Dextennis Forum 2023 grass court season

Dexterra	The Swing of the Jungle 1 Year Ago The people of Dexterra and the Tennis Assembly are itching to announce The Swing of the Jungle, an inaugural Division III national tennis tournament that will initiate our national grass court season. This event will consist of 32 singles and 16 doubles main draw entrants, including 4 singles and 2 doubles qualification round winners; all matches will be best-of-three sets. It will be held in Costa Esmeralda, the Spanish Coast. Schedule and draws results posted between 1-3 PM Beagle Standard Time (EST) 11 July 2023: qualifiers 12 July: (singles only) round of 32 13 July: round of 16 14 July: quarterfinals 15 July: semifinals (late results) 16 July: finals Singles seeds and entrants (1) Julian Hull (2) Wendy Yates (3) Camille Fletcher (4) Laila Love (5) Abram Benson (6) Michelle Keller (7) Esmeralda Serrano (8) DeMarcus Shannon Jr. Carter Allen Francesca Burns Alexis Keith Gracelyn Matthews Gisselle Orr Sabrina Craig Alyssa Dillon Dwayne North A.J. Sánchez Ulysses Bliss Aylin Davidson Lucille Ha Fidela Kirkpatrick Mikayla R.B. Lee Kingston Lewis DeAngelo Lucas Ashlyn Mills-Myrto Alanna Jesenia Ochoa Lainey Porter Elisha Kaufman Q1: Crystal Key vs. Aurelia Williamson Q2: Estella Y. Kirby vs. Nick O’Wiggins Q3: Tamika Morton vs. Lorna Walker Q4: Derek Rich VIII vs. Cameron Sean Singles main draw: challonge.com/junglesingles Doubles seeds and entrants (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead (2) Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth (3) Demetrius Barron/Penelope Vincent (4) Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson Albert Q. Davis/Jazlene Chang Ayden Fuller/Juliana Méndez Gracelyn Matthews/Catherine Rubio Clay Acosta/Alma Faulkner Bella McCoy/Amani D. Berry Angeline Bowman/Kyler Craig Jason Franklin/Emmanuel Grant IV Olivia May/Ædan Morris Q1: Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy vs. Amy Woodward/Timothy Church Q2: Angelina Simpson/Savanah Vázquez vs. Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha Doubles main draw: challonge.com/jungledoubles National tennis rankings: tiny.cc/lho8vz (OOC) Scorination All matches will be scorinated with Xkoranate 0.3.3, with entrants allocated points according to ranking and a bonus according to any primary or secondary appearance in a writing. Venue The city of Costa Esmeralda is thrilled to host The Swing of the Jungle at El Comunes, a modest community center fit for athletic, recreational and academic purposes home to professional baseball and gridiron teams named the Canopy and the Jungle, respectively, though tennis events have also taken place. There is one multipurpose sports arena - El Bosque, capacity 2,500 for those who can brush past sprawling vines - as well as ten auxiliary and public practice tennis courts each draped in ivy, branches and other cozy plantlife. All have retractable roofs in case of inclement weather, which may likely be needed with forecasts calling for scattered showers and daily average temperatures of 30-40° C (~85-100° F) in dry heat, although humidity is expected to be moderate.    The flora and fauna of El Bosque (humidity often affects the quality of photos taken in this woodsy arena) Renowned across Dexterra for a green - a great - many things, the city of Costa Esmeralda was founded four hundred years ago by Spanish explorers who named it 'the emerald coast.' While straddling the Península Zafiro beside deep blue sea, the tropical southern terminus of the Gracierra Mountains has instead made Costa Esmeralda more famous for lush, dense tropical jungles and teeming rainforests that form some of the nation's largest and most protected national parks. Unfortunately for residents and visitors alike, this vibrant wilderness and flourishing biodiversity also spawns the nation's largest, gnarliest creatures, such as trillipedes, vampiranhas and flying spiders. Though residents know how to ward off grotesque wildlife with tennis racquets or other sizable defenses, visitors will be offered mosquito nets, vaccines and flamethrowers before checking in to their lodging accommodations. Luckily Costa Esmeralda's lively ecosystem has also inspired an oasis of vast botanical gardens, comprehensive horticultural centers and supercharged wind farms free to visit for all. The city hopes its unique specimen at least doesn't cost visitors their appetites, as the Spanish Coast is celebrated for its delicious Dex-Mex cuisine which interprets flavorful Central and South American dishes through Caribbean fusion - such as jerk chicken tacos and pineapple burritos - and can be enjoyed from restaurants, food trucks and fast food franchises lining nearly every commercial zone (brought to you by Tío's Dios Mío® Nacho Jesús). Costa Esmeralda and its handful of surrounding suburban towns are one of Dexterra's last remaining major metropolitan areas which continue to thrive on a slight majority agrarian economy, due to climate conditions pristine for renewable energy production, eco-agricultural development and other lucrative resources and commodities. Such farms, factories, distilleries and more that churn the municipal economy also host popular tours and special events such as weddings, parties and conventions, which are also popular for the nearby tropical jungles and rainforests though not as much as hiking and orienteering opportunities. On the other side of town, heavenly beaches bathe attendants and the economy in dreamy touristy ocean, usually before chasing them away with nightmarish thunderclouds. Residents typically then enjoy a siesta and dinner, before going swing dancing at one of the city's seven nautical nightclubs known as the 7Cs, which visitors 21 years or older are more than welcome to join. Transportation and lodging are arranged thanks to the Transportation and Diplomacy Councils. Many parts of Costa Esmeralda are 'car-free zones,' so verified event entrants, workers and ticketholders will be offered free city self-driving rideshares, public transportation passes or bicycles if they'd prefer not to walk through all the Spanish moss hanging from nearly every square meter of public space. Entrants and traveling workers will be housed at The Inner Peace, a swanky decentralized resort village nestled in the rainforest where guests stay in elegant fully furnished tribal huts, free to frolic in an indoor waterfall pool or down a mountaintop zipline along with other rustic and luxurious amenities. City limits are a 10 minute walk from The Inner Peace, and El Comunes an additional 5. The most common points of entry for all Costa Esmeralda are the National Highway (southbound from Buenos Perros and eastbound from Las Calas), the National Airport (NACE) and the National Seaport (NSCE), themselves a 5 to 20 minute bus ride from the Inner Peace, El Comunes and the city center.       Welcome to Costa Esmeralda, Costa Español ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Dextennis Special Edition 1 Year Ago originally posted 27 June 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Pennyworth Farr, maritime businessman and relative to tennis lead, sinks amidst disaster Rescue Bureau says Seas Get Degrees executive sleeps with the fishes Some believe he loved the ocean more than any other Dexter, while others feel no one less understood it. Pennyworth 'Penny' Farr, 73, of Skyswim, was more than just Great Uncle to Julian Hull, currently tied for singles national number 1 in the official Tennis Assembly rankings. As the head of Seas Get Degrees, he was also a thrifty and shrewd tycoon in a bubbling shipwreck tourism industry despite federal warnings and litigation - until Mother Nature intervened. "We've recovered mainly the pilot's flip phone, from his submersible driven to the Extremely Dangerous Cave at the wreck of the Unsinkable 2 in a Don't Go Here zone," officials from the Rescue Bureau stated on a beach in El Faro, where the craft unmoored. "The submersible's one occupant more than likely perished. We are fortunate that no others appear to have joined, as this would have become an even more unspeakable tragedy." While Farr claimed to welcome the nationwide adoption of socialism in 2021, those close to him say he continuously tested the confines of state ownership over his family business, which already treaded murky waters as profiteers of treacherous tourism. Myriad shipwrecks nestled off Dexterra's shores offer visitors a glimpse into our nation's past, while the furthest and deepest sites promise adrenaline junkies the thrill of a lifetime - and the likes of Farr the buck of a fiscal quarter plus colossal taxes, audits and red tape. The Extremely Dangerous Cave is nevertheless a leading destination for the riskiest thrillseekers. At reported depths as far down as 3,500 meters, the entrance of the Cave itself supposedly boasts a whirlpool jettisoned by frequent riptides that has toppled the steeliest of ships - including both Unsinkables, the Eternal and the We'll Live. Undaunted by the area's status as a National Memorial, given only to significant historic gravesites, with supervision from authorities Farr previously strapped himself into the Jonah, a submersible the oceanic equivalent of a sedan, and did - twice - return alive from the Extremely Dangerous Cave. But now he didn't. While Farr's next adventures apparently included the Super Fatal Cave or even the Crazy Death Cave, his lifelong obsession with the ocean and underwater history instead swept him into the fins of Poseidon. Hoping to open a commercial line to the wreck of the We'll Live despite vocal, written concerns across the Finance and Nature Councils, Farr may have illegally put pending permits out of his mind and into his eulogy.  Surfacing satellite data shows that on the morning of 24 June, he took advantage of fair weather and set off to the Very Scary Area alone - without prior inspection or even any communications - intending to surreptitiously bolster his capabilities before potentially leveraging a third-ever supervised safe trip as proof of the Area's economic viability. But with the Justice Council and Rescue Bureau each uncovering evidence of newly self-made glass windows capable of handling only 250 of the 1,000+ meter dive, black market discounted expired fuselage and controls recently rejiggered with a gaming controller from 2006, it may be no wonder Farr was declared a missing person after he suddenly missed regular appointments. Penny Farr, a native of Tristerra, was last seen in El Faro at a Seas Get Degrees laboratory on Thursday, 22 June. This was his official company portrait. A manhunt quickly spilled into the Very Scary Area, as physicists forewarned Justice and Rescue that their trail of circumstantial breadcrumbs would surely trace back to mere atoms of Farr or the Jonah. Indeed, after days of intense search, Rescue are poised to wrap up with what little pieces they've found. Officials say the craft probably imploded under enormous water pressure. "I hadn't seen or talked to my Great Uncle Penny in a minute but he was always like a grandfather to me," mourned Julian Hull, 25, of Trident Forge, in a nationally televised interview with Good Morning Dexterra. "He really embodied our family's passion for everything oceanic and could have done a lot of good for everyone with what he inherited. I don't know if he was a great innovator like he said or dare I say a cheap corner-cutter, but I do know that someone lost a father, another lost a husband, another a brother and so on. And that's why we've got all these important safety regulations. The red they're written ain't always ink or socialism." A science-fiction writer in addition to national tennis action, Hull has written several novels and scores of short stories featuring the ocean as a backdrop, while swimming to the top of the singles rankings alongside Wendy Yates. His latest novella about a manmade tsunami, named On Sail, is now on sale. As for fans of his tennis story, league organizers say the singles national number 1 tie between he and Yates could be broken with a grass court tournament now as early as July or August. Of course, the Hull family is requesting privacy until the season starts. "The Rescue Bureau will continue to put forwards our best search efforts as we gather the complete facts, even though we believe we can now say that the math and science is against the rescuee," officials continued in El Faro. "At this point, the focus of the investigation appears to be shifting towards collecting evidence or remains and gathering a timeline. We would like to remind everyone to follow the law, practice complete safety by any and all waterways and to do their due diligence before willingly and legally taking a risk." Word from Beagalia appears to suggest federal want for a formal closing of the Very Scary Area and other risky places to individual visitors, a measure evidently supported by both Finance and Nature. Legislators and other officials sources, however, are cautious not to politicize a recent tragedy. The only confirmed photo of the We'll Live in its final resting place. In the distance, a steep drop-off to the Extremely Dangerous Cave. (This story was inspired by the recent sinking of the Titan: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titan_submersible_implosion) ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXIII Round I 1 Year Ago 11 July 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Touching grass courts Dexter tennis thumbs turn green, swinging into summery Costa Esmeralda jungles Beagles have come here to kick grass and chew bubblegum, and we’re all out of bubblegum. Facing dense, humid overgrowth sprawling through lush wilderness outside the city of Costa Esmeralda, in southern Costa Español tropics, a groundbreaking grass court tournament shall soon untangle an historic first-ever Division III national tennis tournament. The Swing of the Jungle today plants our inaugural grass season by plotting main draws of 32 total singles and 16 total doubles entrants. There are main draw qualifying entries up for grabs first - four singles and two doubles - in today's qualifying ground floor within our shimmering Spanish emerald. "The Tennis Assembly is overjoyed to begin our first-ever D3 tournament, first-ever grass event and first-ever grass season here at The Swing of the Jungle," beamed Tennis Caretaker Rebecca Margareta with pride, in a public speech given before today's opening day festivities on the grounds of El Comunes (also known as El Ejido), where the tournament is held. "In Costa Esmeralda, and future tennis host cities, we hope to achieve finer standards of national athletic excellence, to proficiently develop the talent we currently have and, of course, to run a safe, fair and fun event for all. We also hope to establish a brighter, stronger Dexter tennis tomorrow." There is much to accomplish with every swing of the Jungle, such as deciding both singles and doubles national number 1 positions, as well as breaking other ties for lower rankings. In singles, Julian Hull and Wendy Yates are currently tied for national number 1, but other Jungle entrants are in contention for the top spot depending on how Hull and Yates perform. In doubles, Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead and Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth are tied up in a similar number 1 situation, with potential usurpers also chomping at their performative bit. Of course, this all will take the focus more of the main draws, which begin in tomorrow's singles round of 32. In today's qualifying rounds, there await four singles and two doubles tickets into the main draw. All Jungle matches will take place in morning or afternoon sessions which start around 10 AM and 12:30 PM, respectively, to avoid high temperatures and thunderstorms that tend to accumulate well into the evening: Singles Qualifier 1: Crystal Key vs. Aurelia Williamson Cancha Tres; afternoon session Q2: Estella Y. Kirby vs. Nick O'Wiggins Cancha Uno; morning Q3: Tamika Morton vs. Lorna Walker Cancha Tres; morning Q4: Derek Rich VIII vs. Cameron Sean Cancha Dos; afternoon Doubles Q1: Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy vs. Amy Woodward/Timothy Church Cancha Dos; morning Q2: Angelina Simpson/Savanah Vázquez vs. Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha Cancha Uno; afternoon Some qualifying round entrants might be familiar to fervent Beagle followers, while others could soon become familiar. The Waukesha sisters are making their first appearance in a national tennis qualifying round after their 1st Independex title-defense collapsed in the 2nd Independex round of 64. Estella Y. Kirby and Derek Rich VIII are renowned wheelchair tennis aces, and similar to Crystal Key, Nick O'Wiggins and Savanah Vázquez, they were among the 44 registered athletes who corrected or updated their names and other personal information before the season's start. Finally, Tamika Morton and Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy are grass court specialists, as are several main draw entrants. These qualifying round and main draw entrants were all decided through seeding invitations, tryouts and play-in matches amongst 111 of Dexterra's more than 200 national tennis athletes. Not all seeding invitees were available, and some of the most talented sportspeople just narrowly lost out on this illustrious opportunity. "Me and Shirley recently moved to Tristerra to get closer to the tennis action, so we’re really training hard to get back to that championship level or even natty number 1 again, which would just be a dream come true. Although, dodging face-sized mosquitoes and billion-legged bugs, even clay specialists like us are better off training here in Costa Esmeralda,” Rebecca Waukesha quipped in the tournament’s first pre-match presser, swatting the Scarius holycrapicus, better known as the face-sized billisquito. “Good thing we got our malariaids-23 booster, and these racquets!” Relayed Derek Rich VIII in Dextennis’s only exclusive interview with a qualifier so far, “It's awesome to just be in this opening round! I hope I can reach the [singles] main draw, I fell short the last couple times against some really stiff competition." The current generation of a once wealthy and powerful family, 28-year-old Rich VIII of Shallowbanks, Bay Dexter, spent much of his life homeless and chronically ill, until “universal basic income and subsidized housing” then “wheeled him off the streets” and “into recovery.” The paraplegic nevertheless pursued singles tennis throughout his "lifelong rough patch" and today still does, to "show his two sons" - Derek IX and Bob - "anything is possible, anyone can come back from anything, whether it's misfortune or illness or even tennis pros much more capable than you." In the qualifying round, he faces Cameron 'Cam' Sean, a 25-year-old photographer from Upperlight. Rich VIII on court at the 2nd Spring Slamateur in March 2023 Ahead of all the Jungle qualifying rounds, the Tennis Assembly updated the national ranking point system to include all three levels of national tennis tournaments, having collaborated with athletes, mathematicians and other highly valued opinions to create equitable point distribution. Points earned at this year's 2nd Independex Championships were adjusted to D1 tournament scheduling, although the tennis rumor mill suggests that next year's 3rd Independex may be held as a D3 tournament because of its position on the calendar. So far, neither athletes nor union representatives from the Athlete's Assembly have raised any concerns about the updated ranking system, which Tennis has stated they would openly welcome and use to make further improvements. "The Tennis Assembly considers The Swing of the Jungle and our first grass season not as the continuation of something grand and opulent, but as a new beginning of a work in progress," continued Caretaker Margareta in Costa Esmeralda. "We'll put forth the best of our best efforts for all national tennis, and hope that things maintain a positive direction." Grounds will open to the public at 9 AM Beagle Standard Time (BST), though ticket booths will open at 8:30 AM BST; the earliest visitors may be able to catch part of a practice session or two before the Jungle morning session starts. Tournament organizers have stated that today's weather likely won't necessitate roofs on the courts during the morning, but could in the afternoon, with temperatures and humidity expected to climb. Live coverage of The Swing of the Jungle is provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Qualifying rounds 1 Year Ago Singles qualifying rounds Crystal Key               7 3 6 Aurelia Williamson    6 6 1 Estella Y. Kirby         6 4 3 Nick O'Wiggins         3 6 6 Tamika Morton         6 6 Lorna Walker           4 1 Derek Rich VIII         6 6 Cameron Sean         2 2 Doubles qualifying rounds Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy           6 6 Amy Woodward/Timothy Church           1 0 Angelina Simpson/Savanah Vázquez      3 3 Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha    6 6 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXIII Round II 1 Year Ago 12 July 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The swingles of the Jungle 32 singles athletes brave groundbreaking Costa Español sweat Out of dense, lush wilderness teeming with some of the country’s most unique biodiversity emerges eight total Beagle qualifiers, swinging for the top of a brown-and-blue sports canopy. Dexterra’s first Division III national tennis tournament and grass season are well underway in Costa Esmeralda, the Spanish Coast, after game, set and match on The Swing of the Jungle qualifying rounds yesterday. Four singles athletes and two doubles teams have punched their tickets into the main draws, which begin with today’s singles-only round of 32: Crystal Key, Nick O’Wiggins, Tamika Morton, Derek Rich VIII, Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy and Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha have each prevailed through the Jungle qualifying trails into the main draw. “Despite slight hiccups, like inferno ants swarming a practice court, we are proud to say the Jungle is just about in full swing,” proclaimed Adelina Gutiérrez, Presidenta of The Swing of Jungle™ LLC, in a media event that opened the morning session. "Putting the qualifying rounds behind us, national tennis can start advancing the singles and doubles main draws, inaugurating grass courts in what the Tennis Assembly and all Dexters can take as a major step forwards." For qualifying round survivors, it’s now mano a mano with some of the most feral tennis wildlife in today’s singles round of 32. Standing athwart Jungle qualifying and unseeded entrants loom the lofty likes of 1-seed Julian Hull or 2-seed Wendy Yates - two 2nd Independex semifinalists tied for national singles number 1. While Dexter sports media has continuously hyped this budding rivalry, experts predict that a much-anticipated Hull versus Yates singles final likely won’t materialize, as Yates is a clay specialist starting her Jungle campaign against qualifying grass specialist Morton, in a bottom half that includes other tough grass specialists like Mikayla R.B. Lee, Kingston Lewis and 7-seed Esmeralda Serrano. "Being Dexter number 1 is a huge honor obviously, although I really think it's a great time to be a Dexter athlete in general. But yes, I do think Yates will come out on top in the end, whether or not she also gets the title," prophesied Hull in his opening pre-match presser. Squaring up to plot his own Jungle campaign in the round of 32 against qualifying wheelchair visionary Derek Rich VIII, the 25-year-old newly New Croatan Times bestselling author from Trident Forge will dedicate his performance to his late Great Uncle, Penny Farr, recently killed diving to the Extremely Dangerous Cave. "I don't feel uncomfortable playing a guy in a wheelchair at all, [Rich VIII] ain't got no working legs but he can still kick some major grass. If I can take him down, and anybody else after, I'd like to do it for my Great Uncle Penny, who pushed me to pursue my dreams at all costs. ...Well, maybe not all costs, but you know." Determined that she too can kick grass despite feet of clay, Dexterra's additional singles number 1 believes she is also ready for anything the Jungle brings. "I've spent all this off-season training my grass skills, and I think I know what I need to do to blossom in a whole garden of grass talent. It's a tall order but I hope I can show I'm also number 1 for a reason," posited Yates in her own opening pre-match presser. Sharpening racquets for a round of 32 entanglement with a qualifying grass specialist, the 25-year-old part-time legal aide from Union City indeed has her Jungle work macheted out for her. "[Morton] is a total beast on grass and I learned a lot from just from her qualifying match. So, you know, worst clay specialist scenario, I'll just gear up for the next grass tourney, and the next. Maybe if the stars align enough, I could keep fighting for a top ranking. Thanks so much for this one chance today though!"   Current singles numbers 1: Julian Jacques Hull (left) and Wendy Sallie Yates (right) Of course, it would be remiss if the singles or the doubles fields focused solely on those at the top, including the closest odds-on favorites to overtake singles number 1 after Hull and Yates - like 4-seed Laila Love or even 3-seed clay specialist Camille Fletcher, two 2nd Independex quarterfinalists. Instead, The Swing of the Jungle hopes to spotlight as many courageous and perseverant Beagles as it can, while it can. Across both main draws, there are three hometown athletes representing the city of Costa Esmeralda: Yandel Jiménez, Alanna Jesenia Ochoa and Dwayne North. One singles athlete even shares a name with the city, although Esmeralda Serrano hails from Brightsands. Finally, former international singles delegate Michelle Keller is readying the 6-seed, having spent the off-season quietly becoming a scandalous symbol of the Deaf community: discontinuing the hearing aids she'd used since birth and communicating now only in Dexter Sign Language, the 20-year-old recent immigrant to Sunshores ended a regional border dispute just as she sparked controversy amongst the Deaf and Hearing communities alike. "When I moved to the English Coast because I was hired to do screenwriting and acting, I also found a Deaf community which embraced me and accepted me for who I am," signed Keller in a nationally televised morning interview on The Everyday Show, in a special Costa Esmeralda studio. "I want to be myself in every way I can. Even if that means I can't hear the crowd in beautiful cities like Costa Esmeralda, or even Sunshores. I think everybody should embrace themselves." While Dexterra's Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community is often stereotyped in national media or culture for their inclusiveness and open-mindedness, there is a fringe group within this vital subculture that actually disagrees with the use of hearing aids or anything that would improve one's hearing, seeing it as abandonment of the Deaf community. The Wellness Council has released numerous statements in support of hearing aids, cochlear implants and other medical breakthroughs for Deaf people, working tirelessly to ensure that proper healthcare is not lost for those caught up in the debate, especially CODAs (children of Deaf adults) and other minors. But activity by national figures such as Keller, who evidently deleted Dextweets calling on Deaf parents not to raise Deaf children with hearing aids, stir the hornet's nest of controversy. "I'm not pro-Deafness or whatever they call it, I'm pro-Deaf people," she continued signing in the news studio, segueing into today's Jungle round of 32 match versus Lainey Porter, a 39-year-old importer-exporter from Port Dexter, as an example. "I don't think Deafness should be federally listed as a disability - you can drive, work and do more while Deaf. You have to be careful where you might hear danger, like crosswalks, but you can still live a normal life. You don't need to hear a tennis ball coming towards you to know it's there. You just have to be in position, with a powerful forehand, or a trusty one-hand backhand, and a serve that breaks the sound barrier. Forget about any previous Independex upset, it's about the run that could possibly happen next. What was the question again?" As the swelter and humidity of The Swing of the Jungle begins to reach an early fever pitch after yesterday's qualifying rounds, what indeed happens next is 32 singles athletes shall face off on the already fading grass. Looking to join 16 doubles teams perched upon the next tennis level, a groundswell of singles grass specialists, clay specialists and all-court aces are branching out onto increasingly precarious ground, as a crew of skeletons in the now-sealed qualifying cave might testify. Considering seafaring or down-to-Earth national tennis captains, mutinous storms fomenting on the rankings horizon and a seemingly treacherous Deafriend