[Tennis/NSTT] Indoor hard court season 6 [RP/Results]

[Pemecutan]

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DAY-7 MATCH SCHEDULE
Monday, 30 November 2020
Soma Kliwon Wuku Uye, Pawukon 1780

Final - Single Competition
Final - Double Competition

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Weather Forecast

Temperature: 24° - 29°C (RealFeel 26° - 36°C)
Humidity: 82%
Rain Probability : 80% (Thunderstorm possibility)

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Baruna Court

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Morning Schedule
(start at 10 AM local time)
(8) Lonus Varalin (CEN) vs (2) Dominika Lisicki (MTJ)

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Afternoon Schedule
(start at 3 PM local time)
(1) Camille Fournier/Inez Fournier (RCN) vs (7) Deanne Smith/Sara Zhuo (ETM)

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Opinion - Kimiko Shigaraki

Smith/Zhuo stand in the way of Fourniers' getting number one ranking

With the decision of the ELTA to rest our top ranking singles players backfiring (with Giannapolous and Simmons falling down the ranks thanks to unexpectedly good performance from the rest of the top ten players), they are perhaps feeling the heat with Ronya's top ranking at risk by the Recuecn pairing.

Luckily, there may be a silver lining in all this mess, because it's Smith and Zhuo who are challenging them for the Ubung title. Smith and Zhuo were called in to allow Ronya to take a break before the ITT. The two have made the most of their opportunity with a stellar run, with wins over Rogers/Stewart, Antari/Andreawati, Spetsova/McDanielson, and McNeil/Kawasaki allowing them to catapult themselves to a joint rank 12 ranking, securing a likely spot in the NSTT Finals. In other words, this would have never have happened were it not for the intervention of the ELTA.

It then becomes a question of what is the priority -- maintaining a top ranking or having as many players as possible in the finals? Clearly, for the ELTA, it is the latter. Having more players compete a tournament with a one-in-eight chance of getting 1,500 points will mean that players will be entrenched in the rankings for an additional season. It's a well-known story of misaligned incentives, with Ronya reportedly peeved that they may lose the prestige that comes with being the #1 pair. One wonders how the rankings would have evolved had our multiverse's tennis system was built on another system that didn't involve nations submitting players centrally.

The battle between players and their national federations continues.

[Pemecutan]

This is your last cut off

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DAY 7 RESULT
Monday, 30 November 2020
Soma Kliwon Wuku Uye, Pawukon 1780

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SINGLE COMPETITION
FINAL

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(8) Lonus Varalin (CEN)           2   6   6
(2) Dominika Lisicki (MTJ)        6   4   3

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DOUBLE COMPETITION
FINAL

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(1) Camille Fournier/Ines Fournier (RCN)        6   6
(7) Deanne Smith/Sara Zhuo (ETM)                3   4

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Congratulations for the Winners and See you again in the next edition

[Squidroidia]

The Star Sentinel
Polaris High School's Official Newspaper

TENNIS
Team Polaris has entered the building - Preview of the International Tennis Trophy (And who we got in our group)
By Aristide Masterson

The International Tennis Trophy. The place where seasons are redefined not just for a single player or pair, but for an entire country. Tucked away at Somer, Electrum, this is the final chance for a player (Or in this case a team) to make their mark known before the end of season tournaments - The Tour Finals and the Diamond Trophy. It's no longer about how a player does his or her (or their) craft - It's about how a team performs. You know what Houston Sawyer said about this when making another visit to the school - "These high school tournaments have been preparing us for this. We have an advantage."

But that advantage is questioned by the sheer tennis power on display in Team Polaris's group, Group C. Let's crack our knuckles and see why we got the short end of the stick this time.

Team Mattijana

Rubber 1 - Dominika Lisicki (Electrum Slam and Mattijana Open singles champion, Ubung Open singles finalist, #2 on the Tour)
Rubber 2 - Mattias Burges (Steinigestrasse Open singles champion, Mercidinian Open singles finalist, #6 on the Tour)
Rubber 3 - Tamara Hucsak and Dominik Lintner (Mercidinian Open doubles champions, Mattijana Open and Steinigestrasse Open doubles finalists, #5 on the Tour)
Substitutes - Ajla Vesnic (#43 on the Tour), Maria Julenic (#56 on the Tour), Sami Dominikanov (#66 on the Tour), Rikard Kampl and Marko Juvan (#8ish on the Tour), Julian Slazic and Lara Basic (#33 on the Tour)

The feared Pot 1 team, Mattijana themselves. To be honest we could have gotten much worse - We avoided Team Aqual who are stationed in Group B (And have the best singles player on the Tour with 2 out of the 3 Grand Slam wins), Team Electrum have the 5th and 7th best singles players and the second best doubles pairing on the Tour, not to mention Team Recuecn with the best doubles pairing PERIOD. But Team Mattijana is the most feared of the lot, at least on paper. With a Grand Slam and Tier 1 winner, in Rubber 1 and the 2nd best in the NSTT, a Tier 2 winner and Tier 1 finalist firmly in the top 10 in Singles, and a fearsome Top 5 doubles pairing with a Tier 1 title to their name, Team Mattijana is expected to come out of Electrum with at least a Semis spot to their name - Whether or not Aqual get to them remains to be seen. Just remember that if one of the singles starters gets hurt, they don't have much for backup.

Team Northwest Kalactin

Rubber 1 - Juan Subdula (AOpen Semi-Finalist, #14 on the Tour)
Rubber 2 - Julia Devoningstan (Ubung Open Quarter-Finalist, #59 on the Tour)
Rubber 3 - Juan Subdula and Niken Subdula (#23ish on the Tour)
Substitutes - Alan Sanchez (#64 on the Tour), Niken Subdula (#72 on the Tour), Luke Subdonez (#119 on the Tour), Justin White and Joe Fernandez (#72ish on the Tour), Julia Devoningstan and Luke Subdonez (#123ish on the Tour)

Well isn't this confusing. NWK do have a decent first rubber, but Devoningstan isn't really a reliable second rubber if NWK want to go far in this competition. Also the doubles are very confusing. Leaving a guy to do averages because the rankings are out of wack is very confusing. It's like the Kalactin tennis association using every single singles person at least once in doubles. Again, very confusing to new people, but then again Doubles players do Singles all the time, even outside the NSTT!

Team Polaris

Rubber 1 - Houston Sawyer (#97 on the Tour)
Rubber 2 - Toma Karga (#114 on the Tour)
Rubber 3 - Jóna Cabrera and Veronika McPhee (River Cities Open doubles champions, #38 on the Tour)
Substitutes - None

Ah, there we are! There's the Polaris squids! Not sure how Karga's going to do, but I'd watch out for the doubles if I were you. Winners of the River Cities Open, Cabrera and McPhee have a lot of chemistry together and can easily try their hand at a win.

Team Yerapia

Rubber 1 - TBA
Rubber 2 - TBA
Rubber 3 - TBA/TBA
Known Singles Players - Kevin Paulsson (Rumored Rubber 1), Ragnar Hägg (Rumored Rubber 2), Jonny Westermarck, Emanuel Nyström, Einar Palme
Known Doubles Players - Vebjørn Asheim and Marita Vigen (Rumored Rubber 3), Rønnaug Eggebraaten and Monika Veierod

Well isn't this a new nation? They might not be favorites to even get top 2, but a unknown nation can get us tons of surprises if they choose to go through the whole Tour cycle next time around.

Group Predictions

1st - Team Mattijana
2nd - Team Polaris
3rd - Team Northwest Kalactin
4th - Team Yerapia
Team Polaris to not advance as one of the top 2 2nd place teams

Yeah we're having faith in our high school team this go around, although not enough to get them to the Quarters. Mattijana are clear favorites for the group and could easily get to the Semi-Finals with enough luck, and I think Northwest Kalactin will faulter (Just like what happened in the RCO doubles Final). Yerapia again do not look like they would do anything in the group, but they can easily prepare for the Electrum Slam next season.

Now if you excuse me, I have to check my inbox.

[San Ortelio]

One did not need to know Fiorenzo Tartoni well to note the frustration with which he tossed himself in the seat in the corner of the hotel lobby. Where was that guy? Five past seven indicated the large clock above the receptionist, who ogled him with a professional mix of caution and interest. What on earth made that showoff think he could be late like this? All in all, if that meddling SOTA hadn’t been sticking its nose into his affairs, this would just have been a great trip with his buddy Andrea Vernagni.

A few weeks back, he had discovered that the NSTT ended its season on a high note with an international competition in Somer. The perfect location not only to test the waters for a step up to a career beyond the domestic borders, but also to enjoy some time off on the beaches. A perfect stay for him and Andrea, who had dominated the local scene for a few years now. Although many wanted to see a bloody rivalry between the two, that did not vibe with Fiorenzo’s appreciation towards the sport. This wasn’t boxing or worse, football, where they had to spit on every outreached hand. Tennis, to Fiorenzo, still bolstered an aspect of chivalry and camaraderie between the top players. And besides, Andrea knew that his opponent was a bit better, so that solved that.

But to partake, one needs to go through the domestic association and some desk jockey apparently smelled an opportunity to up his profile. For some reason, being the finalists of four of the last five Astello Open’s, the most prestigious domestic tournament, was not enough anymore to qualify. Fiorenzo reached 29 now, in his full prime, and so did Andrea. They were the household names, the ones determining the pace and quality of the field. Yet, someone up there in an office from the San Ortelian Tennis Association proclaimed that only the finalists of the latest Astello Open could partake. A nuisance in the semis saw Andrea drop out early and suddenly, Fiorenzo was stuck with Luciano Crepaldi.

