That Hollywood's Films

GROUP A
Junior ITT
MERCEDINI 5 - 0 QASDEN
Vinci bt. Nicorio
Kryoni bt. Bajerman
Prozzo/Trajkovic bt. Taylor/Douvier
Vinci bt. Bajerman
Kryoni bt. Nicorio

Cenial, Ceni

Considering many were speculating that is would be the hardest game in the group, Mercedini came through the fixture unscathed with a perfect 5-0 record over their hotly tipped tennis playing allies and opponents. The match was pretty much over with Mercedini already taking an unassailable lead in the fixture, winning all their matches in the previous two days to take a 3-0 lead with only two matches to play, it was only pride and match differential that the teams were playing for.

It was Vinci vs. Bajerman which opened up the day's proceedings in a rather empty outer court at the national tennis centre. The crowds hadn't tuned up, mainly due to the hotly anticipated singles ties in the seniors and the fact that the fixture was already dead, that wasn't to say that the stands were empty, the Qasdonians and the Mercedinians were in the stands but with fewer numbers due to reasons mentioned above, the crowd was stretching about 100 which is the biggest crowd these players had played in front of, but still far short of crowds in previous days. Still, a match needed to be played and both players were up for the fight regardless of the insignificance of the result. Both players went at it early from the get-go with the small crowd getting their money's worth with a frantic match between two up and coming players from their respected nations. The two players were at a stalemate and looked to be going to an opening se tiebreak, but a number of Vinci mistake and a double fault surprisingly gave Bajerman and Qasden the opening set, giving the Qasden section an opportunity to cheer their homeboy, could Qasden finally get a point on the point on the board? After a short drinks and toilet break, we were back in action for the second set of the match, Vinci and Bajerman traded rapid shots from the base line, but in the second game of the match Bajerman took a nasty fall and with Vinci holding her own service game in the first plus Bajerman being 15-40 down on his own service gave the coaching team cause for concern. A small injury break was taken with Bajerman looking determined to get back on the court, he did but was looking worse for wear. His mobility was hampered somewhat which Vinci took complete control of. She punished her Qasden opponent who couldn't come back with a response which led to an eventual 6-0 emphatic second set victory to equalise the game and take it to a decider. At this point, Bajerman's mobility was relatively better, although it was nowere near where is was for the first set. He gave some resistance by managing to hold Vinci in the first four games but Vinci's agility and non-injury sealed the win for her as she ran away with the set once again. A 6-2 deciding set win meant she got her second match victory of the campaign and put a fourth on the board for her nation. Vinci winning in three sets; 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.

The fifth and final match to take place on day three was Kryoni vs. Nicario with a potential whitewash as risk on the line for the Mercedinians . The two players took to the court with the rest of the players and coaching teams in the stands to see out this opening match. The two players entered the match much more relaxed considering the relevance of the match, Kryoni had won his opening rubber and was looking to make it two in two against Nicorio who was beaten in straight sets in his previous match. Kryoni started the match strong by going up 3-0 and getting an early break against his opponent, before Nicorio hit back by holding his serve to reduce the deficit to two in the opening set. The conditions in Cenial were quite warm which matched the climate in Zoloroni, where the teams had been training for the past couple of months in preparation for the International Tennis trophy, which game the advantage to the Mercedinians when it came to dealing with the weather. Kryoni turned his play up to a higher gear and eventually ran away with the first set 6-1. It wasn't the close matchup that many were thinking, with Mercedini running away with the win, they will face Mattijana in the next round of matches which is the other dangerous nation in their group and could be the other banana peel against qualification for the team. The second set was a lot closer with both players putting aside their early match nerves to put on an excellent game of tennis for the spectating crowd. They went neck and neck for the first half of the set before an inspired Nicorio earned themselves a break of serve after a prolonged and drawn out deuce stalemate. Nicorio held onto his lead and took the match into another decider to determine whether Qasden got a consolation or whether Mercedini achieved a whitewash in their first match. Kryoni and Nicario, just like the first set, were locked in a tight exchange of shots in the opening two games with both games going the way of the server. That's when the Nicorio mistakes came in and Kryoni stepped it up a notch to take full control of the match. Five consecutive games in a row meant the Mercedinian powered through the rest of the game to take the final set 6-1 to complete a 5-0 shutout in their opening junior match.

