Bob Curtis and Tony Teufel Super at Springfield Open

November 22, 2021
Springfield, IL

Tournament Director Brian Windisch writes: After the cancellation of the Springfield Open in 2020 it was a great feeling to get back at it and be able to put together the Springfield Open 2021. Like in the past, we kept the one-day tournament format and with the 12 teams participating we went to a pool play draw. We had a couple of the St. Louis teams and a member of the Indiana platform community join our Springfield contingent for what turned out to be a perfect platform tennis weather type of a day with a high reaching around 40 and just a slight wind. Now on to the play.

With the four groups of team play, the pool play went pretty much as expected. However, the three-set marathon in group four between Don Tracy/Scott Sables and Mike Lair/Toby King did throw a temporary wrench into the schedule but we recovered. After the pool play was over the four one seeds, the four two seeds, and four three seeds were put together to play for their group's title. In the Consolation Reprieve it was the team of Tracy/Sables, after playing the longest match of the morning, finding the needed energy to beat the team of David Harris/Tom Corr, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, in the final. Original Springfield member Scott Sables coming back from the Chicago area to play (this time without the Batman attire) celebrated by firing up the Pizzazz Maker, eating a warmed-up stock of food and downing the celebratory pints of beer.

In the Consolation draw the marathon match was reintroduced as the Springfield team of Lair/King outlasted the Springfield team of Kyle Muskopf/Rod Remolina, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6, to claim the Consolation title. A very hard-fought battle that ended the same way as the Consolation Reprieve with the tipping back of a few units. Now on to the Championship play.

The two semis in the Championship round pitted a St. Louis team against our local boys. In the first set of the first semi the STL team of Curtis/Teufel, after going down 2-5, found their groove and came back to win the set 7-6 over the Springfield team of Rob Christopherson/Brian Windisch in a tie breaker. Carrying that momentum, they took the second set 6-4 to advance to the finals. A hard-fought defeat for the team of Christopherson/Windisch for sure but they took solace in the fact, after examining the pictures taken, that they were the best-looking team of the tournament. (This article although written by Brian Windisch is without bias).

In the second semi the Springfield team of Hayden Esker/Cole Buehnerkemper saved a set point in the first set and wound up taking the first set from the STL team of Kyle Shoff/Frank Sant 7-6 in a tie breaker. Riding what I am guessing to be the same wave as the other semi, the team of Esker/Buehnerkemper took the second set 6-4 to set up the final pairing.

The final started off well for the STL team of Curtis/Teufel with them taking the first set 6-2 from the Springfield team of Esker/Buehnerkemper. The second set was more in doubt as the two teams were tied at 5-5 but like years past the STL team of Curtis/Teufel figured out a way to scrap out the next two games to take the Springfield Open title, splitting the $400 first prize money. The Springfield team of Esker/Buehnerkemper had to settle for the second-place prize money of $200. Any day where you are given money at the end of the day for having a good time is definitely a great day in my book.

I want to take a minute to thank the many sponsors that contributed to this event and let them know how much we appreciate them in helping make this event the success that it was. With their continued support and the continuing efforts of our Tournament Director Rod Remolina and the Springfield platform tennis community we are hoping to grow the tournament in 2022. Thanks to all that participated and hope to see you at another tournament sometime throughout this upcoming season.”

The APTA thanks Brian Windisch, Rod Remolina, host Springfield Park District, the sponsors, volunteers, and all the players who competed well.

Winners Bob Curtis/Tony Teufel