Crepaldi formed the posterboy of a new wave of prodigies and Tartoni often mocked the need of those types to ‘hit the gym’ and ‘check their socials’. They seemed to look at tennis like just other physical activity in which you could level up and get popular. Somehow, these kids missed the charm, the unicity, in short, the spirit of the game and Luciano Crepaldi was the worst example of all. Even his racket had to be one of those topline modern things, whilst a local, vintage San Ortelian Dellada wasn’t good enough anymore for mister Crepaldi.

Ten past seven. How long could that guy need to shower?

To make matters worse, he and Crepaldi were even paired up, or buckled together, if you want, for the doubles. That made no sense at all as he always doubled with Vernagni - and dominated the field, it must be stipulated. But apparently someone had snuck in in the fine print that the two single players would also line up for the doubles rubbers. That alone showed how little the producer of that rule knew about tennis. Fiorenzo was nearly sure they made it that way just to mess with him. The feud between the SOTA and Tartoni was a public secret, especially since his family had acquired the ownership of a few of the more prestigious tennis clubs of the country. In a small place such as San Ortelio, they had raised the profile and interest in the sport, but the backwater conservatives in the SOTA couldn’t appreciate some entrepreneurship. Father said he would have to live with it till the next association elections, but those weren’t but in two years: any international launch could be too late for that.

So here he was in Somer, stuck with an unruly wannabe professional. There was a decent chance that they would be weighted in the upcoming weeks and considered insufficient. And as if being matched with Crepaldi was not bad enough, the draw had not been gentle either. A singles game against Simmons could be considered a rough start but to top it off, they would line up against Ronya, the duo so good they didn’t need full names. The local heroes had been staring to them on all tournament banners between the airport and the hotel and the fixture sounded like the recipe for a double bagel.

And where on earth was Crepaldi? Goddamned, after training he had just disappeared and now… Frustrated, Tartoni grabbed a cigarette from his back pocket and clicked his lighter with a gesture that showed it to be more a habit than an actual thought. Before he could take his second puff, the receptionist indicated that this was prohibited in the lobby: doing so with a trademark mixture of professionalism and ennui over the umpteenth foreigner who ‘missed’ the clear signs. Even that didn’t go his way…

“Ah, buddy, there you are.”

With a toothpaste smile and a horrendous tracksuit, Luciano Crepaldi came out of the elevator.

“It’s twenty past, Luciano,” Fiorenzi sighed, “and it’s a restaurant we’re going, not McDonati.”
“Of course, but I thought, the San Ortelio tracksuit, that’s good for the national spirit. And with all those tennis fans in town, you know, …”
“Yeah, let us get dressed in that horrendous blue-olive combination of ours, so they know who to target.”
“Should… Should I change?”, Luciano said, with a little disappointment in his voice.
“No, no,” Tartoni muttered, “who knows how long that takes you.”
“Had a quick extra cardio session back then,” Luciano smiled, “some treadmills, you know. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow!”
“Sure,” Tartoni lifted his shoulders and walked to the exit. He needed food and for Crepaldi to shove it.
“Everything ok, buddy?”

What’s with the goddamned ‘buddy’?

“Yeah. Let’s go.”
“Is it for the 6-4, 6-3 game we had? It’s just a practice match, new surface, different mat-“
“I said, let’s go!” Fiorenzo spoke up. The quick glance from the receptionist indicated that it had been louder than intended. “No, no, not that,” he continued a bit flatter, “you just can’t smoke in here, apparently.”
“Hm, did you know that’s not so good for athletes? Studies have sh-“

With a wide gesture, Fiorenzo opened the massive front door and walked into the street. He couldn’t remember having looked forth to something so much and now he stood in front of it, he wished it was over already.

[Kohnhead]

The Rivalry: A history of TJUN-ia Vs. Kohnhead (Part 5)

With the new rivalry declared in Reçueçn all eyes were on Mattijana as many thought the rivalry would continue to grow their. Despite a Mindy Waterford run to the semifinals we never saw any TJUN-ian athletes which might have been for the better (although our matches certainly boost TV ratings). However it was clear that two of the new nations in the NSTT couldn't avoid each other much longer and as the second Major of they year arrived the rivarly continued to grow bigger. This would be the first time Kohnheadian athletes were competing in a major and so the stakes had never been higher for the rivalry.

Hamilton Open Singles Round 2

Shinji Makauchi (TJU)            6   7   6
Anthony Powers (KHD)             4   6   1

Samurai Shinji really had to do it to Anthony Powers. Now Powers was competing in his first tournament and had a miraculous run at Hamilton but Shinji couldn't let him win. These two were not the star faces of their respective nations but you could see from the way each played they respected each other but knew about the rivalry. And while this wasn't a Waterford everyone knew it wouldn't be long because when both these nations are sending so many people late in the tournament they will meet.

[Pemecutan]

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Wednesday, 2 December 2020 (Buda Pahing Wuku Uye, Pawukon 1780)

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The Squad of ITT

Somer, Electrum - After the hype and intense at their home ground in Ubung, Pemecutanian players are now focusing their attention to the last competition in this season, International Tennis Trophy. This competition is rather special as it is the only group tournament that sanction by NSTT. For this competition, 2 singles and 1 double pair are prepared as the main squad with some reserve players. The Main Squad are Dewa Putu Adrian Putra and Ngurah Putra Muliawan in Single and Komang Antari/Kadek andreawati in Double. They are selected because of their performance throughout the season which PTA deemed quite stable. Adrian Putra have successfully took 2 trophies at the tour, both in Tier-1 competition. Muliawan also won a trophy in a Tier-2 competition. The same thing with Komang Antari/Kadek Andreawati which won a single trophy in Tier-2 competition. At first the PTA officials consider to send Oka Sulastra/Luh Putu Yundari as the Main Squad but because of their bad result in Ubung Open, their position is replace by Komang Antari/Kadek andreawati. Oka Sulastra/Luh Putu Yundari still remain in the squad as the first reserve in Double. Other players that completed Pemecutan squad are Maria Sophia Lubis, Indah Susanti and Ayu Ratih Kemalasari in Single and Ilham Nugraha/Jayadi Ahmad in Double.

In the drawing, Pemecutan is join in Group E together with Neu Engollon, Gnejs and Hispinas. Neu Engollon will become their main obstacle to advance further in the competition. Their main squad Karina Gerard and Marco Vrient can be very good sometimes. The pair Marco Vrient/Thierry Garzala can't also be an easy match. And even though Gnejs and Hispinas haven't have much played in the season but they can't be seen as an easy target. Sometimes they can make a big surprise. The first match will be play at 4 December and their first opponent is Hispinas.

[The Grearish Union]

Donning the Black Jackets
Paula McNish · Sport · 7^th December, 2020

SOMER, ELECTRUM: Grearish attention could finally be drawn back to tennis as the season slowed down to a close - only to be reinvigorated by a show-stopping end-of-year event in the International Team Trophy. The sandy beaches of Somer in Electrum would now be hosting the 24 'national teams' so to speak in the Somer Convention Centre with temperature controlled arenas to ensure optimal levels of play - advances, which have garnered high interest from all tennis enthusiasts in the country and abroad. Most of it, however, is because of the basic fact that this would be the first time that the Grearish Union would be participating in a team tennis event, and it remains to be seen how the team gels together. They are rumoured to be wearing black as their uniform colour in the tournament, and have already earned the Black Jackets nickname in advance. Team Grearia selected for the ITT is as follows:

Singles
- Martha McNeil #65

The 27-year old Grearish star will be looking to clinch her top spot back for herself after being on hot pursuit of it for quite a while now. While her rival and close friend in Jeff Rogers will be no easy opponent, it will be in the greater Grearish interest that she continues her fine run of form into the ITT. Her recent form has seen her make deep runs into Tier 1 and 2 events, and the Blackjackets will have to look to capitalise on that. She is expected to perform much better in the doubles format of the game, but it will be crucial for her to stay fit and plough on in the singles tournament as well if the Grearish Union are to have any viable progress that counts. Most eyes will be on her, this ITT>

- Jeff Rogers #58

The undisputed king of Grearish tennis, Jeff Rogers currently sits ranked 58th in the world for singles competitions, and will be looking to lead his team to glory under his captaincy. Beyond the 31-year-old's complete game and glamourous one-handed backhand strokes, the future of the Blackjackets will rely immensely upon his leadership skills and decision-making in key moments of the rubber. After having a rather unfortunate run of form in the last few tours, including qualification rounds exits, Rogers is now under substantial pressure from the fans of the game to live up to his billing again.

- Teegan Sosa #121

A bright prospect for the future, Teegan Sosa will still be one to look out for. While he will be fairly lucky to get playing time in a star-studded lineup, it will be important for his tennis future to hold his own in this competition as the 17-year-old rubs shoulders with the world's best. Any injury in the team might throw him into the fray as the first-choice substitute after his doubles partner in Margie Brown, and then it might be an uphill task for the teenager to manage.

- Margie Brown #117

Being decently ranked for the singles tour has certainly helped the cause of an ageing Margie Brown, but her performances are only seeming to improve. The 32-year-old has been quoted, saying, "I will play as long as my body tells me I can," in a recent press conference. "Anybody else with an opinion about my age can go **** themselves", the outspoken ace added.

- Grayson Norris #266

Norris has recently seen himself burst onto the international scene after strong performances in the domestic youth circuit. The 15-year-old has been put into the squad for experience at the topmost level, as his playing chances are rather bleak to say the least. Analysts believe that this could be a turning point in the teenager's career after being at the greatest level of worldwide tennis.

Doubles
- Martha McNeil/Jeff Rogers - #24/#40

The Grearish champions! The duo had fought through difficult opposition in the Salvador Hills Open in front of the known backdrop of the Antane Range - in what was probably the most beautiful tournament in the entire tour. Yet, they faced considerable backlash after being termed as the 'home-win-wonders' and 'backyard champions' ever since the conclusion of the tournament. The legend in Rogers and the star in McNeil have to come alive sooner rather than later to stop the onslaught of embarrassing nicknames, if nothing else. This will, of course, make the rubber against home-team Electrum (of which most Grearish players are doubles partners) a very mouth-watering prospect as it might decide the future of these partnerships from both the Electrumite and Grearish perspectives.

