The FCPTL finished Week 1 with few surprises as the expected contenders pretty much all started strong. Below is a quick recap of the action and the Featured Match of the Week
Division 1
While Milbrook stands atop the leaderboard having swept Middlesex 4-0, the perennial contenders, Wilton Y and Wee Burn, both took 3-1 victories over Rowayton 1.B and Woodway CC, respectively. Keep an eye out for Darien Town, who could contend, if they get any depth to their lineup.
Featured Match of the Week:
Wilton Y 1.A vs Lake Club 1.A: Lake Club also started off the season with a 3-1 victory over New Canaan CC. This week, Lake faces the always-strong Wilton Y team, and it should be a good test to see if Lake will be a title-seeker this year.
Division 2
Roxbury, buoyed by the addition of pro, Frank Lorenzetti, swept Greenwich CC in a somewhat surprising result even if Greenwich CC was without the services of their pro, Patricio Misitrano, who was playing a tournament. Roxbury is joined at the top of the division by Rowayton who swept New Canaan FC, aided by 2 default wins at the 3 and 4 spots. Two former D1 teams, Stamford Yacht and Round Hill, got off to solid starts with 3-1 victories over Burning Tree CC and New Canaan Town. However, the big buzz for Division 2 this week is the rumor that New Canaan Town may be adding 2 nationally-ranked Top 10 players to their roster. If the rumor is true, it could truly shake-up Division 2.
Featured Match of the Week:
Rowayton 2.C v Stamford Yacht 2.A: This match should be a better test for Rowayton and provide more insight into their strength as a division front-runner. Stamford Yacht has been trying to make its way back to D1 for a couple of years, and the return of Marc Powers, a top college tennis player and former national junior champion, to SYC could be what they need to make the climb.
Division 3
Wilton Riding Club and Patterson benefitted by having pros (Rory Capener for Wilton RC and Liz Cruz for Patterson) at the top of their lineup this past Saturday. Both teams swept their matches against Rowayton and Woodway respective and stand tied for first place. Darien CC also had pro Mark Innes in their lineup and took the top 3 lines against Wee Burn 3.B to start the season. The competitiveness of Division 3 seems to be the beneficiary of the new rule allowing clubs to use different pros for their teams in different divisions.
Featured Match of the Week:
Wilton Riding Club 3.A vs Patterson 3.B: Two Week 1 division leaders square off in Week 2. While it’s too early to say that this is a must win match for either team, the winner will have the leg up for the rest of the season.
Division 4
The more things change, the more things stay the same. Aspetuck Valley CC and Darien Town may be in a new division for 2013, but they both start the season off with 4-0 victories against 2 Wilton Y teams, 4.G and 4.F. Aspetuck had the easier path to victory with only the 4 spot going 3 sets, while Darien had to pull out 3 3-setters to manage the sweep. Nonetheless, Aspetuck and Darien are tied for first and look to repeat their divisional race for the 4th straight year.
Featured Match of the Week:
Wee Burn 4.D vs Middlesex 4.C: Wee Burn opened with a solid 3-1 win over Greenwich CC and could be a legitimate challenger to the Aspetuck/Darien hegemony. They face off against cross-town club, Middlesex, which always makes for a good fight.
Division 5
Weston Field Club picked up from where it left off last year and had a surprisingly easy 4-0 win over Lake Club who had battled Weston well last year in Division 6. No other team managed a sweep so Weston FC ends Week 1 with the early divisional lead over 4 teams that won 3-1. It’s still early, so we’ll wait a few weeks before giving the division to Weston FC.
Featured Match of the Week:
Woodway CC 5.C vs Darien CC 5.C: Woodway started off strong with a good 3-1 win over Wilton Y 5.H, a team that had finished right behind Weston last year in Division 6. Darien CC had also been a top team in Division 6 but had a rocky start to Division 5 with a 1-3 loss to Wilton Riding Club. It’s an important match this week as Darien CC will look to right the ship, while Woodway will try to keep the momentum going. Throw in a little intra-town rivalry and it should make for a good match.
Division 6
Week 1 was the week of the haves and the have nots. 4 teams started the season in Division 6 with 4-0 sweeps: Darien Town, Patterson Club, Silver Spring CC and Tokeneke. Another 3 teams won 3-1: Aspetuck Valley, Lake 6.F and New Canaan FC. Thus half the teams in Division 6 are over .500 and the other half is under .500. Like New England weather, give it a week and it’s bound to change quickly.
Featured Match of the Week:
Lake Club 6.F vs New Canaan FC 6.E: This is the only match in Division 6 that features 2 teams with winning records. With other 5 top teams all facing teams that lost in week 1, both of these teams need a win to avoid falling too far back in the standings.
Division 7
As expected, the clubs entering their initial teams in the FCPTL all came away with victories in week 1. Never Belle Haven or Brooklawn had much of a challenge in defeating Wee Burn and Wilton Riding Club. Shorehaven had a tougher match versus Stamford Yacht, managing a 3-1 win which included a 3-set victory at the 1 spot. This week, Innis Arden gets started in Division 7 and like the other 3 new clubs, is expected to start strong.
Featured Match of the Week:
New Canaan Town 7.C vs Weston Field Club 7.B: New Canaan Town was the only other team to sweep its match last week. They now face Weston Field Club who has also started strong with a 3-1 win over Silver Spring.
