NationStates • View topic - Dexter's Tennis Laboratory (2024)

The 2023 winter slam top half semifinal is a blockbuster, tongue twister showdown between two of the nation's preeminent top 5 superstars which will have an immediate impact on the race for year-end singles number 1. It is also a rematch of a stunning Halloween quarterfinals disturbed by footsteps in the stands when no one was there, and child's laughter coming from the lockers. The previous scoreline: Loy def. Love 6-3, 6-3.

Dextennis: Laila, Michael, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to discuss such a crucial turning point in tennis history, and the Winter semifinals. What are your thoughts on where things currently stand?

Love: Well first I want to say how much I appreciate this chance to speak, I'd really like to say 'happy holidays' to all my fans and say 'hi' to all my family at home, especially my sister Jaliyah who got to the doubles second round here. I know that she and Jeremías will definitely win a slam and be number 1 one day. And, yeah, as for where things stand on court, obviously you know we've all had a long journey this year but we still have further to go.

Loy: You know this might sound weird, but I wouldn't say things are standing, I'd say they're more, I don't know, ebbing and flowing. Tennis is cyclical, things can change, just like the seasons right now. We're already guaranteed to have a first-time slam champion in doubles. Who knows what could happen in singles? We've had all these rematches of big matches, case in point. So I've learned to just go with it. And maybe things will stand the same when all is said and done. It's all one in the same. Thanks for this opportunity to chat, by the way. Happy holidays to you and everyone!

Dextennis: Laila, you are now one win away from clinching the 2023 year-end number 1 - by defeating the 2022 year-end number 1. What will it take to claim such a monumental place in history, and a slam final?

Love: It's going to have to take the best tennis of my life, that's for sure. I've had some really tough, you know, top-ranked opponents this year and I think there's none tougher than Diamond Mike. If I can neutralize his returns with powerful enough serves, and try to keep him back on the baseline, I can probably keep him from breaking or at least consolidating. But he's on a really, you know, historic run, and it can be hard to push back against that kind of momentum and willpower. So if the year-end number 1 ranking slips away at the last moment, then at least there's always next year. I'll definitely be back, if not in these finals or this year-end number 1, then another.

Dextennis: In an instant classic quarterfinal versus Camille Fletcher that lasted over five hours, you clawed out a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6 victory where you saved but also lost two match points, which some pundits are calling one of the greatest matches of all time. You also muscled an epic five set win against both Laura Fields in the sweet sixteen and Alanna Jesenia Ochoa in the round of 32. How are you still walking?

Love: Top-notch trainers and coaches, excellent healthcare and encouragement from my supporters, I guess. I'm dedicated to always staying at the top of my game even with all the challenges. The best of the best have got to stay at the best of their best. That's how the greats are made.

Dextennis: You rose to prominence at the autumn slam by defeating number 1 Julian Hull in the semifinals and then winning the title. Now at the winter slam, you are number 1 in the semifinals. Do you see the irony?

Love: I see the potential for irony, but I also remember that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. And I haven't forgotten the Fall semis, or the Halloween quarters that are happening again now at the winter slam. That's how, I think, I got past a rematch of the Jungle final in these Winter quarters. If things go well, go according to plan, then things will be different in the semis.

Dextennis: Mike, you returned to national tennis this year at the autumn slam, where you lost in four sets to Sabrina Craig during the first round. Since then, you have won two straight championships and are now closing in on a perfect season, your third slam and the number 1 ranking. You even saved match point during a 2-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 rematch with Esmeralda Serrano in the Winter quarters. Can you let someone else have a turn?

Loy: Never.

Dextennis: You're currently competing in your birthplace and could be considered the first hometowner to reach a final. Is it true you were born on a tennis court holding a racquet as an eclipse happened and horns blared?

Loy: ...Yes. I have a birthmark from the baseline. Kidding aside it is pretty special to be back in Skyswim for this tournament, I already feel incredibly happy with my hard court performance so far but to cap it all off here makes it more meaningful in a way. I moved away from this town when I was little, but I've always been fascinated with it, and try to come back whenever I can. I'm not sure I should be considered a homeboy though. I've spent almost all my life around Beagalia and Bay Dexter. But I guess I have my roots here in south Tristerra. Anyways, just to even be playing a Tristan slam let alone the semis is a dream come true for me. I hope I can make the people of Skyswim and Beagalia and all our nation proud.

