2014 Putnam Pro-Am Doubles
“Boston Strong!”
It could not be more fitting that in this year of tragedy and success, a Boston team, for the first time in the 23-year history of the Pro-Am tournament, won the title. Jon Hyett, playing for the second time, teamed with home professional Dan Roberts to sweep the prestigious East Draw with the loss of only one game. This was not an easy draw either as John Nimick, the tournament matchmaker, had declared it the toughest yet. It was also fitting that the other finalist would be last year’s winner, Amrit Kanwal, teaming with recent Trinity standout Baset Chaudhry. Jon withstood continual blasts from the latter while Dan waited for drop shot openings yielding success with a three game victory, the last at 15-14.
The Putnam Pro-Am Doubles, with a Pro and Pro-Am division, was staged over the second week-end in January. For the fourth year Putnam Investments was the title sponsor, using their marketing department to take full advantage of the opportunity with signage, publicity and very attractive royal blue monogrammed shirts included in packages for amateurs and patrons. Associate sponsorship was provided by Joe Cortes’ Tatleaux De Pera Solar Fund, a company specializing in environmental products. The University Club again shone as the host of dinner on Friday, a Sunday brunch and all the creature comforts fitting for professional athletes at the top of their field. The Pro Doubles Championship and its accompanying tournament, the Pro-Am Doubles Championship, is a mid-January fixture on the newly formed SDA Professional Doubles Tour. With Putnam, Tatleaux, 73 patrons and 20 amateur players providing financial support for the event, the professionals competed in a mini Pro-Am for Super patrons and in both divisions for over $40,000 in prize money. A chance to see the top professionals in the world brought out standing room only galleries throughout the weekend. The professionals’ power, speed afoot and stunning shots were the stuff of wishful thinking for the rest of us. The finals of both tournaments were played on Sunday with five Pro-Am finals followed by the Professional final. The latter was a riveting 2+ hour match featuring precise shots, remarkable lobs and judicious power, finally decided in a 15-8 fifth game victory for top seeded Damien Mudge & Ben Gould (both New York) over last year’s winners Clive Leach (New York) and Paul Price (Toronto). When the final ball was called out, the gallery rose in a prolonged standing ovation.
Draw details are below, and some nice photos from this event can be seen here.
EAST DRAW – Championship draw For the third year, 20 amateur players teamed with professionals in opening round matches. Added to this number was Putnam’s Andrew Yoon, an accomplished singles player and paired with New York’s Hamed Anvari. Winners of these matches moved forward where in the upper half, Hyett & Roberts dusted Natixis chief John Hailer & Johnny Smith (New York) in three. Court Chilton & Shaun Johnstone (England) surprised strong contenders Chris O’Brien & Will Mariani (Toronto) in five, followed by another five game victory for John Brazilian & Clive Leach (New York) over Jamie Fagan & Graham Bassett (Greenwich). Then, the first of several injuries/withdrawals occurred when Ted Marmor retired with a pulled hip muscle as he and Ben Gould were even in the third game with Lenny Bernheimer & Viktor Berg (Las Vegas).
Each match in the lower half was decided in four games; however, several individual scores were 15-14. Kanwal & Chaudhry lost the first to Tom Poor & Yvain Badan (New Canaan), then buried them in the next three. Joe Cortes & Matt Jenson (Charleston, S.C.) dropped the third to Jim Bildner & Chris Walker (San Diego) at 14, then polished them off in four. The dark horse favorite in early conversations, Charlie Humber & Greg Park (Ocean City, NJ) made a statement in knocking off last year’s finalist Mac Davidson & Fred Reid (Toronto) dropping only the third game at 14. And of course perennial favorite, Sandy Tierney & Ian Power (Toronto) advanced, but only by the narrowest of margins, (9), 14, 14, 14!
The quarters were relatively routine. Hyett & Roberts handled Chilton & Johnstone in four. Brazilian & Leach marched through Berg and Lenny Bernheimer, the tournament director who was already feeling the effects of organizational details. Kanwal & Chaudhry had little trouble with Cortes & Jenson but Tierney & Power had big trouble with Humber & Park, winning the fifth with some timely assistance from Park’s injured ankle. The next withdrawal occurred in the semis when Clive Leach had to pull out with cramps from his earlier five game professional match, delivering Hyett & Roberts to the finals. In the other semi-final, Amrit & Baset had a tense, long, seesaw battle with Sandy & Ian before finally eliminating them in the fifth game. Then, as mentioned above, the Boston duo remained the last team standing.
