TeamTennis : Buds to Meet St. Louis in Final
Earlier this season when the St. Louis Slims beat the San Diego Buds, 24-23, in St. Louis, Bud Coach Larry Willens was just as surprised as he was upset.
“I can’t believe we could lose to a team like this,†said Willens after the July 14 loss. “They simply don’t belong on the court with us.â€
Evidently, they did. Today, at Macfarlane Park in San Antonio, Tex., the Buds and Slims will play for the TeamTennis championship.
“It just goes to show what I know,†said Willens after the Buds beat Oakland, 26-19, Thursday, to reach today’s final. “I picked St. Louis to finish on the bottom, but they’ve been surprising.â€
In its semifinal match, St. Louis went into Miami Beach and defeated the regular-season champion Breakers, 22-21, on their home clay courts.
The Slims--Terry Moor, John Mattke, Candy Reynolds and Sandy Collins--finished the regular season with a 9-5 record. They defeated Los Angeles, 28-22, in the first round before beating Miami Beach.
The Buds, who beat St. Louis, 27-17, in their other regular-season meeting in San Diego, have won five straight matches entering today’s final.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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