Dextennis: Laila, Michael, thank you again for stepping from the record books to share your thoughts. The last time you crossed paths with your Winter semifinal opponent, it was the Halloween quarters. A lot of scary things happened: disembodied footsteps, mysterious sounds and Loy winning in straight sets. Now as you converge on the winter slam semifinals, what are your skeleton keys to success?

Love: Well for one thing, I think controlling the pace and taking command early could make a big difference in the match for me. Attacking Loy's serve and breaking as early as I can could give me the momentum I need to stave off a comeback, otherwise I might struggle to stay afloat. But throughout this event I've gotten better at surviving tiebreaks, so I think I've developed a last line of defense there. During the Halloween quarters I wasn't as aggressive and quick as I should have been, and Loy figured out my game pretty quickly. I left that match feeling like I wasn't really number 1, but since then I think I've learned and experienced enough that now I can really rise to the occasion.

Loy: Ball is life, bro. I'm just going to go out there and ball out. Best as I can. At this point I don't really feel I have much to lose, other than a slam title and my second straight year-end number 1. I won a grand slam this year and more, and somehow I'm still getting away with it on hard courts. So at this point, knowing the kind of missile shots and long rallies and down-the-line close calls I'm about to face - even though they've definitely adapted from our last meeting - I might just chuck the ball as hard and as fast as I can, whenever I can. Not even the cameras will be able to catch it. The best defense is the best offense.

The winter slam bottom half semifinal is a gripping duel between two ascendant stars who made gigantic strides in 2023, and though neither are in contention for year-end number 1, they still have one final shot at the pinnacle of perhaps their entire careers. It is also a rematch of a topsy-turvy Thanksgiving round of 32 shindig interrupted by a loose turkey. The previous scoreline: Bliss def. Armstrong 6-4, 6-4.

Dextennis: Ulysses, Tristan, thank you for taking the time to speak with us about this latest chopping block, and tennis. What does it mean to have reached a slam semifinals in a small, obscure island nation?

Bliss: It's unreal to make a slam semis, or any semis anywhere. Tournaments often start out with dozens if not hundreds of entrants, and to be one of the last four standing is always a huge accomplishment. At a Major - the most important event - it's like doubly so. Our island nation isn't small and obscure to us, and it's an accomplishment to do so well at any national tournament. I hope you and all Dexters have a great holiday season, by the way!

Armstrong: Means the world to me. To get to the semis, you got to win like three or four or more matches in a row. And if these were Olympics, the people who lose get to play for the bronze. So wherever you play, getting to be one of the last four players is way harder than it seems. Especially since you usually got to go through some big stars to get there.

Dextennis: Ulysses, you wrote in September that if there was a tournament in Tristerra, you were already 'training rigorously' to get to the semifinals there. You are now among the Skyswim final four. Did you sell your soul to Scarlett Dyer?

Bliss: If I had, I might not have stood a chance against her in the Halloween quarters. No, I'm sure I didn't sell my soul to her - she seems soulless as usual. It does feel awesome to be in the Tristan slam though, that's a phrase I've always wanted to say. It's an important milestone to be in the semifinals, and no matter who I play, I've really got to pour all my heart and soul into it, because there's still a lot further to go.

Dextennis: After starting your career as a 2nd Independex wildcard, you reached the Boardwalk final and two further semifinals. Many pundits credit you and the other wildcards as trailblazers for future newcomers. Newcomers like Cooper Woolridge and Cheyenne Falcon, who reached a final and semifinal in their first tournament. What was it like to witness the Native Uprise and see newbies instantly meet your level?

Bliss: You know, for some people, especially in my position, it might seem easy to be a little jealous of guys like Woolridge or Falcon or Pierce or Rivers and Wade, but for me I was actually incredibly proud of them and sort of found myself rooting for them. It was really impressive to me how they burst onto the scene with some truly mind-blowing tweeners and forehands and footwork. I reached out to Woolridge after the Thanksgiving final and tried to relay my experiences from the Boardwalk final, but he just told me he was going to crush me if we ever played each other. He seems nice.

Dextennis: In 2023 you began your freshman year at the University of Beagalia, where you are majoring in a Bachelor's of Arts in Athletics. You recently completed sixteen credit hours in your first Fall semester. Have you flunked out yet?

Bliss: No, try as I might, I just keep getting A's.

