[Tennis/NSTT] Indoor hard court season 7 [RP/Results]

by **Electrum** » Fri Oct 29, 2021 10:37 pm

NationStates Tennis Tour indoor hard court season 7 RP thread

This thread will be the thread where roleplays and results will be posted for the four clay court tournaments of the season. In order, these tournaments are:

River Cities Open (Tier 2) hosted in Shinzoba, Damukuni
Ubung Open (Tier 1) hosted in Ubung, Pemecutan
International Tennis Trophy (Team Event) hosted in Somer, Electrum

This post will contain general information about the timeline for the three tournaments, whereas the next three posts will contain specific information for each of the tournaments, including information about the host city and draws/schedules.

Scorination Details
All NSTT tournaments will be scorinated on xkoranate with advantage sets. Grand slam singles tournaments will be best of five sets. All other tournaments are best of three sets. The logarithm points will be used, so that the vast inequalities in total points don't mean predictable matches. To determine the seeding and points of doubles pairings, the average of the sum of the doubles players logarithmic rankings will be used. Draws for both the singles and doubles competition will follow the normal procedures undertaken by the ITF.

All roleplays are scored, with quality over quantity emphasized. Multiple roleplays submitted on the same day will be counted as one larger whole. All players without a ranking will have a skill level equal to the lowest main draw player's logarithmic points. For doubles pairs comprised of players from two different nations, the higher scoring roleplay from both nations will be applied to the mixed pair.

Where there are more entrants than available places, a knock-out qualification round is played.

At the conclusion of each tournament, rankings are updated to reflect the new points earned by players. These points last one year/season.

Links
Indoor hard court season 7 sign-up thread
NSTT Season 7 tournament timeline and rankings
NSTT Discussion/OOC thread
NSTT Discord server

Timeline (all times in UTC)
19 Oct - Sign-ups begin
6 Nov - River Cities Open sign-ups close
0100 12 Nov to 19 Nov - River Cities Open
18 Nov - Ubung Open sign-ups close
22 Nov to 28 Nov Ubung Open
28 Nov - International Tennis Trophy sign-ups close
2 Dec to 11 Dec International Tennis Trophy
TBA End of season tournaments (to be held in a separate RP thread)

by **Damukuni** » Sat Oct 30, 2021 12:51 pm

ASSOCIATION CODES

THE RIVER CITIES OPEN
2nd Edition


A NSTT Tier 2 Event

Welcome to the River Cities Open, Damukuni's second-ever NSTT contest! Held in the beautiful city of Shinzoba, along the bank of the Orokana River, this final Tier 2 contest will be a breath of fresh air - and a cool drink of water, for those who desire - to the Tennis Tour's budding prodigies, rising stars, and ~~people who are too lazy to care~~ those wanting a second chance, a shot at redemption, that fell through the cracks in Tier 1...

ABOUT DAMUKUNI
Damukuni is an interplanetary federation of 22 states with a diverse mix of cultures and customs. While its people tend to be extremely socially conservative, they are generally friendly and warm-welcoming towards strangers and cultural opponents. Religious service is a dominating force in Damukunians' lives, with either the Catholic Church (Damukunian Rite) or the Evangelical Free Church being named by over 86% of the population, but religious liberty, as well as personal freedom, are foundational cornerstones to every culture's principle, from the ritualistic Lunigans to the happy-go-lucky South Aqmu peoples to the cautiously optimistic 'Habutchiq (native Damukunians).

As Damukuni speaks several regional languages, from Lunigan in Islana Lunigo (one attending the event would probably never experience one unless they went on a special trip), to Aqmu by the Aqmu peoples, to English by the Qads, to Damugengo by the 'Habutchiq, English is the binding language that holds all of these cultures together as one nation, so if one knows it well, it will get you by.

Shinzoba itself, as one of the two River Cities, sits across the Orokana River from Nasutani City, the capital of the state of Nasutani. (OOC: It's basically like Minneapolis to MN's state capital of St. Paul!) Both cities have much to see and do, from hiking the majestic Ayakoma mountain range (about 25 km) to the north, to taking a dip at the famed Nasutani Ayakoma Onsen just south of the city limit, to riding the Gas Giant Coaster at 7Flags® River Cities near the middle of town (yes, the amusement park is smack dab in the middle), to shaking hands with state government officials at the Nasutani State Capitol Building, to experiencing the Birthplace of the Damukuni Football Association at the Shinzoba-zayu (the outdoor multisport stadium) - there's something for everyone here!

STADIUM INFORMATION
BIGSTAR® Indoor Sports Plaza, 4-9-3 Shuyama, 5-chome, Shinzoba, NT M-4709 (capacity: 10,400)
Shinzoba's premier location for indoor sport is proud to host NSTT's second-division event this year. Located right on the Orokana river, its southwestern edge overlooks the city of Nasutani.

Directions: (Please note Damukuni drives on the left side of the road)

From River Cities/Matsushita International Airport: Take N Airport Rd south to the M-25 (Airport/Minurai JCT). Follow the M-25 south to JCT 35/Sakurai Mid-Cities JCT (SR-67). Turn right, following SR-67 (Dori Inegai-Shoryuda) west 10 blocks to Southern Blvd. Turn right; the stadium will be on your left. If you cross the Eri Dometo Bridge into Nasutani City, you have gone too far.

From Atarashii-Damushuto International Airport: Take the M-50 to JCT 23A (M-30/M-230) West. Take the right fork for the M-30 (signs for Shinzoba/Nasutani/West Bay) and travel 350 km to Saburo-Kendai JCT (JCT 52) onto A-706. Follow A-706 west into the city of Shinzoba 18 blocks. A-706 becomes SR-67/A-706. Follow SR-67 for 19 more blocks, pass under the M-25. Go west 10 more blocks to Southern Blvd. Turn right; the stadium will be on your left. If you cross the Eri Dometo Bridge into Nasutani City, you have gone too far.

The Draw

Singles

First Qualifying Round
Georgia Brown (ADR)—David Halloway (WID)
Pedro Sanchez de la Cruz (TJU)—Piji Piji (BEH)
Fabienne Bumgarner (GGY)—Selina Favreau (ETM)
Erin Galt (ADR)—Louis Shackleton (WID)
Ali Kusuma (SDR)—Leko Lapakaj (BEH)
Asa Odhiambo (NYK)—Elisabeth Wallin (NYK)
Puteri Alamsyah (SDR)—Jerynset A. Pirtej (BEH)
Atlas Dominguez (GRU)—Obungo Okungu (NYK)
Shelley Knox (ADR)—Nathan Bensaïd (BRI)
Konstadinos Papadimitrou (BRO)—Ali Tamil (WID)

Second Qualifying Round
Ingrid Dal (PUG)—Georgia Brown (ADR)/David Halloway (WID)
Pedro Sanchez de la Cruz (TJU)/Piji Piji (BEH)—Fabienne Bumgarner (GGY)/Selina Favreau (ETM)
André Bapako (ACS)—Erin Galt (ADR)/Louis Shackleton (WID)
Isis Dimpal (ACS)—Ali Kusuma (SDR)/Leko Lapakaj (BEH)
Austin Powers (KHD)—Asa Odhiambo (NYK)/Elisabeth Wallin (NYK)
Puteri Alamsyah (SDR)/Jerynset A. Pirtej (BEH)—Atlas Dominguez (GRU)/Obungo Okungu (NYK)
Sibylla Naess (PUG)—Shelley Knox (ADR)/Nathan Bensaïd (BRI)
Sammy Shuter (KHD)—Konstadinos Papadimitrou (BRO)/Ali Tamil (WID)

Round of 64

Qualifying seeds are listed as they would appear against an opponent in this round.

(1) Luciano Crepaldi (SOR)—[Qualifier #3]
(WC) Okoth Adida (NYK)—Dusan Ventaromovich (BPE)
(15) Ikram Fawz (SHT)—Styliani Kelesdou (BRO)
Ivo Dhjukharevic (BPE)—(WC) Urnaj Pumb (BEH)
(5) Naim Alex (SHT)—(WC) Sven Thomas (WID)
Indigo Crawford (UAD)—Dale Carman (UAD)
(12) Theresa Waterford (KHD)—Ralph Henschel (GGY)
Mirko Tonti (SOR)—Dian Wirasastra (SDR)
(3) Davi Malakkar (ACS)—Derby Cuellar (UAD)
[Qualifier #4]—Andy Amada (CEN)
(14) Liam Penderyn (CEN)—Chak'Alley (SNC)
Ken Pollock (TJU)—(WC) Michael Loy (DEX)
(8) Maria Sophia Lubis (PCU)—Grace Covalt (KHD)
Derek Dubrovnik (BRI)—Amarsin Gandas (ADB)
(10) Lucy Muneer (SHT)—[Qualifier #7]
Martin Khalizniakov (BPE)—Hakim Kalah-Mustafa (TJU)
(2) Bianka Arendt (GGY)—Lacey John (UAD)
Goran Bogdanovich (BPE)—Domenico Lunghi (SOR)
(16) Barklay Raiken-Tellay (SNC)—Georgios Tiskas (BRO)
Stan Shaw (SNC)—Jennadora Elaisey (SNC)
(6) Noah Damaris (CEN)—[Qualifier #2]
Ivan Belosorochko (WSN)—Eva Brandt (GRU)
(9) Jason Gordon (BRI)—Haikal Jansen (SHT)
[Qualifier #1]—[Qualifier #6]
(4) Emily Romanescu (ADB)—Marcus Hathwar (ETM)
Mikhail Korotkevich (WSN)—Jack Ho (ETM)
(13) Orsolya Szabo (GGY)—Mirella Xanthou (BRO)
Aaliyah de León (BRI)—Indah Mizrahi (SDR)
(7) Augusta Björnstjärna (PUG)—Jasmin Wayverson (TJU)
(WC) Epstein Galt (ADR)—Elena Fiori (SOR)
(11) Grayson Norris (GRU)—Ada Nunez (GRU)
[Qualifier #5]—[Qualifier #8]

