Fairytale Run to USTA League National Championships for 3.5 Men's Team NOVA Courtmasters

Hearing about a true Cinderella story is one thing.  Experiencing your own Cinderella story is a whole other matter.  If somebody had made a bet with Ed Tiong a year ago saying that a particular team, one that has never won a major tournament, would be in the finals of a National Championship he would never have taken that bet.  What were the odds of that happening?

Thank goodness that bet did not take place, otherwise Tiong would have lost big time.  As it turned out, such a scenario became a reality for the Court Masters, a 3.5 men’s team from Falls Church, VA.  The team, captained by Tiong, consisted of 19 players from the Northern Virginia area.  Though the team has existed for a while, the roster has had some changes throughout the years and until this season they had never made it past the local league playoffs.

After this season it looks like the status quo has been turned upside down.  The team encountered many major first wins within a short period of time.  In July, the team finally won their local league playoffs to qualify for the USTA/Virginia Tennis District Championships in Newport News, VA for the first time.  They went on to win. Things kept getting better as they made an even greater debut in their first USTA/Mid-Atlantic Section Championship in August, also held in Newport News, VA, taking home that title as well.  Everyone was beginning to see that the Court Masters meant business.

Before anyone knew it, this remarkable team found themselves competing at the USTA League National Championship this past October in Tucson, AZ.  Once again, the team defied all odds and battled its way to the finals.  Unfortunately, their run ended with a tough 1-4 loss to a worthy team from Dallas, TX.  Still, it was hard to be disappointed about placing 2nd at the National Championship given the road they’d traveled to get there.

Ed Tiong credited strong team support and cohesiveness as the main reason the team was so successful this year.  Practicing twice a week at Skyline Sport&Health Club and playing matches on weekends helped bond the team and made everyone mentally tough during matches. This was never more apparent as they pulled out numerous match tiebreaks throughout their improbable, fantastic journey.

The Court Masters success this past year has only increased their team’s motivation.  They have already begun a practice regimen in hopes of repeating their accomplishments for the upcoming year.  Off court, the team is continuing to bond and form close knit relationships with one another.  They enjoy meeting for player get-togethers and birthday dinners, and even had a player propose to his girlfriend in front of his teammates.  Talk about a memorable year!

Interested in creating your own Cinderella story?  Find a USTA League in your area!