Dave Bremer and Bob Curtis Sprang at Springfield Open

November 18, 2019
Springfield, IL

By Brian Windisch

Another Springfield Open in the books. On November 9, great weather and good paddle were the constants of the day. In trying to keep with the successful on-day tournament format, we had twelve teams participating from Springfield and St. Louis (STL). We had the perfect number of teams to use a pool play format, consisting of four pools of three teams each. Each team within the pool would play the other two teams with the winners of each pool advancing. The back-draws consisted of all the second-place teams in each pool playing each other along with all the third-place teams of each pool playing each other. The top seeds went as planned with all the number one seeds advancing.

Although the back draws were fun and produced some good play, the main draw had the best and most competitive matches of day. The first semifinal match pitted the STL team of Dave Bremer and Bob Curtis against the Springfield team of Alex Mayer and Eric Surges. Being from Springfield. I had a “vested” interest in our Springfield team and things started off well with the team of Mayer/Surges taking the first set in a tie break. Bremer/Curtis buckled down though and took the next two sets 6-0 and 6-4 to advance to the finals. The few beers I had following the match helped ease my pain.

The second semifinal match was another STL versus Springfield match with the STL team of Ted Lematty and Kyle Schoff taking on the Springfield team of Cole Buehnerkemper and Hayden Esker. This semi was also a highly contested match and very entertaining to watch. The STL team prevailed again with the team of Lematty/Schoff beating Buehnerkemper/Esker, 7-6, 7-5 setting up an all-STL final.

Lematty/Schoff started off hot and took the first set setting up another come-from-behind scenario for Bremer/Curtis. Once again, they were up for the challenge, taking the next two sets to win the 2019 Springfield Open title.

Thanks to everyone for helping make the event a success. I want to thank specifically Don Tracy for once again helping to sponsor our event, Nico Paz for supplying the lunch from his restaurant AZTECA, Rob Christopherson for the donut and coffee run, our beer distributor Mike Lair (along with a few other beer providers) for the suds, and Rod Remolina for running a successful event especially with his platform hut additions (the new ball dispenser needs to be trademarked).

The APTA thanks Tournament Director Brian Windisch for all his effort in the Springfield area.

RESULTS
Main Draw: Dave Bremer/Bob Curtis def. Ted Lematty/Kyle Schoff
Consolation: Rob Christopherson/Mike Rosetto def. Toby King/Rod Remolina
Consolation Reprieve: Mike Lair/Bob Sibert def. Gustavo Mosquero/Nico Paz

Part of the line-up at the Springfield Open