Round of 32
(1) Luciano Crepaldi (SOR)/[Qualifier #3]—(WC) Okoth Adida (NYK)/Dusan Ventaromovich (BPE)
(15) Ikram Fawz (SHT)/Styliani Kelesdou (BRO)—Ivo Dhjukharevic (BPE)/(WC) Urnaj Pumb (BEH)
(5) Naim Alex (SHT)/(WC) Sven Thomas (WID)—Indigo Crawford (UAD)/Dale Carman (UAD)
(12) Theresa Waterford (KHD)/Ralph Henschel (GGY)—Mirko Tonti (SOR)/Dian Wirasastra (SDR)
(3) Davi Malakkar (ACS)/Derby Cuellar (UAD)—[Qualifier #4]/Andy Amada (CEN)
(14) Liam Penderyn (CEN)/Chak'Alley (SNC)—Ken Pollock (TJU)/(WC) Michael Loy (DEX)
(8) Maria Sophia Lubis (PCU)/Grace Covalt (KHD)—Derek Dubrovnik (BRI)/Amarsin Gandas (ADB)
(10) Lucy Muneer (SHT)/[Qualifier #7]—Martin Khalizniakov (BPE)/Hakim Kalah-Mustafa (TJU)
(2) Bianka Arendt (GGY)/Lacey John (UAD)—Goran Bogdanovich (BPE)/Domenico Lunghi (SOR)
(16) Barklay Raiken-Tellay (SNC)/Georgios Tiskas (BRO)—Stan Shaw (SNC)/Jennadora Elaisey (SNC)
(6) Noah Damaris (CEN)/[Qualifier #2]—Ivan Belosorochko (WSN)/Eva Brandt (GRU)
(9) Jason Gordon (BRI)/Haikal Jansen (SHT)—[Qualifier #1]/[Qualifier #6]
(4) Emily Romanescu (ADB)/Marcus Hathwar (ETM)—Mikhail Korotkevich (WSN)/Jack Ho (ETM)
(13) Orsolya Szabo (GGY)/Mirella Xanthou (BRO)—Aaliyah de León (BRI)/Indah Mizrahi (SDR)
(7) Augusta Björnstjärna (PUG)/Jasmin Wayverson (TJU)—(WC) Epstein Galt (ADR)/Elena Fiori (SOR)
(11) Grayson Norris (GRU)/Ada Nunez (GRU)—[Qualifier #5]/[Qualifier #8]

Doubles
Qualifying Draw can be found here.
Competition Draw can be found here.
Draws will be formatted as above at a later date. Thank you for your understanding.

by **Pemecutan** » Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:14 pm

ABOUT

Pemecutan is a union of 6 petty kingdoms, located in south central of Melayu Archipelago. A constitutional and elective monarchy, the country balancing itself between tradition and modernity. The majority of the people are Girian and Mandaran ethnicity with many others minority ethnics which makes the country even more diverse. English have been one of the 3 official languages in the country, together with Bahasa and Hanacaraka. Other recognized languages are Kacara (which is recognized in Soracana Islands State) and Malay (which is recognized in Jimbarwana State). The tourist will be easily communicate with the locals by using English. As a tourism country, some of the citizen also able to speak other languages.

Aerial View of the City from the Ubung City Park

Ubung is located in the northern shore of Giri Island. It is the largest city in Pemecutan in term of population with more than 900,000 people reside in the city. The city was incorporated in 1911, in the first wave of administrative changes in the country. It is created by merging 4 towns including Merta Gangga, Sedana Mertha, Ulun Pasih and Ubung itself. The city have been emerge as the economic powerhouse of the country with many companies have their headquarters there. The economy of the city is also supported by Port of Ubung (the busiest port in Pemecutan), cinematic and media industry among others. Ubung is also divided by two rivers, Tampak River in the east and Gangga River to its west.

THE VENUE

For the inaugural event of Ubung Open, the organizer select Gangga Assembly Hall as the venue. A multipurpose building, Gangga Assembly Hall is located in Merta Gangga District in the northwest of the city near Gangga Beach, one of tourism spot in Ubung. The venue is a complex of two main buildings, Gangga Center (the larger) and Segara Hall. For the competition, both buildings will be change to accommodate 12 courts, 7 in Gangga Center and 5 in Segara Hall.

Gangga Center (left) and Segara Hall (right)

Seven courts will be develop in Gangga Center. The Main Hall will be hosted the Main Court which for this event will be name Baruna Court. The court is accommodate with 2,500 seats. The second court is Nusa Indah Court which is created from Nusa Indah Hall and it is accommodate with 1,000 seats. The other 5 courts will be located in the East and West Wing of the building. These courts is numbered from Gangga-1 to Gangga-5 and all of them can hold 500 seats. A media center will also be build for the press. Another five courts will be establish in Segara Hall. The courts are similar in size with 500 - 1,000 seats per courts. The courts are numbered from Segara-1 to Segara-5. Another media center will also be build in this building for the press coverage.

Players that come via air will be arriving at Ubung-Satria International Airport which is around 11 km south of Ubung city center. From here, they will be escorted by private vehicle to their resting place at The Bale Ubung Hotel or Ubung Jineng Hotel. Both hotels are within close distance to the venue.

DRAWING & SCHEDULE
SINGLE COMPETITION

There are 95 confirmed players from 25 nations. From these, only 64 players that will playing in the Main Draw. 62 of them will be playing in the Qualifying Round while the top 33 (including 14 Wild Card players based on procedural guidelines) are directly advance into the Main Draw.

DOUBLE COMPETITION

There are 49 confirmed pairs from 23 countries. 2 pairs will be playing in the Qualifying Round where the winners will completed the 48 slots in the Main Draw.

Qualifying Round
Reed Thomas/Rebecca Nichols (ADR) vs Tami Baerstand/Naomi Swede (WID)

Challonge Bracket Link
Ubung Open - Single Competition
Ubung Open - Double Competition

OFFICIAL SCHEDULE

Date         Event
22/11        Single & Double Qualifying
23/11        Round 64 - Single Competition
             Round 48 - Double Competition
24/11        Round 32 - Single Competition
             Round 32 - Double Competition
25/11        Round 16 - Single Competition
             Round 16 - Double Competition
26/11        Quarterfinal - Single Competition
             Quarterfinal - Double Competition
27/11        Semi Final - Single Competition
             Semi Final - Double Competition
28/11        Final - Single Competition
             Final - Double Competition

* Cutoff is around 9 - 11 pm Indonesian Central Time/UTC +8 (1 - 3 PM GMT)

by **Electrum** » Sat Oct 30, 2021 5:18 pm

The Electrum Lawn Tennis Association is proud to present the fifth edition of the International Tennis Trophy. Situated at the end of the indoor hard court season, this unique format where players compete for their country is the last opportunity for players to earn points for the NSTT Finals. Unlike last season, this edition will be held in Prescott as the former location, Somer, had already been chosen to host the Olympics tennis event.

About Electrum and Prescott
Electrum is a sports-mad country. It loves its Olympics and its football, but the most important sport is tennis. Tennis in Electrum is administered by the all-powerful Electrum Lawn Tennis Association.

There are a few quirks when coming to Electrum. One of them is its digital currency, the Synergy, which is known for its ubiquity. Upon arrival, all people can gain access to the card based digital currency, but tourists often complain that these cards which are very easily stolen but also incredibly convenient to use. Electrum is also a relaxed country -- it has very socially libertarian laws such as the decriminalisation of all drugs. It's a place to let off some steam and to have some fun.

Prescott is a city nestled in the north-western ski slopes of Electrum and is the closest city to Electrum’s highest peak, the Jarangal - Mt. Nixon mountain (The mountain is dual named in recognition of the local name for the mountain). There are four million Prescottians who are ready to cheer on their favourite nations at the ITT. It is an icy-cold city, but known for its whiskey and rum dispensed in the many pubs dotted across the city, you can be sure your heart will be warmed up quite quickly. Of course, players will indeed be playing indoors so they will be protected from the elements.

Prescott is also Electrum’s cultural capital, boasting a rich coffee culture, a nightlife scene on Redline Street and was also the host city of the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth editions of the NationStates Winter Olympics. Perhaps it is the charming tram network, or the shopping at the Power Street Mall, but there’s something innate about the city that keeps drawing visitors and tourists in.

Playing Conditions
The Ice Palace will play host to the International Tennis Trophy. It is the new name of the Prescott International Convention Centre. Outside of The Ice Palace is Edison Square, where there is a large television screen which will broadcast what is inside of the Palace. All the courts look the same, but Centre Court is the biggest with a capacity of 15,000, while the two show courts have a capacity of just 5,000 each. An image of the stadium is available here.

Previous Champions
2015 - Ceni (CEN)
2016 - Schottia (SCH)
2017 - New Gelderland (NGD)
2020 - The Grearish Union (GRU)

Draws and Schedule
Format
20 nations will participate in six groups of four. Nations will be ranked on the sum of the log points of their best two submitted singles athletes and the best doubles pair. Teams will then be drawn from four pots to make the six groups. Group winners and the best two runners up advance to the quarterfinals (tiebreakers are matches won, then set percentage, then games percentage).

Each matchday will consist of three rubbers -- two singles matches (top ranked players play against each other, second ranked players play against each other) and one doubles match. All rubbers will be played, and rankings points are available for winning. Winning in later rounds and winning against higher ranked opponents will yield more points. There is a maximum of 1,500 points up for grabs.

Pots
Pot 1 - Ceni (36.913), Electrum (34.922), TJUN-ia (34.396), Pemecutan (33.816), Kohnhead (33.683), The Grearish Union (33.285)
Pot 2 - San Ortelio (32.473), Britonisea (32.142), Sharktail (30.452), Acastanha (30.205), Aqual (30.143), Adab (29.331)
Pot 3 - Gergary (28.926), Gnejs (26.767), United Adaikes (25.426), Beepee (25.353), Sincluda (24.167), Brookstation (22.134)
Pot 4 - Lisander (21.773), Natanians and Nosts (19.767), Nyowani Kitara (16.833), Dexterra (7.180), Strayaroos (0), Dispertag (0)

Groups
The top two nations were drawn randomly into groups A and C. All other nations were randomised.