Dextennis: Tristan, we've noticed something unusual about your speech patterns. You aren't rhyming every sentence like you used to. Were you hit on the head by a snowball?

Armstrong: I did get into a crazy snowball fight, but I can still rhyme with all my might. Sorry, old habits die hard - I'm still the same sly bard. I'll be happy to rhyme if you'd like, otherwise just say 'psych.'

Dextennis: What's it like competing for the Tristan slam while named Tristan but not actually being a Tristan?

Armstrong: I guess it's like being named 'Dexter,' and at any other home tourney being a vexer. To your point, it does seem a little odd, I'm from another joint, yet here I'm a pea in a pod. I've got to say though, the Tristan people seem to have taken me in, and it's made me say 'Woah' how they rally 'round me with every win. I can't thank them enough for seeing me through the times that be so rough.

Dextennis: This year, you embarked upon a meteoric clay season on the international circuit, in which you became the first Black Dexter to win an international title and then reached your first grand slam semifinals. Now your year ends on a national high note in your first slam final that follows a remarkable series of five set epics, in which you exorcised Scarlett Dyer from the round of 32, sent home Viola Frederick from the sweet sixteen and disoriented Curtis West IV in the quarterfinals - even though, when you returned to national tennis, it seemed you struggled with us lowly scrubs. What helped you get back to second-best?

Armstrong: Other than my coaches and fans - ain't nothing, cause I ain't bluffing, when all is said and done - I'm number one.

Dextennis: Ulysses, Tristan, your insight is once again much appreciated. Using a common winter holiday trope, can you describe what it will take to snowball into your first slam final?

Bliss: Finding the exact right words to convince Santa that you belong on the Nice List so he'll give you that extra special, possibly dangerous, gift that you really really want.

Armstrong: Going so nuts with decoration that your whole neighborhood wants separation. Have a happy holiday by the way, that's the last thing I want to say.

The winter slam top half semifinals is an all-hands-on-deck harpooning between top five superstars who were tied for doubles number 1 for nearly two months this summer, and are once again grappling for the top ranking in a widely-hyped primetime highlight. It is also a rematch of a titanic Boardwalk championship which vastly though briefly altered the doubles landscape. The previous scoreline: Strong/Booth def. Dunn/Whitehead 7-6, 6-4.

Dextennis: Hillary and Ellen, Dane and Dorothy, thank you for sharing your views during your historic quests for eternal glory. All throughout the 2023 tour, you have been touted as one of the leading and foremost doubles teams currently on court, but here in these Winter semifinals awaits one of your fiercest rivals: the superstars with whom you not only tied for number 1, but also clashed for the Boardwalk title. How are you going to blow us out of the water this time?

Dunn: Rising above and changing history by making it.
Whitehead: What she said, but we do have a solid, top secret game plan to take on our arch nemeses that we've hopefully perfected by now. We've been training and preparing for a rematch like this since we last went our separate ways.

Strong: Well of course we can't exactly do things the same as last time. We've got a whole new system going that I think will put us back on top.
Booth: Yeah, we've learned a lot since then, and our coaches and trainers have really helped us become a totally different, more competitive team. You wait.

Dextennis: Hillary and Ellen, you have lorded over the rankings longer than any other team this year, thanks in part to two titles across four straight finals. In the Winter semifinals you face the only team to have interrupted your reign of top-ranked terror, who denied you the first Division II title and overtook you as numbers 1 for a month until you reached the autumn slam final, which you also lost. You are now one win away from clinching year-end doubles number 1 and your second consecutive slam final. Have you checked for banana peels?

Dunn: checks the floor No, I don't see any. We'll keep our eyes peeled.
Whitehead: There could definitely be some on the baseline when we wrestle Strong and Booth, but we remember our history well. It's become a big part of who we are today as tennis players. We've achieved a lot this year, but the hallmarks for greatness are slam titles and the number 1 ranking. So if all goes well, we will either go totally bananas or go down swinging.

Dextennis: There is a 'Curse of the 1-Seed' said to have prevented singles numbers 1 from so far reaching a final. Both your victories at the Jungle and Halloween, however, were won as doubles numbers 1. What are your thoughts on the Curse of the Singles 1-Seed?

