Championship Prelude

09-14-06 Harmon Park, Des Moines. JT enters his third straight TowerTennis Championship Finals undefeated as he sends LD's tomahawk-chop on it's own trail of tears. The pivotal game came with The Lord serving to even the first set at 4-all. In a multi-deuce exchange, The Lord fails to achieve his goal --- eventually going down 5-3 with JT serving for the set.

Although JT's powerful first serve only occasionally fell within the service court... The Lord didn't even try to punish him on his vulnerable second serve --- hitting fluffers right into JT's lap!

As always JT neutralizes net advances by lobbing beautifully over the Lord's head. Even as fit and quick as the Lord is... he was no match for JT's superb execution of the defensive lob. The Lord showed signs of back-pain early in the first set after an intense rally which ran both players from side to side. Afterwards his movement was labored, and his early momentum was lost.
The second set wasn't even as close as the score indicates. JT calls a shot out, then quickly reverses himself giving LD the point. LD goes on to win this game as a consequence closing on JT's lead, but Maverick goes on to take the match 6-3, 6-3.