- Margie Brown/Teegan Sosa - #291

Finding themselves in the lowly reaches of the late 200s in the world ranking will not do them a world of good, but it is all that Grearia has left, after the fabled McNeil/Rogers duo. It is concerning for a Grearish fan as to what lies ahead for the Grearish game, but it is important that something is done to remedy the situation. One of these supposed remedies would be to give these players a shot at glory, but the lack of media attention (including ourselves) and continued government apathy might see the game struggling even in the future. This particular pairing, however, has a nice mix of both youthful exuberance and veteran experience, and it would be interesting to watch how a 17-year-old teeager gets on with a 32-year-old regular of the circuit.

- Grayson Norris/Ada Nunez - #447

The final pairing for the day comes in the form of Norris and Nunez ranked 447 in the world - probably in the page of the ranking book where most of us have stopped reading and shut it for good. Eyebrows have been raised in the authority's decision to send a 447-ranked pair to the event when we had another 291-ranked pair, but their reasoning might be satisfactory to most, where they have pointed out that it is important for our lower-ranked players to take up the mantle sooner than later for the betterment of the Grearish tennis scene. It is also being speculated that the doubles 'specialists' weren't sent to the event in favour of players who were good at both forms of the game to cut travel costs, owing to the dwindling funds in the tennis association's lockers. It remains to be seen how this decision pans out.

Please watch this space for more tennis action as it emerges from Somer! The Grearish Union have been drawn into Group A alongside hosts and home-team Electrum who are easily classified one of the tennis powerhouse of the current era - thus emerging from Pot 1, Sharktail from the Melayu Archipelago who have consistently impressed with their level of tennis on display, Grearia itself from the third pot, with San Ortelio from Pot 4 who are rumoured to be going to restaurants in blue-olive tracksuits ahead of the group's play, amidst tangible tensions between the players and the authorities about the domestic qualification criteria for San Ortelio atheletes to play in the ITT! Our reporters have spotted them, and will do their best to try to get a better picture of the situation from the San Ortelio stars, Fiorenzo Tartoni and Luciano Crepaldi here in Somer, as and when the situation permits. After all, it is a mini-World-Cup of tennis, and the stakes are higher than ever!

© Grearish Associated Press. All rights reserved.

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Sports Section - Kimiko Shigaraki

International Tennis Trophy: Group A preview

The Electrumites find themselves in a precarious position at Somer despite their position as top seeds -- they must do well here to stave off those ranked below them from taking the last spots in the NSTT Finals. In Group A, they are slated to face San Ortelio (tomorrow), as well as Sharktail and The Grearish Union. Below, we preview each of the prospects for our opponents, and explain that Electrum's advancement to the next stage of the competition is not guaranteed. With only two runners-up teams advancing to the next round, winning all three matches will be pivotal to securing a spot in the quarterfinals.

San Ortelio
Strengths: Relative obscurity
Weaknesses: Relative obscurity

San Ortelio's debuting tournament is the International Tennis Trophy itself. As a result, there is little known information about the tennis players from that tiny microstate in that oft-forgotten corner of Rushmore. Their relative obscurity will of course be their biggest strength and weakness in their match-up. But, of course, Electrum's players haven't made their way up their rankings by losing to unfamiliar opponents. Electrum's athletes have always found a way to defeat the unexpected, such as when Simmons clutched victory from the jaws of defeat against Natanians and Nosts' player, Amúlio. Whether the San Ortelians play a counterpunching style, or being on the defensive as a wall, the Electrumites are expected to win this match-up. After all, nothing is quite like facing a top-ten player in your first ever match of international tennis.

Sharktail
Strengths: Depth of singles talent
Weaknesses: Lack of match fitness

Sharktail had that barnstorming run back in the clay season this year, with Syamim Kevin in particular having deep runs in all of the clay season tournaments, the main highlight being a narrow loss against Lisicki in the Mattijana Open final. Considering that he was playing against the number one player in her home tournament, the fact he pushed Lisicki is something that shouldn't be overlooked. Meanwhile Sharktail number two, Naim Alex, had a great run in Istria, also losing in the final but this time against Muliawan. But all of these great runs in the clay court season were counterbalanced by Sharktail's failure to show up in the grass court season. No Sharktailian competed in a grass court tournament, which was simply bewildering given their great runs in Mattijana and Banija. As a result, they are coming in a little undercooked, having only had a very short run Ubung (both players eliminated at the Round of 32) in the lead up to the ITT. Their early losses in Ubung may be an ominous sign for their performance in this tournament.

The Grearish Union
Strengths: Their doubles team
Weaknesses: Inconsistent singles

The biggest drawcard that the Grearish have is their doubles team. They are well-versed in playing with and therefore against Electrumites. In the main season, the Grearish Union doubles team partners up with Electrumites, with Rogers and Stewart making one combination and McNeil and Kawasaki making up the other. As a result, they are well exposed to the Electrumite system of doubles, partnering up complementary players to achieve an all-court doubles dominance. Ronya are the typical example of this playstyle, with Gredello being the more aggressive baseliner and server, while Levinsky good with her hands and reflexes at the net. Sadly, while McNeil and Rogers have benefitted massively from their partnership with Electrumites in the doubles, the same cannot be said for their singles performance. Both players sit around the sixties ranking wise, and they have had a whole bunch of inconsistent performances. They've played in nearly every tournament this season, a testament to the fact that they still can't notch one good run in a Tier 2 tournament to break the 500 barrier. We can't see this weakness changing anytime soon.

[Aqual]

Tenistas in Somer Competing under Aqualian Banner for First Time in ITT
SOMER, Electrum: For those Aqualias who ventured out to this city for Aqual's debut in the sixth season of the NSTT this past spring, its very name evokes memories of clay courts, international competition, intense tennis matches battling both man and nature, an historic championship match and, of course, hot, blistering weather. (Those who have very acute recollections of the latter of these memories may find the most rejoice in one simple phrase that sets the ITT apart from the Hamilton International: indoor, temperature controlled courts.) Once again, the best of the best from Aqual's shores will be heading to this Electrumite city for one of the most high-profile tennis tournaments of the year: the International Tennis Trophy. This time, they will not be competing just for themselves, but they will be doing so under the national banner as a team in a round robin format.

The singles lineup is full of incredible Aqualian athletes. At the head of the list is, of course, Bartolo Sabanero, two-time major champion and number one on the tour. He is followed by Matéu Virxiliu, the only other player from Aqual to advance to the finals of a tournament this season, Carla Tormo, whom Virxiliu beat in the semifinals of the Salvador Hills Open to claim that feat, La Rana Open runner-up Daniel Cervantes and Lara Navarro, rounding out the five slots.

The doubles lineup is a near parallel: unsurprisingly headed by Bartolo Sabanero and Qualo Tabos, runner-ups in the Hamilton International and the AOpen, it also includes Carla Tormo and Lara Navarro, the veteran doubles team, and upstart sensations Jordi and Rubén Pérez, who have seen great success as of late. We hope their passion for the game will translate to solid rubbers for the team.

Aqual's first matchup is against Indusse tomorrow as members of Group B. Catch all of the latest news from the rubbers on our website and in the day's print edition of the Toboso Chronicle.

[Electrum]

GROUP A
Electrum vs San Ortelio @ Centre Court, Twilight

Pelissa Giannapolous (ETM)                                         4   2
Fiorenzo Tartoni (SOR)                                             6   6

Andrew Simmons (ETM)                                               6   7
Luciano Crepaldi (SOR)                                             1   5

Sonya Gredello/Rosa Levinsky (ETM)                                 6   6
Fiorenzo Tartoni/Luciano Crepaldi (SOR)                            2   3

Electrum wins tie 2-1

Sharktail vs The Grearish Union @ Centre Court, Morning

Syamim Kevin (SHT)                                                 3   6   4
Jeff Rogers (GRU)                                                  6   3   6

Naim Alex (SHT)                                                    6   0   6
Martha McNeil (GRU)                                                1   6   2

Izzat Manson/George Fakhrul (SHT)                                  2   5
Martha McNeil/Jeff Rogers (GRU)                                    6   7

Grearish Union wins tie 2-1

GROUP B
Aqual vs Indusse @ Court 1, Morning

Bartolo Sabanero (AQL)                                             7   6
Gregory Huemenn (INS)                                              5   1

Matéu Virxiliu (AQL)                                               7   7
George Mellintus (INS)                                             6   6

Bartolo Sabanero/Qualo Tabos (AQL)                                 6   6
Jordina Silva/Fonzie Sartin (INS)                                  2   3

Aqual wins tie 3-0

Britonisea vs Acastanha @ Court 2, Twilight

Ricardo Toli (BRI)                                                 6   0   6
Lucas Parvash (ACS)                                                2   6   3

Leo Garry (BRI)                                                    6   2   4
Eva Sarvan (ACS)                                                   0   6   6

Leone Na/Abi Forrest (BRI)                                         7   6
Miguel Taberon/Pedro Arrachar (ACS)                                6   4

Britonisea wins tie 2-1

GROUP C
Mattijana vs Yerapia @ Court 2, Morning

Dominika Lisicki (MTJ)                                             6   6
Kevin Paulsson (YER)                                               1   1

Mattias Burges (MTJ)                                               3   6   6
Ragnar Hägg (YER)                                                  6   3   3

Tamara Hucsak/Dominik Lintner (MTJ)                                6   4   6
Vebjørn Asheim/Marita Vigen (YER)                                  2   6   0

Mattijana wins tie 3-0

Northwest Kalactin vs Squidroidia @ Court 1, Twilight

Juan Subdula (NWK)                                                 6   3
Houston Sawyer (SQR)                                               7   6

Julia Devoningstan (NWK)                                           7   2   6
Toma Karga (SQR)                                                   6   6   8

Juan Subdula/Niken Subdula (NWK)                                   6   6
Jóna Cabrera/Veronika McPhee (SQR)                                 4   1

Squidroidia wins tie 2-1

[Squidroidia]

The Star Sentinel
Polaris High School's Official Newspaper

TENNIS
Give a squid a fish and they can win a couple rubbers - Team Polaris outlast Team Northwest Kalactin
By Aristide Masterson

It's like an old saying in Squidroidia - Give a squid a fish and they can feed themself for a day, teach a squid how to fish and they can feed themselves for a lifetime. With Day 1 in the International Tennis Trophy in the books, there are some storylines from the first half of the first matchday - Most notably San Ortelio's Fiorenzo Tartoni sweeping Electrum's Pelissa Giannapolous in the first rubber of the tie between the 2 nations. Team Electrum would end up winning the tie, but on the other side there was a notable upset in terms of the tie - Team Polaris etched out a win after 2 rubbers against their Northwest Kalactin opposition. Remember how I said that Devoningstan isn't really a reliable second rubber in the ITT? Toma Karga would prove it and leave the team with a second place position heading into their match against Yerapia.