Group A
Ceni
San Ortelio
Sincluda
Dexterra

Group B
TJUN-ia
Britonisea
Gergary
Dispertag

Group C
Electrum
Acastanha
United Adaikes
Strayaroos

Group D
The Grearish Union
Adab
Beepee
Natanians and Nosts

Group E
Pemecutan
Sharktail
Brookstation
Lisander

Group F
Kohnhead
Aqual
Gnejs
Nyowani Kitara

Knockout rounds
Winner group C vs Lower ranked runner-up
Winner group B vs Winner group F
Winner group D vs Winner group E
Winner group A vs Higher ranked runner-up

Schedule
All times in UTC - cut-offs are 0800. Roleplays will be counted every 48 hours in the group stage, but they are also doubled in value. In character, Groups A to C are assumed to on alternating days with Groups D to F during the group stage.

2 December- Matchday 1 - 1v4 2v3
4 December - Matchday 2 - 4v3 1v2
6 December - Matchday 3 - 2v4 3v1
8 December - Quarterfinals
10 December - Semifinals
11 December - Final

by **Dexterra** » Tue Nov 09, 2021 1:34 pm

The Citizen's Athletics Report
9 November 2021 (exclusive edition)

National tennis star set to debut at River Cities

SHINZOBA, DAMUKUNI - Michael Loy scanned the court as he walked into the locker room.

The 20-year-old who has trained since he was 4 will premiere on the NationStates Tennis Tour this week at the 2021 River Cities Open. Granted a wildcard into the main draw, Loy will make the United Peoples of Dexterra's first appearance against Ken Pollock of TJUN-ia. "I am beyond excited for the opportunity," Loy said, "and hopefully I can back up my experience and training."

_{Loy in 2017}
The slender, flexible Loy is generally considered a defensive baseliner and a hardcourt specialist. Although he has experienced some success on other surfaces, Loy considers evolving into an all-court threat as one of his main priorities.

But the leftie has a number of weapons at his disposal that can keep him afloat on clay and grass while making him a formidable opponent on hard courts. With a serve that regularly clocks in at 210 kmph (130 mph), Loy can rapidly hold at love, force a receiver far behind the baseline or derail his opponent's momentum. Loy's one-handed backhand have left his challengers stunned. And his mental game - described as a psychological brick wall - has seen Loy out of deep deficit.

Loy admits stamina is one thing that hinders him on all surfaces. "If I see a way to win the match, I try to jump on it. But there are some players out there that don't easily relent, and matches can slip away."

Luckily for him, however, River Cities may be more than a suitable environment. Matches are best-of-three, a format in which Loy has thrived throughout this year. As is true for any tournament into which he enters for the first time, Loy also expressed excitement at immersing himself in a new culture and people whom he hopes to rally on his side during matches.

River Cities will open 11 November; Loy will play after qualifying rounds are complete.

_{Loy at the 2022 Independex Championships}

^{I edited this mainly to put a new picture of me up - if you're reading this from the Mercedinian Open finals, thank you so much! Also Dextennis gave me permission to clean things up a bit, hope that's alright! - Michael}

by **United Adaikes** » Tue Nov 09, 2021 5:46 pm

The Adaikesian smashers will start another campaign in the NationStates Tennis Tour in Damukuni!

The top Adaikesian pair, Indigo Crawford and Dale Carman, is seeded 7th in the tournament for the doubles event, facing Konstadinos Papadimitrou and Styliani Kelesdou of Brookstation in the first round. However, Crawford and Carman will face each other in their first game of the singles event.

Aaren Seabrooke and Lacey John will face the Fulhamptons from TJUN-ia.

In the singles event, Derby Cuellar will face the #3 seed Davi Malakkar of Acastanha, while Lacey John will face the #2 seed Bianka Arendt from Gergary.

by **Sharktail** » Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:29 am

The dark surroundings began to brighten little by little. The light that was initially blurred began to appear clear little by little. However, it has not been clear where this light is.

Aina's head still felt dizzy. Her first glance was right at the lights on the ceiling. The ceiling was white, she was sure this was not the ceiling of her room. After her head felt a little relieved, she turned to her left and saw a row of beds. She could guess she was in the hospital.

As she tried to correct the body posture, her memory began to recall what had happened. Her face looked anxious. She was trying to find a nurse or a doctor. This time is patient rest time, so there are no nurses nearby. Aina still couldn't calm her anxiety.

Aina got up and headed to the ward entrance. With a slow step, she peered out. Wild eyes looking for staff or doctors nearby. Suddenly her shoulder was held by someone. With a quick step she turned and backed away as a safety precaution. A nurse stood there and gave her a smile.

"What are you doing outside. Need anything?"

"I was looking for staff but they weren't in the ward, so I come out."

"Oh. Is there anything you need to?"

"Why am I at the hospital?"

"Do you remember anything."

"I remember walking back home from school, and something happen. Like... car accident.

"Yes, that exactly what happen. When the ambulance went to the scene of the accident, you fainted there, so you were also taken to the hospital."

Aina was silent. Then she remembered her main purpose. "My friend. My friend is there too. Where is she?"

The nurse was silent. Aina's face looked more and more agitated. She pursed her lips, if she follow her heart, she want to scream wanting an answer. However, in her mind there is still patience. She learned about respect. But for now she just wanted a clear answer from the nurse.

Before the nurse could open her mouth, a voice greeted Aina from behind.

"Aina, you're awake."

Aina turned around. She saw her mother standing behind her. Something crossed her mind. Seeing her mom standing behind her, she was sure her mom had been in the hospital since the beginning. It because if her mom just came, she surely come from her direction, not her back.

Aina's mother looked at Aina and turned her eyes to the nurse. She gestured to the nurse. The nurse left them there. Before Aina could open her mouth, her mother approach her and hugged her tightly. Aina still didn't understand at that moment. She think her mother was worried because she fainted. She told her mother not to worry about this. However, her mother did not let go of the hug. Like a sword, slowly piercing her heart, tears began to fall. Her mother put her mouth to Aina's ear and said the words that Aina was most afraid to hear.

"Erina is gone."

This verse is sharp enough to pierce to the deep of Aina's heart. Aina feel on her knee and sobbed. Screams and cries filled the hospital's quiet room.

by **Adab** » Wed Nov 10, 2021 8:56 am

THE ADAB TIMES
The Most Trusted Voice in the Nation, Est. 1878

TENNIS

Samp Upbeat on Gandas and Romanescu

Elymur Amwan
Friday, November 10, 2034

SHINZOBA – Petros Samp today voiced his confidence in Amarsin Gandas and Emily Romanescu, as his two charges prepare for their first appearance at Damukuni’s River Cities Open.

“Amarsin and Emily have been training and playing at a high level throughout the course of their preparation,” Samp told the Adab Times via telephone from his hotel.

“They are two of the best players that our country has got right now and I am sure that, as long as they get into the groove, they will be able to go far in this tournament.”

Along with Foger Rederer, Gandas and Romanescu have been touted by many as the future of Adabian tennis. Rederer’s Olympic gold medal and finals appearance at the Mercedinian Open has established him as by far the biggest star of the three, but Samp believes that Gandas and Romanescu are more than capable of reaching Rederer’s level.

“Foger, of course, has been an inspiration to both of them,” said Samp, who also coaches Rederer alongside Gandas and Romanescu.

“When I retired people thought tennis was dead in this country. But now we have a superstar, a much bigger star than I ever was. Emily is already becoming somewhat of a star herself, and Amarsin is hot on their trails. Soon there will be three superstars.”

Rederer’s run to the Mercedinian Open final catapulted him to number 25 in the world rankings with 1,345 points, rendering him ineligible for Tier 2 tournaments such as the River Cities Open.

Gandas was knocked out in the first round at the Mercedinian Open, but Romanescu stunned many herself by going all the way to the quarterfinals in her first Grand Slam appearance and only second NSTT tournament. Her sunny, easygoing disposition and optimism have won her many new fans, including those who are not comfortable with Rederer’s bombastic behavior.

Gandas is currently ranked 220th, while Romanescu has risen to 76th. Samp is confident that their rankings will rise even further.

“They are still very young and they still have a long way to go,” Samp said. “If they’re already this good at their age, imagine just how great they’re going to be.”

Gandas will face Derek Dubrovnik in the singles round of 64, with Romanescu finding herself opposing Marcus Hathwar. Teaming up for the doubles competition, they will play against Milicent Broon and Alexander Dumor in the first round.

by **San Ortelio** » Wed Nov 10, 2021 1:24 pm

*Ping* Passengers for Atarashii-Damushuto International Airport are requested to make their way to gate nine as boarding will close in ten minutes *Ping*

Luciano Crepaldi was seated just a few metres from gate nine and the ticket in his left hand held the logo of a Damakuni airline, but he didn't rise. His eyes were glued at some nondescript point in the distance, trying to figure out...

Why was he here?

There were tons of good reasons, he tried to tell himself. It was a big chance, starting a tournament as the number one - even if it was a Tier 2 event - offered a huge opportunity for a deep and potentially successful run. And still.

His mind wandered back to the Salvador Hills. Val and he played their best match ever - just every service, every position switch, every bloody little signal was perfect. Zhuo/Rentos, the measure against which all duos get measured, got dominated and beaten. It gave Luciano a rush he never felt before. All week, he had been joking on how Ortelians don't match with grass and now, the world was theirs to beat. Val Korekal and Luciano Crepaldi, the Cenian and the Ortelian, the Wunderkind and the Joker - they were everywhere and everything. At last, Luciano felt that he had shown himself worthy to play with Val, worthy to make the top ranks. They were top of the world.

It seems that, even if you're on top of something, the fall down can be fast. And the crash can be rough. The Britonish Open ended after three sets against a duo that had never before beaten the world number one. Heck, they had never even made the last sixteen. Didn't matter for that day on Barlinedon.

They had left Britonisea the same evening - each going their way. Val hadn't spoken much but his remarks had hit home.

"All we needed was just a decent performance here for the NSTT finals. Not a great one, not a victory - just a decent match. Luciano," [it always worried Luciano if someone had the need to repeat his first name in a one-to-one conversation] "we can't have those ups and downs. At the top level, they're there every day of the week, no excuses, no differences. But that is only possible if we're all invested enough in it. I know I am."