or Deafoe, what other adventures dare await in the national tennis wilderness for 32 of our most intrepid and storied singles grass explorers? Live coverage of The Swing of the Jungle is provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Singles round of 32 1 Year Ago Singles round of 32 (1) Julian Hull                          6 6 (Q) Derek Rich VIII                 3 2 Dwayne North                         2 6 6 A.J. Sánchez                          6 3 1 (8) DeMarcus Shannon Jr.     5 6 6 Ashlyn Mills-Myrto                  7 4 4 Carter Allen                            6 6 8 DeAngelo Lucas                     4 7 6 (4) Laila Love                         1 6 6 (Q) Crystal Key                      6 3 2 Gisselle Orr                            6 6 Lucille Ha                               1 1 (5) Abram Benson                 7 6 Elisha Kaufman                     5 3 Gracelyn Matthews               0 6 6 Fidela Kirkpatrick                  6 2 1 (2) Wendy Yates                   6 6 3 (Q) Tamika Morton               1 7 6 Alyssa Dillon                         0 6 4 Ulysses Bliss                        6 2 6 (7) Esmeralda Serrano        6 7 Alanna Jesenia Ochoa        2 6 Francesca Burns                 4 2 Kingston Lewis                    6 6 (3) Camille Fletcher            6 6 (Q) Nick O'Wiggins             2 2 Sabrina Craig                     7 6 Aylin Davidson                   6 3 (6) Michelle Keller              6 3 1 Lainey Porter                     1 6 6 Alexis Keith                        7 0 4 Mikayla R.B. Lee                6 6 6 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXIII Round III 1 Year Ago 13 July 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Turning new leaves Singles and doubles adventurers write home regarding sixteen sweet Jungle specimen The canopy blots light. Foliage stretches infinite green and breathes wispy humidity. Dwindling dusty trails echo with hunters becoming the hunted. With The Swing of the Jungle propelling its singles main draw through yesterday’s singles-only round of 32, Dexterra’s national tennis athletes in Costa Esmeralda are finding it is quite a jungle out there. Stunning upsets and strong start-ups have uprooted some of our wildest singles seeds, implanting fears within survivors of befalling the same chopping block fate. But they, and the lushest doubles pods soon to sprout the doubles main draw, appear far from shelter as the singles and doubles paths converge in today’s round of 16. While the focus of the singles main draw initially centered on the national singles number 1 tie between Julian Hull and Wendy Yates, it seems the round of 32 has already broken that tie. Jungle 2-seed Yates managed to upgrade her clay specialty all the way into match point during a second set tiebreak, but ultimately slid 6-1, 6-7, 3-6 to grass-specialist qualifier Tamika Morton, mathematically putting Hull at sole number 1 after he dethroned qualifier Derek Rich VIII 6-3, 6-2. But 3-seed Camille Fletcher and 4-seed Laila Love - along with other worthy seeded and unseeded entrants - are still alive to claim sole singles number 1 for themselves or even tie at number 1 with Hull, unless he reaches or wins the Jungle final. “Well, I’m a Hull, I ain’t feeling no pressure being alone at the singles top cause I ain’t there yet officially. Everything is going mostly swimmingly for me so far though, except for trying to take a bite out of all [Rich VIII]’s break chances and zippy first serves. Tell you one thing, there's a guy who don't know his limitations,” reflected Hull on his current rankings stature and opening match, in a pre-match presser. Claiming readiness for a round of 16 showdown with hometown hero Dwayne North, a 19-year-old geography student who shocked international delegate Tristan Armstrong at the 1st Independex Championships, Hull joked with a quiver in his voice, "Of course you Costa Espies got to send your best and brightest, dog. [North] be chill anywhere but a tennis court I heard, and seen. Maybe I can tide the North Star and repel that drop shot magnetism, if I play like Yates did all throughout." There is still a tie for national number 1 - in doubles. Ensnarled amidst a similar predicament to Hull and Yates, 2nd Independex semifinalists Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead and Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth are knotted at the top of the doubles rankings. Respectively seeded 1st and 2nd at the Jungle, in the round of 16 they too are destined to encounter exceptional court specialist qualifiers, like clay sculptors Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha and grass plotters Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy. Should the numbers 1 triumph, they may endeavor more Jungle danger, such as partial hometown 4-seeds Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez, grass-specialists Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery and others also within striking distance of national doubles number 1, such as Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson or 3-seeds Demetrius Barron/Penelope Vincent. "It's just crazy for us to have the first seed, let alone be tied for such an elite ranking. When Ellie and I met at our town's U-16 tournament eons ago, we never thought we would go this far, or still have farther to go, honestly," opined Hillary Dunn in the introductory media event with partner Ellen Whitehead, both of whom are 25-year-old former healthcare professionals from Sunshores. Together they are in a rather awkward round of 16 position: taking on the qualifier Waukesha sisters who once held their number 1 spot, to which Whitehead reviewed, "Clay specialists though the Waukeshas may be, they were the first-ever Independex champions and first-ever nat number 1s, so this won't be any ordinary match, let alone a walk in the park. It'll be hard not to be starstruck but that will be the least of our worries, when we're out there covering every atom of the court and chasing down blurry zingers. If we play things right, we could cement this as a passing of the number 1 torch - and if things go wrong, a fumbling." Sizing up their own qualifier titans, relayed Dane Strong in a simultaneous media event with partner Dorothy Booth, "I remember when there wasn't any national tennis at all, I remember all the craziness and terrible times when sports were banned before Dexterra even existed. So to now be tied for national number 1 and to go for it all in a D3 is just incredible. Dorothy and I and every Dexter are so lucky in pretty much every way." The 32- and 34-year-old former personal trainers from Innerforth will start their Jungle swing in the round of 16 versus qualifiers Salazar/Murphy. Noted Booth, "We've been training for a chance like this all our lives. We know that every point counts, every swing. Where we've fallen short before, we'll use to go above and beyond now, even with two really strong grass specialists who dished out a breadstick and a bagel in the qualifiers. The number 1 ranking and more are on the line." Current doubles numbers 1: Hillary Knott Dunn/Ellen Blackfoot Whitehead (top) and Dane Thor Strong/Dorothy Ruby Booth (bottom) Elsewhere in the national tennis food chain, there have been other momentous upsets, advancing name-changers and even an upcoming all grass-specialist headliner. Surprising the Beagle tennis kennel almost more than Yates' upset, controversial singles 6-seed Michelle Keller struggled in her first-ever professional match without hearing aids, imploding 6-1, 3-6, 1-6 in the round of 32 against Lainey Porter, as experts and audience members alike question whether the Deaf icon understood translated lets, line calls and even the umpire at different points during the match. Keller blames her downfall "on rustiness only" but also "a great opponent," adamantly maintaining "complete awareness of match progress" all throughout, she signed in a post-match presser. "I can't think of any greater challenger than Micheller, she never gave up even into the last point, and I hope she knows how loud the crowd was cheering for her," praised Porter of her starry challenger to on-court reporters, hinting envy that her opponent has dodged grass-specialist Mikayla R.B. Lee in the round of 16. Though the overthrow of 2-seed Yates and 6-seed Keller rightfully have claim to the round of 32’s 'match of the day,' experts are also citing a resilient 4-6, 7-6, 8-6 truly-Beaglesque comeback by Carter Allen over DeAngelo Lucas as the foremost highlight. One of the 44 registered athletes who took the off-season to correct or update important personal information like their name, contact information and second-favorite sport, Allen - a 40-year-old farmer from Tricklebetter, Bay Dexter, who came out as gender-neutral this spring - withstood three match points across both the second and third sets in a tug-of-tennis that lasted more than three hours. But now in the divisive round of 16, they must withstand fateful 8-seed DeMarcus Shannon Jr. - a 27-year-old sports columnist from La Capitana who himself corrected his name this off-season, as the son of retired national quarterback DeMarcus Shannon Sr. Myriad others who requested changes were also valiant through the round of 32, such as Lee, Rich VIII or Lucille Ha, a comedian whose name was misspelled as Ho. There were also corrections or updates from many doubles athletes, including Albert Q. Davis, Jonathan Powell Jr. and even Ædan Morris, which fans are still trying to pronounce. Yet many are eagerly anticipating round of 16 matches that could outdo the Allen-Lucas brawl, chiefly 7-seed Esmeralda Serrano versus Kingston Lewis, two flourishing singles grass-specialists taking root in the Costa Español tropics. Though both are fresh off straight-set pluckings, few expect the Serrano-Lewis all-grass clippings to green-light a similar outcome. Both appear fully rested and prepared for their dominant court surface, as evidenced by their initial Costa Esmeralda glimmering. But regardless of which specialist prevails upon the grass, the winner must next mow down an even taller contender: either qualifying fellow grass-specialist Morton who cut down Yates, or Ulysses Bliss, the only one of two weathered 2nd Independex wildcards still swinging in the Jungle. In addition to these singles rumbles in the Jungle, experts and fans have long awaited a doubles round of 16 grass collision between clay specialists Ayden Fuller/Juliana Méndez and all-court aces Gracelyn Matthews/Catherine Rubio, after their sensational 1st Summer Summit final which sunlit the former team in five close sets. As meteorologists call for record temperatures and possible thunderstorms late this week, sixteen shall today sweeten The Swing of the Jungle singles and doubles round of 16, blooming both main draws by Gracierra Mountain wilderness along quiet Spanish Coast suburbs. Though ties at the top of the singles ranking canopy appear to have already been cleared, the doubles layer remains entangled, and the kings, queens or monarchs of this tennis jungle are still far from determined. A chance to bejewel tomorrow's Jungle quarterfinals is a most shimmering one for surviving racquet-wielders indeed, but the next twists and turns in the flora and fauna dotting our southern tropics could be any Beagle's guess. One thing is certain, however: wild brown-and-blue racquets won't rest in the forested green of Costa Esmeralda. "Fans can mark my words, I'll get back to singles number 1 one day! Whether this grass season, on hard courts or definitely clay, you heard it here first, I will return. Julian Hull or whomever comes out of the Jungle will find themselves at the Yates of Hell! " posted the packing singles 2-seed on social media this afternoon, still tied for singles national number 1 until the end of this current event. Live coverage of The Swing of the Jungle is provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Round of 16 1 Year Ago Singles round of 16 (1) Julian Hull                                                 6 6 Dwayne North                                                3 2 (8) DeMarcus Shannon Jr.                             6 3 6 Carter Allen                                                    3 6 8 (4) Laila Love                                                 6 6 Gisselle Orr                                                    3 4 (5) Abram Benson                                          6 6 Gracelyn Matthews                                        3 3 (Q) Tamika Morton                                         6 7 7 Ulysses Bliss                                                 7 5 9 (7) Esmeralda Serrano                                  7 6 Kingston Lewis                                              6 4 (3) Camille Fletcher                                       3 6 6 Sabrina Craig                                                6 3 3 Lainey Porter                                                 6 3 3 Mikayla R.B. Lee                                           3 6 6 Doubles round of 16 (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead                   6 7 (Q) Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha   4 5 Ayden Fuller/Juliana Méndez                         6 7 Gracelyn Matthews/Catherine Rubio             2 6 (4) Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez         6 4 6 Jason Franklin/Emmanuel Grant IV               4 6 1 Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery              5 2 Angeline Bowman/Kyler Craig                       7 6 (2) Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth                    4 6 8 (Q) Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy           6 2 6 Albert Q. Davis/Jazlene Chang                     6 6 Clay Acosta/Alma Faulkner                           2 4 (3) Demetrius Barron/Penelope Vincent        6 5 7 Olivia May/Ædan Morris                                2 7 5 Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson                6 6 Bella McCoy/Amani D. Berry                        3 1 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXIII Round IV 1 Year Ago 14 July 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Grassroots grasslands Everyday Dexters traverse the next eight elite meters of Jungle overgrowth Paths narrow. Exotic plantlife rustles amidst a fiery breeze. A clearing pokes out the light at the end of the trail. With record humidity melting Costa Esmeralda visitors into sentient puddles, event organizers at The Swing of the Jungle quickly drew roofs over the courts while the round of 16 fused