So there we have it, Mercedini have got their names on the board after the opening round of fixtures with a perfect record against Qasden. It will only get even more frantic with the senior's now getting in on the action, they will begin their campaign against Britonisea while the juniors will have to play Mattijana who also won their opening match. Those are two tough fixtures and we will be giving you all the coverage of those fixtures next time, but for now, goodnight!

by **Bojikstan** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 1:52 pm

B.S NETWORK: YOUR TRUSTWORTHY SOURCE
ITT 3: Sponsor controversy proves to be a distraction as Huang drops first match
Posted by Grace Luna

There's more twists and turns than expected from this ITT. The drama, however, is linked to the Junior ITT rather than the main competition, where Fen Li and Trey Engard have been leading a delegation that flies the territorial flag of Rushmori Bojikstan and is making its debut internationally. Most recently, Trey Engard defeated Donovan Fields in three sets and Fen Li defeated Ceci Lloyd in four. On the junior side, though Jorge Palacios defeated Norwich King and Yanzhu Huang lost to Niltche Toriblesch by the scores of 6-0 and 6-2.

The loss was Huang's first of the tournament, and it comes immediately after she got involved with media controversy for saying that regional discrimination is the reason why she hasn't gotten a Smoke Sports contract. Her teammate, Jorge Palacios, did get one during the tournament, despite Huang claiming to be the more technically sound player. 'I admit that I have to do better, but I don't think that what I said is a distraction. I think that word is just used by people who want athletes to shut up and play, but that's never been my style,' she said. 'I'm just as good as anyone out here and I deserve to get rewarded for it. I don't know if that means getting a deal with Smoke or with someone else.'

When asked about his teammate's comments, Palacios didn't lean heavily one way or the other. 'Yanzhu says a lot of things. I'm not here to judge all of that or get involved with controversy, I'm just here to do my job and represent the country. I don't think it's going to change my decision on the contract that Smoke has offered. I'm ready to move on and focus on our opponents, not off of the court arguments that only a few players care about.'

Smoke Sports is reportedly preparing a statement to address the accusations that they are discriminatory against citizens of Golden Atoll and Providentia, the two islands that make up Bojikstan's territory in Rushmore. Their PR team has been completely silent on the issue since the controversy began.

by **Britonisea** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 2:41 pm

Let's have a little chat!
International Tennis Trophy 3

LET'S SPEAK TO THE OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST 2016!

Walking with Elizabeth Quehall through the streets of Cenial...

"Hi! I just came out of a shop that, I guess, specialises in food from this country, and I tried out the Cenial Clam Chowder. I am not usually a fan of seafood, oh dear no, but I must say, I hadn't tasted a chowder before, and that won't be the last time I taste it, to be honest. That was a very, very nice meal to have for lunch. Can you believe, they have fish and chips here?! So amazing, you know. I love, love, love fish and chips, and yeah, I know that I said that I don't quite like seafood, but come on, it's fish and chips - that is an exception. Its awesome coming to another country and trying out their food, tasting a bit of their culture, and to be doing this in a very cultured nation such as Ceni is magnificent. I intake a large amount of air, and so many different flavours run in to my nose, it's absolutely brilliant, if you ask me. And yep, you get that at home, I am not dissing - but in Ceni, it is a different smell, if you know what I mean? Hey, after my match today, I intend to go out to the theatre or somewhere and watch something, I'm sure it'd be fantastic.

The matches so far? Pretty good, I am not going to lie. And I mean this on both the senior and the junior side. I think, lets start with the juniors, that they did very well to beat Very Small & Unusually Obscure Island, very long and obscure name, I know, 4-1 which was replicated in the senior's too. It makes me so excited to see such young talent like Norwich and Niltche grow and become better players. You know, looking back, a year ago, these two were just starting out and they were given this big opportunity, an opportunity to represent Britonisea in the International Tennis Trophy; the crème de la crème, something every tennis nation wants to win. And I think we gave them a bit too much pressure, and certainly, I think it was horrible for us too. Both of us faltered, and we had to go away and really think about what we had done to have left us in a situation so difficult like it was a year ago. But seeming them win their first tie is absolutely brilliant and I am so ever proud of them. They're now v-ing the quite controversial Boji- oh sorry, Rushmori Bojikstan and they have the series tied at 1-1. I think Norwich will be kicking himself a tiny bit because he did winnthe first set, and he looked well set for the second, but it didn't go to plan for him, but it's okay - I gave him a hug and told him to keep on trying. The Britonish junior team - all sweet hearts, aren't they?