Are you invested enough for it? Luciano had come home and been angry - they won together, didn't they lose together as well? It had died down a little by the time Val and he competed in Zoloroni, but the atmosphere was strained at first. They competed, they each tried to show their skill. It lead to a lot of lost points and more third sets then comfortable, but making the quarterfinals none the less. Zhuo/Rentos. Of course, Zhuo/Rentos. Despite winning the second set, Val and Luciano left the court knowing that they were beaten on class.

After the final point, Val pointed across the net.

"That. That could be us," he said calmly.

It dawned with Luciano. If he wanted to become that ace in doubles, he had to sacrifice something.

*Ping* Last call for passengers for Atarashii-Damushuto International Airport

Luciano didn't even hear the remainder of the announcement. He rose and knew what he was going to do this week: kick some ass in his final NSTT singles tournament.

by **Britonisea** » Wed Nov 10, 2021 5:20 pm

Brityunik Vefecosoin Cairkovoin - NEWS
http://www.bvc.com/news

10th November 2021
Live from Zoloroni, Mercedini

GOODBYE GRASS, HELLO INDOOR! MEET THE BRITONISH RCO HOPEFULS...

© Original Source, USC Athletics | Rearing to Go: Nathan Bensaïd (BRI) is the only Britonish tennis player playing in the qualifying round of the 2nd edition of the River Cities Open...

After Ricardo Toli's success at the Mercedinian Open, Britonish tennis players have had a boost of energy and are hoping to make the most out of the Hard Court season before an exciting 2022 season. Nathan Bensaïd finally debuts in international tennis...

The River Cities Open in Shinzoba, Damukuni is lining up to be a rather exciting competition, with three out of four of the Britons participating making their way to the main draw of the tournament. Ranked as Britonish No.1 and 9th seed is Jason Gordon who made hardly any impact at the most recent Mercedinian Open which caused his ranking to slip from the 60s down to the 80s. In the process, Jason has been overtaken by Ralph Newkarn as the Britonish No.2 who sits comfortably as No.67 in the world. Derek Dubrovnik will be hoping to gain at least 110 points to at least draw level with Ralph to once again become the Britonish No.2. Ahead of the International Tennis Trophy, Jason Gordon wants to make sure that he can secure his place in Electrum and currently, he's unsure as to whether that will be a possibility. Jason will need to reach the quarterfinals here in order to draw order and with Jason being seeded 9th - it might not be too difficult but only time will tell. Ralph Newkarn's impressive run at the Mercedinian Open meant that he has gained too many points to be able to participate at the River Cities Open meaning he, unfortunately, misses out on points that could have been crucial for his admission into the International Tennis Trophy. Joining Gordon is Derek Dubrovnik who is currently ranked 124th in the world. Unless Derek performs above expectations and steals the spot of the Britonish No.3, this will be Derek's final competition for the year and so he will be hoping to make an impact. Sources say that Derek's goal is to finish in the Top 100 by the end of this tournament which would mean making it as far as the semi-finals. Dubrovnik can do that as has gone far in international tennis tournaments before, but based on his recent performances, there is doubt as to whether he will reach his target or not. Aaliyah de León is the only female entered into this tournament from Britonisea but will be hoping to build on her small successes during the Grass season. She hasn't made it too far at The Britonish Open and Mercedinian Open, but she's ranked joint 220th in the world which is a huge jump from lower than 400th. With the field being a lot smaller here in Damunki, she's hoping that she will be able to make it past Round 1, with her goal being to make it to the Round of 32 and finish the year in the top 200.

However, the main attention is on Nathan Bensaïd (pictured) who has the misfortune of having to go through two rounds of qualifiers. During the first round, Nathan will play Shelley Knox (ADR) and if he makes it past Shelley, Nathan will then go on to play Sibylla Naess (PUG). We don't have any information on either of those players and so this will be an interesting watch to see whether Nathan can make it four Britons in the main draw which would put the country in a great position. Britonish athletes now know that the impossible is possible - a Briton can go on to win an NSTT tournament - and so Britons will be working extra hard to become the next one to win a tournament.

While the River Cities Open won't be on BVC television channels, you'll be able to follow updates on the latest on our main sports social media, our tennis Twitter page. You will also be able to listen to the matches with Britonish players on BVC Radio 5.

by **Damukuni** » Thu Nov 11, 2021 9:54 pm

ASSOCIATION CODES

THE RIVER CITIES OPEN
2nd Edition


A NSTT Tier 2 Event

Singles Qualifying

QUALIFYING ROUND ONE
Georgia Brown (ADR)                6   6
David Halloway (WID)               1   4

Pedro Sánchez de la Cruz (TJU)     6   3   6
Piji Piji (BEH)                    1   6   2

Fabienne Bumgarner (GGY)           7   6
Selina Favreau (ETM)               6   3

Erin Galt (ADR)                    4   6   2
Louis Shackleton (WID)             6   3   6

Ali Kusuma (SDR)                   6   3   0
Leko Lapakaj (BEH)                 2   6   6

Asa Odhiambo (NYK)                 7   2   4
Elisabeth Wallin (NYK)             5   6   6

Puteri Alamsyah (SDR)              6   6   3
Jerynset A. Pirtej (BEH)           7   1   6

Atlas Dominguez (GRU)              4   6   3
Obungo Okungu (NYK)                6   1   6

Shelley Knox (ADR)                 6   4   8
Nathan Bensaïd (BRI)               4   6   6

Konstadinos Papadimitrou (BRO)     6   3   3
Ali Tamil (WID)                    4   6   6

QUALIFYING ROUND TWO
Ingrid Dal (PUG)                   6   3   0
Georgia Brown (ADR)                1   6   6

Pedro Sánchez de la Cruz (TJU)     4   7   6
Fabienne Bumgarner (GGY)           6   6   3

André Bapako (ACS)                 6   6
Louis Shackleton (WID)             0   4

Isis Dimpal (ACS)                  6   0   6
Leko Lapakaj (BEH)                 4   6   3

Austin Powers (KHD)                2   2
Elisabeth Wallin (NYK)             6   6

Jerynset A. Pirtej (BEH)           3   6
Obungo Okungu (NYK)                6   7

Sibylla Naess (PUG)                4   7   6
Shelley Knox (ADR)                 6   5   2

Sammy Shuter (KHD)                 4   3
Ali Tamil (WID)                    6   6

QUALIFIERS

Georgia Brown (ADR)
Pedro Sánchez de la Cruz (TJU)
André Bapako (ACS)
Isis Dimpal (ACS)
Elisabeth Wallin (NYK)
Obungo Okungu (NYK)
Sibylla Naess (PUG)
Ali Tamil (WID)

Doubles Qualifying

QUALIFYING ROUND ONE
Obungo Okungu/Asa Odhiambo (NYK)         6   7
Lizzie Bailey/Jenna Flores (ADR)         3   5

Georgios Tiskas/Alex Maxmuller (BRO)     6   6
Mijel Lejerte/Romaj Quentiji (BEH)       2   4

Chak'Alley/Stan Shaw (SNC)               6   6
Ali Tamil/Sven Thomas (WID)              3   4

QUALIFYING ROUND TWO
Elena Fiori/Claudia Borchi (SOR)                   6   6
Obungo Okungu/Asa Odhiambo (NYK)                   3   3

Bryson Dingley/Nissa Tran (ETM)                    2   4
Nathan Bensaïd/Rachel Archibald (BRI)              6   6

Kayla McKerrin/Vladimir Boiyskovsky (TJU)          4   6   6
Georgios Tiskas/Alex Maxmuller (BRO)               6   3   3

Duwanisarga Yajamaja/Kirigundi Padurjili (PCU)     3   6   4
Chak'Alley/Stan Shaw (SNC)                         6   2   6

QUALIFIERS

Elena Fiori/Claudia Borchi (SOR)
Nathan Bensaïd/Rachel Archibald (BRI)
Kayla McKerrin/Vladimir Boiyskovsky (TJU)
Chak'Alley/Stan Shaw (SNC)

Full draw to follow.

by **Britonisea** » Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:40 pm

Brityunik Vefecosoin Cairkovoin - NEWS
http://www.bvc.com/news

13th November 2021
Live from Shinzoba, Damukuni

LOTS GOING ON IN THE DOUBLES: SIX BRITONS IN FOUR PAIRS...

All the Britons that have signed up for the River Cities Open have made it to the main draw in the Doubles and with four chances of a Briton in the final, surely we can't miss out!

For the first time ever, Britonish players have started to branch out of their own tennis association and work alongside those from other countries. This means, for other Britonish tennis players, they're able to come and participate now they have the space to do so. Six Britonish tennis players will play in the River Cities Open and while none of them are in ranked pairings, there is a massive belief behind them all that they can play well and get far in the competition. Ahead of Day 2 at The River Cities Open in Damunki, we analyse the introduce you to the four pairings with Britonish tennis players in them...

Elizabeth Quehall/Jaguar Zenteanite (BRI) - the first of the two all-Britonish pairings comes in the form of Olympic champion, Elizabeth alongside Jaguar. NSTT veterans will remember that Elizabeth used to be in the top 3 of the Doubles' rankings once upon a time alongside Leo Garry. Since Leo's withdrawal from international tennis, this has left Elizabeth looking for a new partner and found some solace with Ricardo Toli in recent tournaments. However, this time she will pair with Jaguar Zenteanite - an unlikely duo but this pairing could ultimately benefit them both going forward in the competition and the NSTT. Between the pair of them, they have a total of 610 points and they'll be hoping to add another hundred or so points each during this competition. With Elizabeth's expertise in tennis and Jaguar's youthful energy, this will be an interesting pair to look out for. The pair will play wildcard entry Elisabeth Wallin/Okoth Adida (NYK) - which Lizzy will make it through to the next round?