together the singles and doubles main draws yesterday. Visitors attending today's sweltering quarterfinals will continue to have roofs, industrial air conditioning and plenty of ice water available to them as they witness Dexterra’s brightest rays of national tennis sunshine try to spark a run to the Jungle storybook crown - despite smothering challengers and supernova fights for national number 1 to highlight this elite eight bright spot. While the The Swing of the Jungle swooped in as our nation's first-ever Division III event with ranking ties for singles and doubles number 1 both in tow, the singles tie appears to have been already broken, though the recent round of 16 matches have briefly made the race for singles number 1 as seemingly sturdy and stable as the race for doubles number 1 - for now. Meanwhile, there have been plenty of other Jungle round of 16 matches to make experts' and fans' times more than worth days of scorching temperatures, drenching humidity and earthshaking thunderstorms that loom on the afternoon forecast today and tomorrow. In singles, all tennis eyes had originally been on Julian Hull and Wendy Yates, tied at the top of the singles rankings after going down swinging at the 2nd Independex semifinals. But after the opening Jungle round claimed Yates in an upset, now Hull tides the number 1 position alone, though the ex-lifeguard with a hurricane of groundstrokes knows he has to work to officially claim the best seat in the singles house. Case in point, despite back-to-back 6-3, 6-2 victories paddling the Jungle 1-seed to safety, Hull must still be wary of 3-seed Camille Fletcher and 4-seed Laila Love, the next closest mathematical heirs to the number 1 throne who could very well leave Costa Esmeralda upon it. Of course, all are in a precarious quarterfinal position: Hull squares off against comeback kid Carter Allen; clay-specialist Fletcher takes on grass specialist Mikayla R.B. Lee; and Love faces the evenly-matched 5-seed Abram Benson in a clash sure to light up the Jungle. Yet there are other singles athletes who could also mathematically rise to the top. "Another titanic opponent, man? I'm getting too old for this," half-joked the quadragenarian Allen to on-court interviewers, after their legendary 3-6, 6-3, 8-6 showdown with elite 8-seed DeMarcus Shannon Jr. in the round of 16 - Allen's second consecutive final-set nailbiter, though they are one of the oldest national athletes registered. Should Allen next defeat Hull in the quarterfinals and go on to win the Jungle singles title, they would tie Hull for national singles number 1. "I just turned 40 and I've been playing tennis all my life, even when it was super tough and dare I say illegal to play. I've always dreamt of getting to a pro quarterfinals somewhere, but I never thought I could get it done over, you know, the descendants of sports dynasties or something. Hopefully I've still got a lot of good years left in the tank, so we'll see how much I've still got it when I hook an even bigger fish next." Purporting to be not a bigger fish but a drop in the ocean, Hull is well aware he has now beached upon what is likely his rockiest quarterfinal shores yet. "Dog I had to sweat this town's Dwayne North in the sweet sixteen, which definitely ain't as easy as it seemed. And now I got Carter Allen, and seeing both them 8-6 close calls they pulled off, all I know is that I got to kick it up a level in the elite eight. Let me tell you, they got the strength of a Bay farmer, which is almost up there with the strength of Tristerra fishers," reminisced Hull, in his post-match presser, of surrounding match highlights and once-floundering hometown industry. “The Jungle ain’t done yet. I’m just blessed with this 1-seed, 'cause that’s history itself. But I still got to live up to it. Anybody could have it next. Anything can happen here. So to be number 1, you got to play like you be number 1.” In doubles, another pair of 2nd Independex semifinalists continue to stare each other down across opposite Jungle halves, inextricably linked at the top of the doubles rankings. Jungle 1-seeds Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead and 2-seeds Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth are thus far holding firm on their claims to chief of the Dexter tennis duopoly, both fielding an initial round of 16 qualifier uprooting. On a collision course though they may seem, other potential mathematical claimants to the doubles mountaintop are also resiliently climbing into today’s Jungle quarterfinals. Half-hometown 4-seeds Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez launched their grass campaign with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 warm welcome to Costa Esmeralda for Jason Franklin/Emmanuel Grant IV, next inviting to the quarterfinals the grass specialist-dismissers of Angeline Bowman/Kyler Craig. As well, the quarterfinals will feature Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson standing athwart 3-seeds Demetrius Barron/Penelope Vincent, effectively answering one possible bid to usurp doubles number 1. Referencing what she describes as a sign that the torch could soon be passed if not already, surveyed Ellen Whitehead to on-court interviewers after she and Hillary Dunn overshadowed former national doubles numbers 1 Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha 6-4, 7-5 in the Jungle round of 16, "Well that didn't feel like a two-set match. I mean, it wasn't. You know, the Waukesha sisters were the first number 1s for a long time, and even if this isn't their strongest court surface, they still came roaring out of the qualifiers with lobs and tweeners and break points ablaze, like they're destined to claw their way back. And I'm sure one day they will. But for now though..." cheered Whitehead in a standing ovation for their opponents. In today's pre-match presser, envisioned Dunn a quarterfinals destiny versus Ayden Fuller/Juliana Méndez, "We know that clay specialists are dangerous on any surface, even grass, so we've got a complete, comprehensive plan in the works. We're on the verge of accomplishing something amazing here in the Spanish Coast, but we're light years away, and have to take every point like it's our last. This job's not done yet." Echoing a similar sentiment in a special Press Bureau park studio following a sensational 4-6, 6-2, 8-6 come-from-behind marathon over grass-specialists Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy in the round of 16, estimated Dorothy Booth, "The two of us were as well-rested, well-trained, as we could have been. I'm sure we looked a little rusty and, I don't know, maybe uncoordinated out there, especially chasing match point down 4-5 in the third. But 'team work makes the dream work,' as they say, and we have too much on the line here in terms of rankings and championships to let it all slip away. We're only just getting started." With hours worth of new tape to study, together they will regroup to handle a barrage of powerful slices and smoldering cross-court zingers by Albert Q. Davis/Jazlene Chang in the quarterfinals, as Strong envisioned in the same nationally televised interview. "Every match here on out will just get tougher and tougher, asking more and more of our abilities, testing more and more of our characters and faults. There's been upsets already here in the rainforests and if we miss one shot or cough up one point to our opponents, then we're next, probably. ...Or we'll just steamroll them. ...Or they'll steamroll us... ...Dorothy, does that practice court look empty? We've got to get there before Hillary and Ellen, or Armani and Yandel, or the humidity and ants!" The athletic earthquakes that shook flourishing canopies along The Swing of the Jungle round of 16 surely affected all national tennis wildlife, ripples that today may cascade into an even more seismic quarterfinals. 2nd Independex wildcard Ulysses Bliss earned acclaim from pundits as a rising star and possible future singles number 1, after unearthing himself from a hall-of-fame 7-6, 5-7, 9-7 landslide marred by grass-specialist qualifier and 2-seed Yates-topper Tamika Morton. But his 'blissful' quarterfinal tennis plot now pits him against none other than 7-seed grass-specialist Esmeralda Serrano, who enlivened a sweet sixteen all grass-specialist headliner with a 7-6, 6-4 trimming of Kingston Lewis. Elsewhere, Gracelyn Matthews - the only Jungle entrant to have appeared in both singles and doubles - has unfortunately been vanquished in both, falling in singles 3-6, 3-6 to Benson, and slipping in doubles with Catherine Rubio 2-6, 6-7 to Fuller/Méndez. National sports media is also abuzz with word that Olivia May/Ædan Morris arrived late to their doubles round of 16 match because Morris stopped at Tío's Dios Mío® Nacho Jesús, and left with "a mild gastrointestinal dispute." As the bravest and brightest Dexterra Beagles determinedly rise to the occasion of exponentially risen temperatures and monumentally raised stakes, stoking their chances to put the 'win' in 'The Swing of the Jungle' amidst today's sensational quarterfinals, meteorologists are also putting the city of Costa Esmeralda on ample notice. Though three matches separate the intrepid elite eight adventurers from the El Dorado of Dexter tennis history, forecasts put the chance of thunderstorms at around 30% this afternoon and about 70% tomorrow afternoon, which could delay the start of the afternoon session or the end of the morning session on one or both days. Our tennis explorers will certainly get their chance to plot their place - or pitfall - careening for tomorrow's Jungle semifinals, but visitors to Costa Esmeralda's earthy and horticultural tennis arena are advised to bring umbrellas, ponchos and self-defogging goggles, which will still be offered free of charge on the stadium grounds to those in need. One thing could easily outshine the weather, however: champion swings of the Jungle, and the singles or doubles number 1 to perhaps therein emerge. Live coverage of The Swing of the Jungle is provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Quarterfinals 1 Year Ago Singles quarterfinals (1) Julian Hull                                               6 3 6 Carter Allen                                                  4 6 8 (4) Laila Love                                                6 7 (5) Abram Benson                                        0 5 Ulysses Bliss                                                6 6 (7) Esmeralda Serrano                                 3 4 (3) Camille Fletcher                                      6 6 Mikayla R.B. Lee                                          1 1 Doubles quarterfinals (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead                 6 6 Ayden Fuller/Juliana Méndez                       1 4 (4) Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez       6 6 Angeline Bowman/Kyler Craig                     3 1 (2) Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth                   5 6 6 Albert Q. Davis/Jazlene Chang                   7 4 4 (3) Demetrius Barron/Penelope Vincent     1 3 Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson              6 6 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXIII Round V 1 Year Ago 15 July 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Julian Hull, tennis lead and relative to maritime businessman, sinks amidst disaster Tennis Assembly says singles number 1 swept away by Jungle waterfall A river dries. The light at the end of the trail widens. But thunder shakes the treetops, and something prowls in the grass. Julian Hull, 25, of Trident Forge, was more than just Great Nephew to Pennyworth ‘Penny’ Farr, executive of Seas Get Degrees now in a watery grave in the Very Scary Area. As a co-national singles number 1 in the official Tennis Assembly rankings, he was also a mighty and titanic first Black Dexter national singles lead despite qualifying wheelchair aces and hometown heroes - until The Swing of the Jungle quarterfinals intervened. "We apologize for a delay during today's quarterfinal afternoon session. A thunderstorm surprised the city, grounds and courts at approximately 2 PM Beagle Standard Time, but play was able to resume when roofs were drawn and grounds dried," reconciled Adelina Gutiérrez, Presidenta of The Swing of the Jungle™ LLC, with all attendants during a special presser. Before the storm, Hull had won the first set, and was leading the second 2-1. Fans and experts, however, are hesitant to assign any superstitious blame. "We hope The Swing of the Jungle continues to be a safe, fair and fun experience for all. But we would like to remind everyone that more storms are expected tomorrow, so there may be additional delays, for which we apologize in advance." As Dexterra's first-ever grass season takes root in The Swing of the Jungle, there initially were two admirable Beagles tied for singles number 1: Hull, and Wendy Yates, who arguably circled the Jungle upset drain all too soon. Though Hull then was able to tide the sole number 1 position in lockstep with his doubles counterparts tied for doubles number 1, he and other awe-inspiring tennis tsunamis suddenly dissipated as they made landfall on the Jungle quarterfinals. In his wake leaves an other-worldly battle for the eye of the singles rankings hurricane, while doubles holds firm in a volcanic eruption between those nigh upon the peak of the doubles rankings: Singles top half semifinal: Carter Allen vs. (4) Laila Love El Bosque, morning session When The Swing of the Jungle initially unfurled its humid tennis sprawl, few foresaw this impending singles top half collision. 