Don comes back from a set and 5-3 down to finish the season with a win.  Don served well and managed to hit a few backhands down the line to keep John off the net, but John wins the free buffet...  (we didn't keep stats for this match)

John quashes Don's fading hopes of taking the season race by winning this close three set match.  John was one game away from VB (virtual bagel - 5 games in a row, not necessarily in the same set) but couldn't complete the VB after mentioning that he was close (self-jinx).  Don had 4 break point opportunities in the third set for his own VB, but couldn't complete the VB either.  We played many excellent points, including what may have been our longest point ever. (we didn't keep stats for this match)

John stretches his lead to 3 in the early morning match with two weeks to go in the season (and a Chinese Buffet on the line).  John dominated the net in the first set, but Don led most of the second set.  Unfortunately, Don tweaked his back while going after an overhead at 5-3 and wound up losing the set in a tiebreaker (Don would have had to resign anyway).

John won this high quality match, extending his lead in the great buffet race.  Don took the first set with clean play and excellent passing shots, but John took the second with excellent net play (featuring several miracle stab volley winners).  John played his cleanest set ever in the third as he continued to hit winners from the net for a positive winner-error differential in the third. 

John regains the lead with less the 4 weeks to go in the season.  We had a slight rain delay in the second set and very nearly had to stop again in the third.  John rarely missed after starting his final run with several half-volley winners in a row at 2-2 in the third set.   The season winner will earn a free Chinese buffet.

Don makes it three in a row to bring the season race back to a tie.  Don saved a set point at 5-4 and went on to win the first set after several long rallies.  John sailed through the second set on a pair of service breaks, but Don made him work hard to do it, which paid dividends in the third when John ran out of steam.  No stats for this match due to forgetting a pen, but Don was cranking out winners and passing shots in the third.

This  match was played immediately after the conclusion of the previous match (giving Don a slight edge as his game usually picks up after the first set).  The A-train (D. Alexander) continued to move John around the court while playing relatively clean tennis for the easy two-set win.  The race for the season title is heating up with only about a month remaining in this season.

This late afternoon match was very close with Don and John splitting the first two sets and tied at 4-4 in the third when rain forced a delay.  When play resumed on the 17th John broke Don at love and won the  first point of his service game before Don dug in and broke back (for 5-5).  Don and John traded breaks again, then each held service twice to make it 8-8.  Don finally broke John for the win after making an excellent backhand down the line passing shot.

Don wins the battle of the stats on the strength of a good second set, but John comes away with the win to extend his lead to three matches for the season.  John saved 4 set points in the crucial first set to force a tiebreaker.  Great gets from both players throughout (it's getting harder to hit a winner as both John and Don are tracking down balls that would have been winners last year.

This match was close with excellent gets and shots from both ends, but John managed to save a total of 4 match points in the second set to extend his lead to 13-11 for the season.  Don mangled a can't-miss volley put-away at net on his first match point or the season would be tied. 

The race for the season title is heating up as Don wins this rain delayed match.  John took the first set fairly easily as Don missed by inches on both sides and bricked several easy put-aways at net.  The second set was on serve at 1-2, with John serving at 30-15 when the rain came.  Play resumed April 26 in gusty swirling conditions.  John served out his game for 2-2, but then Don went on a tear, taking the next 4 games to force a third set.  Don managed to reign in his errors and hit a few volley winners to take the third set with a single break of serve.

John took the first set easily in this late morning/early afternoon match.  Don jumped up 4-1  in the second set but John came back to force a tiebreaker in which Don saved two match points.  John got up 5-2 in the third but Don stormed back to 5-5 and had break point for 6-5 at net - Don bricked the easy overhead and went on to lose the match while racking up a huge number of errors. 

This match was another windy affair with bright sun making it difficult to serve from one side.  John won the first set thanks largely to a spike in errors from Don.  Don managed to reign in the errors in both the second and third sets while hitting accurately enough to make John do a lot of work to stay in the points.  This was long match as many points and games went on and on.  The race for the season title is heating up...

Don wins the first set comfortably but John comes back to take the second set with little trouble.  But the third set was close all the way with many long games.  Any one of several shots could have changed the third set outcome, but John holds on to create a little cushion in the race for this season's title (illusory though that cushion may be...)

Delicate touch shot paid good dividends for Don in this first night match of the season as Don comes away with an easy two set win.

This match was another windfest - hitting from one side of the court was like hitting into a net.  We were about dead even on stats in the third at 6-6, but John started played a good tiebreaker to take the match (normally we don't play a tiebreaker in the third, but John needed to get on the road).

Don keeps the season competitive by winning this windy match (though not as windy as the last match).  Don had seven double faults in the first set, four of them coming at 4-4 in a long game which Don eventually held on his way to taking the crucial first set.  John made a valiant comeback effort to take the second set, but Don made John work so hard in the second set that he had nothing left for the third, setting up an easy bagel in the third.

