Croatian Sensation repeats as TowerTennis Champion!

Sopcic survives a second set tie-breaker to win in straight sets 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)!

SV shatters the spread...Nearly forcing a third set!

photo by Schewe!

Norwalk Tennis Complex, Norwalk IA. By Steve England; ESVN (Fair and Balanced) - The Croatian Sensation easily wins the first four games before SV gets on the board!  Now with a commanding lead the defending Champ easily takes the first set!  In the second the Champ leads 4-2, but SV benefits from rare inconsistency by the Champ, and jumps ahead 6-5!  This positions SV to level the match at one set each, but the Champ ties it at 6-6 to force the breaker.  The Champ then smokes SV in the tie-breaker 7-3!  The Croatian Sensation repeats with a straight set victory!  Sopcic has now equaled former Champions BR and SV with two victories, and looks to the Dynasty Champ's record as his next goal! 

Kevin Broadway repeats as Fantasy Champion...winning a lobster ball machine!

photo by Schewe!

The officiating crew: Kevin Broadway-Linesman, Jason Toelle-Umpire, Keith Belling-Linesman.

photo by Schewe!

Dean wins the Pick'ems grand Prize!  Dean will dine at Famous Dave's with a $50 gift card!

photo by Schewe!

TowerTennis contributors acknowledged for their contributions:

photos by Schewe!


The officiating crew and the ball-girls - The Nighthawks Softball Team, coached by Todd Johnston:

photo by Schewe!

Special thanks to Dean Ruther for doing an outstanding job as Master of Ceremony, Todd Johnston for teaching the Nighthawks softball team to be ball-girls, Keith Belling for his rendition of the National Anthem, Matthew England for providing Twitter coverage, the spectators who came out to watch the match, and especially Kyle Schewe for his outstanding photography!  Many people contributed their time and talents to TowerTennis this year...their efforts make this summer long tournament an event worth remembering---I couldn't do it without you. Thank you very much!  Steve England-Tournament Director

Croatian Sensation advances to Title Match...6-4, 4-2 (retired)!

Dynasty Champ - JT succumbs to heat...forced to retire before match concludes!

photos by Schewe!

Harmon Park, by Steve England; ESVN (Fair and Balanced) - Two champions braved a court temperature of 154° today.  Both men came to play, but one man (The Croatian Sensation) came with a vengeance!  The defending champion doesn't even lose a single point until the third game---quickly jumping to a 4-0 lead before JT gets on the board!  Once there however, JT exploits the defending champ's complacency closing to within a game of tying the 1st-set.  Just when it looks like the set will get leveled...JT hits the net!  Now, rather than a 4-4 tie...The Croatian Sensation leaps to 5-3!  JT ratchets up his serve to close further to 5-4 down, but Sopcic easily closes out the set from a triple set-point advantage!

Sopcic jumps out early in the second as well, and JT finds himself playing catch-up until he's 4-2 down!  After an exhaustive run of rallies---JT feels that he's unable to continue!  The heat had taken it's toll on yet another TowerTennis participant!  JT wisely decides to retire before his condition becomes serious, and the Croatian Sensation advances to the title match for the third straight year!  Sopcic wins: 6-4,4-2 (retired).

TJ shocks SV with near tiebreaker in the first...SV fends off TJ's attack 7-5,6-0!

SV awakes in the second to secure his 5th trip to the finals!

photos by Zach

Harmon Park, by Steve England; ESVN (Fair and Balanced) - TJ had an excellent chance on his 27th birthday to pull an upset, and propel himself into the finals!  Young, strong, and consistent---TJ surprises the more experienced SV by not only shattering the spread for this match, but fighting back from a 5-3 deficit to tie it at 5-5!  SV pulls ahead for a 6-5 lead, but TJ is determined to win!  All TJ needs to do is win one more game, and the former two-time champion will find himself embattled in a tiebreaker!

After a 25-shot rally...SV gains the upper hand, then follows with a one-handed backhand to take the set!  SV fends off TJ's surge, then elevates to shut him out in the second.  SV defeats TJ 7-5,6-0, and advances for the 5th-time to the title game of the TowerTennis Championship!

KN shatters the spread...Surprising the Dynasty Champ!

