2008 Massachusetts Squash Doubles Championships

Carson Spahr, all of 11 years old, didn’t win the final match but certainly was the talk of the evening. Half the height of most of his opponents in the Parent-Child division, he fielded virtually all the balls in his direction, and, with some small assistance from his father Chris, took the favored David & Greg Crane father-son tandem to the fifth game before losing at 12. However, this year could be the dawn of a long run for the Spahrs, already the 2008 National Father-Son U13 champions. They had narrowly escaped twice previously, winning the quarters in five over Joe & Cece Cortes, then again in five over Tom & Liam Quinn. The Cranes, with Greg’s softball talent and speed covering some soft spots in his father’s game, had an easier time with victories over Mike & Sarah Loucks and Jamie & Serena Fagan.
 

Mass State Doubles: Parent-child finals (photo ©2008 Tom Poor)

The Parent-Child final was one of many exciting matches on finals night, May 5, held at the University Club with full galleries of family, friends and competitors fortified by refreshments. The evening was the culmination of the 2008 edition of the State Doubles, run over two months, including 155 players in eight divisions.

There were other sub plots in addition to Carson. Perhaps the most strenuous evening was put in by his father who played in three finals, avoiding cramps by periodically stretching. Chris teamed with Hope Crosier in the Mixed to face the new and unseeded combination of Jenny Holleran & Doug Lifford. Doug has won this title five times before with Muffie Andruss and Mary McKee. Jenny’s credentials are not too shabby either as she shares genes with her sister Demer, perhaps the finest woman player this country has produced. Jenny and Hope traded cross courts with occasional errant balls giving the men a chance to shoot. Doug got a few more, contributing to their four game victory. They had a rough road to the title, defeating Lee Belknap & Greg Zaff in the quarters and Mary McKee & Sandy Tierney in a three game semi-final. Chris & Hope for the second year defeated Margaret Gerety & Dave Adams, then  Margot Kearney & Pat Malloy in the semis.   

Chris’ evening continued with the A final. Playing with his assistant, Nadeem Osman, they faced defending champions Sandy Tierney & Pat Malloy who had beaten them a year ago in the semi-finals. This year, Chris & Nadeem defeated Tyler Hill & Glenn Prichett, then Ming Tsai & Preston Quick, a top ranked ISDA professional and professional at the Union Boat Club, in four. Sandy & Pat arrived at the finals with wins over Scott Poirier & LA Sports professional Ben Howell, then John Nimick & Andrew Slater. The strategy was to batter the 54-year old Tierney into submission which worked in the first game. Things went awry (depending on your point of view) from then on as Sandy refused to wilt, Chris and Nadeem differed on who to play, and Pat scampered all over the court picking up the short ones. The result was the final three games to Tierney-Malloy and a successful defense of their title. Just a note: Sandy first won this title 21 years ago in 1987 with Lenny Bernheimer.

Mass State Doubles - Men's Open Finals (photo ©2008 Tom Poor)

Another theme of the evening was the attempt in the C’s by Neil Paterson & Mike McKee to regain the title they won in 2006. Mike was the captain of the Princeton hockey team in the early 90’s, played some as a professional, then stepped up to the rigors of doubles squash under the tutelage of his wife Mary. Neil covers the backhand well, and they progressed to the finals with wins over Mike Connor & Steve Quigley, Curt Lefebvre & Dean Williams and Peter Goodall & Bob Frazier. Their final obstacle was unseeded Amrit Kanwal & Jordan Berns, winners over Dick Whitney & Craig Gibson and Pepper Riley & Tucker Jones. A return to glory looked promising as Mike & Neil hammered away, 15-4, in the first game. An emergency Kanwal-Berns team meeting was called during the break, resulting in a switch in sides. Even a Princeton degree couldn’t cope with the new alignment as Amrit & Jordan won the next three in convincing fashion.

Mike’s mentor Mary was having problems of her own. Not happy about losing in the semis of the Mixed, she was determined to hold her title in the Womens with Robin Silver Grace. Mary has won this event since it began in 2004, three times with sisters Berkeley and Lee and last year with Robin. They reached the finals with a four game conquest of Harvard Club Pro Sharon Bradey & Jeanne Blasberg, the current president of US Squash. On the other side, Margaret Gerety & Hope Prockop had defeated Jenny Holleran & Hope Crosier in four. The final was a very close, long affair with three games decided by a single point. After losing match point in the fourth game, Mary & Robin were finally able to break free, winning the fifth at 8.

Meanwhile, Mary’s former partner, Sandy Tierney, was having a good night. He linked up once again with 1987 teammate Lenny Bernheimer to win the 50’s over Joe Duffey & John Connolly in three games. They almost didn’t make it. In the semis, John Brazilian & Willard Bigelow were up 2-1 in games and two match points in the fourth. Neither materialized and Sandy & Lenny won the final game at 12. Joe & John had a similar down match point experience in their five game win over Malcolm Davidson & Jon Ross, winners of this title in 2005 and 2006.

Things turned more cheery for John Brazilian in the 60’s as he and partner Lenny Bernheimer won this title for the third year running. Their victims in the final were Florida resident Chipp Adams and ageless Joel Kozol, a winner of the 50’s and 60’s as far back as 1989 with Mohibullah Khan, the famous Harvard Club professional. They prevailed in the semis over Bruce Shulman & Marty Stocklan in three while John & Lenny took out former titleists Tom Poor & Peter Laird.

The largest draw of the tournament was the B division with 28 teams. Seeding this division is always problematical as new combinations always appear and skills change. However, the top seed, Joe Cortes & Scott Beebe did make it to the final, Joe trying to repeat last year’s triumph with Greg Vernick. They narrowly escaped in a five game quarterfinal over Errin Siagel & Bobby Harkins, then a close semi-final victory over Kevin Brennan & Mat Sibble. In the bottom half, second seed and last year’s finalists, Andrew Matuch & Len Zide, progressed nicely over Jim Milton & John Hailer, Gerry Kirschner & Amrit Kanwal, then faced unseeded Tim Brennan & Russ McIlvain. Once again, the seeds failed in four. The final was a see-saw affair with some nice reverse corners from Joe, some loud tins from Tim and determination from Russ and Scott on the right side. Fittingly, the last game came down to the wire with Tim & Russ winning at 13.

So, the winners can crow for the summer while the losers lick their wounds and the injured heal theirs. More excitement is in store as the Union Boat Club lays plans for a new doubles court, sure to bring in a new influx of players and making Boston a suitable venue for a major tournament with four courts in the city. This development, the large number of players in the States, and the emergence of younger players bode well for the future of the doubles game in Boston.

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