NORTHEAST DRAW – round of 32 losers Although Putnam’s Andrew Yoon & Anvari lost early, Andrew was catching on to the doubles game. They met local newspaper guru Steve Quigley & Josh Schwartz (New York) and slipped by in four as Andrew’s scrambling retrievals were the difference. Next were Curt LeFebvre, one of three rookies this year, & old friend Preston Quick, former professional at the Union Boat Club and now US Squash Director of Doubles living in Denver. The latter team prevailed in four, earning a final berth against Ed Johnson, another rookie, & Paul Price who defeated Marty Stocklan, recovered from last year’s injury, & Manek Mathur (Greenwich) in four as well. The final went to Johnson & Price in four games as Paul opened his offensive arsenal. Andrew picked up Doug Lifford for his partner to win 3rd place over Marty & Manek.
WEST DRAW – East Draw round of 16 losers Vanquished in the round of 16, eight teams faced off Saturday morning, still smarting from their early dismissal. O’Brien, with more on his mind than squash, and Mariani went to work on the Hailer & Smith duo, winning in four. Chris then excused himself to be with his wife who had gone into labor. Before the week-end was out, he was the proud father of a new daughter. Jamie Fagan, famously impervious to such heartwarming events, and Bassett stepped into the hornet’s nest of Greg Collins (subbing for Marmor) and Gould. Games were exchanged into the fifth with Fagan continually being asked to produce. He did in the fifth to win at 12. Poor & Badan got off easily in a three game win over Bildner & Walker to leave the stage to Davidson & Reid vs. Bill Keravuori, the third rookie, & Mudge. Losing the first game at 14, Mac and Reid aimed all at Bill and an hour later returned the favor with a fifth game triumph at 14. That victory earned enough momentum to carry them through a semi victory in four over Poor & Badan, then a three game conquest of Jeff Rodman, subbing for O’Brien, and Mariani who had previously sent Fagan and Bassett to the sidelines in four.
SOUTHWEST DRAW – West Draw quarter final losers Remember every team has at least three matches in this event and so the entrants in this draw were really smarting from two consecutive losses. One more loss leads to the sideline. Smith & Hailer, working hard to overcome John’s heavy travel and light squash schedule, started well against Quigley & Gould in the first, but then faded as Ben opened the howitzer while Steve concentrated on returning the ball deep along the forehand wall. They succeeded in four. Walker & Bildner, the latter claiming he alone has played in every Pro-Am (not really since he snapped his Achilles in one), then folded to Keravuori & Mudge, leaving the two Professional partners against one another in the final. They chose to let the two amateurs decide the outcome which Bill did by forcing Steve, despite son Ruslan’s entreaties, into the back corner too often.
SOUTHEAST DRAW – East Draw quarter final losers Here dwelt the teams of dashed promise. Chilton & Johnstone began the proceedings against Bernheimer & Berg. Although down 2-1 in games, Lenny & Viktor came back to win the fourth at 13, then really looked good with a 14-10 lead in the fifth, only to lose the next five points and the match. All was not lost however as Viktor was immediately invited to partner Court in the final as Johnstone departed for his native England. That opponent was decided when Humber & Park won two games, dropped the next two, then somehow hung on to win 15-14 in the fifth as again Park’s ankle was not 100%. Charlie gave his all in the final diving, scraping, hitting his unique overhead drop shot, etc. to carry it into the fifth. Viktor, however, returning to the fray this year from a new club in Las Vegas, was determined not to go down again and with some considerable help from Court carried the fifth. This year’s event was especially successful with Putnam’s presence and representation through Andrew Yoon, the addition of three rookie amateurs, spirited play and full galleries supplemented by a delicious dinner Friday evening and brunch Sunday. The Pro-Am has increased the interest in doubles in general and in particular, afforded all the chance to see great athletes (the professionals!) in action. The new doubles league enters its third season which along with events such as this has spurred doubles at the University Club and Boston in general. The States, which begin in early March, will provide wide ranging competition for close to 200 players this spring, an indication that doubles has come a long way in Boston.