Next up is Mercedini, and um, Derek Dubrovnik and Leo Garry did very well to fend off the two from Mercedini, who is an incredibly strong team. I mean, I am most impressed with Derek Dubrovnik, my man, I am so pleased that he gave Leo and I that bit advantage, and it restores my faith in him a bit. Of course, anything could happen tomorrow and I don't know what the final outcome will be - we might win, we might lose - but I think Leo and I can safely walk on to the court knowing that we don't have to play catch up, which sometimes is a good thing. I don't always want to be the one who has to catch up.

Look, I've got to run and go train with Leo. You have fun, and come with us to the theatre!"

by **Buddharia** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 3:52 pm

Conversation With a Champion

"Today we are sitting down with reigning Buddharian Open champion, and current International Tennis Trophy contender, Amberly Mosier. It's great to have you here today."

"Thank you, it is truly an honor to be sitting here with you."

"Going into this tournament you were predicted by many to come out undefeated. Do you think that pressure had something to do with your loss on the opening day?"

"Not really, I mean it is difficult to know a whole nation is watching you and putting their hope on you to win them some national pride. However, I came in and treated this like any domestic tournament I've been in. Ty Kanelious just simply outplayed me."

"After losing that match did you change anything going into the next one?"

"I wouldn't say I changed anything but that loss certainly gave me renewed vigor as I went on to play Paisley Brazzos of Qasden and Paul Chinra of Tobiasia. I knew I was better than what I showed in my first match so I definitely had something to prove moving on from there. I certainly don't plan on letting Buddharia down again for the rest of the tournament."

"Moving away from your matches, have you gotten to know any of the other national players well?"

"Oh, for sure. I had a lovely evening with the Ramos', we went to see Cenial’s Royal Shakespearian Theatre Company perform Hamlet. When they told me about how they met playing tennis I almost cried. It's such a cute story. I've also been practicing a lot with Conrad, I actually feel kind of bad for him. He put's his heart and soul into every match he plays even if it's just a practice. He still hasn't been able to win more than one match in the tournament though. I'm sure that will turn around and he will make the whole country proud."

"Have you had a chance to meet any of the junior players yet?"

"I haven't had a chance to really talk to any of them personally yet, just that brief moment at the meet and greet but that was mostly just signing autographs and a quick hello to everyone. I would like to get to know them a little better though. I did get a chance to see Shane and Rodney's matches yesterday though. They put on some impressive performances. I might have my work cut out for me once they are eligible for the pro scene."

"Well, we have time for one last question, what's been your favorite part of coming to this tournament?"

"To be honest, I've always wanted to travel the world but I'm always so wrapped up in tennis I rarely get the chance. Here I get to do both. I hope I have more opportunities like this throughout my career. I'll let you in on a little secret as well, I have a huge obsession with poetry. Whenever I have a free moment I'm at the National Library reading things from poets I've never heard of. I recommend going, even if it's just to see the building, the architecture is beautiful. It's absolutely incredible to be here in this wonderful city. Thank you for being such gracious hosts."

"That's all the time we have tonight, thank you for tuning into this edition of Conversation With a Champion."

by **Ceni** » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:18 pm

GROUP A
Ceni vs Eastfield Lodge

Perger Rianor/Ricpeer Rianor (CEN)                                 0   7   6   7
Phoebe Harvey/Berat Latif (EFL)                                    6   5   1   6

Ceni wins series 3-0

Natanians and Nosts vs Novacoras

Márcus Gabriel Alencastro/Iohanna Márcia Enderssen-Moura (NTN)     5   3   4
Kyle Larsson/Stuart Larrson (NOV)                                  7   6   6