Ricardo Toli/Martin Khalizniakov (BRI/BPE) - Ricardo Toli, the most recent Grand Slam winner, won't be taking a complete break ahead of the all-important tier 1 tournament in Pemecutan, instead rolling alongside Martin Khalizniakov from Beepee, who was recently dropped from his partnership with Dusan Ventaromovich only for him to go off and work with fellow Beepeean, Ivo Dhjukharevic - currently ranked 122nd in the Doubles. Ultimately, Martin has the better deal, with Ricardo Toli being ranked higher than any Beepean player in the Doubles at 99th and, of course, flying high off the back of the Mercedinian Open. The pair of them have 527 points between them.

Leanne Stewart (ETM)/Zeke Newham - Another mixed pairing for you - it's Zeke Newham. Usually, Jaguar and Zeke play together but they've decided to take a break from one another to work with different people - they might learn a couple of new things! Leanne is just outside of the top 100 of the Doubles' and despite Zeke's previous performance in the Doubles' ranking, he's out of the top 250. He will be hoping to make a difference here in Damunki and not let his Electrumite partner down. The pair of them have 465 points between them.

Unfortunately, the two mixed couples will be playing one another in the first round. Our bet is on Ricardo Toli and Martin Khalizniakov making it through to the next round as it wouldn't be a great look for the recent Grand Slam winner to go out on his first match since his win. Leanne Stewart may have a few tricks up here sleeve, and with Zeke definitely knowing Ricardo's style of play, Ricardo might find this match a tad tricky to win.

(Q) Nathan Bensaïd/Rachel Archibald (BRI) - With only 2 points each in the rankings, Nathan and Rachel are by far the weakest pairing. However, Nathan and Rachel are relatively new to the game and had to make it through the qualification stage so at least they'll shoot up around 100 placements each in the Rankings. Nathan will be watching how he plays Teegan Sosa/Grayson Norris (GRU), who are ranked as the fourth seed in the competition, after his defeat in the singles. It will be an incredibly hard match for the Britonish pair, but regardless of the result, this certainly won't be the last time we hear from them both.

by **Electrum** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 2:10 am

Day 1 cutoff

Next cutoff will be tomorrow (R32 singles and R32 doubles)

Round of 64
Luciano Crepaldi (1) (SOR)             6   6
André Bapako (Q) (ACS)                 4   2

Okoth Adida (WC) (NYK)                 2   6   2
Dusan Ventaromovich (BPE)              6   3   6

Ikram Fawz (15) (SHT)                  7   4   3
Styliani Kelesdou (BRO)                5   6   6

Ivo Dhjukharevic (BPE)                 7   6
Urnaj Pumb (WC) (BEH)                  5   4

Naim Alex (5) (SHT)                    6   6
Sven Thomas (WC) (WID)                 0   4

Indigo Crawford (UAD)                  6   6
Dale Carman (UAD)                      4   4

Theresa Waterford (12) (KHD)           6   6
Ralph Henschel (GGY)                   3   2

Mirko Tonti (SOR)                      7   6
Dian Wirasastra (SDR)                  5   4

Davi Malakkar (3) (ACS)                6   6
Derby Cuellar (UAD)                    3   4

Isis Dimpal (Q) (ACS)                  3   2
Andy Amada (CEN)                       6   6

Liam Penderyn (14) (CEN)               4   3
Chak'Alley (SNC)                       6   6

Ken Pollock (TJU)                      4   4
Michael Loy (WC) (DEX)                 6   6

Maria Sophia Lubis (8) (PCU)           6   6
Grace Covalt (KHD)                     3   4

Derek Dubrovnik (BRI)                  4   6   4
Amarsin Gandas (ADB)                   6   3   6

Lucy Muneer (10) (SHT)                 7   6
Sibylla Naess (Q) (PUG)                6   1

Martin Khalizniakov (BPE)              6   4   6
Hakim Kalah-Mustafa (TJU)              4   6   0

Bianka Arendt (2) (GGY)                6   6
Lacey John (UAD)                       3   3

Goran Bogdanovich (BPE)                3   4
Domenico Lunghi (SOR)                  6   6

Barklay Raiken-Tellay (16) (SNC)       6   6   8
Georgios Tiskas (BRO)                  3   7   6

Stan Shaw (SNC)                        2   4
Jennadora Elaisey (SNC)                6   6

Noah Damaris (6) (CEN)                 6   7
Pedro Sanchez de la Cruz (Q) (TJU)     3   5

Ivan Belosorochko (WSN)                7   7
Eva Brandt (GRU)                       5   5

Jason Gordon (9) (BRI)                 6   7
Haikal Jansen (SHT)                    1   6

Georgia Brown (Q) (ADR)                4   6
Obungo Okungu (Q) (NYK)                6   7

Emily Romanescu (4) (ADB)              0   6   6
Marcus Hathwar (ETM)                   6   2   3

Mikhail Korotkevich (WSN)              6   4   1
Jack Ho (ETM)                          3   6   6

Orsolya Szabo (13) (GGY)               4   6   6
Mirella Xanthou (BRO)                  6   2   2

Aaliyah de León (BRI)                  7   3   6
Indah Mizrahi (SDR)                    6   6   1

Augusta Björnstjärna (7) (PUG)         6   6
Jasmin Wayverson (TJU)                 1   2

Epstein Galt (WC) (ADR)                3   2
Elena Fiori (SOR)                      6   6

Grayson Norris (11) (GRU)              6   2   9
Ada Nunez (GRU)                        3   6   7

Elisabeth Wallin (Q) (NYK)             4   3
Ali Tamil (Q) (WID)                    6   6

by **Gnejs** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 5:26 am

The Rock Rises
Augusta felt weird being back on the circuit. It hadn't been a long break, just the end of the grass season. But what the break had lacked in length it had made up in strangeness. Tangeus Falk ousting old man Naess at the GTF General Assembly in late June had not come as a surprise – the changing tides were clear to see for anyone with half an eye – but his first order of business had. During his inaugural speech he had called for a complete withdrawal of Gnejsian competitors from the international circuit, and a halt in all domestic competitions. For the unseeable future. This was not a time for contest, he had said. This was a time for healing, spiritual voyaging and contemplation. Instead of regular training schedules and competing, all Gnejsian tennis players – and it was a universal decree, enveloping everyone from Dorotea Granit and the top seeded players to the five-year-olds in junior programmes – were to put down their rackets and instead engage in mandatory juggling lessons and yoga classes. And so they had, all across the land.

It had been a taxing summer. The juggling part was fine. Augusta had never been close to matching the skills of Georg Heraklit or Arne Oxwald – who had not seemed the least concerned with this highly unorthodox shift in GTF policy – but she quickly mastered juggling up to six tennis balls at once, and even managed to derive a certain sense of enjoyment from the endeavour. The yoga classes though, they were the worst. On a theoretical level she could see how this activity could be useful for some. Balancing yourself, relinquishing concerns and being at peace. This was what Arne had been doing all year – or something like that – and it had clearly done wonders for him and his game. But we can't all be fucking hippies, Augusta kept thinking to herself during never-ending sun salutations and downward facing dogs. No, the turmoil of her inner life was her very driving force. It was her inability to let go of small slights and missed opportunities that drove her to improve and fuelled her notoriously fierce game. Getting rid of that would be akin to getting rid of herself as a player.

What a relief then, when the GTF had announced the ending of the hiatus just in time for the signups for the River Cities Open. Apparently, the multitude that was the common association of Gnejsian tennis players were now sufficiently in tune with the vibrations of the Flow as to resume their regular activities, as Falk had put it in his letter to all active members. Truly, Augusta had heard it been told, the real reason for this rather sudden shift in tune was due to pressure being put on Falk from within the GTF administration. Whatever the motive, the Union was back out there, and Augusta was pleased, albeit feeling somewhat out of place. Besides everything else, things had changed in other ways as well. Arne, Fredrik and the others were no longer eligible for Tier 2 tournaments, and Augusta was now the only one of the previous seasons Gnejsian player competing in the lower tier. It left her with an ambivalent feeling. On the one hand she was highly seeded, which felt good. On the other hand, it made her shortcomings on the circuit – while already obvious – all the more accentuated. It was just her and the two prissy southern girls now. Both of them had already flunked out, but Augusta was still in the game. And she intended to keep it that way.

by **Adab** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:27 am

THE ADAB TIMES
The Most Trusted Voice in the Nation, Est. 1878

TENNIS

River Cities Open: Gandas and Romanescu Cruise Past Opposition

Elymur Amwan
Wednesday, November 15, 2034

SHINZOBA – Adabian tennis hopefuls Amarsin Gandas and Emily Romanescu booked their spot today in the singles round of 32 of the River Cities Open in Damukuni with impressive performances that will surely raise hopes they will be able to go even further in this tournament and continue their rise in the world rankings.

The 17-year-old Gandas has been the subject of some scrutiny following his first-round elimination at the Mercedinian Open, with his energy being a cause for concern, but he went some ways to addressing his critics with a 4-6, 6-3, 4-6 win against Britonisea’s Derek Dubrovnik, with his coach Petros Samp watching and cheering as Gandas gradually broke Dubrovnik down.

The warning signs came early for Dubrovnik as Gandas broke his serve in the first game, then quickly built up a 0-3 lead in the first set with a solid serve-and-volley playing style, demonstrating superior speed and reflexes as he returned Dubrovnik’s forehands. Though Dubrovnik began to mount a comeback, tying the score at 4-4 as his shots found the back of the court with more consistency, Gandas managed to pull through in the last two games, comfortably closing out the first set with a powerful lob.

Gandas faltered somewhat in the second set, with errors creeping into his play as his shots either found the net or sailed past the end of the court. Dubrovnik however was finding his element, racking up points with a series of passing shots that sent Gandas scrambling across the court and three aces in this set alone. A 3-3 tie was followed by Dubrovnik winning the next three games in a row, taking the second set – with a swift backhand which Gandas responded to by sending it onto the net – and once again highlighting concerns about the Adabian’s energy.

Nevertheless, Gandas managed a turnaround in the third and deciding set, once again rediscovering the consistency and accuracy upon which his playing style rests. Dubrovnik took a 2-0 lead and seemed to be running away with the match, but Gandas then battled back to finally assume the lead at 4-5, gaining the upper hand every time Dubrovnik tried to come to the net with impeccably-timed volleys and baiting the Britonish player into sending his returns long, all the while refusing to be forced into long rallies. The final game went to deuce twice, but it was Gandas who came out the winner, blasting an unreturnable lob to secure his ticket to the round of 32.

