CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP UPDATE

L-R Murray and Noella Schledel
('B' Mixed Doubles Finalists)

Claire Scott and Greg Vivian
('B' Mixed Doubles Champions)















L-R Bob Tamblyn and Krista Plociennik
('A' Mixed Doubles Champions)

Claire Scott and Greg Vivian
('B' Mixed Doubles Champions)
















L-R Bob Tamblyn and Krista Plociennik
('A' Mixed Doubles Champions)

Johanna Billings and Richard Bast
('A' Mixed Doubles Finalists)


The STRATFORD TENNIS CLUB has begun play in its 2011 CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT. This past weekend, the Mixed Doubles events were held. 18 teams began play on Saturday. Teams winning their first round match continued in the 'A' division, while those who lost their first round were entered in the 'B' division. After 4 rounds of play on Saturday and Sunday the finals were rained out Sunday night forcing a Monday final for both divisions.
The 'A' Championship final was contested by the top two seeds. 2007 champions Johanna Billings and Richard Bast , who were the losing finalists last season, marched to the final without losing a set, despite being pressed in the semifinals by Marta Andekovic and Nathan Duh. Their opponents in this years final were Krista Plociennik , (who won the title last year with Max Besworth as her partner), and Bob Tamblyn ( a 5 time mixed doubles champion). Plociennik and Tamblyn also did not lose a set on their way to the final and easily handled teen phenoms Sonja Andrekovic and John Fischer in their semifinal.

The match started with a great game where eventually Plociennik and Tamblyn broke Bast's serve and started a run that Billings and Bast could not stop. Tamblyn controlled play the whole set, leading to an easy 6 - 0 win. The second set saw Billings and Bast get back in the match. The teams traded games until the ninth game when Plociennik and Tamblyn broke Bast's serve to take a 5 - 4 lead. Tamblyn won his service game to seal the second set and the championship.

The 'B' final had Claire Scott and Greg Vivian vie for their second 'B' title in the last three years. Scott and Vivian were upset in the first round by 14 year olds Andrekovic and Fischer, regulating them to the 'B' division. After edging Vienna Wilson and Travis Hiller in the semifinals they were ready to compete for the 'B' championship. Their opponents were Noella Schiedel and Murray Schiedel. The Schiedels lost a marathon match to Annette Garneau and Todd Chisholm (6 - 4 , 4 - 6 , 6 - 4) to drop to the 'B' division. After a tough semifinal against Nancy Chung and Morgan Davis, the Schiedels secured their place in the final.

The final began with a long first game, where Scott and Vivian were able to break Murray's serve and get on a run. The Schiedels fell behind 5 - 0 but were able to win the next three games to put the pressure back on Scott and Vivian. Scott and Vivian dug in and were able to take the ninth game and win the first set 6 - 3. The second set went back and forth before Scott and Vivian got another service break to clinch the second set 6 - 4 and take the 2011 'B' championship.

The Club Championship Tournament continues with singles play through the week and the Men's and Ladies Doubles events this weekend.

2011 Tennis League A CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

(left to right) 'A' Champions PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES
Morgan Davis, Nathan Walsh, Chris Parson, Mike Furlong, Lise Couture, Deb Murphy,
Bill White, Nancy Chung, Linda Doig Absent : Marilyn Holmes


(left to right) 'A' Runners Up DONKERS AGRI
Paul Barclay, Shannon Dyke, Maria Donkers, John Noble, Jack Watson, Sandie Ennett,
Gail Shelton, Noella Schiedel.
ABSENT : Johanna Billings , Pat McCarroll, Jolanda Vandereijk, David Hazelton



The Stratford Tennis League crowned its 'A' champions this week. PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES continued their surprising playoff run, upsetting DONKERS AGRI to take the title! PHYSIOTHERAPY' S #1 ladies doubles team of Linda Doig and Deb Murphy got the team off to a wonderful start, by winning their sets 6 - 0 , 6 - 4 over DONKERS' Maria Donkers and Sandie Ennett. The #2 ladies doubles saw a split of sets as PHYSIO'S Nancy Chung and Lise Couture took the first set 6 - 4 while DONKERS' Gail Shelton and Noella Schiedel scored a 6 - 4 win in the second set. The #1 men's doubles also split sets with DONKERS' John Noble and Shannon Dyke taking the first set 7 - 5 and PHYSIO's Chris Parson and Nathan Walsh winning the second set 6 - 4. PHYSIO'S Morgan Davis and Mike Furlong won both the #2 men's doubles sets scoring a 6 - 3 , 6 - 1 won over Jack Watson and Paul Barclay.

PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES took a commanding 6 sets to 2 lead, into the four mixed doubles sets. The #1 mixed match up went to PHYSIO'S Doig and Parson 6 - 1 over Donkers and Noble. DONKERS' #2 mixed team of Ennett and Dyke scored a 6 - 1 victory over Murphy and Walsh. The #3 mixed set also went to DONKERS when Shelton and Watson downed Chung and Davis 6 - 3. The #4 mixed set went to a tie-breaker with PHYSIO'S Couture and Furlong edging Schiedel and Barclay 7 - 6 (7 points to 3 in the tie-breaker) . This gave PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES an 8 sets to 4 sets win and the 2011 'A' championship.

Unfortunately, the 'B' CHAMPIONSHIP was rained out. The FLASHING PEARLIES and OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY were unable to get their matches completed. No decision on a rain date has been made at this time, as Club Championship play is the priority for the next two weeks.

Tennis league SEMI FINALS

The Stratford Tennis League playoff season began this week with the semifinal match ups. The early game saw a big upset as PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES knocked off the regular season's first place finisher , OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY. PHYSIO's #1 ladies doubles team of Linda Doig and Deb Murphy got things started with a sweep of their sets 6 - 2 , 6 - 3 over OCCUPATIONAL'S Nancy Rheaume and Annette Garneau. OCCUPATIONAL's #2 ladies doubles team of Cathy Mowbray and Monica Eickmeyer evened the match with a 6 - 3 , 6 - 1 win over Nancy Chung and Marilyn Holmes. The #1 men's doubles went to OCCUPATIONAL as Spenser Trachsel and Murray Schiedel downed Chris Parson and Nathan Walsh 7 - 6 (7 points to 4 in the tie-breaker) , 6 - 2. Morgan Davis and Mike Furlong scored a 6 - 4 , 6 - 1 win for PHYSIO in the men's #2 doubles over Grant McPherson and Gustavo Garcia sending the match into the mixed sets, tied at four sets each.

The #1 mixed set went to Doig and Parson of PHYSIO as they scored a 6 - 4 win over Rheaume and Trachsel. Murphy and Walsh took the #2 mixed set for PHYSIO with a 6 - 2 win over Garneau and Schiedel. OCCUPATIONAL remained alive in the match when Mowbray and McPherson won the #3 mixed set 6 - 3 over Chung and Davis. The upset was complete when PHYSIO's Holmes and Furlong scored a 6 - 3 win over Eickmeyer and Garcia in the #4 mixed set. The 7 sets to 5 win for PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES send them into next weeks 'A' final , while OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY will play for the 'B' title.

The late game started with a split of sets in the #1 ladies doubles as DONKERS AGRI'S Johanna Billings and Maria Donkers took the first set 7 - 5 and the FLASHING PEARLIES' Marta Andrekovic and Heather Henke taking the second set 6 - 1. The #2 ladies doubles also split their sets with DONKERS' Gail Shelton and Jolanda Vandereijk winning 6 - 3 in the first set , then the PEARLIES' Marilyn Leasa and Sandra Darby winning the second set 6 - 4. The #1 men's doubles also split as DONKERS' John Noble and Shannon Dyke won 6 - 3 before falling to the PEARLIES' Richard Bast and Zdenko Andrekovic 6 - 4. DONKERS was able to sweep the #2 men's doubles as Pat McCarroll and Paul Barclay downed Brent Hiller and Sing Chung 7 - 6 (7 points to 3 in the tie-breaker) , 6 - 4.

The #1 mixed set went to the PEARLIES' Andrekovic and Bast as they defeated Billings and Noble 7 - 5. DONKERS took the #2 mixed set as Donkers and Dyke beat Henke and Andrekovic 6 - 4. The #3 mixed set also went to DONKERS when Shelton and McCarroll handled Leasa and Hiller 6 - 2. Vandereijk and Barclay won the #4 mixed set for DONKERS 6 - 4 over Darby and Chung. The 8 sets to 4 win for DONKERS sends them into the 'A' final.

Next Tuesday the final matches of the season will be played. PHYSIOTHERAPY ASSOCIATES and DONKERS AGRI will play in the early game for the 'A' championship while the late game will see OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY face The FLASHING PEARLIES for the 'B' championship.