Set 1 was a clash of relatively a titan versus the underdog mascot of the Polaris program in the form of Juan Subdula versus Houston Sawyer. Much like his famed Dewa Putu victory in Mercedini the first set was hard fought and close, with Saywer getting that final game to win the set. You knew what happened next - He only gone and smashed Subdula in the second set to win that first rubber, the first rubber win for this Polaris side made up of squids.

And then came Julia Devoningstan vs Toma Karga. If you didn't see a tennis game in your life you'd think that this was a barnstormer. And it really was - The first and last sets came down to the wire, and while the first set was edged out by Devoningstan, Karga rallied back with ease, as she swung that racket to a second set victory to set up a 3rd, one that Team Northwest Kalactan can tie up the tie and force the Subdulas to play Cabrera and McPhee for the overall win. It was close, really close, but Karga only went and won that final set 8-6 to give Team Polaris the win. Forget about Cabrera and McPhee losing in horrible fashion to the Subdulas, the Polaris High tennis stars won their first ITT match!

Our next opponent, however? Yerapia lost heavily to a stacked Mattijana side although they won a few sets along the way. It should be an easy match, but who knows? If we do win, that Mattijana game is possibly for the group victory and an automatic advancement to the Quarters. Let's just hope we don't flop again.

[Ceni]

Previewing the International Tennis Trophy: Ceni Cannot Be Complacent

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12/3/2020 - Vyri Arcaina, chief correspondent

Ceni is no stranger to the International Tennis Trophy. In its first three iterations, held at the National Racket Centre in Cenial, Ceni racked up one title in three finals appearances. However, unlike in the olden days, it cannot take any match for granted as it enters the fourth International Tennis Trophy as the sixth seed, behind some of the old... and the new. Of course, Ceni will still be a contender, and its return to the international tennis scene sent shockwaves through the NSTT.

This year, the ITT will take place in Somer, Electrum, just a quick Air Terranea flight away from Cenial, and on indoor hard courts, instead of the traditional outdoor hard courts. The format has changed a little, as well, to accomodate the venue change: Instead of playing 4 singles and 1 doubles match out of five sets, the #1 players of each nation will play each other, the #2 players of each nation will play each other, and the doubles teams will play each other out of three sets.

After his breakout performance in Ubung, Lonus Varalin will be Ceni's #1 player in the lineup, while former world #1 Ardil Navsal will take the #2 slot. The Xal sisters will take the doubles slot, even after a disappointing and hard-fought loss against the Fournier sisters in the Ubung Open.

Here, we preview Ceni's current group, in the order the matches will be played:

Hebitaka
We couldn't quite say that Hebitaka is an unknown side — they sent athletes to the River Cities Open and the Ubung Open, so they did get some court time in before showing up to the ITT. That being said, we didn't learn a while lot about their top two players: Rof Leshner made it to the second round in Ubung, losing to 12th seed Juan Subdula of Northwest Kalactin, while Sunil Kali qualified in Ethane earlier on but lost in the first round. Leshner, their highest ranked player, is ranked number 226, while Kali is ranked 267th. It would be a surprise if this unheralded team took a match off of Ceni — but then again, stranger things have happened, and we don't really know if Leshner and Kali's subpar performances so far were the results of bad play or just simple bad luck.

TJUN-ia
As the highest-ranked team in Pot 2, TJUN-ia will be a tougher nut to crack for the boys (and women!) in red and orange. Their main strength comes from their doubles team, Valentina Spetsova and Austin McDanielson. "Scarlet and the Cowboy," as the TJUN-ian press likes to call the duo, are reminiscent of Ceni's own Val Korekal and Jac Iegis — a young team that shocked everybody to win a Grand Slam title (the Hamilton International, for Spetsova and McDanielson and the Cenian Open, for Korekal and Iegis). We can expect "bad boy" McDanielson to try to show off his bullet of a forehand in the match against the Xals -- will their volleying ability be enough to ward off the inevitable passing shots?

The singles might spell more favorable news for Ceni. Spetsova will also play in the singles, along with her countryman and TJUN-ian #1 Jean van der Kloor. Both players had good results on the outdoor hard courts: Van der Kloor reached the quarterfinals of the Electrum Slam (the less predictable of the two Terranean Grand Slams), while Spetsova reached the final of the Kinterten in the singles. Right now, they are ranked 26th and 24th respectively — well behind Varalin and Navsal

Natanians and Nosts
Natanians and Nosts are a known quantity for Ceni — they've been around as long as Ceni has been around. As a result, Ceni can have a bit more confidence in this game. This year, the team has been consistently mediocre, not winning any major titles — or falling in the first round, either. Number 1 Natanian is Mihaela Ioana Prisco, who reached the quarterfinals at the AOpen on grass; the Natanian number 2 is Rog Ion Tralito, a veteran journeyman on the NSTT scene. In fact, Tralito formed part of the Natanian squad that competed against Ceni in the third ITT, losing in straight sets to Johmer Vales and in four sets to Kika Dovan all those years ago. In the doubles, Mihailescu and Alencastro reached the second round in Ubung, taking a set off fourth seeds Hucsak and Lintner of Mattijana.

In all, Ceni faces two known quantities and one unknown quantities — but in tennis, as in much of life, what we don't know can hurt us, and it is the unknown unknowns that the Cenian team should worry about. Will Hebitaka punch above its weight? Will TJUN-ia be able to pull an upset in the singles to steal the tie away from Ceni? To get back to where it used to be, the Cenian team cannot be complacent.

[Kohnhead]

International Tennis Trophy Preview - Group F
As the International Tennis Trophy kicks off her in Somer, Electrum we will be going over Kohnhead's group for the only team event on the tour.

Pot 1: Reçueçn
The host nation of the Championnats Nationaux de Reçueçn de Tennis, is the pot 1 team in our group. Reçueçn are actually a good draw for us coming in as the second worst pot 1 team and while not to say they're a pushover we avoided teams like Electrum, Mattijana, and Aqual. Reçueçn's singles players are the 13th ranked Gaëlle Sellier and the 17th ranked Abelie Fontana who will put up a good fight against anyone and are just outside the top 10. However their biggest advantage by far has got to come out of their doubles pairing as the Fourniers (Camille and Inès) are the two best doubles players on tour. If Kohnhead wants to beat Reçueçn we have to win both of our singles matches because it's highly unlikely Kohnhead and Kohnface pull off an upset and beat the Fourniers.

Pot 2: Kohnhead
Ah yes the mighty Brains, who despite missing the Electrum Slam have become a force in the tennis world. Kohnheadians have had an up and down year to say the least, we were newcomers on the outdoor hard court season yet Mindy almost won at Steinigestrasse. The clay season was our best as we were dominant throughout and while we didn't pick up any silverware we made it to three semifinals (Istria, Mattijana, and Hamilton). However the grass season was definitely our worst and the Waterford twins who were once both top 15 players have fallen down. The doubles players fared better on grass with Spencer Kohnhead was the first Kohnheadian to win a tournament as part of a mixed doubles partnership with Marcus Hathwar from Electrum. The indoor season hasn't been bad per say and it's been too short to really judge however early indications are not the best.

Now let's meet the athletes who will be competing for us. Our top single is Mindy Waterford who is 15th ranked in the World, Waterford again has been up and down but was widely considered a top five player at the end of the clay season. She didn't do well on the grass courts and did very poorly at the Ubung Open. If we want to upset Reçueçn she will need to beat Sellier in their match. Our other singles player is Bartholomew Pole who is ranked 21st in the World. Pole had a poor start to his NSTT career but the former Kohnhead number 1 boucned back with a semifinal run at Hamilton. Our doubles team will be Spencer Kohnhead and Bradley Kohnface who haven't played together much recently due to each playing mixed doubles with an Electrumite, however this is a team tournament so that isn't allowed. Kohnhead has played his best tennis with Hathwar, the same cannot be said for Kohnface and this is a major disadvantage for us due to Kohnface's 59th ranking as a doubles player versus Kohnhead's 11th.

Pot 3: Gergary
Our pot 3 draw is Gergary and frankly that's a scary draw. Gergary as the hosts of the afore mentioned Steinigestrasse Open are the top ranked pot 3 team which could lead to problems for us in our head to head matches. Their singles players are Donat Kis who is ranked 30th and Orsolya Szabo at 35th who are both very beatable especially considering we have Waterford and Pole. We have the 67th ranked doubles players not duo in Alexandra Barna and Ralph Henschel who again we should beat. Gergary are good across the board but they don't really have the talent at any one position to allow them to upset them and I say we can win 3-0 against them although anything can happen.

