By Paula Scheb, Director of Sports

I caught up with Jay Freedman during the Battle of the Bay a couple of weeks ago and casually asked him how his tennis team did in the Men’s 8.0 National Team Championships (65+ age group). He humbly told me they WON the championship title! I immediately asked and Jay agreed to share his perspectives on his team’s very special journey.

After speaking with Jay for 90 minutes I left with many interesting pieces of information. Jay let me know that he was not the captain but shared that he was “the guy” his captain relied on to do the statistical research that went into several key decisions.

There were many interesting angles, including personal triumphs, partnerships, lineups, motivation, determination, attention to detail, mental improvements, match toughness, personal tennis improvement, communication, tie-breaks, and – as I mentioned earlier – statistical analysis. I will share a few.

The Road to Nationals
Let me begin with a brief overview of how Jay’s Midwest team (he is from the Chicago area) won the opportunity to play for a National Championship title in Surprise, Arizona…. where matches are played outdoors on hard courts! The Midwest team advanced by winning the Midwest Sectional Tournament (consisting of teams from five states – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin), played in Indianapolis, in late November.

Team matches consisted of three individual doubles matches and the Midwest team upset the highly favored top-seeded team from Ohio, which had come in second at Nationals in 2024, thus earning the Midwest a spot in the National tournament.

Pictured from left to right:
Craig Williams, Dave Martin, Jay Freedman, John Griffin,
Joe Costigan, Rod Schroeder, Stephen Chertok and
Tom Gilbertson (Captain).

The Nationals format is brutal. 15 teams representing different sections of the United States play four preliminary matches, against randomly selected teams from the 14 other sections, throughout Friday and Saturday. After these four preliminary matches, the top four teams are ranked and seeded to play a semifinal and final match on Sunday. If you are wondering if that sounds like a lot of tennis, you would be correct. Potentially six outdoor, hardcourt, matches, in just over 48 hours!

The Midwest captain had a tough call to make after sectionals. Should the team view Nationals as a celebration of a great season it would allow all team members to participate in matches and “enjoy the experience. The other option was to “try to win a National Championship” by playing the six best players as often as possible, thereby acknowledging that several teammates may not see any competitive court time.

With the help of detailed statistical analysis, the captain recognized that the Midwest had been blessed with a favorable draw in the four preliminary matches by avoiding the top four toughest teams. The data also pointed out, surprisingly, that prior successful teams at Nationals relied heavily, even almost exclusively, on their three best teams rather than spreading the playing burden to four or more doubles teams. The captain and a majority of the team chose to “try and make a deep run” by planning to play only their best players and doubles teams. While competitively exciting, it was difficult for several players to know, and for the captain to tell them, that they would likely not be playing.

It was a brave move by the team captain and several players chose not to make the trip. The team faced a lot of challenging tennis, on hard courts, with lots of opportunities for things not to happen as planned.

The Statistical Edge
Enter the secret weapon: Tennis Record, which develops a more precise player skill rating than the standard USTA ratings of 3.5, 4.0, and 4.5. Once the draw was set, Jay dove into the data, analyzing each player, on every team, to determine each team’s overall strength and how they typically construct their line-up.

Every team at Nationals had just won their section and each preliminary match was a war. By Saturday night, with the benefit of solid play and a favorable draw, the Midwest team found themselves 4-0! They would be playing Missouri Valley in the semis! The two best teams on paper, Northern Cal (NorCal) and Texas, would play each other in the other semi-final.

Sunday: A Team Triumph
There is a universal truth recognized by most senior USTA players … to win a match, or a competition, you need, 1) good players who stay healthy, 2) to play well, 3) a fortunate draw, and 4) your team needs to win the inevitable third-set tie-breaks.

Sunday’s semi-final against Missouri Valley was a nail-biter that proved the axiom. Midwest’s court 3 lost a close three-set match. Court 2 won in straight sets. On court 1, Jay’s match had split sets and the fate of the season came down to a third-set, 10-point, tie-break. With close to 100 people loudly rooting on every point, Jay and his partner prevailed 10-5 and the Midwest team was going to play in the finals against the powerhouse team from NorCal. Jay said that the tiebreak was “the most intense tennis I have ever played.”

On paper, the finals match was a mismatch. NorCal was favored in every match, none more so than on court 1 where Jay and his partner played a team whose Tennis Record combo score was 30 points higher, implying the NorCal duo had an almost 90% probability of winning. The dominant NorCal player had a 16-0 record over the past two years in 65+ 8.0 competition. In truth, Jay and his partner were “being sacrificed” on court 1 in the hopes of the Midwest winning court 2 and court 3. Jay and his partner played smart and successfully isolated the weaker player and pulled a big upset, winning 6-3, 6-2. Roughly 30 minutes later, Midwest’s court 3 won their match 7-6, 6-2, and the Midwest team was
National Champion.

I had to know, how did a bunch of 65+ players do it? Six matches in three days! That is insane. Jay said, “I slept with ice bags every night.” I was half expecting him to wink, I can assure you he did not! I pressed Jay for some tips that other players, at any level, could use in their match play. He initially declined, but he finally relented, after some serious
prodding.

Team First
Lineups are crucial; partners make a difference. Study the data and make the decision based on what is best for the team. This should not be an emotional decision, it should be a factual one.
Master Tie-breakers
The team won five out of seven tie-breakers, including the “Big One” that got us into the finals. Learn to love them. You will play them….a lot!
Communication
Talk beforehand and figure out how to best communicate with your partner. You are working together to figure out the crucial elements of this match.
Target Weaknesses
First and foremost hit to the weaker player or find their weaker shot. Isolate them and stay disciplined.
The Game Within The Game
This is a big one! Always evaluate and adapt where needed. You are not there to play the game you like, you are there to play the game your opponents dislike. I think this is the fun part. Trying to dismantle your opponents!
Work on your game
I am extremely grateful to the members of Bonita Bay Club and to several coaches who have challenged me to play better tennis. I try to be a student of the game, including working and training hard. I am very appreciative of the BBC coaching staff, including CJ, Carlos, Jamie, Sam and (formerly) Adam along with a couple of other pros I work with on a regular basis. They have helped me understand my game and how to maximize my skills.
Constructive Self Coaching
Find ways to strategize and correct errors in your game, in a positive manner. I would not have been able to share what my internal dialogue used to be but now it is more specific and positive.
Stay Calm
Work on calming the mind. Rely on your practice and training. One point at a time. It allows you to be flexible on the court.