Now you can start talking...

Until we get the actual draws, here is some fodder for discussion. This is my early list of guys to watch in 4.5 at the Gallery, in alphabetical order:

Pat Abshire - drops down after a few year run at 5.0's, mini-Agassi, no particular weapons but one hell of a grinder.

Sarosh Ahmed - good strokes, way too cocky, and armed with the deadliest line-calling in Houston.

Omon Dibua - tennis monster, can't get any ball past this guy when he is at the net, nasty serve too.

Jose Garcia - have heard good things about this guy from the San Antonio MZ in February, probably another strong former junior knocking off the dust.

Tim "Henman" Green - best serve and volleyer in Houston, along with Benson, also the best at working the system...probably has already declared himself the winner.

Wayne Morgan - Already won one MZ this year, strong in 2008 but went down meekly to Moser at Lost Forest in October

Jochen Moser - The Terminator, massive topspin forehand, and will take your head off if you drop your guard at the net. Can he handle so many matches in one weekend?

Alejandro Sanchez - Already won a MZ this year...at 5.0...beating Reader...without much trouble. Keep an eye on this one.

Also good to see that most of the cast of regulars are turning out as well, resulting in a rather decent draw size. Lots of names I don't recognize so please feel free to point out the sandbaggers, ringers, and dark horses that others need to be aware of.

Back later with some 5.0 talk. All 10 words of it.

Journeyman

Too Soon for Gallery Talk

It's too soon for me to start making any Gallery 2009 comments but that last stream is definitely way too long now. I will just leave you guys with this cause I thought it was pretty cool. We don't exactly get a ton of visits to this blog but over the last week we did have people log in from 11 different states and from 3 countries outside of the US, including India. Not bad for a site that spends all its time bashing the same 2 people and praising 1 guy from San Antonio who spends all his time threatening the rest of us. Where is the world headed?

Enuff! San Antonio Time

Hey. I haven't had a chance to dig into the San Antonio major this weekend, if I do I will come back with predictions. I will say this. I do not pick Mario Gloria to win 4.5. I guess that is a start. Main point of the new post is just to refresh the comment string and give LOTS and the new-to-the-scene-and-I-for-one-am-not-very-impressed-yet GOT a fresh thread for slamming each other. Good luck to you crazy fools still spending your loot to fund USTA's misguided tournament efforts. I would join you if I could.

Follow Up (10 minutes later): Just looked at the draws, I guess Mario Gloria is the favorite to win 4.5. Scott Sevin the #1 seed...w0w, not a high point for the SA tournament. I have always thought of him as the Kallus of Austin. Plays a ton of tournaments, decent guy to talk to off the courts, can hang with lesser players, but definitely not one to fear in 4.5s. Maybe I am wrong. Here is a chance to prove it cause losing in straight sets to Moser in Abilene didn't help Scott's case. 5.0 - Congrats Reader on another 5.0 victory. Maybe Sanchez can breathe some new life into 5.0. 4.0 - at least the draw is big, 65 players, so there is a winner in there somewhere.

Has the tennis year started? Really? I hadn't noticed.

It is hard to believe that Mabry is this weekend. This tournament used to be a pretty big deal. I guess it still is for seniors (major zone) but the 400, 200, 100 point tournament system has weakened its appeal as has the hit-or-miss weather this time of year. 16 draw for singles in 4.5 compared to 32 draws in years past. Did 5.0 even make? Did they even offer it? Berry Creek, disappointing participation. Abilene? If I saw it correctly, there were 9 guys signed up for 4.5 and only 3 for 5.0. Things are definitely amiss on the USTA tourney scene. Where are the die-hard regulars that sign up for every tournament? Kallus, you out there? Did you finally throw in the towel? Schmucker, did you decide to save the tourney fees and the hassle that comes with not showing up? Ansari is still at it, so 4.0 has that going for it? Where is the 4.0 graduating class of 2007 (Kern, Warren, etc.) that was so highly talked-up last year but never showed up at events. There is going to be a lot less to talk about this year if things continue the way they have started. I guess the MZ in San Antonio will be the first true test of player commitment this year. Maybe more guys are just planning to play closer to home, so let's see how things go at Lost Forest. I assume the Dugas brothers will play there so it will be interesting to see how many sh*t-talkers accept their challenge and come out to take them down. I wish them well cause it is good to see some new voices being expressed here. Til Later. JM

News Flash to Texas Tournaments...US in economic recession!

Any one else get their USTA book/schedule for 2009 and notice that nearly every tournament in the state raised their entry fee by at least $3 - $5? Please correct me if I am wrong, but would this not seem a strange time for tournaments to be looking to squeeze out extra money from entrants? What makes even less sense is that it is the smaller local type tournaments that will only draw a handful of players for each level anyway that are asking the most. $33 to participate in a draw of 5 people at the nearly-monthly Missouri City events at the oh-so-lovely craphole that is Lee LeClear? Please don't hate me but I think I will pass. And don't get me started on the price to play doubles. $31 bucks to get in a 100 point tourney and I only get 1 guaranteed match? Well that t-shirt better be made out of silk, or in Lord of the Strings case, hemp (just joking LOTS, we all love you...even if you are out to kick each and every one of our asses on and off the court). Anyway, it seems like tournament tennis here in Texas keeps on taking one turn for the worse after another and I honestly don't think the players are to blame. If you ask me, $25 tops for singles entry and $20 per player max for doubles. And don't force me to sign up via the internet and then charge me an extra $3 for making your job easier, Mr. Tournament Director. How's that for kicking off the New Year. If you are bored and have money to burn, don't forget Mabry is coming up shortly for the 200 point, likes-to-travel crowd or you can just blow a wad of cash out at Lee LeClear at the 100 pointer I ranted about earlier. I didn't get enough of a response to the idea of a challenge ladder or one day Houston Tourney Tennis Scene tournament so I will drop the idea for the time being. Now get to hitting.

Merry Christmas 2008!

Happy Holidays to all, 3.0 to Open. I hope you all get massive forehands and deadly kickspin second serves under your trees. To some I wish modesty, to others the confidence they lack. To some a bit better eyesight when it comes to line calls, to others a bit more focus when it comes to external distractions (you know who you are). Here's hoping that lower gas prices can offset the bad economy and keep everyone showing up at tournaments in 2009. I would wish "kindness onto others" for all the posters at this blog, but even though you get mean spirited quite often, you are never boring so I guess we can all live with you just the way you are...for now.

Oh yeah, and there is a tournament in Dallas this weekend for the one guy who cares. Good luck.

HTTS Tourney, League, Challenge Ladder, etc.

Hey, I will throw this at you guys here in Houston and see what you think. Would anyone be interested in any form of organized competition associated with this website to let some of you guys basically put your money where your mouth is? Especially since there will not be much other organized tennis between here and the Spring. Just a thought. I don't know how committed I am to the idea anyway cause it would require me to come out from behind my veil of secrecy. If we did anything I can tell you this, no entries submitted in the name of Anonymous would be accepted. Stew it over, let me know what you think. Honestly, I really just needed something to talk about to justify a new discussion stream and this is all I could come up with.