Despite a tougher battle than expected, JT advances to a semifinal showdown with the defending champ!

file photos

Waukee High School Tennis Complex, Waukee, IA. By Jason Toelle; Fox-JT (A subsidiary of ESVN-Sports) - Today was the first-ever meeting between KN and JT on the tennis courts and given the age disparity, the former champ pulled some punches in the first set... quickly learning that he may have taken Ken too lightly.  Despite winning easily 6-2, JT quickly learns that KN will make you pay if you make mistakes, which led to Ken's winning two games. 

Determined not to make the same mistakes, JT stops pulling his punches in the second set, but much to his surprise, KN really begins to turn it on, taking a quick 1-0 lead!  KN begins capitalizing on JT's mistakes and begins hitting some great winning shots of his own.  Regularly returning most of JT's best serves with Ruther-like technique. 

JT ties set two at 1-1, but gives up another game.  Ken leading 2-1, the former champ regains his composure, tying the second set and later taking the lead 3-2.  KN ties it up at three!!  In game seven, KN has some of his best shots of the match, just falling to JT 4-3, only to tie it up again at 4-4!!  Feeling a bit uneasy at the score, Toelle pours it on with his serve and some excellent passing shots, going on to win the second set, 6-4.

Despite the defeat, KN put on an excellent performance against the younger JT... who now begins preparations for his upcoming match against his evil nemesis, Matt (the woman) Sopcic.

SV advances to Semifinals; 6-3, 6-0 over CG!

CG leads 3-2 in the first, but wilts after SV warms up!

photos by Chris Axtell

Champ prevails despite sluggish performance!

DNR lets early lead slip away...Falling 6-4, 6-1!

Harmon Park, by Steve England; ESVN (Fair and Balanced) - The Champ hasn't lost a set for the past two seasons, but came perilously close against the oldest player in the tournament!  With an aggressive service game by DNR, and an uncharacteristically high number of double faults by Sopcic---DNR leads the first set 4-2, when the Champ fails to return game-point down!  Calling the shot good, this would have given DNR a 5-2 lead (Sopcic hasn't lost more than 4-games in a single set for the last two seasons).  In strict adherence to the Code of Tennis --- DNR rejects the Champ's generous call, having clearly seen that the shot was wide!

This selfless act not only nullified the highest number of games won against the Champ since the 2011 Finals, but took a likely insurmountable lead of 5-2 down to a very approachable 4-3!  The Champ capitalized on DNR's honorable act, and went on to win the first-set 6-4.  Building upon his success, the Champ's game improves slowly during the second to take a straight set victory 6-4,6-1. 

Health emergency forces DR out of tournament!

Dean undergoes emergency surgery to implant a pacemaker!

file photo from 2005

Norwalk, by Steve England; ESVN - We've heard Dean taunt JT, TB, and others about his atrial fibrillation, heart attack, stint, and high blood pressure before, but it was hard to appreciate these afflictions when Dean was kicking our butts on the court! Even with dead heart muscle...Dean could outlast virtually everyone! Dean's conditioning was paramount in defeating the Dynasty Champion earlier this year.  I also fell to Dean just last week in a tiebreaker!  Dean was poised to make the finals for the second time in tournament history!  Therefore, it is with great sadness that I must report that circumstances beyond Dean's control has taken his best chance to date away!

Some people look to leisure for recreation, Dean looks to hard work for his pleasure!  Dean loves his spin class, and was spinning away Friday morning when he became light headed.  His heart was racing so out of control, that it simply couldn't pump enough blood, and it wasn't slowing down any time soon!  Lesser men would have gone unconscious, but Dean's damaged heart was still so strong that it persevered at 250 beats per minute!  Unfortunately, the electrical condition of Dean's heart mandated the implantation of a pacemaker!  Dean needs to take it easy for awhile, so he will not be able to continue with tournament competition this year.

Dean's departure from the tournament not only effects the battles to reach the finals, but likely changes the dynamics of the final match itself!  It is deeply disappointing that Dean cannot continue on this year, but I think I speak for everyone in the tournament, and at the tower when I say: "We'll see you next year buddy!  We'll miss you while you're gone, but we'll battle again!"