As for Romanescu, who celebrated her 18th birthday Monday, the Mercedinian Open quarterfinalist got off to a stormy start against Electrum’s Marcus Hathwar.

Hathwar stunned the audience by taking only 27 minutes to bagel no. 4 seed Romanescu in the first set, with the Adabian often seeming unsure of her own shots and sluggish in movement, as well as lacking an adequate response to Hathwar’s aggressive play, with the Electrumite easily firing forehand after forehand on his way to winning the first set.

Such was the margin and rapidity of victory that Hathwar himself must have wondered if it was all a prank. It was not, but nevertheless Romanescu quickly found her footing and came back with a vengeance in the second set, confounding Hathwar with an effective baseline game which saw the young Adabian overpowering Hathwar in several rallies. Hathwar won the second and fifth games, but was otherwise unable to turn the tide as Romanescu’s imperious performance saw her close out the set 6-2 in a stunning turnaround which roused the crowd in her favor.

Romanescu was fully in control throughout the third set, although Hathwar performed slightly better by winning the third, sixth, and seventh games. Yet it was but a mirage, as Romanescu demonstrated her versatility by utilizing an increasing number of volleys and dropshots in her arsenal to throw Hathwar off balance. In the end, Romanescu concluded the match in style with a 6-3 score, courtesy of an angled forehand which landed too far away for Hathwar to return.

Gandas will next encounter no. 8 seed Maria Sophia Lubis in the round of 32 tomorrow, with Romanescu facing off against Jack Ho. Teaming up for the doubles competition, they will play against Milicent Broon and Alexander Dumor in the round of 32.

by **Dexterra** » Mon Nov 15, 2021 6:22 pm

The Citizen's Athletics Report
15 November 2021 (exclusive edition)

Loy straight-sets way through NationStates Tennis debut

SHINZOBA, DAMUKUNI - a blistering forehand winner landed deep in the back left corner of the court. "Game, set and match, Loy," boomed the umpire's voice across the stadium.

National tennis star Michael Loy passed his first NationStates Tennis test on Monday, defeating TJUN-ia's Ken Pollock in the first round of the River Cities Open 6-4 6-4. "It was an exciting experience and [Pollock] played light outs," Loy said. "But I'm especially proud to have come out here for the first time and pulled out the win."

The match began conservatively, with both players keeping it tight. They stayed on serve in the first set until the scoreboard listed four games apiece. As Pollock served at 40-15, the writing on the wall began to spell the words 'first set tiebreak.' But a series of miscalculated shots followed by a forehand winner by Loy evened the game at deuce. A signature backhand rocketed off of Pollock's second serve then granted Loy a break point, upon which he capitalized with a drop shot while his opponent watched from afar at the baseline. Now serving at 5 games to 4, Loy's momentum continued to pick up pace. An ace and a Pollock unforced error extended his lead to 30-0. Although Loy's next point would end with his shot sailing into the net, he remained driven. After blasting another ace to earn his first set point of the tournament, a lob during the next rally finished his work. Loy returned to his seat for the changeover having taken the first set 6-4.

The second set began much like the first. Though Loy's momentum appeared intact as he went up 30-0 on Pollock's serve, his opponent ultimately wrested the game away at deuce. They again remained on serve until the ball was on Pollock's racquet at 3-3. Although Loy went up 40-15, he squandered the double break points and found himself ensnarled in two more deuces. Finally, on his fourth break point of the game, Loy's backhand once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and with it Pollock's service game. Serving at 4-3, Loy held at love to go up two sets and a break as his opponent appeared cornered. But Pollock, during his next service game, was loathe to wave the white flag. Though Loy pushed him to 40-30, Pollock held serve for the final time. Serving for the match at 5-4, Loy crossed the finish line at 40-15 after two hours and nineteen minutes.

"He is a tough player and was hard to put away," said Loy. "But overall I'm happy with my performance today and I think I can do even better going forwards."

Loy's coach, John Henry Moore, expressed a similar sentiment. "[Loy] was in control most of the match and he was able to handle himself when he wasn't. There were certainly some moments that were more challenging than others, but he got through it like a professional," Moore said. "We know what we need to adjust going forwards and I think, outside of a good win, this was a good learning experience for us."

Loy will next face Chak'Alley of Sincluda. The second round of River Cities is set to begin 03:00 Beagle Standard Time and will be livestreamed by the Dexter Tennis Association.

FINAL MATCH STATISTICS

	Loy	Pollock
Aces	11	1
Double faults	2	4
First serve percent in	61,1%	53,4%
Second serve percent in	75,5%	68,6%
Net points won	8/19	13/15
Break points won	2/7	0/6
Winners	21	25
Unforced errors	8	14

by **Electrum** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 1:37 am

Day 2 cutoff

Singles - round of 32

Luciano Crepaldi (1) (SOR)           6   6
Dusan Ventaromovich (BPE)            4   2

Styliani Kelesdou (BRO)              6   3   6
Ivo Dhjukharevic (BPE)               1   6   2

Naim Alex (5) (SHT)                  6   6
Indigo Crawford (UAD)                3   1

Theresa Waterford (12) (KHD)         7   6
Mirko Tonti (SOR)                    5   4

Davi Malakkar (3) (ACS)              6   7
Andy Amada (CEN)                     2   6

Chak'Alley (SNC)                     3   6   3
Michael Loy (WC) (DEX)               6   3   6

Maria Sophia Lubis (8) (PCU)         6   6
Amarsin Gandas (ADB)                 4   4

Lucy Muneer (10) (SHT)               0   6   6
Martin Khalizniakov (BPE)            6   2   1

Bianka Arendt (2) (GGY)              6   3   4
Domenico Lunghi (SOR)                1   6   6

Barklay Raiken-Tellay (16) (SNC)     6   6
Jennadora Elaisey (SNC)              4   1

Noah Damaris (6) (CEN)               5   3
Ivan Belosorochko (WSN)              7   6

Jason Gordon (9) (BRI)               6   6
Obungo Okungu (Q) (NYK)              4   3

Emily Romanescu (4) (ADB)            1   6   6
Jack Ho (ETM)                        6   1   3

Orsolya Szabo (13) (GGY)             3   6   6
Aaliyah de León (BRI)                6   4   3

Augusta Björnstjärna (7) (PUG)       6   6
Elena Fiori (SOR)                    1   1

Grayson Norris (11) (GRU)            7   1   6
Ali Tamil (Q) (WID)                  5   6   0

Doubles - round of 32

Will Nolovor/Kell Korden (1) (CEN)                   7   6
Jana Arkinn/Myria Primarch (CEN)                     6   2

Jennadora Elaisey/Barklay Raiken-Tellay (SNC)        3   6   3
Neth Soulner/Dioro Hansil (SNC/CEN)                  6   2   6

Jeremy Glass/Margie Brown (6) (GRU)                  7   6
Ruslan Chernichenko/Alexander Zaretsky (WSN)         6   4

Aaren Seabrooke/Lacey John (UAD)                     7   3   6
Kendra Fulhampton/Michael Fulhampton (TJU)           6   6   2

Teegan Sosa/Grayson Norris (4) (GRU)                 6   7
Nathan Bensaïd/Rachel Archibald (Q) (BRI)            1   6

Ricardo Toli/Martin Khalizniakov (BRI/BPE)           6   7
Leanne Stewart/Zeke Newham (ETM/BRI)                 2   6

Ivo Dhjukharevic/Dusan Ventaromovich (8) (BPE)       6   6
Kayla McKerrin/Vladimir Boiyskovsky (Q) (TJU)        4   3

Chak'Alley/Stan Shaw (Q) (SNC)                       0   4
Guy Sullivan/Brianna Del Mar (WC) (ADR)              6   6

Vanessza Pataki/Marvin Weinwurm (2) (GGY)            4   4
Mirko Tonti/Leandro Baliani (SOR)                    6   6

André Bapako/Isis Dimpal (ACS)                       6   4
Tunjung Ma'rif/Budi Darmawan (SDR)                   7   6

Milicent Broon/Alexander Dumor (5) (KHD)             6   1   6
Emily Romanescu/Amarsin Gandas (ADB)                 4   6   8

Muhammad Pratama/Bungso Kiat (SDR)                   6   6
Reveny Aj/Kelokej O. (WC) (BEH)                      2   3

Anna Humpford/Carter Kanasaw (3) (KHD)               3   6   1
Cintia Sirokay/Louise Gunther (GGY)                  6   4   6

David Halloway/Louis Shackleton (WC) (WID)           0   6
Elena Fiori/Claudia Borchi (Q) (SOR)                 6   7

Indigo Crawford/Dale Carman (7) (UAD)                7   6
Konstadinos Papadimitrou/Styliani Kelesdou (BRO)     6   4

Elizabeth Quehall/Jaguar Zenteanite (BRI)            6   6
Elisabeth Wallin/Okoth Adida (WC) (NYK)              4   1

by **San Ortelio** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 7:11 am

“Guess grandpa can’t buy you a next round!”

It wasn’t a bagel on the board but it was only narrowly avoided. All in all, it was no major surprise: Bianka Arendt was no specifically known as a major star but the Gergaryan had vast experience on the Tour and knew how to use it. Across the opening set, she had been efficient, forcing her opponent to make mistakes. And damn, Domenico Lunghi had made them. Some of his returns had been an embarrassment for the NSTT.

And then the heckler came.

For clarity, Domenico heard nothing he hadn’t heard on the domestic tour. It was even fairly mellow in hindsight: quite a lot of what he had gotten dumped over him across the years wasn’t worth to bring in print. It started as soon as he picked up a racket and had never stopped. Domenico was no idiot – he knew that being the grandson of Flavio Lunghi, president of the SOTA, had given him perks beyond his talent and capacity already. Such as this appearance on this very court in Shinzoba.

But there was something very particular about this occurrence. Here he was, in a beautiful location, thousands of miles away from home. It came to Domenico like a punch in the stomach, he narrowly wanted to cry but held back the tears. It all didn’t matter whether he was playing on the field financed by his grandfather or on a court in a far-off nation most compatriots couldn’t point out on a map. Wherever he went, if he wanted to play tennis, he would be reminded about his upbringing. And so, in a way, if it mattered everywhere – then it didn’t matter.