Pot 4: Twicetagria
Our group is rounded out with newcomers and the 3rd best pot 4 team in Twicetagria. Now as a pot 2 team you should be beating the pot 4 team no matter what but let's take a look at who they have to offer. We can see why they're a pot 4 team as both of the singles players in Perrin Kruistalov and Anastasia Greigorvin are ranked 291st in the World. These two have both only competed in one tournament so it's unlikely they pose a threat but they will be looking to play spoiler. Their doubles pairing will be the two ranked 360th with Yurga Andonov and Karna Dmitriev taking the stage both only having played at Ubung. Again they will come in with the same mindset as the singles players, attempt to pull off some upsets and play spoiler.


Prediction:
1st. Reçueçn
2nd. Kohnhead
3rd. Gergary
4th. Twicetagria

[Acastanha]

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A Chance in ITT

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Somer, Electrum - As a newcomer in international tennis stage, it will be a harder task for Acastanhada players to keep up with other well established players. Started the tour in Grass season, Acastanhada try their luck to be recognized in the world of tennis. But their effort is quite tough. For several competition that they went to, most of the players were defeated early on. Even during the competition in Pemecutan (which is quite close to Acastanha), they didn't perform well. And now during the end of the year they try their luck in International Tennis Trophy.

International Tennis Trophy or ITT for short, is a group tournament where a country is participated by 2 singles and 1 double pair. The competition is held in Somer, Electrum. Acastanha sent Lucas Parvash, Eva Sarvan and the double, Miguel Taberon/Pedro Arrachar to the competition as their Main Team. Their reserve are Iris Bergadhga, Davi Malakkar and the sisters pair, Ana/Eva Radkkar. They are draw into Group B together with Aqual, Britonisea and Indusse. There is a small chance for Acastanha to advance further as Aqual and Britonisea will be more favourite team. The organizer also not giving any expectation for the competition.

In their first meeting with Britonisea, a shocking result was happen during the second single match. Eva Sarvan shockingly defeating 19th ranked player, Leo Garry in 3 sets match. Loose easily in the first set, Sarvan turn the table in the second set and win the match greatly in the third set. Her win give a boost to Taberon/Arrachar performance. But their effort still not able to tackle Leone Na/Abi Forrest great performance. Although they are losing their first match, but Sarvan winning give them confidence to face their next match against Indusse. Indusse itself was being crushed 3-0 by Aqual.

[The Grearish Union]

High Hopes...
The first tie

The crowd burst into a round of applause accompanied by an exuberant uproar from the Grearish section of the afternoon attendance in the Centre Court at Somer.

"Good game, good game."

The words barely seemed to escape the mouths of an exhausted Jeff Rogers, as the doubles pairs from Sharktail and Grearia shook hands over the net. The Blackjackets had won, but they had probably taken too long. It was expected of Rogers to win the first singles match - based purely upon perception of Rogers the man more than the player he is, or the player he was facing. Rogers did deliver, though, defeating all odds (including an incrementing age which isn't adding anything to his performance) to get past Syamim Kevin of Sharktail. One wonders how that is possible, but Rogers is beyond question, in Grearia. It was probably the very first set that broke Kevin's rhythm for the match. The aging Rogers probably had made the correct decision to play a serve-and-volley game against a superior opponent, and ended up running away with the first set with an impressive 6-3 scoreline. It was a bit of a David-versus-Goliath situation, but our David did find himself in good stead throughout the set. There wasn't even the least semblance of the ranking difference that set the two apart on paper (rather comprehensively) and Rogers was evidently over-the-moon in his heart of hearts - with a stern look on his face for the world. There was work to be done.

Kevin obviously showed his class in the second set, with all guns firing right off the block. The Sharktailian went up by a break very early in the set and left no real space in the latter stages of the game for Rogers to claw his way back in to the set. Jeff went back to his bench and started to towel himself up a bit, when McNeil leaned over from the players' section in the stands to let Rogers know how she thinks he should play. "Play him short, close to the net. Stay on the baseline, and surprise him." Rogers had no real reaction to that and went back to drinking his bottle of Kinetik electrolyte solution. A few moments later, as he got up to walk to his side of the court, he said, "Do that in your own game, Martha." It was a little shocking, to say the least - and pretty scary, in expectation of the worst.

Needless to say, McNeil was paid no heed to. The same serve-and-volley game continued, with nobody really able to win points in the opposition's service. Rogers was tiring, and the number of second serves he had to make were rising drastically. What he didn't realise, however, was that Syamim was also tiring, and by the time it was 30-0 while being 4-3 down in the last set - the truth dawned on Jeff. Syamim didn't expect the older player to play a running, energetic game for the final set. Rogers, however, would only be very tired if the game was five-sets long - and he could, in theory run for the next few games. He tried the baseline game instead of running up to the net for the next point, and he could win a rather easy point off of Syamim down-the-line. He sensed possibility. Maybe McNeil was right after all. What followed was pure class. After thumping the elite singles player forty-love in the 9th game, he went on to break his serve in the final one: the game that mattered more. 6-4 to Rogers. Game, set, match!

McNeil stumbled in front of her opposition in another two-sets-to-one rubber, with the Blackjackets now on the losing side. Nobody could fault her for her efforts, and the mild applause from the crowd confirmed everyone's conviction. It was now down to the doubles game, and the Blackjackets knew that they were something (even if very ordinarily) special in that format, as they breezed past the Sharktail challenge in straight sets (6-2, 7-5). The second game should never have gone into tiebreak, most people argue, but the result is all that matters to the Blackjackets, at the moment - and did they get it in some style!

The team sat down for breakfast the morning after, in the fancy Electrumite restaurant in the team hotel, when McNeil brought a copy of the Centralis Herald to Jeff Rogers - one that she bought with her new plastic card for 'credit'. Rogers put his green tea down to have a look.

They've played in nearly every tournament this season, a testament to the fact that they still can't notch one good run in a Tier 2 tournament to break the 500 barrier. We can't see this weakness changing anytime soon.

"What bullshit!" Martha was seemingly annoyed with the write-up (even though most people hold that it is just truthful journalism), and wanted a reaction from the team leader in Jeff.
"Well, we'll see, won't we?" Rogers put the newspaper down, and smiled. The same smile which can heal all Grearish hearts, while causing stars to fall every-so-often. Onwards, now!

[Electrum]

GROUP D
Ceni vs Hebitaka @ Centre Court, Twilight

Lonus Varalin (CEN)                                                6   6
Rof Leshner (HTK)                                                  3   3

Ardil Navsal (CEN)                                                 6   6
Jester Roy (HTK)                                                   1   0

Elia Xal/Fia Xal (CEN)                                             1   4
Leo Shenron/Erika Kamamoto (HTK)                                   6   6

Ceni wins tie 2-1

TJUN-ia vs Natanians and Nosts @ Centre Court, Morning

Jean van de Kloor (TJU)                                            7   7
Mihaela Ioana Prisco (NTN)                                         6   6

Valentina Spetsova (TJU)                                           6   6
Rog Ion Tralito (NTN)                                              3   2

Valentina Spetsova/Austin McDanielson (TJU)                        3   6   6
Márcus Gabriel Alencastro/Iohanna Márcia Enderssen-Moura (NTN)     6   4   0

TJUN-ia wins tie 3-0

GROUP E
Pemuctan vs Hispania @ Court 2, Morning

Dewa Putu Adrian Putra (PCU)                                       7   7
Jesus Grego (HSP)                                                  5   5

Ngurah Putra Muliawan (PCU)                                        5   2
Yaiza Rubi (HSP)                                                   7   6

Komang Antari/Kadek Andreawati (PCU)                               7   6
Anabella Barrio/Carito Ramo (HSP)                                  5   0

Pemecutan wins tie 2-1

Neu Engollon vs Gnejs @ Court 2, Twilight

Thierry Garzala (NEG)                                              3   6   6
Dorotea Granit (PUG)                                               6   2   1

Marco Vrient (NEG)                                                 6   4   6
Fredrik Stagnelius (PUG)                                           4   6   8

Karina Gerard/Elke Hartung (NEG)                                   3   6   5
Dorotea Granit/Fredrik Stagnelius (PUG)                            6   3   7

Gnejs wins tie 2-1

GROUP F
Recuecn vs Twicetagria @ Court 1, Morning

Gaëlle Sellier (RCN)                                               6   6
Perrin Kruistalov (TWI)                                            4   1

Abelie Fontana (RCN)                                               1   6
Anastasia Greigorvin (TWI)                                         6   7

Camille Fournier/Inès Fournier (RCN)                               6   6
Belle Tsarinov/Kira Belizorvic (TWI)                               4   2

Recuecn wins tie 2-1

Kohnhead vs Gergary @ Court 1, Twilight

Mindy Waterford (KHD)                                              3   6   7
Donat Kis (GGY)                                                    6   2   5

Bartholomew Pole (KHD)                                             4   7  14
Orsolya Szabo (GGY)                                                6   6  12

Spencer Kohnhead/Bradley Kohnface (KHD)                            5   6   8
Alexandra Barna/Ralph Henschel (GGY)                               7   0   6

Kohnhead wins tie 3-0

[San Ortelio]

With his left hand, Fiorenzo touched the baseline before assuming the right stance again. His fingers clamped around his racket, he gazed across the net as Pelissa Giannapoulos prepared herself for the second service. How long had they been playing? It could be anywhere between five minutes and four hours, and Fiorenzo wouldn’t even dare to bet his life on that. In a way, it seemed like a blink away that he had walked on to Center Court. As if facing the home favourites was not enough, they needed to show up in the largest arena. It was no surprise that the audience was quite partial, but he had mentally prepared for that.

