Recap

Southwestern Ontario Brewers Sail Past Toronto United

Brewers Mixed Doubles Stomp United

The score, 21-14 for the Brewers, in this case flattered Toronto United’s Matt Kawamoto and Sneha Iyer. Player of the Match Victoria DiMuzio and Mark Cleminson owned much of the court and many of the points they allowed were on unforced errors or just plain being too aggressive. It was a good start for the 2-2 Brewers, who came in with a 1-2 record against defending Champion United.

It was close early, with DiMuzio making her presence felt with a couple of bombs for points, one which plunked Kawamoto for an Erne. After Cleminson beat United with a cross to make it 7-5 Brewers, the score turned lopsided in a hurry. DiMuzio made a case for Player of the Match by accounting for five points in a 12-point swing and the Brewers taking a commanding 17-11 lead.

The lone bright spot for United was a superb lob from Kawamoto that eluded the Brewers. Kawamoto and Iyer made it a bit interesting logging three of the next four points, however the Brewers rallied their way to freeze at 20-14 and then again on the final point to seal the victory.

Brewers Rookie Mixed Duo Take Down Veteran United Pair

On the face of it, this had the hallmark of a United victory to square the match. However, Brewers greenhorns Mikael Gaumond and Amanda Rosati had other ideas, soundly beating United pair Mark Gottfried and Carolina Hack 21-15.

Rosati and Gaumond went right to work, the pair combining outstanding shot making with great defense and transition to take a 9-4 lead and force a United timeout. While the rest didn’t help immediately, Hack and Gottfried found their stride, trimming a five-point lead to force the Brewers into a timeout with a slim 13-11 lead. Notably, and perhaps as a sign that things weren’t quite right on the United side, Gottfried and Hack collided and a passing shot from Gaumond fell in for a point.

The teams battled back and forth after the break, with Hack and Gottfried holding the upper hand long enough to get within one at 16-15. The Brewers had other ideas, though, scoring the next three points to make United spend their last timeout. Gaumond, who accounted for the 19^th point with a brilliant cross, then smashed a forehand and then an overhand winner to cement the win.

United Fights Hard, But Loses Match in Close Women’s Tilt

Given that their team was already behind 2-0, it was a tall task for United’s Carolina Hack and Sneha Iyer to come out on top against the Brewers Victoria DiMuzio and Amanda Rosati. While they battled admirably, Rosati and DiMuzio were more dynamic and patient with shots, giving them a match-clinching 21-17 triumph.

DiMuzio was a force again in this tilt, blasting early winners to put the Brewers ahead 4-1. Iyer and Hack didn’t back down, scoring four of the next five to tie it 5-5. That would be as close as they would get, with the Brewers reeling off four straight points to force a United timeout. After that, the Brewers put up two more, one on a Hack foot foul and another from DiMuzio’s racket.

The Brewers continued the onslaught, with the lead alternating between five and six points, until Iyer responded with a great set-up and a Brewers unforced error made the score 14-11. Later in this entertaining game, Iyer set the Brewers up for a miss to make it 19-17, but Rosati went in for the kill on the last two points for the victory.

United Men Squeeze by Brewers in Tough Contest

The match already won by the Brewers, it would seem neither team had all that much to play for. While game wins are important overall, expending a lot of energy in a “nothing” game during a two-day tournament might not be the best ploy. Yet, United’s Matt Kawamoto and Mark Gottfried left nothing in the tank during a 21-19 win over equally game Mark Cleminson and Mikael Gaumond.

It was a dog fight through the first 14 points, with all players getting in on the action during extending dinking rallies and by making outstanding shots, including a Kawamoto forehand blast to make the score 7-7. Immediately after that United took over, outscoring the Brewers 6-2 and forcing a timeout. The highlight of the match, again in a losing cause, had to be Kawamoto’s attempted diving ATP on a wayward ball.

The two teams kept the back-and-forth action going past the break, with more extended dinking rallies and first-class shots made to score big points. They did get to 19-19, when United found their mojo and claimed the last two points.