Congratulations to PT Leaguers Tyler Fraser and Luke White for winning this year's Hertzel Cup City Open Championship. This is the second title for both players and their first together. White won in 2015 with Rob Bakker and Fraser won in 2016 with Bakker. They defeated Thaddeus Reed and Ryan Floth 6-3, 6-3 in the final. The PT League was well represented in the later rounds of the tournament. 7 of the 8 semifinalists, 13 of the 16 quarterfinalists and 28 of the 32 round of 16 players participated in the league in 2016-17.

Top performances by PT Leaguers:
Champions: Tyler Fraser & Luke White
Finalists: Ryan Floth & Thaddeus Reed
Semifinalists: Rob Bakker & Ben Hall
Semifinalists: Doug Jones & Evan Webeler
Quarter Reprieve Champions (5th): Brad Pierce & Heather Prop
Reprieve Champions (9th): Brian Mitchell & Bob Spencer
Consolation Reprieve Champions (17th): Ryan English & Tony Teufel

For complete results click: Hertzel Cup 2017 Results

​Odds to win tournament:
Tyler Fraser/Luke White ... 5 to 2
Ryan Floth/Thaddeus Reed ... 3 to 1
Doug Jones/Evan Webeler ... 3 to 1
Rob Bakker/Ben Hall ... 9 to 2
Joe Leytze/Dan Mott ... 10 to 1
Matt Allare/Anthony Palmenter ... 12 to 1
Brian Brockhoff/Wil Lofgren ... 15 to 1
Brad Pierce/Heather Prop ... 20 to 1
Pat Gilligan/Patrick Shiels ... 25 to 1
Field (all other 35 teams) ... 40 to 1

R64 Matches (Over/Under):
Geppert/Warren over Hobson/Hobson (6 games)
Kebe/Rudell over Minniear/Schray (8 games)
Hopple/White vs. Gossiger/Peter (Pick)
Postlewaite/Rafalo vs. Dorger/Dorger (Pick)
Getgey/Spray vs. Cho/Bernard (Pick)
Canelas/Canelas over Sullivan/Sullivan (8.5 games)
Haffner/Lint over McCarthy/Greenwall (5.5 games)
Gibson/Parlin over Bruder/Estes (6 games)
Fovel/Fovel over Green/Castleberry (9 games)
Van Lokeren / Liu over English/Albrecht (7.5 games)
English/Teufel over Kirk/Gohman (2.5 games)
​Heller/Moe over Brightwell/Chasnoff (6.5 games)

R32 Matches (Over/Under):
Fraser/White over Geppert/Warren (4 games)
Gerwin/Giannella over Gamblin/MacTaggert (4.5 games)
Mitchell/Spencer over Kebe/Rudell (4 games)
Brockhoff/Lofgren over H/W or G/P (5 games)
Allare/Palmenter over P/R or D/D (4 games)
​Gilligan Shiels over G/S or C/B (5.5 games)
Simonson/Schmahl over Fey/Connelly (4 games)
Bakker/Hall over Canelas/Canelas (2 games)
Reed/Floth over Haffner/Lint (4.5 games)
Robinson/Faig over McIntosh/Randall (7.5 games)
Herrel/Herrel over Gibson/Parlin (7 games)
Mott/Leytze over Fovel/Fovel (3 games)
Pierce/Prop over Heller/Moe (6.5 games)
DeCurtins/Estes over Van Lokeren/Liu (6 games)
Cabrera/Necessary over Bartlett/Matlin (11.5 beers)
Jones/Webeler over English/Teufel (5 games)

R16 Matches (Over/Under):
Fraser/White over Gerwin/Giannella (4 games)
Brockhoff/Lofgren over Mitchell/Spencer (8 games)
Gilligan/Shiels vs. Allare/Palmenter (Pick)
Bakker/Hall over Simonson/Schmahl (2.5 games)
Reed/Floth over Robinson/Faig (4.5 games)
Mott/Leytze over Herrel/Herrel (7 games)
Pierce/Prop over Estes/DeCurtins (7 games)
Jones/Webeler over Cabrera/Necessary (6 games)

QF Matches (Over/Under):
Fraser/White over Brockhoff/Lofgren (5.5 games)
Bakker/Hall over A/P or G/S (6.5 games)
Reed/Floth over Mott/Leytze (6.5 games)
Jones/Webeler over Pierce/Prop (5.5 games)

SF Matches (Over/Under):
Fraser/White over Bakker/Hall (8 games)
Jones/Webeler vs. Reed/Floth (Pick)

Lee Lonergan and Pat Gilligan saved a wild match point in a tiebreaker against Jonah Ebenhoeh and Dave Necessary. The point ended with a Lonergan volley that hung on top of the net for a second before trickling over. Lonergan & Gilligan came back to win the set,  helping Lonergan go 3-1 on the night. Lonergan moved up to 5th place overall and is now 44-24 (64.71%) for the season. Players going undefeated on courts this week were: Rex Cabrera, Doug Jones, Tyler Fraser, Karen Crowley, Pete Tarnowski, Todd Wise, Tyler Fraser, Greg Carr, George Peck and Carlos Canelas. Click week #22 results or standings for more.

Following the above mentioned set, a hut conversation with Dave Necessary focused on how much influence these saved/blown match point matches can have on a paddle season. It made me think about two such sets this year involving the top three players in the current standings. If two points went the other way, the top 3 would change spots:

1. Week #8: Doug Jones 3-0, Tyler Fraser 1-2, Rob Bakker 1-2, Matt Allare 1-2 -- Allare/Fraser had match point in a tiebreaker. Bakker/Jones won.
2. Week #19: Rob Bakker 3-0, Doug Jones 1-2, Colin Warren 1-2, Gene Kennedy 1-2 -- Jones/Warren had match point in a tiebreaker. Bakker/Kennedy won.

Current Standings:

1. Rob Bakker 29-6, 82.86%
2. Doug Jones 57-13, 81.43%
3. Tyler Fraser 44-12, 78.57%

Standings if both points went the other way:

1. Doug Jones 57-13, 81.43%
2. Tyler Fraser 45-11, 80.36%
3. Rob Bakker 27-8, 77.14%

Standings if just point in Week #8 went the other way:

1. Tyler Fraser 45-11, 80.36%
2. Doug Jones 56-14, 80.00%
3. Rob Bakker 28-7, 80.00%

Standings if just point in Week #19 went the other way:

1. Doug Jones 58-12, 82.86%
2. Rob Bakker 28-7, 80.00%
3. Tyler Fraser 44-12, 78.57%

Second place in the standings was on the line as the two through five players played each other this week. The result was the PT League equivalent of a draw as Doug Jones, Tyler Fraser and Eric Toth all went 2-1 to remain in second, third and fourth respectively. Matt Allare went 0-3 and dropped to 8th place overall. Players going undefeated on courts this week were: Eric West, Ryan English, Bob Spencer, Kate Molinsky and Sam Chasnoff. Click for updated standings or week #21 results. 

Eric Toth went 4-0 on his court with Patrick Herrel, Evan Webeler, Bob Spencer and Jonah Ebenhoeh. Toth has won 11 straight sets and has not lost since week #15. Rob Bakker went 3-1 and remained in first in the overall standings. Bakker had his streak snapped at 16 straight sets, losing with Eric West against Wil Lofgren and Brad Pierce. The players going undefeated on courts were: Evan Webeler, Pat Gilligan and Carlos Canelas. The league welcomed newcomer Nikki Yasbeck. Click for updated standings or week #20 results.