On the other hand, he felt a few years older. It was a sensation he had never met before on a tennis court. Everything fell in place, every touch got executed as if designed by an infallible computer. In the business end of the opening set, he had broken the service from Giannapoulos and ever since, things had only been on the up. The casual observer probably struggled to make out the top ten player in this duel. As if that was not enough, every fifty-fifty opportunity came his way and now…

Giannapoulos takes her second serve. With an unsatisfactory sound, the ball hits the upper band of the net and drops into the doubles rails. Even before the referee called it, Tartoni dropped to his knees. Everyone tried to go on with their affairs, the ball boys already preparing the next game and the audience trying to wipe this game from the record with the mildest of applause. But the world is standing still and it’s just for him. They claim stuff happened afterwards. He must have shook hands with Giannapoulos at some point, right? Were their photographers? Fiorenzo can’t imagine otherwise but… There’s no recollection.

The magical haze only disappeared an hour later, when Fiorenzi was sitting in the dressing room. With the second fixture between Simmons and Crepaldi started, the place was abandoned. Part of him knew that the focus would be on the abysmal game from Giannapoulos and the causes were already buzzing - an off day, lack of preparation on the surface, … No one doubted that this would only add fuel to the ongoing feud between the local ELTA and their players. But Fiorenzo would not let this rain on his parade, this was his moment and it left a tingling feeling.

***

That tingling feeling also wears off, he discovered. About exactly at the point where they started the warm-up for the doubles. Crepaldi, for all his fitness shakes and exercising - because seriously, what kind of douchebag does push-ups in the lobby of a hotel? - looked in tatters. After recovering from the first shock, his second set against Simmons had been a worthy battle with calm experience eventually outlasting puppy enthousiasm. A few hours later, Luciano clearly was still trying to work his way through his own game and failed to snap forward to the next chapter.

It goes without saying that Tartoni couldn’t get frustrated more easily because Gredello and Levinsky were well aware of the importance of this rubber - the heralded partnership needed to clean up the mess to avoid a national walk of shame and took to this job with their natural flair.

“Left!”

With surgical precision, Levinsky sent it through the middle to put another point in the bank. In all fairness, even a toddler would have scored this one, as the width of a boulevard had opened up between Tartoni and Crepaldi, but Levinsky clearly only could score with her trademark quality.

“I said left! Left! Where’s your flipping left?”

Tartoni was fuming now, this was not going well. Between the games, he had imprinted in his head that a stunt was possible: but not with this level of play. If only Andrea was here by his side…

“I thought you said ‘leave’,” Luciano muttered, “I’ve missed that…”
“You’ve missed that? You’ve missed a lot already!”

Apart from his frustrating personality, Tartoni did acknowledge that Crepaldi could play a fair bit of tennis on his day. But he looked out of focus: this was the big scene and there is no second chance for a first impression. He knew that type of guy, always everywhere but not where he needed to be with his head. Take last night. A calm, quick and healthy dinner before getting to bed early, that was the plan. But no. Whilst Fiorenzo was trying to get my pasta with a bit of fish in, mister Crepaldi managed to get acquainted with some Grearish reporters. With a full mouth of cold cheese casserole, he had been “how awesome is that, I should have made a selfie with those guys” and “I have given them your number for a double interview, no problem right, wouldn’t that be cool”. Tartoni mainly had cursed himself that he took the fish rather than the chicken - the knife he had gotten was too dull to plant it in his doubles partner, unfortunately.

It would have gotten him out of this trashing. As Levinsky and Gredello finished off their task clinically, the audience, that had given a masterclass in polite applause in the afternoon, really got into it.

A day that started with such magic, yet Tartoni was glad it was finally over when Gredello served successfully for game, set and match. As a clash with the Black Jackets was on the horizon already, they could be home soon.

[Aqual]

Smooth Sailing for Aqual in First Tie of ITT
Somer, Etm.—In Aqual's first outing in the International Tennis Trophy yesterday, its top two singles players and doubles team had an excellent showing, managing to carry all six sets over their Indusse opponents. Results from all rubbers below.

Bartolo Sabanero (AQL)                                             7   6
Gregory Huemenn (INS)                                              5   1

It has been said of Sabanero many times before, including many times in this very publication: Bartolo Sabanero has an infamous affinity for slow starts. Yet again, this withstands the test of time, as Sabanero went down a double break in the first quarter of an hour, holding zero games to Gregory Huemenn's four before finally getting on the board with a still-shaky service hold. He managed then to turn things around, with this just the beginning of a streak of five games. Although Huemenn would level the set at five games all, another hold from Sabanero and a decisive break in the ultimate game would propel Sabanero into the second set with a 7-5 triumph in the first.

Now fully into the (literal) swing of things, the Aqualia played with renewed vigor, emphatically setting the tone for the day of tennis ahead. Those in the crowd in Somer who had traveled all the way from the coasts of Aqual cheered mightily, waving the red, yellow and blue banner proudly as Sabanero sailed to a dominant 6-1 victory in the second set and the country's first ITT win.

Matéu Virxiliu (AQL)                                               7   7
George Mellintus (INS)                                             6   6

Youngster Matéu Virxiliu was up next, and he opened well against George Mellintus but was unable to keep his momentum as the first set carried on, and it nearly slipped away entirely from him when he faced two set points for the Indusse player down 4-5, 15-40. However, with a one-two punch from the forehand wing and a missed return from Mellintus, Virxiliu saved both to stay alive in the first. Although he couldn't pressure his opponent's serve enough to get a break, he managed to relatively coolly serve out his own service game to force the tiebreaker. What was once Virxiliu's greatest weakness earlier in the season was his marked temperamental play, but he was able to keep it together in the clutch moments of this match, as he carried the first set tiebreak by a 7-4 margin.

Perhaps the greatest part of the International Tennis Trophy is the absolute unwillingness for the tenistas, playing on behalf of their respective home countries, to ever give up a single point. They remain absolutely determined to win in a way that is greater even than the passion felt in the biggest matches of the regular season. And here, Mellintus showed that, fighting on until the very end, forcing two breaks of serve in the second set and strongly contesting a third service game of Virxiliu's. In the end, though, it was the Aqualia who squeaked out the win after two tiebreaks, 7-6(4), 7-6(4).

Bartolo Sabanero/Qualo Tabos (AQL)                                 6   6
Jordina Silva/Fonzie Sartin (INS)                                  2   3

Another benefit of the ITT is the extra attention paid to doubles matches. All too often in the regular season, the doubles tour is eclipsed by the singles, an unfair disservice to the incredible spectacles they provide to the sport and the incredible athletes on the court. Although the situation of doubles has been improving recently, especially with the continued success of Aqualian doubles teams, from Sabanero/Tabos, to Navarro/Tormo and the Pérez brothers, shining an extra light on these wonderful matches like the ITT does is always a welcome bonus. And what a great match to watch it was! Qualo Tabos was absolutely brilliant at the net, with an impressive reach and almost unbelievable angles time after time. It was undoubtedly his beautifully technical volleys that kept this match firmly in the control of the Aqualias from start to finish, winning a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Jordina Silva and Fonzie Sartin. A fantastic way to end a fantastic day of tennis for Aqual.

Tomorrow, the national team will be going up against Britonisea's best. Join the Toboso Chronicle online and in print for what is sure to be another day full of breathtaking rallies here from.

[Electrum]

Note: Set % edited in. Teams are ranked by ties won, matches won, set % and game %.

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GROUP A
San Ortelio vs Grearish Union @ Court 2, Twilight

Fiorenzo Tartoni (SOR)                                             6   1   5
Jeff Rogers (GRU)                                                  2   6   7

Luciano Crepaldi (SOR)                                             5   6   6
Martha McNeil (GRU)                                                7   2   4

Fiorenzo Tartoni/Luciano Crepaldi (SOR)                            4   6   3
Martha McNeil/Jeff Rogers (GRU)                                    6   4   6

Grearish Union wins tie 2-1

Electrum vs Sharktail @ Centre Court, Morning

Pelissa Giannapolous (ETM)                                         6   6   6
Syamim Kevin (SHT)                                                 7   1   2

Andrew Simmons (ETM)                                               5   2
Naim Alex (SHT)                                                    7   6

Sonya Gredello/Rosa Levinsky (ETM)                                 4   7   6
Izzat Manson/George Fakhrul (SHT)                                  6   6   4

Electrum wins tie 2-1

Group Ladder

Group A                 Pld    W   L    MF   MA   MD   Pts    Set %
1 Grearish Union          2    2   0     4    2   +2     2    0.588
2 Electrum                2    2   0     4    2   +2     2    0.571
3 Sharktail               2    0   2     2    4   −2     0    0.438
4 San Ortelio             2    0   2     2    4   −2     0    0.400

GROUP B
Indusse vs Acastanha @ Court 2, Morning

Gregory Huemenn (INS)                                              7   2   3
Lucas Parvash (ACS)                                                6   6   6

George Mellintus (INS)                                             6   2
Eva Sarvan (ACS)                                                   7   6

Jordina Silva/Fonzie Sartin (INS)                                  6   6   7
Miguel Taberon/Pedro Arrachar (ACS)                                7   2   5

Acastanha wins tie 2-1

Aqual vs Britonisea @ Centre Court, Twilight

Bartolo Sabanero (AQL)                                             6   6
Ricardo Toli (BRI)                                                 2   3

Matéu Virxiliu (AQL)                                               6   6
Leo Garry (BRI)                                                    4   1

Bartolo Sabanero/Qualo Tabos (AQL)                                 3   6   6
Leone Na/Abi Forrest (BRI)                                         6   0   4