Natanians and Nosts leads series 2-1

GROUP B
Neu Engollon vs Electrum

Mattias Doerwald/Marco Vrient (NEG)                                3   3   7   2
Sonya Gredello/Rosa Levinsky (ETM)                                 6   6   5   6

Electrum leads series 2-1

Mattijana vs Jiyon

Julian Slazić/ Lara Basic (MTJ)                                    6   6   6
Harry Lands/Jim Lands (USJ)                                        1   3   1

Mattijana wins series 3-0

GROUP C
New Gelderland vs Qasden

Mark Southgate/Megan Elliott (NGD)                                 3   6   6   6
Terry Reben/Icy Mellows (QAD)                                      6   2   2   1

New Gelderland wins series 3-0

Tobiasia vs Buddharia

Paul Chinra/Alex Sanders (TOB)                                     6   6   6
Alex Ramos/Danielle Ramos (BUD)                                    1   2   1

Tobiasia leads series 2-1

GROUP D
Mercedini vs Britonisea

Jack Parminus/Adam Stratesimov (MRC)                               6   4   6   6
Leo Garry/Elizabeth Quehall (BRI)                                  1   6   1   1

Britonisea leads series 2-1

Rushmori Bojikstan vs VS&UO Island

Trey Engard/Fen Li (RUB)                                           6   5   6   6   6
Perry Everest/Denver O'Neil (VSI)                                  7   7   2   4   4

Rushmori Bojikstan wins series 3-0

Junior ITT

GROUP A
Buddharia vs Romaian

Naomi Myers/Stella Bridges (BUD)                 3   6  10
Eustratios Galatis/Eleni Protonotariou (ROA)     6   0   6

Buddharia wins series 3-0

Mercedini vs Mattijana

Liam Prozzo/Anastasia Traijikovic (MRC)          6   6
Dominik Kuhn/Samira Ralic (MTJ)                  4   2

Mercedini leads series 2-1

GROUP B
Eastfield Lodge vs Nombiliad

Novia Ortiz/Charley Steel (EFL)                  6   6
Charlotte Cordova/Peter Ash (NMB)                3   3

Eastfield Lodge leads series 2-1

Britonisea vs Rushmori Bojikstan

Emma Benten / Jack Whealé (BRI)                  6   2
Yazhu Huang/Yi Sun (RUB)                         7   6

Rushmori Bojikstan leads series 2-1

by **Mattijana** » Sat Sep 02, 2017 2:51 am

A Tale of Two Juniors: Part 1

For Dominik Kuhn and Samira Ralic, the route to the Junior ITT was a less conventional one. From opposite ends of Mattijana, Kuhn from the Western town of Nordstrand and Ralic from Konja in the South-East, the pair attended their local secondary schools, at the same time playing club tennis, before finally being picked up by Mattijanan national scouts at the age of 15.

The Mattijanan tennis development program is largely centralised around Burges TennisKlub, which has a substantial junior section and the Pulnik academy near Puljanka, a school for potential athletes of all sports. As a result, the natural progression for the two players was a place at the academy. They left their normal schools and swapped the Blue and yellow uniforms of the West and the gold and white of the south-east for the green and yellow of central Mattijana.

Strategically paired at their first session at the age of 16, Kuhn and Ralic begun to show some promise and as communication and familiarity with each other started to grow, the two began to turn potential into performance. The summer championships is normally used as a mark of ability and makes up a large portion of evidence for ITT selection. Kuhn and Ralic took a surprise victory.

From there, it was hard to ignore the duo. There were few similarities to the often flamboyant performances of Lisicki and Kampl, or the polar partnership of Slazic and Basic, but at least at Junior level, they had a habit of winning matches.

It was that factor that made the partnership impossible to ignore for Alex Dimitrov and his team of scouts. Having watched the two in action a further few times, Dimitrov made the call that mattered, and Kuhn and Ralic were on the plane to Ceni.

"This shouldn't work but it does", was one of Dimitrov's notes during the selection process. Different backgrounds, different cultures and a similar style. For sure not the ideal combination for a doubles team. But the communication and tennis understanding between the two is what allows the duo to be successful and it works a treat.

Dominik Kuhn and Samira Ralic. Remember the names.

International Tennis Trophy 3 [IC|NSTT]

International Tennis Trophy 3 [IC|NSTT]

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