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News of tournament teams

Playing Up Toughens Team

COMBO PLAY HELPED TEAM
GET READY FOR USTA LEAGUE

By Captain Gil Bowen

We are a senior 3.0 men’s team from Wilmington, N.C., and are proud to be representing our flight from North Carolina. Our 2012 play prepared us well for the 2012 USTA League Southern Section Championships.

Most of us played on a Combo Doubles team in the fall. We had a good season and went to the North Carolina State Championships held in Wilmington.

When that ended, the guys wanted to keep playing through the winter, so we created a senior 3.0 team for the winter singles league. Unfortunately, we were the only 3.0 team! Where are all the 3.0 seniors?

The coordinator offered us a choice: Get our money back or play up in the 3.5 flight. Well, we wanted to play, so we played up. Lucky for us it was a mild winter in the Port City. Even though our record earned us last place, it made us strong for the spring season.

In the spring, five teams in our flight played 12 matches each. Our team and one other finished with a 10-2 record. Even though we won the season series against that team they edged us out of first by the individual games tiebreak.

As fate would have it, they could not make the trip to Mobile and we got the opportunity. Our disappointment turned to excitement. It is going to be great fun and great competition.

 Team

 North Carolina Senior Men’s 3.0

 Home Courts

 Wilmington

 Captain

 Gil Bowen