Aqual wins tie 3-0

Group Ladder

Group B                 Pld    W   L    MF   MA   MD   Pts    Set %
1 Aqual                   2    2   0     6    0   +6     2    0.923
2 Acastanha               2    1   1     3    3    0     1    0.500
3 Britonisea              2    1   1     2    4   −2     1    0.400
4 Indusse                 2    0   2     1    5   −4     0    0.214

GROUP C
Yerapia vs Squidroidia @ Court 1, Morning

Kevin Paulsson (YER)                                               2   2
Houston Sawyer (SQR)                                               6   6

Ragnar Hägg (YER)                                                  1   1
Toma Karga (SQR)                                                   6   6

Vebjørn Asheim/Marita Vigen (YER)                                  2   7   6
Jóna Cabrera/Veronika McPhee (SQR)                                 6   6   3

Squidroidia wins tie 2-1

Mattijana vs Northwest Kalactin @ Court 1, Twilight

Dominika Lisicki (MTJ)                                             6   4   6
Juan Subdula (NWK)                                                 4   6   2

Mattias Burges (MTJ)                                               2   6   4
Julia Devoningstan (NWK)                                           6   2   6

Tamara Hucsak/Dominik Lintner (MTJ)                                6   6
Juan Subdula/Niken Subdula (NWK)                                   1   4

Mattijana wins tie 2-1

Group Ladder

Group C                 Pld    W   L    MF   MA   MD   Pts    Set %
1 Mattijana               2    2   0     5    1   +4     2    0.688
2 Squidroidia             2    2   0     4    2   +2     2    0.643
3 Northwest Kalactin      2    0   2     2    4   −2     0    0.400
4 Yerapia                 2    0   2     1    5   −4     0    0.267

SECOND PLACE RANKINGS

Group X                 Pld    W   L    MF   MA   MD   Pts    Set %
C Squidroidia             2    2   0     4    2   +2     2    0.643
A Electrum                2    2   0     4    2   +2     2    0.571

B Acastanha               2    1   1     3    3    0     1    0.500

[The Grearish Union]

High Hopes...
Win, lose, win: again

The floodlights in the auditorium could finally be shut down. McNeil and Rogers looked on as the glow that emanated from the beautiful structure disappeared in a flash. It has been a long evening.

"At least we proved the Electrumite reporters wrong!" McNeil tried to start up a conversation as the two sat on the edge, holding a cup of warm cappuccino each. There was no reply that came back. Rogers was still as one can be. It was slightly disconcerting for Martha to see him this expressionless - not that she hadn't seen something like this before - just that it was quite unusual after a victory. What added to her confusion, was that this win over San Ortelio was worth celebrating!

She remembers most moments from the game - especially how it was a story quite similar to their last encounter against Sharktail. Rogers managed another win against Tartoni after going down in the first set. Jeff has always been a fighter, she recalled - but the Grearish legend always stepped up a little extra whenever his nation's pride was on the line - in true Grearish fashion. They needed to win this tie to have any chance of qualification, with most people writing the Black Jackets off against the Electrumites at their home turf. The media isn't at fault, here. It is only the truth that is being showcased on the ranks, and the Black Jackets have to take in in their stride before the final group tie.

McNeil hereself lost again, however, and that might end up being very significant in the next tie. Rogers is, as evident, aging: and it might not be possible for him to win everything that the ITT throws at him. If not for age, definitely because of the law of averages! It concerned her quite a bit, but it was difficult for her to express. Not that she wouldn't have tried to express the emotions she was having, but only if Jeff was being a tiny bit more accessible.

"At least we showed that Crepaldi his place," said McNeil, "especially after his mouthful of an interview with our reporters!" Martha added, only to break into a little giggle.
"You've literally just lost to him." Those were the first words Rogers uttered all night ever since the Black Jackets won the tie. Martha's heart fell with a thud into the bottom of her ribcage. The stern look from Rogers as he looked at her didn't help either.

It was another difficult match for her - especially considering how lowly ranked her opposition was. Luciano Crepaldi bounced back from his defeat the other day in the San Ortelio - Electrum tie, and went on to put in a fine performane against the Grearish #2. It only meant that Martha was sinking further and further into the realm of hopelessness that started to engulf her surrounding her own shortcomings in the singles department. The match obviously eventually rolled into the final 3-set doubles rubber, and both sides made sure all the three sets were used: to the disappointment of the Grearish supporters. One would expect a straight-set victory, considering the prowess that the duo showed on previous occasions, but that wasn't to happen. The twilight in Centre Court could sense a bit of an upset on the horizon, when the Rogers return to went long to award the second set 6-4 to the San Ortelians. It was probably here that winners define themselves from losers. Another early break came off for the Blackjackets, as they held on to 6-3 final set win. The knockout dream was still alive!

The breeze was now blowing across them, on the terrace, as Rogers stopped swinging his legs and looked down into the depth below him. A fall would probably mean certain death. The coffee had developed a film on top of it, when he had his first sip, now.

"You have to win, Martha," were the second string of words he said. "What?" came the reply.
"You have to win so we can win."

Jeff Rogers was smiling again.

[Kohnhead]

The Rivalry: A history of TJUN-ia Vs. Kohnhead (Part 6)

It had taken a litle while at Hamilton for the rivalry to find its footing, some of the lesser known athletes had to be eliminated before we could meet of course but after a prelude that saw Samurai Shinji school Anthony Powers the real parts of the rivalry kicked off.

Hamilton Open Singles Round 3

Mindy Waterford (KHD)           4   3   2
Joe Katsi (TJU)                 6   6   6

Theresa Waterford (KHD)         6   3   4   3
Valentina Spetsova (TJU)        2   6   6   6

Heading into the day's slate of matches it was clear the rivalry was going to be taken to the next level as the Waterford sisters who had been Kohnhead's two main players were dueling two TJUN-ians in Joe Katsi (The Kat of Horizon) and Valentina Spetsova (Scarlet) both on the same court that being court 2. Mindy would start it off with the second day match against unseeded Joe Katsi. Mindy Waterford was the 6th ranked player in the World so she was more than expected to easily beat Katsi and get past the third round. However she suffered an uncharacteristic three set loss (note: majors are 5 sets so she got swept).

Some say this is when Mindy's run came to an end as she has yet to be the dominant player that she was at Mattijana the tournament before but it's still fairly recent. This was the first time TJUN-ia had picked up a major upset of one of our players and of course it was on our number one. Waterford walked off thoroughly beat by Joe Katsi but at least we still had Theresa, or so we thought.

The second part of the humiliation came during the night game, when 13th seeded Valentina Spetsova took on 20th seeded Theresa Waterford. Waterford wanting to avenge her sister took the first set with ease but then was also completely outplayed by the higher ranking TJUN-ian. Sure she wasn't expected to win necessarily but she has to put up a better fight especially after Mindy's loss.

This was certainly an embarrassing day for Kohnheadian tennis, however the rivalry was definitely far from down in this tournament because even though our top two were out a certain someone was still left.

Record Vs. TJUN-ia
Singles: 3-3
Doubles: 0-0
Overall: 3-3


Kohnhead start off the ITT with 3-0 win against Gergary
On the first day of play in group F, Kohnhead would win their tie against pot 3 nation Gergary 3-0 although it was a lot closer and a lot more concerning if you take a deeper look.

Mindy Waterford (KHD)                                              3   6   7
Donat Kis (GGY)                                                    6   2   5

For the first rubber the top singles players would battle pitting 15th ranked Mindy Waterford against 30th ranked Donat Kis in what was a good match. Kis would win the first start as Mindy got off to her signature slow start, however she would battle back to take the second set pretty easily and looked comfortable heading into the third. However Kis would make the match difficult and he would put together a very strong third set, ultimately Mindy's talent would allow her to take the 7-5 win putting us in the power position up 1-0 in the tie.

Bartholomew Pole (KHD)                                             4   7  14
Orsolya Szabo (GGY)                                                6   6  12

This will go down as the longest three set match in Kohnheadian tennis as due to the no tiebreak rule the final set went to 14-12 with Pole managing to come out on top against 35th rnaked Szabo. Pole would lose the first set closely, 6-4 which would put him in a disadvantageous position but the 20th ranked player would battle back in another close set winning the second 7-6. After that we got into the crazy third set that ended up in a 14-12 win for Pole securing him the rubber and us the tie. Pole has been given a well deserved rest after this and I can assume only the same for Szabo.

Spencer Kohnhead/Bradley Kohnface (KHD)                            5   6   8
Alexandra Barna/Ralph Henschel (GGY)                               7   0   6

In their first match together in a while, Kohnhead and Kohnface were like all of our other athletes able to overcome a first set loss, and win the final two winning the second 6-0 in dominant fashion and winning the other less convincingly with an 8-6 win that still got the job done.

No matter how you look at it this is a positive result even if it was more difficult than necessary we got the 3-0 win. Over next tie is against the top seed in our group in Recuecn, so we will need to be on our best to beat the nation that just surprisingly dropped a rubber against Twicetagria (they still won 2-0). This is probably what determines the group, can we clutch it up?

[Pemecutan]

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Sunday, 6 December 2020 (Redite Umanis Wuku Menail, Pawukon 1780)

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A Close Win

Somer, Electrum - The first match of Pemecutan is facing Hispinas. Not much to be known from this new participants. Their players have been entering Ubung Open and end up losing in the early match. But although they haven't accomplish much, they are surely to be watch out.

Playing at Court 2 in Morning time, the match is opened by Dewa Putu Adrian Putra against Jesus Grego. Even though Adrian Putra is able to control the match but Grego surely give a hard fight. He is able to make Adrian Putra stuggling several times which give an advantage to him. But surely, a more experience Adrian Putra is taking over the match after 5-5 deuce which give him the winning point. Having a straight set match, Grego surely makes an impressive play by forcing two time 5-5 deuce on Adrian Putra even though he is loss in the end. 1-0 Pemecutan leading.