40-year-old Carter Allen has reeled off three consecutive 8-6 final set nailbiters, most recently storming back to torpedo number 1 Hull 4-6, 6-3, 8-6 in an instant quarterfinal classic. While many Dexter athletes consider retiring around Allen's age as time starts to catch up with the body, the Bay Dexter farmer hasn't let random aches, a thrown-out back or steely hip replacements wrench their counterpunch error-forcing machine heading towards 4-seed Laila Love, a 22-year-old marriage counselor-in-training from Allsgoode who herself has seemed unbreakable in the Jungle. Having won every Jungle set but her very first in the round of 32, Love even dished out a bagel to 5-seed Abram Benson in the quarterfinals, eventually serving-and-volleying 6-0, 7-5 now into one of her best professional tennis results yet. For both Allen and Love, the ultimate defeats of the singles numbers 1 now hangs over the semifinals an especially alluring array of potential prizes. In addition to an illustrious Jungle singles final berth, both Allen and Love would also stand only two sets away from becoming singles number 1 themselves if they win the championship. In Allen's case, such a monumental title would tie them with Hull for the top ranking, while Love would outright claim sole number 1. But whichever of these two relentless heavy-hitters wind up swinging out of the semifinals, in the final they will surely land across their wildest and most dangerous Jungle specimen yet. Singles bottom half semifinal: Ulysses Bliss vs. (3) Camille Fletcher Cancha Uno, afternoon session While the singles top half features our oldest semifinalist since Gerry Atrick at the 1872 Railworker Open, the singles bottom half features one of our youngest. In his first summer vacation after graduating high school, Ulysses Bliss has spent his mere second-ever professional tennis tournament churning out a series of inspirational comebacks and startling upsets, the latest being a momentous 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal dispatching of 7-seed grass specialist Esmeralda Serrano. While the 18-year-old from Upperlight has been inundated with offers from prestigious universities to transfer to some of the nation's most elite college tennis programs before the upcoming fall semester, the 2nd Independex wildcard is focused on playing spoiler to Jungle entrants climbing to singles number 1, as the only athlete not in mathematical contention to be top singles dog - for now. Next up on a blissful upset list, however, is likely the serve-and-volley freshman's most nightmarish: 3-seed Camille Fletcher, rocketing towards the singles zenith in Jungle limelight. Though Fletcher - alongside Laila Love - is the next closest mathematical successor to the singles crown, few had many Jungle expectations for the 28-year-old former aerobics instructor from Baycrest, considering Fletcher is a defensive baseliner clay-specialist playing on what is arguably her weakest court surface. But after she charred almost a dozen backhand winners through a 6-1, 6-1 grilling of grass specialist Mikayla R.B. Lee in the Jungle quarterfinals, Fletcher appears determined to prove her surprise run to the 2nd Independex quarterfinals wasn't a fluke, but the beginning of something grand. In the semifinals, she must extinguish an equally ascendant star in order to again strike the tennis flint that has sparked her own meteoric ascension. But neither Bliss nor Fletcher will find guaranteed glory at the end of the semifinals; instead, whomever emerges shall in the singles final sweat their most burning Jungle fever yet. Doubles top half semifinal: (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead vs. (4) Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez El Bosque, afternoon session As singles tennis fans and experts salivate at today’s semifinal lineup, followers of doubles Beagles have been eagerly anticipating one rendezvous ever since The Swing of the Jungle ignited. Themselves entangled in a national number 1 tie with apex predators lying in bottom half wait, Jungle 1-seeds Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead have thus far proven their place at the top of the doubles food chain, hunting down a 6-1, 6-4 quarterfinal feast upon clay specialists Ayden Fuller/Juliana Méndez. Though the 25-year-old former healthcare professionals from Sunshores continue to expand their Jungle territory with dominating court coverage and advanced return game, the semifinals will introduce the most invasive species to the Dunn/Whitehead ecosystem so far: 4-seeds Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez, within close mathematical reach of doubles number 1. Chest-bumping following a 6-3, 6-1 quarterfinal clubbing of Angeline Bowman/Kyler Craig, in many ways Edwards has gone A.P.E. with partner and Costa Esmeralda native Jiménez in the Jungle, though they will have to be truly bananas in today's semifinals in order to kick more grass. The 20-year-old tae kwon do instructor from Innerforth and 19-year-old athletics student may need more than just a barrage of trademark sidekick serves or cross-court board-splitters to truly withstand this semifinal showdown. Whichever doubles wildlife preys upon the semifinals could indeed stumble but two championship sets away from sole doubles number 1, but only by next facing the final bosses in mortal Jungle championship combat. Doubles bottom half semifinal: (2) Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth vs. Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson Cancha Uno, morning session Quietly but resolutely managing their share of the doubles number 1 tie, Jungle 2-seeds Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth seem to have journeyed to Costa Esmeralda on a mission not unlike their ranking tie detractors lurking in the top half grass. Bouldering back-to-back final set Jungle comebacks such as a mountainous 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 quarterfinal erosion of Albert Q. Davis/Jazlene Chang, the 32- and 34-year-old Innerforth racquet club owners have displayed plenty of championship and leadership merit with their unshakeable rally endurance and pummeling groundstrokes. But their loftiest test of all is soon to rock their semifinal world, and perhaps all the national doubles foundation. Unseeded Jungle contestants Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson have long followed in the enormous Strong/Booth athletic footsteps, as 2nd Independex qualifiers who embarked upon a miracle run to the quarterfinals in the same manner as their Jungle semifinal challengers did in the 1st Independex. Now converging in Costa Esmeralda, the magic appears to be just as charming as ever for Trevino/Stevenson particularly, enchanting a 6-1, 6-3 mythical quarterfinal overthrow of 3-seeds Demetrius Barron/Penelope Vincent. The 34-year-old portrait photographer from Graystowne, Bay Dexter, and 36-year-old genealogist from Beagalia may need to rely on more than their novelty deep slices or record-breaking serve speeds if they want to come within two sets of immortality. No matter who books their place in a historic Jungle doubles final, the champion will likely walk away tied for, or sole owner of, the national doubles number 1 ranking. "Whatever happens, I just want tennis to win," mused Hull on social media, perhaps hoping for one of the slim-chance oddball scenarios which allow him to still sneak out of Costa Esmeralda as sole singles number 1. "Best of luck to everyone going forwards!! Can't wait to swim into the next tourney, wherever that be! ...Please pick somewhere in Tristerra!!" Live coverage of The Swing of the Jungle is provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Tournament update 1 Year Ago Tournament update With apologies, The Swing of the Jungle semifinals have been delayed to Sunday, 16 July 2023, and The Swing of the Jungle championships have been delayed to Monday, 17 July. A thunderstorm descended on the Costa Esmeralda metropolitan area at approximately 10:45 A.M. today, Saturday, 15 July, before the morning session could begin. Torrential rain and dangerous lightning will likely make the area unsafe to travel for the day. While the courts have roofs to protect from this type of inclement weather, a flash flood warning issued by the Weather Bureau necessitates the closing of stadium grounds until the warning expires around midnight. We apologize for the inconvenience, and ask visitors to be safe and exercise caution if they choose to attend other parts of the city. Thank you for attending this Division III national tennis tournament. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Semifinals 1 Year Ago Singles semifinals Carter Allen                                                   4 5 (4) Laila Love                                                6 7 Ulysses Bliss                                                3 4 (3) Camille Fletcher                                      6 6 Doubles semifinals (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead                 6 4 6 (4) Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez       2 6 2 (2) Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth                   1 3 Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson              6 6 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXIII Round VI 1 Year Ago 15 July 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The final bosses New champions and new number 1s are soon to be forged in Costa Esmeralda limelight The light at the end of the trail forms a clearing. On the other side, a beach beckons with refreshing ocean breeze and bright coral sand. But no one's out of the woods yet. Less than a week ago, The Swing of the Jungle embarked on an adventure with many of Dexterra's finest national athletes into lush wilderness surrounding Costa Esmeralda, the Spanish Coast, holding our first-ever Division III tennis tournament as part of an inaugural grass season and league-wide upgrades. 32 singles and 16 doubles main draw entrants - including 4 singles and 2 doubles qualifiers - converged on these budding tennis plains to take a swing at the Jungle, and despite Mother Nature's best efforts in postponing matches, the national tennis landscape is now but one singles championship and one doubles championship away from etching this latest chapter into Dexter sports folklore - with new champions and new national number 1s to be crowned. The Finance Council offered a paid day off today, Monday 17 July, for workers who wish to take a mental health day and enjoy what may be two of the most important matches brown, blue or any colored eyes have yet to behold. Singles championship: (4) Laila Love vs. (3) Camille Fletcher Singles finalists: Love (left) and Fletcher (right) It's all come down to this - the greatest stakes ever witnessed in Dexter tennis: the winner claims not just The Swing of the Jungle singles championship, but sole singles number 1. While the Jungle singles draw took root with a tie for number 1 between 2nd Independex semifinalists Julian Hull and Wendy Yates, the Jungle final will instead center around two 2nd Independex quarterfinalists Laila [lay-luh] Love and Camille Fletcher, who swung into Costa Esmeralda as the athletes next mathematically closest to the top ranking. 4-seed Love and 3-seed Fletcher had been touted by pundits as potential finalists if they withstood Hull, Yates or others looming large, but few foresaw the two colliding in such a dramatic and thrilling championship fashion. To both their credit, Love has rung in some of the fastest serves nationally recorded with forehand shots reportedly registered on Dexter Space Station instruments, while Fletcher has sprouted decades of indomitable clay specialization into ascendant grass mastery with mystifying cross-court winners and indomitable mental fortitude. Both also staked a convincing claim to the finals through their semifinal performance: Love reeled off a 6-4, 7-5 annulment of Carter Allen with all but one break point converted, while Fletcher sculpted a 6-3, 6-4 bust of Ulysses Bliss featuring more aces than the most seasoned card sharks have seen. But as these two title heavyweights take their last swings at the Jungle, will it be Love at first championship sight, or might the title and number 1 ranking be carried out on a Fletcher? Experts offer their best and boldest singles predictions: Mwanajuma Pili: Fletcher in 3, with the final set going more than 12 total games Paula Gilbert Kató: Love in 3, with one set for either finalist being a 'bagel' Roshanara Abbasi: Fletcher in 2, with both sets ending in 7 games Doubles championship: (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead vs. Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson Doubles finalists: Dunn/Whitehead (top) and Trevino/Stevenson (bottom) While The Swing of the Jungle singles championship unfurls an exciting brawl for the top dog, the doubles championship has its own exhilarating and precarious title dogfight: one team can win sole doubles number 1, while the other can tie for best of the rankings best. Though the Jungle doubles onset was at first identical to singles - with the number 1 ranking snagged between 2nd Independex semifinalists Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead and Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth - their paths diverged as the former team planted their racquets in the Jungle doubles final absent the latter. But Dunn/Whitehead are still far from resting comfortably alone at the top: the dynamic duo with no second serves and all-encompassing court coverage must now win the Jungle championship to secure sole doubles number 1. This will be no easy task, though. On the other baseline, Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson are on the precipice of maintaining the doubles rankings status quo. Months after their miracle run from the 2nd Independex qualifiers to the quarterfinals, the impressively strategic Trevino/Stevenson duopoly could tie Dunn/Whitehead for doubles number 1 by winning the Jungle championship - effectively replacing Strong/Booth whom Trevino and Stevenson just upset in the semifinals with their signature blistering returns and dicey drop shots. Indeed, there are still some parallels between the doubles and singles draws, chiefly the resolute manner in which entrants clamored for this chance at tennis history. In highly anticipated semifinal clashes, Dunn/Whitehead marched a perilous 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 unearthing of partial hometown 4-seeds Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez after siphoning their momentum in pivotal rallies, while Trevino/Stevenson cast a decisive 6-1, 6-3 overthrow of 2-seeds Strong/Booth with unbreakable synchronicity and relentless forced errors. But now the only championship question that remains is: can Dunn/Whitehead get it done, after a strong Jungle encroachment? Or will Trevino/Stevenson ascribe a newly entangled portrait of the doubles number 1 picture? Experts offer their bravest and brightest doubles predictions: Yeong-Ja Kang: Dunn/Whitehead in 2, with both sets ending in a tiebreak Yev Melnyk: Trevino/Stevenson in 2, with no rain delays or inclement weather Serenity Petersen: Trevino/Stevenson in 3, with the set they lose being a 'breadstick' Bonus: Costa Esmeralda vs. Mother Nature Though the courts all have roofs, sometimes the weather makes them a moot point. After a thunderstorm caused a delay