Whitehead: I still think that we could see a singles number 1 champ here at the winter slam, but you never know. It would be crazy if no number 1 won a singles title this year. I wonder if another doubles team could do it, but then we wouldn't be number 1, so forget about that. cackles
Dunn: It's a strange situation, that's for sure. I'm not really sure if I believe in curses but the last thing I want to do is push my luck. In a weird way, having no number 1 in a singles final has kind of made things more exciting, but I do hope we see one soon.

Dextennis: Dane and Dorothy, upon your Boardwalk victory you became the oldest athletes to win a championship or claim the number 1 ranking, then 32 and 34 years old. To this day you remain the oldest athletes in the top 5 at 32 and 35, and trail only 40-year-old Carter Allen as the oldest semifinalists as well as 34- and 36-year-old Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson as the oldest finalists. What’s up with these kids on your lawn?

Strong: Hey man, we're still young. I only threw out my back twice today.
Booth: Maybe we're only middle-aged for pro athletes? We've played people who have actual liver spots. And hey, we still get it done. 18-year-old Bliss and Woolridge both lost their first final. With our creaky three decade-old joints, we won ours and topped the rankings. Suck it, youngins'. There's a reason 'Booth' rhymes with 'youth.'

Dextennis: During and since your time as sole numbers 1, you reached two quarterfinals yet fell both times to Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. 4-6, 4-6. The Winter semifinals marks your first since that watershed performance in Brightsands, though it is altogether your third this year when factoring in an appearance at the Jungle semifinals. How will you turn back into sea monsters, other than magic?

Booth: Magic was pretty much it, yeah. I mean, we have these racquets, and a detailed plan of 'okay do this if that, if not then do this,' especially if we have trouble covering the court or keeping up our volleys. But I don't know of anybody slaying dragons with racquets. We were going to go to the potion store today, actually.
Strong: Potion store? I thought we were going to get Raven Huntsman to do a ritual after our practice session. Why did I buy all these extra-large bird cages?

Dextennis: Hillary and Ellen, Dane and Dorothy, thank you again for lowering your swords and speaking with us. Can you describe like festive pirates what it will take to stand aloft the high final seas this Winter?

Dunn: Arr… throw me glühwein overboard, we’re the captains of this ship and we’ll be sailing through this icy battle with all the cannons and guns and eyepatches we got!
Whitehead: Yo ho ho ho, if we better serve the fruits of our labor, ‘tis semifinal scurvy the last we dare see under our tree.

Strong: Uh… avast ye semifinal mateys, I’m the… the Ghost of Pirate Future, I guess, and we’re taking over this ship again and sailing it to your doom, or something. We’ve got snacks and stuff, but also bombs and cannons and some crazy binoculars that can see your next move before, you know, potentially we’re down a break or even a set, and relying on our serves to force a tiebreak if we’re lucky. Ahoy.
Booth: Did pirates even celebrate the holidays? I’ve never seen, like, Dogbeard in movies or on TV with a Christmas tree or a menorah or anything. Fine. I guess… um, avast ye scallywag landlubbers, and happy holidays also. We’re taking back the treasure which was rightfully ours, and we’re tiding these choppy seas with a detailed map through the captain’s quarters you laid out for us. ‘X’-mas marks the spot.

The winter slam bottom half doubles semifinal is a widely unexpected and high-caliber collision between two of the nation’s most uniquely-skilled rising stars, and while both are celebrating their first career appearance in a slam semifinals, one is in fact returning to their second straight semis. This is the first meeting between these teams.

Dextennis: Jonathan and Lyndon, Marquita and Cordelia, thank you for taking a break from defying the odds to speak with us. What does it mean to be in the least expected slam semifinals?

Powell Jr.: It's a blessing and a gift from above, man. I hope that this is the start of one day winding up in the most predictable slam semis ever. We've all got to start somewhere. Where better than here?
Lowery: Word, and it often doesn't matter where or when you start, just that you do. I've always looked up to guys who can make deep runs at tourneys, especially if nobody expects them to do it. You've gotta be great to play late, that's what I've always said. And slams are where greats are born.

McClendon: I've literally had actual dreams about playing in a slam semis, so to be here and experiencing it feels way more than - I don't know - surreal, as cliché as that sounds. I hope we can do all our supporters and team proud. We've had an amazing year, no matter what happens next.
Natalya: It's also a really important stepping stone in our careers, we only became pros this year and to already be playing in the final four is something that a lot of established athletes have always wished for. But what everyone wants is to be in the final, and the semis are only two of the most important sets of your lives away.