Dewa Putu Adrian Putra (PCU)                                       7   7
Jesus Grego (HSP)                                                  5   5

The second match is another single match between Ngurah Putra Muliawan against Yaiza Rubi. Controlling the match right from the start, Muliawan is seen to losing his focus through the mid of the first set. This situation is taken by Rubi which force the match into a 5-5 setting. And Rubi win the set nicely. Entering the second set, Muliawan's condition seems to drop into a lower level. His shots are widened. His netting are failed. And his smash is out of the field. This condition is giving more advantage to Yaiza Rubi. She win game after game quite easily. Until finally, she able to grab the 8th game and win the match. This result makes Hispinas equalize the point. 1-1 for a tie.

Ngurah Putra Muliawan (PCU)                                        5   2
Yaiza Rubi (HSP)                                                   7   6

The third and last match is for the double. Komang Antari/Kadek Andreawati is playing against Anabella Barrio/Carito Ramo. The first match is going so tight. Barrio/Ramo are able to play at the same level as Antari/Andreawati. This situation giving a difficult to Pemecutan pair. The set goes through 5-5 deuce which makes the intensity higher. Barrio/Ramo are quite nervous during the setting. While Antari/Andreawati gives a nice play which makes them in control. The first set is win by Pemecutan pair. The second set goes quite easy for Antari/Andreawati. They are controlling most of the set and doesn't give a chance to Barrio/Ramo to explore their play. The set goes very fast for the win of Pemecutan pair. 2-1 for Pemecutan win.

Komang Antari/Kadek Andreawati (PCU)                               7   6
Anabella Barrio/Carito Ramo (HSP)                                  5   0

Even though the match is won by Pemecutan, but Muliawan's performance is given a highlight from PTA official. Their next match is facing Neu Engollon. The match is a big match for Pemecutan as Neu Engollon have a great team. But their loss against Gnejs in their first match can become a big blow for them.

[Electrum]

Centralis Herald - Sports Section - Kimiko Shigaraki

International Tennis Trophy: Ronya the defensive rampart keeping back the opposition

There is a kind of constancy that has permeated throughout the Electrumite team throughout the International Tennis Trophy - whatever happens in the singles, Ronya are the last line of defence against the barbarians at the gates.

For two consecutive ties, despite Simmons and Giannapolous being in the top ten, Electrum has found itself one-all at the end of the singles. The two were widely favoured to win their matches, but for various reasons just couldn't. Giannapolous was clearly rattled by how Tartoni was just hitting his balls very loosely. After all, he had just debuted the NSTT and came in with zero expectations against a top-ten player in her home crowd. Meanwhile, Simmons just couldn't handle Sharktailian Alex's quick and efficient use of the ball. While Simmons mainly retreated back to turtling on the baseline, Alex played aggressively, and punished the ball every time Simmons sent a short ball. There was just no initiative taking and it was not long before Simmons was bundled out in straight sets.

But, despite these major disappointments, Gredello and Levinsky have always saved their day with their perfect records keeping Electrum in the running for a spot in the quarterfinals. A despondent crowd after Simmons' loss to Sharktail could feel more dread coming as Ronya lost that first set against Manson and Fakhrul 4-6. There was only one break in it, and really, that break only came in the very beginning of their match when Gredello was uncharacteristically struggling with her serves. Add in a mishit from Manson on break point, which hit the top of the net and bounced over the heads of Gredello and Levinsky, and the first set fell out of their grasp.

But they fought back and kept the crowd on side. Second set came down to a tiebreak. The set was a back and forth with many shifts of momentum, but it was Ronya who managed to take the last five points in the tiebreak to win that second set. The joy, relief and celebration coming from the clearly partisan crowd in Centre Court was immense. The Electrumites were back in it, and they just needed to win one more set to keep their hopes alive. And they did. Ronya would win the last six games to four, sending Electrum into second place against The Grearish Union, with both teams securing two wins.

This is all a backdrop for the biggest test yet for Ronya, their match-up against McNeil and Rogers. This could be the match that proves to be their undoing with McNeil and Rogers also winning both of their matches, and being the highest ranked doubles opponents Ronya will face. The two are trained in the Electrumite doubles method (especially with their usual pairing with Kawasaki and Stewart), and are well versed in playing with and against Electrumites in the doubles.

It will be a close match. If previous trends are to go by, either one of Giannapolous or Simmons will lose, which will mean again, that Ronya will be under serious pressure to perform. Luckily, the Electrumites have two key strategies to counteract the Grearish.

First, McNeil and Rogers would have played their singles match, and will have only about half an hour's recovery time before they are back on court for the doubles. Ronya will be comparatively well rested, and will be looking, to the extent possible, to make their opponents move more and tire them out. Of course, it's a bit harder to do that in the doubles because each player only covers half a court, but Ronya will be trying to send more balls down the line to force the Grearish to switch sides in the typical doubles formation.

Second, McNeil is clearly the weak point of the team. With two singles losses, all the Electrumites need to do is plant a seed of doubt on her mind. Therefore, they will more likely than not look to target her by sending the balls her way, especially when she's at the net. At the net, any slowness or hesitation is a surefire way to lose points, and Ronya will be looking to make her lose points early in the match to derail the Grearish plans for a possible come back. Losing confidence is a negative spiral which affects movement, serves, etc. It's ruthless, but it's effective.

Whatever the outcome, the doubles will be the match to watch tomorrow. Especially if the two teams are tied one-all at the conclusion of the singles.

[Ceni]

Terranean Broadcasting Company

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Ceni beats Hebitaka in tie 1 but Xal sisters suffer surprise loss

By Zion Berik
TBC Sport in Somer

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Lonus Varalin and Ardil Navsal routed their Hebitakan opposition in singles play, but the Xal sisters lost surprisingly in straight sets in the dead doubles rubber.

With Jean van der Kloor of TJUN-ia winning over Mihaela Ionia Presco of Natanians and Nosts in two tense tiebreaks and Valentina Spetsova and Austin McDanielson, the world number three doubles team, taking a full three sets to defeat their opponents, Ceni's tie against the relatively unknown Hebitaka started late on Center Court for the twilight session.

Nevertheless, the court was packed with Cenian partisans (due to Ceni's proximity to Somer) and Lonus Varalin showed no signs of tiredness after flying in from far-flung Pemecutan, winning 6-3, 6-3 against Hebitaka #1 Rof Leshner. Former world #1 Ardil Navsal then quickly sealed the tie with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Jester Roy in the second rubber.

But you could hear a pin drop in the arena after the dead rubber as the highly popular pairing Elia and Fia Xal folded in two quick sets to the unknown pairing Leo Shenron and Erika Kamamoto, a result that leaves Cenian ITT captain Elaine Foyner, herself a former world #1 and Grand Slam champion, worried before the critical match with TJUN-ia, the group's second seed, in two days' time.

"I'm glad we can count on a lot of crowd support in these ties," Foyner said. "Lonus and Ardil obviously played great matches, so I'm confident in our play heading into the match with TJUN-ia. And I just hope that Elia and Fia's poor play tonight was a one-off event and not anything to be worried about. But we can't help but worry, as if something goes wrong in the singles, we won't have as much margin for error."

Ceni is now the number two nation in the group, which could spell trouble as only the best two second-placed finishers advance to the quarterfinals. As a result, the tie against TJUN-ia will be critical for determining who moves on in Somer and who goes home.

The Xal sisters attribute their poor performance to fatigue from their Ubung flight

The Xal sisters' last match was a roller-coaster three-set quarterfinal against world #1 team Camille and Ines Fournier of Recuecn in Ubung, but a series of transportation nightmares dragged their flight to Somer out. First, the threat of thunderstorms delayed their flight out of Ubung by several hours — causing them to be stuck in Kelssek waiting for their next flight to Centralis. And then, of course, they had a several-hour layover for the next regional flight to Somer.

That showed in the very first game as the Xals handed away the first game. Elia started off the dismal night with a double fault that would be an indicator of things to come, and the pairing hit three more unforced errors to give the game away to the Hebitakans.

The unheralded Hebitakan pair won the next four games to have a clear look at a bagel in the first set, but the Xals brought it together to break in the sixth game and salvage the set with the net play that has stymied so many opponents in the past. But Fia's serving again broke under pressure with a rifling forehand return from Leo Shenron sealing a break.

The Xals looked to recover in the second set and Elia started the set off on the right foot by holding at love for their first service hold of the match. For the next nine games the two teams held serve. In the ninth game, Fia set up a break point chance with a perfectly threaded backhand return winner but Shenron's serving saved the day with an ace on break point.

After that moment, the Xals crumbled in their next service game and Fia plowed a forehand return into the net to give the Hebitakan pair their second tour-level victory and a cool 130 ranking points.

"Obviously, we were disappointed in our play today," said Elia. "But we will be working on making sure we are as fit as possible before our match against Spetsova and McDanielson."

"We will be doing a lot of service drills in the next two days," added Fia, recognizing that their poor service numbers were a key factor in their surprise defeat. "But I would ask that Austin McDanielson refrain from hitting too many forehand return winners on our serves," she said with a chuckle, referring to the TJUN-ian player's famous forehand.

TJUN-ia will be a crucible for the Cenian team

Ceni has the advantage on paper against TJUN-ia with both Navsal and Varalin ranked ahead of their singles counterparts, but Spetsova and McDanielson could be extremely dangerous against the Xals, who are not yet back into their full form after Ceni's absence from the tour. If Ceni loses this next tie, it will be an uphill battle to qualify for the quarterfinals.

Foyner said that the team will focus on the basics. "I have told everybody that we will not be trying too many fancy things on Sunday," she said. "All of our players will focus on what they know how to do and doing it well."