Because these times on the road had given Domenico one knowledge: he wanted to play tennis. Whilst another howl from the heckler came across the court, he grabbed his racket and gripped it, knowing that from now on things would become different.

Mirko Tonti looked a little surprised as Leandro came in hastily – being late wasn’t something for his double partner.

“Where have you been?”
“The Lunghi game,” Baliani replied, trying to control his breath from the quick sprint to the dressing room.

Mirko sniffed with some disdain. They shared a generation and he knew how many shortcuts Lunghi had gotten on his path, from surprisingly easy draws all the way up to faster selections and far more access to sponsor money. Getting eliminated earlier today by the lesser known Waterford sister had not exactly improved his mood.

“Mmph. Let’s just focus here, we’ve got a second seed on our hands ourselves.”
But it was stronger then himself to ask, “he lost, probably?”

“He won it in three sets,” Baliani replied, nearly casually and rather silently, “with the right bit of help.”

by **United Adaikes** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 10:12 am

Indigo Crawford failed to progress to the next round of the singles event, sees brighter chances in the doubles event with Dale Carman.

Crawford faced the #5 seed, Naim Alex of Sharktail, in the round of 32 of the singles event. She was the last Adaikesian playing in the singles event after the three others were eliminated just in the first round. Crawford's win was against his doubles event partner but had a comfortable 6-4, 6-4 win. However, Alex showed his domination in the singles event over one-half of the 7th seed in the doubles event with an easy 6-3, 6-1.

Crawford and Carman struggled in the first set of their first doubles match in Shinzoba against Konstadinos Papadimitrou and Styliani Kelesdou of Brookstation. Still, they got away with a 7-6 win before cruising to a 6-4 victory in the second set to take the match. Next, they will face the Britonish pair of Elizabeth Quehall and Jaguar Zenteanite, who just won against wildcards Elisabeth Wallin and Okoth Adida from Nyowani Kitara. It is also important to note that Crawford and Carman are the remaining seeds in the bottom half of the doubles event draw.

In the other doubles match that featured Adaikesians, Aaren Seabrooke and Lacey John won against the Fulhampton pair from TJUN-ia. The Adaikesians fought hard to get the first set, 7-6, losing the second set in the process, 3-6, before recovering and taking the match, 6-2. They will play against the #6th seed next, Jeremy Glass and Margie Brown from the Grearish Union.

by **Adab** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 10:39 am

THE ADAB TIMES
The Most Trusted Voice in the Nation, Est. 1878

TENNIS

River Cities Open: Gandas Out in Singles, Romanescu Advances, Doubles Win

Elymur Amwan
Thursday, November 16, 2034

SHINZOBA – Amarsin Gandas and Emily Romanescu’s River Cities Open campaign in Damukuni met with mixed fortunes today, with Gandas being eliminated in the singles round of 32 after losing 6-4, 6-4 against Maria Sophia Lubis, Romanescu progressing to the final 16 with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Jack Ho, and a victory for the pair in the doubles round of 32.

In his first round of 32 appearance at an NSTT tournament, Gandas found himself facing off against no. 8 seed Lubis. Gandas started off well, looking quick on his feet, trading the first few games with the Pemecutan player to produce a 3-3 score in the first set. From this point on, however, Lubis’ experience shone through as she went against Gandas’ weaker backhand, peppering him with powerful groundstrokes which forced Gandas on the back foot. Gandas won one more game but was unable to prevent Lubis from taking three more games to secure the first set.

The second set saw no major turnaround in Gandas’ fortunes. While he played competently – triumphing at the end of a 23-stroke rally to go up 40-30 in the third game in what was perhaps the best point of the match – and gained the appreciation of the crowd, Lubis was simply the better player, staying calm as Gandas began making a flurry of errors and breaking the Adabian’s serve twice in that set. Down 5-4, Gandas was on the verge of winning the pivotal tenth game and forcing an extension of the match when he threw away three game points – once through a double fault, twice courtesy of an unreturnable Lubis forehand – allowing his opponent to go from 0-40 to 40-40. Lubis easily won the deuce, closing the match with an impressive half-volley which landed just right on the other side of the net.

Nevertheless, despite his exit, the 17-year-old Adabian had won the affection of the crowd and gained valuable experience which he can rely on in future tournaments.

Gandas’ loss left the 18-year-old Romanescu, the no. 4 seed, as Adab’s sole remaining representative in the singles tournament. Her match against Ho saw the Adabian get off to a shocking start with the Electrumite in a ruthless form throughout the first set, firing off some impressive lobs on his way to scoring a breadstick in just over half an hour, prolonged only by the young Adabian’s dogged resistance which saw her engage Ho in a few rallies which nevertheless ended with her on the losing side.

This was a warning sign for Romanescu, but then again she had been bageled in the first set in her previous match against Ho’s compatriot Marcus Hathwar. And true to form, she came alive in the second set, countering Ho’s aggressive playing by advancing closer to the net, producing volleys and dropshots and scoring when Ho was still running from the baseline. The set ended with another breadstick, and this time Romanescu came out the winner, with an ace in the final game demonstrating her confidence and superiority.

The third set was more competitive, with both players adapting to each other’s game and trying to find a way around it. Romanescu, playing against Ho’s backhand, was able to win the first two games before Hathwar came back to take the next three on the back of his relentless playing, with an apparently tiring Romanescu slowing down and making two unforced errors in the fourth game. But, with the crowd cheering her on, Romanescu recovered her composure and retook the lead at 4-3 with a fine backhand smash. Romanescu then cruised through the next two games to close out the match in impressive fashion and secure her ticket to the round of 16.

“What can I say, that was a great match,” Romanescu said after the match. “I thought I was losing it at the end of the first set, but then I turned it around. And Jack is a great opponent and I look forward to meeting him again someday.”

There was some consolation for Gandas in the doubles tournament, as he and Romanescu triumphed against Milicent Broon and Alexander Dumor 6-4, 1-6, 6-8 in the round of 32. After narrowly losing the first set, the Adabians’ quality shone through as they ran roughshod over Broon and Dumor in the second set and, through some dogged defending, eventually took the third and deciding set.

“It was a very good match,” Gandas said. “I may not continue in the singles, but I’m still here in the doubles and I think Emily and I can win this.”

by **Britonisea** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 3:22 pm

Brityunik Vefecosoin Cairkovoin - NEWS
http://www.bvc.com/news

16th November 2021
Live from Shinzoba, Damukuni

JASON GORDON ONE MATCH AWAY FROM BRITO NO.2 SPOT

After Ralph Newkarn impressive run at the Mercedinian Open, Jason Gordon was unexpectedly shoved down to Britonish Number 3. With Ralph unable to continue his good season in RCO due to his points total, Gordon has an opportunity to reclaim his pre-Grand Slam spot...

Ralph Newkarn came out of nowhere last edition to make his way into the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament which dethroned Jason Gordon as the Britonish Number 2, a title that he has been holding on to for most of the year. Unexpectedly, Jason was forced down into third place by a Britonish player that wasn't Derek Dubrovnik (who was expected to regain Britonish Number 2 status eventually but looking at his most recent results, this is unlikely any time soon). Gordon had to face the reality that he is at risk of not qualifying for the upcoming NSTT International Tennis Trophy. For the upcoming event in Electrum, the top two singles athlete and the best doubles' pairing will make it as part of the Britonish team. With Ricardo Toli leaps and bounds ahead of the rest of the field with over 2,000 points - Toli is unable to be caught by the rest of the Britonish team so the battle is between the final spot. The ITT, headed by Toli, will be valuable at trying to gain some extra points which will be great leading into the new season and could put Gordon in good stead. With Gordon making it to the Round of 16 at the River Cities Open after easily defeating his opponent Obungo Okungu (NYK) in straight sets, he now has to play Waisnorian Ivan Belosorochko after he unexpectedly beat a seed higher than Gordon, Noah Damaris from Ceni. With the results sending shockwaves through the lower-ranked players, Gordon will have to be on top form to secure a win against Belosorochko which would give him a total of 110 points - which would draw him level with Ralph Newkarn. While Jason will be hoping to then make it to the Semi-Finals in order to give himself breathing space ahead of the Ubung Open, which Ralph Newkarn will be appearing in, Jason will feel not as much pressure and maybe preparing himself in a duel against Ralph to see who gets further in the competition. It would be the match of the year to watch a pairing between Newkarn and Gordon at some stage of the Ubung Open, as that match would decide who would be on the team for the ITT.

An upset could come in the form of Dubrovnik...

Derek Dubrovnik was recently announced to replace Kush Acharya who was signed up for the upcoming Ubung Open. There were some objections to Kush's inclusion in what was called a high-profile event such as Tier 1 events when people believed he should have debuted in Damunki. Kush stated that he didn't feel ready to debut yet, with a deadline of the first Grand Slam of the year, Acharya will need to debut or pass his spot down to another Britonish player. In the meantime, Dubrovnik has been given the opportunity for redemption at the Tier 1 tournament. How far Gordon gets in this tournament will judge how easy it could be for Dubrovnik to cheekily snatch Britonish No.2 before the ITT, but theoretically, Dubrovnik still has a shot at it, and with this man having had the expectation, in the past, to become Britonish No. 1, a lot will be riding on Dubrovnik to prove his worth after his embarrassing defeat against upstart Amarsin Gandas from Adab - a nation who will be reeling after a Briton stopped their Olympic champion from receiving his first Grand Slam title. With Gandas ready to swat away any Britons in his way, Dubrovnik didn't have much of a chance, but has said that he has learnt from the experience and will bring a new style of play to the Ubung Open in Pemecutan...

by **Dexterra** » Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:41 pm

The Citizen's Athletics Report
16 November 2021 (exclusive edition)

Loy overcomes three set challenge, advances to next round

SHINZOBA, DAMUKUNI - the ball careened off the sideline near no man's land. He raised his arms into the air - relief washed over.

