Hardball Season Update
by Tefft Smith
October 30, 2012
The Season has begun!
The next stop is in D.C. -- the 11th Annual Cardinal Fall Hardball Singles at the Metropolitan Club -- the weekend of November 9 – 11.
The MC has a new glass back wall for one of its hardball singles courts, a great addition.
Contact Gary Figlar, MC pro at gfiglar@metroclub.org or 202-835-2540. Entrance form attached.
The remaining schedule is as follows:
November 16-18 Milt Russ Tournament, Harvard Club, NYC
Nov.30-Dec.2 Kiva Classic, Santa Fe, NM
December 7-9 Harvard Club Holiday, Harvard Club NYC
January 4-6 William White Tournament, The Merion Cricket Club, Haverford (Philadelphia), PA
January 11-13 Howard Davis/Atlantic Coast Tournament, Greate Bay Racquet Club, Somers Point (Atlantic City), NJ
January 18-20 Cate Invitational Squash Tournament, Carpinteria (Santa Barbara), CA
January 25-27 Eastern States Tournament, Harvard and Yale Clubs, NYC
February 1-3 The Woodruff-Nee Tournament, Metropolitan Club, Washington, DC
February 15-18 US Squash Hardball Nationals, Merion Cricket Club, Haverford (Philadelphia), PA
May (TBD) Stanley W. Pearson Invitational, Philadelphia Cricket Club, Philadelphia
The Hardball Singles season again opened with the Atlantic Coast Tournament at the Greate Bay Club in Somers Point, near Atlantic City.
Played on the wide courts, with the Austral ball, the A Singles attracted several new, strong players.
Rich Repetto, a former University of Pennsylvania ’05 star, beat Matt Dominick, a 22 year old lefty, the 2006 Boys Under 17 Champion and a leader on the University of Rochester’s #5 ranked Squash Team this past year. Matt was playing his first hardball singles – and – loved it.
Rich used his greater hardball experience to control play, winning a hard fought battle over the super quick Matt, 3-1 (12, 12, (12) 12). Matt had a tense but 3-0 (14,13, 12) victory over Duncan Pearson of the Philadelphia Cricket Club, last year’s Atlantic Coast Champion. Prior to that Matt had beaten Tefft Smith, another former Atlantic Coast Winner, also 3-0 (12, 10, 10), reminding all that there will soon be a new generation of talented hardball singles players.
Rich had beaten Greg Smallwood of Linwood, New Jersey 3-0 (10,10,10) in the other A Singles semi-final.
The B Singles Division drew 11 eager and many new hardball singles players. Scott Matison of Philadelphia repeated as the B Winner, with a tight 3-1 (12,(12), 12, 12) victory over Anthony Cannuscio of Egg Harbor, NJ.
All the A and B players expressed enthusiasm for the Austral ball on the wide courts.
The Singles tournament was paired with a Doubles event, with many of the doubles players asking for Austral balls to try them out.
Perennial Champion Rich Sheppard of Philadelphia paired himself with Matt Dominick to win the Open doubles over Rich Repetto and his partner Joe Purrazzella, 3-0 (12, 12, 12). Rich and Matt has earlier defeated Greg Smallwood and Jim Mott 3-1 ((12), 13, 13, 13).
The 60+ doubles was won by the former National Championships team of Scott Ryan and Jay Umans, defeating Tefft Smith and Bruce Willson of New Jersey, 3-1 ((12), 13, 18-17, 13).
The B Doubles was won by Mark Benevento (the Greate Bay Club’s founder) and Yaeger Mason over the father/son team of Chuck and Scott Matison, 3-1 (12, (12), 12, 14).
Hope to see you ALL at one or more of the upcoming Hardball Singles tournaments!
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