during The Swing of the Jungle quarterfinals afternoon session, another storm that formed the next morning caused the semifinals to be postponed to the following day when a flash flood warning was issued by the Weather Bureau. Roofs had been drawn that day, and have been up most of the event with sweltering humidity and scorching temperatures putting visitors at risk of heat stroke, dehydration and other life-threatening emergencies. These instances of dangerous weather and others - like landslides, heatwaves or sharknados - are fairly ordinary to Costa Esmeralda residents, but it can put wayward tennis travelers in jeopardy. While the Nature Council is rumored to be conducting top secret experiments in weather modification nicknamed 'Dexterraforming,' Dexters everywhere are currently left to their devices when exposed to the elements, from ponchos to sunscreen and winter coats to bathing suits. Jungle organizers have apologized profusely to those affected by delays and foul weather, but have offered enough refunds to make the drenched grounds look like they're holding a tennis fire sale, though organizers are also working tirelessly to make sure visitors have everything they need for a safe and fun experience. Meteorologists currently expect the greatest challenge to the championships to be only continued record heat and humidity, but are keeping a keen eye on the sky for any changes in Costa Esmeralda's forecast fortune. Event organizers believe that both championships and their sensational clashes for the number 1 ranking will take place as scheduled. Experts offer one last bit of Jungle insight with their most prescient and visionary predictions: Kevan Ivan Ríos: Mother Nature in 2, with thunderstorms a millisecond after match point Yoloxochitl Ameohne'e: Costa Esmeralda in 3, with sunshowers in the third set but not enough to stop play Clara Patrick: Mother Nature in 3, with the entire Spanish Coast falling into the sea afterwards Live coverage of The Swing of the Jungle is provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Championships 1 Year Ago Singles championship (4) Laila Love                                                4 6 2 (3) Camille Fletcher                                      6 4 6 Doubles championship (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead                 3 6 7 Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson               6 3 5 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXIII Round VII 1 Year Ago 26 July 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ All hail the queens, part singles New Dexters swing into national tennis thrones forged by championship glory The clearing that once formed a light at the end of the trail finally breaks through. Crashing waves and shimmering sands offer an oceanic sigh of relief. A teeming expanse of wild jungle is fully out of reach - for now. Dexterra's first Division III national tennis tournament, and first grass tournament, now officially belongs to the record books. When more than 32 singles and 16 doubles athletes converged on The Swing of the Jungle hosted in Costa Esmeralda, the Spanish Coast, none knew who would possibly emerge as the kings, queens or monarchs from the vast, overgrown wilderness in sweltering southern tropics. But after two of the most enthralling and memorable championship matches in Dexter tennis memory, the national tennis realm now has three new queens - initiating the first epoch in which the singles and doubles national numbers 1 are all women. Highlight: The Swing of the Jungle singles championship (3) Camille Fletcher def. (4) Laila Love 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 Though the Jungle singles onset primarily focused on a number 1 ranking tie between Julian "J.J." Hull and Wendy Yates, the Jungle outro ultimately descended upon the two athletes next closest to single-handedly overtaking the top spot. In a decisive and thrilling duel to not only become the new sole singles number 1 but also our first-ever singles grass court champion, Camille Fletcher and Laila Love brought all the athletic might their Beagle beings could possibly produce as the clay specialist and all court auteur grappled for this tennis mountaintop. The Swing of the Jungle singles championship began fairly conservatively, with both athletes cautious of risks, errors or miscalculations as they gathered a feel for each other's playing styles in their first-ever meeting. While the 3-seed and 4-seed remained on serve in the first set until Love served at 4-4, at 15-30 a nearly hearty forehand winner for her sailed straight into the net, an unforced error which created a crucial break point for Fletcher. During the next point, Love blasted a clutch first serve which Fletcher just narrowly returned down the line, allowing Love to approach the net and pummel the ball all through a searing exchange - eventually forcing her opponent to then make the same error as hers prior, saving at least one break point. But during the next, Fletcher was early to dominate the return and ensuing rally, soon running Love from one side of the baseline to the other and eventually stranding her to watch Fletcher incinerate a legendary cross-court backhand zinger, clinching a 5-4 lead and an opportunity to serve for the first set. While Love ultimately pushed and nudged and defied the next game through 5 grueling deuces, during which she scrounged 2 chances to break back and keep the match on serve, in her last set point Fletcher launched a lob which just caught the baseline by millimeters - stunning the first set in 6-4 upheaval. Both athletes then came out swinging to start the second set, with Love jumping to an early 2-0 lead from which Fletcher wrestled away the break consolidation 2-2, keeping the match on serve with momentum-shifting forehand missiles and a mythical around-the-post winner that conjured the first of many break points. But Love nevertheless deepened a consistent rhythm and expert responses as the second set progressed, tightening her footwork and accelerating the pace of every rally. Eventually breaking again to altogether amass a 5-3 lead, she sought to aggressively serve out the set by driving the ball around both ends of the court, potentially staving off a straight-set shellacking - only to find Fletcher had not yet written off the second set. While Love’s grit and tenacity brought her before the set point threshold, Fletcher repeatedly outdueled her in a series of extended rallies, hoisting the 4-seed by nerve’s petard as the 3-seed broke back to shorten the lead 4-5. Still, Love surely took a page from the clay Fletcher book of grass magic. While Fletcher tried to serve up another tie, Love resisted with sharply-angled volleys and deep, flat slices to claw back new set points. Ahead 40-30, keenly aware that Fletcher could grind out the service hold in another stalemated deuce, Love finagled control of what soon became a fiery back-and-forth sparring put down only by her second drop shot - breaking the championship even at 6-4 a set for both finalists. A third and final set appeared ready to roar in a new champion and new number 1. But the umpire called a brief delay to the opening game due to a medical issue in the stands; a fan later came forwards and explained they overstuffed on flautas cubano from a Dex-Mex food truck. Both Love and Fletcher were heard asking the umpire if everyone was okay, to which the chair could not provide any further information, but though the finalists appeared rattled by the cause for pause they were nevertheless quickly entangled again in the throes of battle. The 4-seed and 3-seed each spiked their level past eleven as the decisive set oscillated the allure of history between the two, who launched some of the most pristine shots, serves and returns seen all tournament while committing few errors, mistakes or miscalculations. As Fletcher steadily built a commanding 5-2 lead however, the most interlocked duo revealed itself not as the 3-seed and Love, but her and break point chances - converting all but two as she absorbed practically any momentum Love could possibly use or create. Soon burrowing a 40-30 match point head start to a 6-2 finish - though Love shot down one championship point with a careening tweener leaving everyone on the edge of their seats - Fletcher then served up an unshakeable grip on the next rally, storming the ball all around the opposing baseline until, finally, she fired an overhead smash to become The Swing of the Jungle singles champion and national singles number 1. During the trophy presentation ceremony, the two teary-eyed athletes praised each other as well as tournament organizers, the host city and their fans, each expressing excitement for further national tennis endeavors. Love - while surely disappointed at falling short in her first-ever finals since the 2nd Union City Unity - was gracious in her finalist speech, calling Fletcher "the best and brightest on tour" and "a true miracle-worker" in triumphing upon grass courts as a clay specialist, also made possible "by the amazing people of Costa Esmeralda" and others who fielded the Jungle. Returning the compliment, in an equally modest champion speech Fletcher heralded Love as "a future champion and number 1, probably soon," adding that hers "was no easy feat" and that the next meeting between the two finalists "will be much tougher and challenging and daunting," making Fletcher "extremely grateful to this green, sorry, great city for this unbelievable tournament." An image of her biting the trophy trended on social media for days. Indeed, early estimates from the Finance and Academic Councils suggest that more than two-thirds of Dexterra shut down to watch the match, which many believe merits possible inclusion into a future Hall of Fame rumored to be under consideration by the Tennis Assembly. But for now, Dexter tennis is setting its sights on the next grass tournament, a Division II event that will reportedly begin in mid-August with double the championship points, finalist points and more. Introducing: Camille Nadal Fletcher New national singles number 1, and The Swing of the Jungle singles champion The new top-ranked singles champion, Camille Fletcher (often nicknamed La Matadora), was born in La Capitana on 3 June 1995 and began taking tennis lessons at age 3 in a local racquet club. Though she moved to Baycrest a year after starting lessons, she calls the Spanish Coast home as much as Bay Dexter, largely because of relatives still there but also because she finds tennis more fun and enjoyable on the clay courts which dominate much of Costa Español, like grass courts rule most of the English Coast. Fletcher believes her athletic upbringing which straddled Spanish Coast clay courts and Bay Dexter multi-surface courts helped her become a more well-rounded tennis player expertly suited for grass, hard and perhaps other court surfaces like carpet, though since childhood she has insisted she is a clay specialist. Fletcher entered her first tournament aged 6, reaching her first finals at 8 and winning her first title only months later. She went on to win a handful of youth tournaments and reach many more finals during her childhood. By the time 14-year-old Fletcher started her freshman year at West-Central Baycrest High School, she was reportedly a shoo-in for tennis tryouts - which those close to her adamantly recall her being far more excited about than school. She became co-captain in her sophomore year, sole captain as a junior and senior, during which time she led the West-Central Bayhawks to three consecutive national singles semifinals, winning the championship in her second try. Graduating with the class of 2012, out of many invites from prestigious college tennis programs Fletcher accepted an offer to join the University of Caminos Clayfarers, earning credit through matches as part of a Bachelor of Science in Athletics degree program like many Dexter athletes - although Fletcher maximized her scholastic opportunities with a Concentration in Clay Court Tennis. Much like her high school career, she eventually excelled as captain of the Clayfarers singles tennis squad, reaching back-to-back national finals and winning one; she ultimately graduated summa cum laude with the class of 2016. Dexter tennis was, at the time of Fletcher's graduation, far from what it is today. Though she continued to work through amateur tournaments, an authoritarian grip on the public which soon culminated in the Independex Revolutions made it increasingly dangerous and difficult for Fletcher to continue playing tennis or merely earn income as an aerobics instructor. She joined her fellow athletes in non-violent resistance, organizing demonstrations, participating in boycotts and assembling underground tennis and aerobics classes despite the threat of lengthy prison sentences or even death. After a free and fair Dexterra was established in 2021, then 26-year-old Fletcher got right back on the tennis horse, ascending to her first-ever amateur semifinals, finals and championships within the following year. At the 1st Independex Championships in 2022, she steered through the singles qualifiers but fell in the round of 128 in a close fourth-set tiebreak. It would arguably be at this year's 2nd Independex where Fletcher achieved her big career breakthrough: as an unseeded entrant, she climbed to the quarterfinals, upsetting the 14-seed in straight sets along the way to befalling the same fate. Months after, Fletcher entered The Swing of the Jungle as the 3-seed, and the rest is tennis history. Fletcher’s head coach is her aunt, Tanya Fletcher, with whom she has worked since her first youth finals. Aunt Tanya tends to be credited more for Fletcher's indomitable mental game that embodies the human spirit and supernaturally accurate leftie forehand with blistering topspin, rather than her more peculiar match rituals like lining up water bottles perfectly or gearing up to serve by adjusting her shorts, hair, racquet, wristband, shorts again, the ball, hair and all the atoms in the known universe before the serve clock almost expires. Fletcher herself credits her Aunt Tanya for her reputation of having never once smashed a racquet or even appearing remotely close to what any ordinary Dexter might consider angry, as her aunt has long instilled in her a deep sense of self-control and respect for the court. But Fletcher is most likely, in fact, human after all. In addition to her ability to be worn down through lengthy tugs-of-tennis or discombobulated by abrupt changes in opponent