This match was played in difficult windy conditions and was very close in both sets, but John comes away with the win after storming back from a 2-5 deficit in the second set to take the match in straight sets.

John pulls back into the lead with a win in this close match played in very windy conditions.  Many excellent points and great gets on both sides, but John made fewer errors.

This match was played after immediately after the completion of the previous match (which was rain delayed).  The first set was very close, but Don managed to focus and play take the opening set, confounding John by throwing in a serve and volley once in a while.  John came back to take the second set, but Don refocused in the third aet, finishing a match with more winners than errors for the first time since we started keeping stats. 

John takes the first set quickly again, but Don was holding his own in the second when the rains came at with Don serving at 2-2.  Play resumed on March 29 and once again John started strong, allowing Don only one more game on his way to a straight set win, taking the lead for the first time this season.

John was on fire again, rolling through another two set victory with extremely clean play (more winners than errors in the first set!).  Don was on the defensive most of the match as John had both his power and feel games in play.   The game Don served at 2-3 in the second set went to deuce 8 times, including several long and hotly contested points.  After winning the game on his 9th break point John could see the finish line and never looked back.

John followed his plan to play a smarter match in this quick win over Don.  Don couldn't find his rhythm and hit too many errors.  John even took the optional third set 6-2.

John rolled through the first set and was up 5-3 in the second when Don started his comeback.  Don saved double match point on John's serve at 5-4 and took the match by winning 10 of the last 11 games (so close to a virtual bagel!).  John no doubt had nightmares about the glory swing he took at an easy floater on his first match point...

John won the first set easily on this windy day, and Don took the second with a fairly clean set, making John work hard just to stay close.  John jumped up 5-2 lead in the third set but couldn't close it out on his first two match points.  Don  started hitting winners from everywhere and took four straight to go up 6-5.  But John never gave up and outlasted Don by hitting a few winners of his own to close out the set at 9-7.  The third set took as much time as the first two sets.

The first set was very close, going to 8-6 in the tiebreaker with dead even stats.  Don came back from being down 5-3 in the tiebreaker, saving a set point for John on the way.  There were plenty of excellent points and great shots from both players throughout the match.  Don managed to get the upper hand in the second set by making John do a lot of running (channeling the "punisher").

John makes it three in a row in this long three set match.  Don started a comeback from 3-5, 0-40 in the third set by hitting 3 winners in a row to get back to deuce, gave up a point, then hit another three winners to take the game.  Don got up 6-5, 7-6, and 8-7 but John held serve under pressure to stay in it and take the match.  Strange stats in this error-fest.

Both of us had new shoes for this match.  John took the first set easily, but Don came back to take the second set after losing an early game in the second set took 26 points to complete.  John played a clean third set while Don hit too many double faults to stay in the set.

The snow melted and the courts were dry so we finally got a match in after 3 weeks off.  John dug in after the losing the first set and started moving Don around and forcing a few errors.  Don had a slight overall edge in the stats (due to a very clean first set) but John came out on top in 2 of 3 sets for his first win of the season.

John suffered another distressing loss in this night match as Don stretched his winning streak to four in a row.  Don was up 3-0 and triple break point on John's serve in the second set when John somehow hit an on the run miracle backhand topspin lob winner off Don's most beautiful approach shot to the corner - John saved the game to keep his comeback hopes alive, but Don derailed the comeback train with a series of sweet winners, including his own on the run  miracle stretched backhand ultra-drop shot winner. 

Don extended his winning streak in the new season by fending off a major comeback from John in the third set.  We played a lot of good points in all three sets and neither of us was shy about going for his shots (hence the high number of errors and winners).  John's shoulder wasn't 100%, so his serve game was a bit off, which definitely helped Don in the third set.  Don was up 5-2 in the third till John won 4 in a row to go up 6-5.  John was within 2 points of the match at 30-0 when Don dug in and started hitting winners from all positions (including a miracle backhand stab lob winner) to force a tiebreaker. 

Don jumps out to a 2-0 lead in the new season after squeaking out a win in this cold match (35 degrees).  Both of us played cleaner tennis, possibly because the balls were so cold that they didn't sail out of bounds so often.  John tweaked his shoulder late in the first set but managed to roll through the second set serving underhanded before Don made the adjustment (John was within 2 points of a bagel in the second set). 

A break in the weather allowed us to get out on the courts on the first day of the new season.  The match was close throughout both sets (tied at 6-6 and 5 points each in the first set tiebreaker).  Don took the ever critical first set and managed to hold on through the second set despite a mini comeback from John.  John was putting good heat on his shots but Don managed to run John from side to side enough to wear him down.