Dextennis: Jonathan, Lyndon, you are now the only ethnic Tristans left vying the Tristan slam in doubles. You are also the highest-ranked Tristans in doubles at numbers 7. Between you and singles stars Bliss, Frederick, Hull and Loy, why do we still call it Dexter tennis?

Powell Jr.: Well, I guess 'cause we're all part of Dexterra. But I don't know, you kind of have a point. Maybe if all the number 1s are Tristans, we should call it Tristan tennis. Same for Gracies. Viva la revolución. Can I just say though, how much of an honor it is to take us Tristans to the Tristan slam semis?
Lowery: No, you can't say that. I think we should do what pro baseball does with the Universal Series. Call it Terra Tennis or something. I know, I know, that would be terra-ble.

Dextennis: In a stunning Thanksgiving upset, you became the only athletes to defeat numbers 1 Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead in any quarterfinals, in fact ending their streak of six straight semifinals. Though you lost your first career semifinals that Thanksgiving to numbers 5 Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr., you successfully sought revenge upon them in these Winter quarters by the exact same scoreline. What’s it like using bracket contests as toilet paper?

Lowery: Um… doesn’t, like, most of this country use bidets? I thought environmental laws banned most types of TP. Even little bracket contests that don’t have an ‘any given Sunday’ button.
Powell Jr.: That’s right. Who were these experts picking Dunn and Whitehead to win the turkey quarters? Petersen and Green Jr. to win the holiday quarters? The more people sleep on us, the more we stir ‘til we're all restless.

Dextennis: Jonathan, there is something odd about doubles grass specialists. Why are so many of you ‘junior’s? Powell Jr., Green Jr., Arias Jr. - did your fathers love grass more than you?

Powell Jr.: ...Um, I don't know, my Dad definitely spent a lot of time on grass courts when I was growing up, but I was always included and a big part of his career. I remember him picking me up after he won the Summer Summit both times. I'm not sure about Jaime or Giovani though.
Lowery: Dog your pops was obsessed with that yard when we was kids. This tiny little house in the 'burbs standing out like the back nine at a fairway. And the smell from the patio after he 'took walks' during Christmas. He definitely loved grass more than you. Sorry.

Dextennis: Marquita, Cordelia, you premiered as 2nd Independex wildcards. Along with the singles wildcards you have been cited by experts as having helped lead the way for future newcomers - some of whom later debuted as qualifiers, until tournament organizers and Tennis voters agreed to allow newcomers to debut as unseeded entrants. What are your thoughts on shelving qualifiers like overdue library books?

McClendon: Well for us it's definitely interesting because we started our careers in the first round, at a time when already active athletes had to go through the qualies. And I know that there was a lot of last-minute withdrawals that shook things up at the Independex. But lately I've been thinking the lack of qualifiers really streamlines tournaments and gives newbies an extra boost to start, even though I also think we should maybe include as many players at tourneys as we can.
Natalya: Yeah it's definitely a tricky situation that can really go either way. On the one hand we have an increasingly competitive league where it was already hard for new players to break in, I mean none of the Native guys even made it to these slam quarters, that's how high the bar is - but on the other hand who knows what kind of special talent is out there waiting to make it in. Or established players on the verge of a big breakthrough, or something. I think that maybe slams should have qualifiers but that Div. II and Div. III events shouldn't.

Dextennis: You reached your first career quarterfinals at Halloween, you also reached the sweet sixteen at the autumn slam and Thanksgiving. At the winter slam, you have excelled under your first-ever tournament seeding at 14th, dropping only one set including through a 7-6, 7-5 quarterfinal upset of Jungle finalists Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson, a 6-4, 6-2 sweet sixteen shellacking of 2nd Independex champions Harper Villarreal/Gwen Daniel and a 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 unpacking of Halloween semifinalists Trent Wolf/Dominique Powers. Can we see the lightning you bottled?

Natalya: It's revolting.
McClendon: There's no lightning in a bottle, just the guidance and support of our coaches and trainers and fans. And some good luck. Hopefully this is only the start.

Dextennis: Jonathan and Lyndon, Marquita and Cordelia, thank you again for taking a break from trailblazing to give us your time. Using only one holiday word, what will it take to become one of the all-time least expected slam finalists?

Powell Jr.: Peace.
Lowery: Miracle.

Natalya: Rule-breaking.
McClendon: Glory.

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