strategy, she also has a history of wrist and ankle injuries, likely owed to a playing style excruciatingly demanding on the body. Fans, however, like to joke that Fletcher's biggest weakness is her pronunciation of the word 'unbelievable,' which in and of itself often sounds unbelievable coming from her Spanish Coast accent. Off court, Fletcher is an avid golfer and poker player, although she is also a fan of football. But tennis has always been her life calling and one true passion. With the Tennis Assembly reportedly zeroing in on the nation’s next grass event, Fletcher may soon grasp her first-ever 1-seed after championing the top singles ranking. But though Fletcher’s hold on the lead position is strong, other athletes could overtake it in the upcoming Division II tournament. The clay specialist will have to continue going above and beyond on grass, if she wants to shore up her rankings reign - especially before Dexter tennis stares down its most daunting challenge yet: an official first-ever national slam. Up next: the coronation of Hillary Dunn and Ellen Whitehead in All hail the queens, part doubles... Live coverage of The Swing of the Jungle was provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	The Brightsands Boardwalk 1 Year Ago The people of Dexterra and the Tennis Assembly are bubbly in announcing The Brightsands Boardwalk, a formerly semiprofessional turned Division II national tennis tournament that will continue the 2023 grass court season. This event will consist of 64 singles and 32 doubles main draw entrants, which includes 8 singles and 4 doubles qualification round winners; all matches will be best-of-three sets. It will be hosted in Brightsands, the English Coast. Schedule and draws results posted between 2-4 PM Beagle Standard Time (EST) 14 August 2023: qualifiers 16 August: (singles only) round of 64 18 August: round of 32 20 August: round of 16 22 August: quarterfinals 24 August: semifinals 26 August: championships Singles seeds and entrants: (1) Camille Fletcher (2) Julian Hull (3) Wendy Yates (4) Laila Love (5) Abram Benson (6) Esmeralda Serrano (7) DeMarcus Shannon Jr. (8) Ulysses Bliss (9) Michelle Keller (10) DeAngelo Barr (11) Kyle Norris (12) Gracelyn Matthews (13) Gisselle Orr (14) Francesca Burns (15) Alexis Keith (16) Noah Booker Sabrina Craig Keira Gay Dwayne North Curtis West IV Alyssa Dillon Lainey Porter A.J. Sánchez Grayson Banks Nicholas Blevins Luis Bond Aarav Cisneros Ross Cisneros Isaías Fuentes Jo Hughes Fidela Kirkpatrick Jaquan Knight Branson McClain Genaro McCoy Jr. Ashlyn Mills-Myrto Caiden Molina Sheryl Moses Alanna Jesenia Ochoa Connor Rivas Enrique Solomon Nick O'Wiggins Derek Rich VIII Demetrius Barron Lane Bird Jeanine Burgess Maverick Casey Jabari Cervantes Laura Fields Marley Floyd Tracie Franco Viola Frederick Casey Frey-Danica Emily Gallegos Anthony Hoffman (WC) Macie Goodwin III (WC) Serenity Petersen Q1: Jennifer Kirby vs. Arlene Wyatt Q2: Monique Mayer vs. Ian Villegas Q3: Ayaan McFarland vs. Alonzo Hurley Q4: Jaeden McIntyre vs. Aurelia Williamson Q5: Elliott Nichols vs. Estella Y. Kirby Q6: Anika Pugh vs. Oswaldo Wilcox Q7: Kelly Randall vs. Angelo Short Q8: Sid Ross vs. Kendall Salinas Singles main draw: challonge.com/boardwalksingles Doubles seeds and entrants: (1) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead (2) Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth (3) Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson (4) Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez (5) Demetrius Barron/Penelope Vincent (6) Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery (7) Albert Q. Davis/Jazlene Chang (8) Ayden Fuller/Juliana Méndez Lillian Burch/Miles Wilson Blanchard Delaney Snyder/Sheldon Camacho May Lee Thorsen/Kellen Hamilton Calvin Rush/Colt Patel Angeline Bowman/Kyler Craig Kerry Hammond/Harrison Baldwin Avery Bentley/Jeffrey Ramos Chance Ellis/Broderick Pratt Jason Franklin/Emmanuel Grant IV Bruno McKnight/Yaritza García Bridger Holder/Yasmin Giles Billy Holloway/Tiara Goodwin-Githa Olivia May/Ædan Morris Marquita McClendon/Cordelia Natalya Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha Kali Pittman/Emilee Archer Giovani Arias Jr./Marcus Leon Luke Carney/Eugenia Malone Allison Carr/Jamari Carr (WC) Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. Q1: Conor Conner/Cveta Wieczorek vs. Edward Moody/Francis Paul III Q2: Corey Terry/Kristie Holden vs. Kendall Farrell/Cameron Sean Q3: Noah Knox/Dustin Stone vs. Cristina Ellison/Margarito Acevedo Q4: John Miles/Colton Ú. Vance vs. Izzy Reid/Klem Žitnik Doubles main draw: challonge.com/boardwalkdoubles National tennis rankings: tiny.cc/lho8vz (OOC) Scorination All matches will be scorinated with Xkoranate 0.3.3, with entrants allocated points according to ranking and a static bonus according to any primary or secondary appearance in a RP. Venue The city of Brightsands is thrilled to host The Brightsands Boardwalk at Center Helm, an extravagant multipurpose tennis facility designed to resemble a swashbuckling clipper nicknamed The Admirable, partly located on a decommissioned naval yard. There is one main court (Center Pourt, capacity 5,000), with flooring in the stands filled with coral-white sand from nearby beaches, as well as a dozen auxiliary and semi-private practice courts or ‘pourts.’ Only Center Pourt has a retractable roof in case of inclement weather, although forecasts are currently calling for clear skies and daily average temperatures of 25-30° C (~80-85° F), with moderate relative humidity. Important: the city and the nation are vulnerable to hurricanes through this time of year. The Nature Council has a detailed plan of action in case of emergency, including evacuations, shelters and other effective disaster preparedness, but there are currently no major storms on Dexter radars. Beached upon national acclaim for its shimmering coral-white shoreline, super-soaked water parks and sunsational scuba diving, snorkeling and jet-skiing hotspots, the city of Brightsands is an excellent place for an exciting and fun-filled summer vacation. But this ancient English Coast epicenter straddling the Peninsula Westfields usually draws visitors for one main thing: its half-kilometer long, economic and cultural mecca known as the Brightsands Boardwalk. Indeed, ‘the Brightsands Boardwalk’ is not just the name of a tennis event, but an actual boardwalk encompassing an extensive stretch of coastline which is home to more shops, vendors, restaurants, museums, theaters and other tourist attractions than any other boardwalk in the nation. The middle of the boardwalk connects to the main entrance of Center Helm, marked by the enormous wooden bow and outstretched bowsprit of The Admirable which cools passersby in refreshing mist, providing tennis fans a fun getaway for post-match activities or a quick dip at the beach around scheduled match sessions. The city of Brightsands - since its founding c. 1750 by English explorers awestruck by pristine beaches - has long been a center of maritime interest, a top vacation destination and a national leader in nearly all water sports. From its colonial inception to the Military Decommission and Disbandment Act of 2021, Brightsands was home to one of the largest naval bases in the nation, which has since been repurposed into affordable housing, a general hospital and a modest portion of Center Helm. The city still boasts the nation’s second-most marinas and docks per capita, the third-largest commercial port and the third-largest offshore wind farm. As well, it is a national leader in eco-friendly hatcheries and lab-grown foods that work in tandem with a massive coral reef restoration and oceanic preservation project, so visitors needn’t feel guilty for feasting on the city’s scrumptious seafood menu. En route to gargantuan underwater aquariums, fascinating watercolor galleries or delicious crab shacks, visitors may pass the homes of many of Dexterra’s best swimmers, sailors, rowers, fishers and other marine greats from Brightsands, which often rivals the English Coast talent pool with other aquatically dominant Dexter places. For adrenaline junkies that fandom more extreme sports, there are a number of treacherous offshore shipwrecks that preserve the nation's history, as well as multiple dangerous undersea caves which rattle the mettle of the bravest spelunkers. Fortunately for less aquatically-oriented visitors, the Brightsands metropolitan area is also renowned for other outdoorsy activities. Beyond the outskirts of the Brightsands suburbs, the northern terminus of the Gracierra Mountains accompanies a vast, temperate deciduous wilderness in the foothills of Mount Nightcoat, marking the northernmost - and most common - endpoint of the Meara [meer-uh] Trail, a daunting hiking trail spanning the Gracierras. Mount Nightcoat National Park and other forested wonders along the Peninsula Westfields are an excellent woodsy alternative for those feeling a little less beachy in the Greater Brightsands Area. More casual tourists can enjoy a wide swath of peaceful camping grounds, flowery picnic spots and easy scenic trails, while more experienced visitors can hone their skills in mountaineering, rock climbing and the beginning of the Meara Trail. The most exciting tourist destination in this area is likely Polaris Cabin, the picturesque grounds of which demarcate the north end of the Meara Trail, and features a museum of Trail history as well as a wall of names signed by those who successfully hiked the Trail; visitors can cheer on hikers as they cross the finish line, who often spend days recovering at the Cabin from what is typically a months-long journey involving extraordinary feats of wilderness survival. Lodging, transportation and other accommodations for entrants and traveling workers (ETW) at the Brightsands Boardwalk are arranged thanks to the Travel Bureau. ETW will be housed at Davy Jones’ Locker Room and Board, a first-of-its-kind completely underwater hotel connected to land via a reinforced glass-domed terminal from the beach to the sea floor. Guests at Davy Jones' can gawk at fully submerged porthole views, like deep expanses of ocean, mangled shipwrecks, bubbling hydrothermal vents, active sealife including coral reefs or schools of fish and other underwater sights to behold. Through a lobby designed to replicate the bridge of a ship, Davy Jones' is also a museum and aquarium, showcasing the area’s plentiful maritime history and flourishing underwater biodiversity. The city streets are only a five minute walk away, with moving walkways and elevators for the disabled. Most Brightsands residents, officially called ‘Brightsanders’ although many say ‘Brightsandals,’ walk or bicycle around the city, with public transportation and electric self-driving vehicles tied for third; visitor's main transportation options include pedestrianism, free rental(s) of a bicycle, a free bus pass and/or free rental(s) of an electric self-driving car. The most common national points of entry for Brightsands are the National Highway (northbound from Riverwaves and westbound from Everhope), the National Airport (NABS) and the National Seaport (NSBS), each a 10 to 15 minute walk from Davy Jones’, Center Helm and the city center. Welcome to Brightsands, the English Coast ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXV Round I 1 Year Ago 14 August 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The promised sands Sun’s up, surf’s up! Dexters go on a beach trip after swinging out of the Jungle "Look on the Brightsands," goes the official tourism slogan of our newest host city. The Dexterra Beagles are bark in action for another thrilling national tennis tournament. An historic first-ever Division II event named The Brightsands Boardwalk will today continue the 2023 grass season in Brightsands, the English Coast, beginning with the singles and doubles qualifying rounds. While the English Coast is renowned for grass court prominence - such that many fans are disappointed this year's eventual grass slam will likely be hosted elsewhere - the Boardwalk will still have big water shoes to fill in Brightsands, inheriting the aftermath of The Swing of the Jungle tournament which just bloomed the ‘23 grass season in Costa Esmeralda, the Spanish Coast, as a Division III event. The Boardwalk now at least has an early chance to show how they do grass courts in their Coast of the woods, with word that the Tennis Assembly is soon to have members vote on a 2024 season proposal - in which next year's grass slam could shore up English landfall. “For nearly a century, Dexters have flocked to the Brightsands Boardwalk for a nice beach day, and for a splash of shopping, dining and other summer fun,” reflected Veronica Bronwyn-Sharrow on tournament history - as Chair of the Brightsands Tennis Assembly and chief Boardwalk tennis organizer - in today’s launch ceremony on Center Pourt. “Then, from 1961 to 2019, people came here to witness amateur or semipro tennis matches. And now the city of Brightsands and The Brightsands Boardwalk are proud to welcome a Division II national tennis tournament, the second-highest level of competition and the forerunner to Dexterra's first official national slam.” There will be 64 singles and 32 doubles main draw swashbeaglers vying to chart these latest annals of national sports history. Many are fresh from their most recent journey through The Swing of the Jungle, while others have been itching for such a tennis chance since the 2nd Independex Championships. Four hail from this newest host city in Brightsands: Francesca Burns, Laura Fields, Bruno McKnight and Esmeralda Serrano, two of whom (Fields and Serrano) are grass court specialists. The first order of Brightsands Boardwalk business, however, is to captain 8 singles and 4 doubles qualifying spots before navigating the main draw high seas. Today’s Boardwalk singles qualifying rounds will feature several athletes and matches of note: • For the first qualifying spot, Jennifer Kirby - longtime doubles partner of national singles number 2 Julian Hull - is making her first singles appearance since the 2nd Independex round of 128, where she was defeated in four sets by future number 1 and Jungle champion Camille Fletcher. To now claw out of the Boardwalk qualifiers, J. Kirby must outwit Arlene Wyatt, herself aching to float up from the bottom of the singles ranking floor. Meanwhile, the Hull/Kirby doubles duo continue to promise fans that they will resurface for the next grass tournament, dodging rumors of infighting inspired by the discrepancy in their singles