Dexter tennis hopeful Michael Loy continued his debutant run at the River Cities Open on Tuesday, dispatching Chak'Alley of Sincluda 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round. His first final set affair in half a dozen matches, Loy's mental fortitude and court-scorching serve spared him from the throes of jeopardy brought upon by costly errors and an unflinching opponent. "These types of matches happen sometimes," remarked his coach John Henry Moore, "and he picked himself up to finish the match exactly the way a tennis professional would and should have."

Coming into the match hot off of a straight set win, Loy sprinted to an early lead in the first set, breaking Chak'Alley's initial service game and then holding his own. Although Loy earned two more break points in his opponent's next service game, Chak'Alley held firm and the duo remained locked on serve until the ninth service game. After Loy held to go up 5-3, his opponent double faulted and misfired a ball into the stands to slip to 0-30. A forehand winner by Loy then augmented his lead with three set points. Though Loy ominously returned the following serve into the net, shrinking his lead to 40-15, during the next point he emerged victorious from a thirteen-point rally with an overhead smash at the net to seize the first set 6 games to 3.

Loy appeared to be in the driver's seat. But his opponent dug in, and they marched in lockstep to two games apiece. Despite Loy leading 30-0 in his next service game, a series of wide and long shots combined with a lethal backhand winner by his opponent cost him his service game for the first time this tournament. He earned one break point during Chak'Alley's next service game, but failed to convert and his opponent took a 4 games to 2 lead. Although Loy chased his opponent up to 5 games to 3, he trailed 30-40 in his next service game, and soon watched as his opponent launched a forehand winner to claim the second set 6 games to 3.

The match was even, but Loy was undaunted. Fully aware that his opponent's momentum had to be derailed, Loy charged the net, unleashed his backhand and ultimately broke Chak'Alley's serve to open the third and final set. Loy continued by consolidating the break with a 40-15 service hold. Now up a set and a break, Loy attempted to step on the gas to finish the match, but was suddenly stalled by his opponent who stubbornly held serve until Loy led the third set 5 games to 3. His opponent won a sixteen-shot rally to start their service game 15-0, but Loy brashly collected two match points with back-to-back drop shot winners followed by his opponent's shot sailing long. Although Loy sent one of those match points into the net, his opponent sent the other one just wide, vaulting Loy atop the scoreboard 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

"It was no doubt a tough match, partly because of my mistakes and partly because my opponent played so well," recalled Loy in his post-match interview. "I have a lot I can learn from here that hopefully I can use in my next match."

Coach Moore seems undisturbed by Loy's struggles, particularly in the second set. "He is a fighter and always has been. He knows how to get himself out of trouble because he's adept at figuring out how he got into trouble in the first place," Moore said. "[Loy] made some errors that we can correct going forwards. Everything is a stepping stone."

Advancing to the round of 16, Loy will next face third-seeded Davi Malakkar of Acastanha. "It is a little scary playing someone ranked that highly," Loy said with a smile, "but I think - and hope - I will be ready."

Coverage of the River Cities Open round of 16 will be livestreamed by the Dexter Tennis Association at 03:00 Beagle Standard Time tonight.

FINAL MATCH STATISTICS	Loy	Chak'Alley
Aces	22	6
Double faults	7	4
First serve percent in	59,9%	57,8%
Second serve percent in	76,1%	62,2%
Net points won	6/21	15/28
Break points won	4/11	2/8
Winners	33	28
Unforced errors	22	16

by **Electrum** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 1:07 am

Day 3 cutoff

Singles - round of 16

Luciano Crepaldi (1) (SOR)           6   6
Styliani Kelesdou (BRO)              1   3

Naim Alex (5) (SHT)                  2   7   4
Theresa Waterford (12) (KHD)         6   6   6

Davi Malakkar (3) (ACS)              7   6
Michael Loy (WC) (DEX)               6   1

Maria Sophia Lubis (8) (PCU)         2   5
Lucy Muneer (10) (SHT)               6   7

Domenico Lunghi (SOR)                5   3
Barklay Raiken-Tellay (16) (SNC)     7   6

Ivan Belosorochko (WSN)              4   1
Jason Gordon (9) (BRI)               6   6

Emily Romanescu (4) (ADB)            2   2
Orsolya Szabo (13) (GGY)             6   6

Augusta Björnstjärna (7) (PUG)       7   6
Grayson Norris (11) (GRU)            6   1

Doubles - round of 16

Will Nolovor/Kell Korden (1) (CEN)                 4   6   7
Neth Soulner/Dioro Hansil (SNC/CEN)                6   4   5

Jeremy Glass/Margie Brown (6) (GRU)                2   7   6
Aaren Seabrooke/Lacey John (UAD)                   6   6   4

Teegan Sosa/Grayson Norris (4) (GRU)               6   3
Ricardo Toli/Martin Khalizniakov (BRI/BPE)         7   6

Ivo Dhjukharevic/Dusan Ventaromovich (8) (BPE)     6   6
Guy Sullivan/Brianna Del Mar (WC) (ADR)            1   2

Mirko Tonti/Leandro Baliani (SOR)                  6   4   4
Tunjung Ma'rif/Budi Darmawan (SDR)                 0   6   6

Emily Romanescu/Amarsin Gandas (ADB)               6   6
Muhammad Pratama/Bungso Kiat (SDR)                 2   1

Cintia Sirokay/Louise Gunther (GGY)                4   7   4
Elena Fiori/Claudia Borchi (Q) (SOR)               6   6   6

Indigo Crawford/Dale Carman (7) (UAD)              5   6   6
Elizabeth Quehall/Jaguar Zenteanite (BRI)          7   4   0

by **Gnejs** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 8:31 am

The Last Great Gnejsian Dinosaur
Former GTF Chair Werner Naess sat by himself on the outskirts of the great Viken Park in the north-eastern parts of Port Kejm. He had a bag of bread crumbs and an apple placed next to him on the bench. The crumbs were for the birds, whereas he had planned on eating the apple himself. There were few birds to be seen today, however. The squirrel population made more of a showing, and a fair few of them lingered at the edge of his bench eyeing the old man with hungry looks. He grabbed a handful of crumbs and threw it their way. There was no movement, and he could swear he saw contempt in their eyes. He sighed and threw them the apple instead. They all jumped on it and began a ferocious struggle for dominion of the fruit. It all resembled his last days as head of the GTF. Many things had been said, leading up to and in the aftermath, of his downfall. Some of it had been supportive, although not much. Some of it had been completely unreasonable, while other parts had an eerie truth about them and had stung him hard. He picked up the paper next to him and looked over that one poem once again. It read

The Last Gnejsian Dinosaur
Old man Werner rode up on the afternoon train,
It was sunny,
His mindset fixed and heart full of grit,
He was the Chair to the GTF sphere, and money,
And the town said, "How did a grumpy old fart do it?"
His demeanour uncaring and very gauche,
Amazing how far intimidation goes,
Picked out his darlings and quelled all doubts,
Gave them the riches and robbed the crowd,
Everyone told him to settle down,
It was always written that he'd be kicked out,
And now they all sing
"There goes the last great Gnejsian dinosaur,
Who knows if he never showed up, what could've been,
There goes the maddest fossil this town has ever seen,
It was a marvellous thing, ousting the mad king"

Werner sighed again, this time even deeper. Only scattered parts of the apple remained at the edges of the bench, the squirrels gone. He took a new handful of breadcrumbs and started nibbling on them.

by **Adab** » Wed Nov 17, 2021 1:24 pm

THE ADAB TIMES
The Most Trusted Voice in the Nation, Est. 1878

TENNIS

River Cities Open: Romanescu Is Out in Singles, but Wins in Doubles with Gandas

Sargon al-Basri
Friday, November 17, 2034

SHINZOBA – Emily Romanescu’s singles campaign at Damukuni’s River Cities Open came to an end today in the round of 16 with a 2-6, 2-6 loss against Orsolya Szabo, but she and Amarsin Gandas proceeded to the doubles quarterfinals with a convincing 6-2, 6-1 win over Muhammad Pratama and Bungso Kiat.

The 18-year-old Mercedinian Open quarterfinalist had been a crowd favorite throughout her participation in this tournament and today was no exception, with large sections of the crowd cheering for both her and Szabo throughout the match.

No. 4 seed Romanescu was a slight favorite coming into the match against no. 13 seed Szabo, but it quickly became clear that the strain of her previous matches against Marcus Hathwar and Jack Ho had taken their toll, as Szabo quickly overpowered the Adabian with her angled forehand. Romanescu’s shots were sometimes weak and often no match for Szabo’s defense, with the latter’s impressive court coverage allowing her to parry away Romanescu’s shots and send them back too far away for Romanescu to catch.

There was still hope when Szabo cruised to a 2-6 win in the first set – with Romanescu winning the fifth and sixth games – as Romanescu had been on the receiving end of a breadstick in the first set against Hathwar and Ho only to end up winning those matches. But this time there would be no comeback, with Szabo peppering a sluggish Romanescu with volleys as the Adabian struggled to come up to the net quickly enough. Another 2-6 win was all Szabo needed to seal the match and progress to the quarterfinals.

Romanescu was gracious and upbeat as always, congratulating her opponent and commending her on a “great performance”.

“Orsolya is a great opponent. She played really well. I tried but she was simply the better one today and deserved the victory,” Romanescu said at the post-match press conference.

“I feel good about my game. I’ll take this as a positive experience and move forward.”

There was some consolation for Romanescu in the doubles tournament, where she teamed up with Amarsin Gandas – who had been eliminated in the round of 32 – to quickly beat Pratama and Kiat 6-2, 6-1. Pratama and Kiat took a 0-2 lead in the first set, but this was a false dawn, as Romanescu and Gandas quickly turned the match around by winning the next four games, their superior movement together allowing them to return Pratama and Kiat’s shots with ease and put them away where their opponents could not reach them. The second set went even better for Gandas and Romanescu, with Pratama and Kiat unable to do much as the Adabians rained down several lobs on them on their way to winning the set 6-1 and with it the match.

“All it takes is just a little bit of confidence in yourself, to tell yourself ‘I can do it,’” Gandas said following the match. “I know Emily and I can do it. We can beat them all.”