success since the pair were vanquished in the 2nd Independex doubles qualifying round by future Jungle qualifiers Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy, who despite grass specialty also narrowly lost out on Boardwalk entry. But J. Kirby has much to deal with just in singles, perhaps more than Wyatt wizardry: the winner of this first qualifying spot will go on to face 8-seed Ulysses Bliss in his first-ever national tournament seeding built by a miracle Jungle semifinals run, similarly bulldozed by La Matadora ascendancy. • Despite sharing the same surname, J. Kirby bears no relation to Estella Y. Kirby, a singles tennis wheelchair extraordinaire rowing for the fifth Boardwalk singles qualifying deck versus clay specialist Elliott Nichols. E. Kirby was last seen going down swinging in the Jungle qualifiers versus Nick O'Wiggins, himself now a Boardwalk unseeded entrant. With her middle initial standing for 'Yahya,' the first name of a relative who achieved national acclaim as a martial artist with a fourth degree black belt, E. Kirby hopes to finally defend her chance to reach a main draw after three consecutive unsuccessful attempts. On the other baseline, however, Nichols appears undeterred though now a grass fish suddenly out of clay water: while upset as the 16-seed in the 1st Independex round of 128, and then downed in the 2nd Independex round of 128 by future Jungle finalist and Boardwalk 4-seed Laila Love, Nichols has been seen relentlessly training to unseat the mastery soon wheeled by E. Kirby for this Brightsands lifeboat. Curiously, whomever survives as the fifth qualifier will meet none other than 4-seed Love, which one potential qualifying castaway knows as a siren song. • Another ex-Jungle qualifying participant now looking to wade through the fourth Boardwalk singles qualifier is Aurelia Williamson, taking on Jaeden McIntyre in what some rather uncouth yet nevertheless encouraging and supportive fans are referring to as 'the other Loser's Bowl.' Together, and similar to many other qualifying entrants, Williamson and McIntyre are 0-5 throughout their combined national tennis careers. Williamson has lost three straight qualifying matches including that of the Jungle, while McIntyre was defeated in both his unseeded Independex marches. While both can rejoice in the glass half-full view that now at least one of them will notch their initial career win, they must be fully aware that the end of this match is only the Boardwalk beginning. The winner of the fourth qualifying spot will move on to challenge 5-seed Abram Benson, who has arguably flown under the tennis radar despite a Jungle singles quarterfinals berth sunk by Love's heartthrob run to a femme fatale singles finale. Today's Boardwalk doubles qualifying rounds also feature several matches and athletes of note, from surface specialists to new teams and Jungle resurgence: • The third doubles qualifying spool may be a blast from the tennis past for some fans. While carpet courts have largely fallen out of national use due to injuries, shorter points and a speedy resemblance to grass courts, recent advancements in materials science have developed safer, slower forms of carpet court, giving rise to support for national carpet tournaments or even a full season - both of which have outspoken proponents through carpet court specialists Noah Knox/Dustin Stone, currently preoccupied with nailing the third Boardwalk qualifying plank over Cristina Ellison/Margarito Acevedo. One of only two doubles carpet specialists, Knox/Stone have once prevailed through a qualifying round, wrangling the 2nd Independex main draw to eventually meet the same round of 64 fate as their 1st Independex unseeded attempt. But whether the two racquet carpenters can build off grass similarities to hammer Ellison/Acevedo, eager to forge new beginnings after two straight Independex qualifying dismissals, is another Boardwalk qualifying project altogether. Whichever team docks this third qualifying ship will then voyage on to 2-seeds Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth, whose training suggests they are unfazed to be no longer tied for the top doubles ranking following a rumbling run to the Jungle semifinals. • In the wake of Carr siblings Allison and Jamari formally uniting as a doubles crew, together slipping into the Boardwalk as an unseeded entry for their official family career start, one of their former partners must now swim to safe qualifying shore. To tackle the first doubles qualifying buoy, Jamari's ex-partner Conor Conner - both of whom maintain their relationship ended amicably amidst consecutive Independex unseeded round of 64 exits - has recently paired up with Cveta Wieczorek, a former doubles journeywoman who made several deep semiprofessional runs with Conner as well as now-retired partner Natalino ‘Nat’ Hughes, a cousin of Boardwalk singles unseeded entrant Jo Hughes. The introduction of Conner/Wieczorek will set sail versus Edward Moody/Francis Paul III for the first Boardwalk qualifying port, but herein could lie trial by liquid Brightsands fire. Moody/Paul III are chomping at their own back-to-back Independex qualifying shipwreck bit, having told Dexter sports media they want nothing more than to see the main draw horizon at some point in their careers. Of course, whomever salvages this first Boardwalk qualifying cargo may want to be careful what they wish for: the winner will collide with 4-seeds Armani P. Edwards/Yandel Jiménez after they rushed the Jungle semifinals - and washed away the Carr/Conner team past their last career appearance in the 2nd Independex dawn. • After gothic 2nd Independex singles champion Scarlett Dyer was summoned to haunt the international tour, lifelong doubles partner Israel ‘Izzy’ Reid chose to remain in our national tennis house - but must now enlighten the fourth Boardwalk qualifying portal. Both believing that their doubles quest dearly departed on good terms after channeling the 1st Independex round of 32 and 2nd Independex round of 64, Reid has now joined forces with Klem Žitnik, with whom she previously enlivened the 1st Spring Slamateur quarterfinals among other memorable semiprofessional results. The resurrected Reid/Žitnik duo will mark their national tennis rebirth in the Boardwalk qualifiers versus John Miles/Colton Ú. Vance, likely one of their most dire match-ups possible. Formerly the 5-seeds in the 1st Independex and the 15-seeds in the 2nd Independex, Miles/Vance made valiant efforts through the round of 16 and the round of 64 (respectively), and are certainly praying for another main draw blessing ahead of their first qualifying incarnation. Yet perhaps both teams should abandon all hope, ye who enter here through this fourth Boardwalk qualifying gate, as the winner will next cross a lake of main draw fire encircled by legendary 1-seeds Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead - national numbers 1 who recently asserted sole dominion over the doubles realm by forging a mythical Jungle comeback championship. • The second Boardwalk doubles qualifying anchor could net a fresh start for one buccaneagle torpedoed during the Jungle qualifiers - in singles. After Cameron Sean was set adrift from the grass season opener by wheelchair raider Derek Rich VIII, himself now a Boardwalk singles unseeded entrant, Sean has since paddled back to safe Brightsands harbor with doubles partner Kendall Farrell. Both encouraged rather than discouraged by two buried Independex qualifying treasures, Farrell/Sean are yet to be seen anywhere but the practice courts or the gyms as they gear up to cruise along the second doubles qualifying current. But theirs will be far from smooth sailing, approaching the eye of hurricanes Corey Terry/Kristie Holden. Though dissipated in the 2nd Independex round of 64, Terry/Holden made a splash in their 1st Independex landscape, barging out of a three-hour qualifying epic before suddenly shocking the 3-seeds and then evaporating in the round of 32. Whether Farrell/Sean find the buddy system a tennis success or Terry/Holden again downpour a thunderous overthrow deluge, the forecast calls for the second qualifier to merge with an even higher pressure system in 3-seeds Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson, who just stormed into a titanic Jungle finals only months after bursting from the 2nd Independex qualifiers into the quarterfinals. The Brightsands Boardwalk will likely feature many sensational showdowns beyond that which will flood today's qualifying rounds, but in the end, only one singles and two doubles champions will be etched into the windswept sands of sports history. Because national tennis has now reached the city of Brightsands after starting in the city of Costa Esmeralda, many fans believe that the league has essentially, symbolically hiked the Meara Trail which runs between those two cities. Some petitioned the local Forestry Assembly to allow this year's Boardwalk champions to sign a wall scrawled by those who successfully traversed the Trail, located in Mount Nightcoat National Park at Polaris Cabin which marks the north end of the Trail. Forestry officials, after consulting with members including current wall signers and Trail historians, elected to erect a small statue commemorating the occasion which champions can sign before it goes on display inside the Cabin museum. But those historic three signatures are far from even a blip on national tennis dopplers - first, the Boardwalk must assemble an armada of eight singles and four doubles qualifiers to swell a watershed main draw. "We hope this event proves a worthy grass season successor, as well as a fun, relaxing summer vacation for athletes and fans alike," continued Chair Bronwyn-Sharrow on Center Pourt. Live coverage of The Brightsands Boardwalk will be provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Qualifying rounds 1 Year Ago Singles qualifiers Jennifer Kirby                                   6 7 Arlene Wyatt                                    3 5 Monique Mayer                                 6 3 3 Ian Villegas                                      3 6 6 Ayaan McFarland                              4 3 Alonzo Hurley                                   6 6 Jaeden McIntyre                               6 4 5 Aurelia Williamson                            4 6 7 Elliott Nichols                                   7 3 5 Estella Y. Kirby                                  6 6 7 Anika Pugh                                        7 7 Oswaldo Wilcox                                 6 5 Kelly Randall                                     6 4 3 Angelo Short                                     3 6 6 Sid Ross                                            2 7 3 Kendall Salinas                                  6 5 6 Doubles qualifiers Conor Conner/Cveta Wieczorek         6 6 Edward Moody/Francis Paul III           4 0 Corey Terry/Kristie Holden                6 5 3 Kendall Farrell/Cameron Sean           1 7 6 Noah Knox/Dustin Stone                    6 6 Cristina Ellison/Margarito Acevedo    3 2 John Miles/Colton Ú. Vance               6 6 5 Izzy Reid/Klem Žitnik                        3 7 7 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dexterra	Event XXV Round II 1 Year Ago 16 August 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The summer of 64 Brightsands singles main draw to set sail with 64 tennis crewbeagles aboardwalk Dexter tennis fans and workers, remember to wear ample sunscreen during our scorching beach trip these next two weeks. As the tide of Dexterra’s most admirable singles and doubles qualifying rounds recede from the pourts of The Brightsands Boardwalk, national tennis will now submerge our first-ever Division II tournament towards the depths of its singles main draw. The singles-only round of 64 will feature eight qualifying clippers blockaded by a fleet of seeded entrants including the nation's first top 4-ranked athletes, amidst wildcard resurfacings of legendary international voyagers, court specialist cannons and unseeded entrant duels. Though some titanic contenders have been seen sunbathing on the host city’s placid beaches in between grueling practice sessions, here now is an all-hands on deck situation for those adrift what some call the English Coast’s finest athletic hour, as the qualifiers today unfurl the singles main draw mast and tomorrow the doubles. “Neither the city nor the Boardwalk have seen anything - or any tennis - like this since Kenley Cherry’s qualifier run to the 1994 finals, or the Great Hurricane of 1920,” remarked Veronica Bronwyn-Sharrow in a talk show interview on The Sundown Show, reflecting on decades of playing, coaching and managing Brightsands tennis. “So with forecasts calling for continued clear skies and temps in the high 20s, I think Brightsands Tennis can say that the Coast seems clear for more awesome sports adventures on our Boardwalk horizon." After the 2023 grass season sprouted with a new singles queen crowned at The Swing of the Jungle, national sports experts and fans alike have wondered how the Boardwalk could outdo its Division III predecessor, particularly in its earliest stages. Yet the singles qualifying round, now harpooning the round of 64, appears to have already anchored ample persuasive counterpoints. From a stormy 7-6, 7-5 twister which tunneled Anika Pugh through the sixth qualifying spout, to a tumultuous 6-7, 6-3, 7-5 storybook comeback to splash down unbrakeable wheelchair rocket Estella Y. Kirby in the fifth qualifying ocean and then to a nailbiting 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 never-say-die that proved for Aurelia Williamson the fourth qualifying time is the main draw charm, the Boardwalk singles qualifying rounds have castled on Dexter tennis sands an early rebuttal to the lush Jungle skyline looming overhead - even, or perhaps especially, with the impending round of 64 forecast: • The earliest singles stages of the Jungle centered on a number 1 ranking tie between Julian Hull and Wendy Yates, but it ended with Camille Fletcher defying all the clay specialist odds to win the title and solely overtake the number 1 ranking - so how will she fare now as the Boardwalk 1-seed? Few expected La Matadora to withstand her crumbliest surface insofar as to reach the Jungle finals, let alone champion it, so might she repeat her success and hatch a case for greatness, or will the grass spotlight finally cause the queen of clay cool to break a summery sweat? To start her Jungle run, then 3-seeded Fletcher comfortably buried qualifier Nick O'Wiggins in straight sets, but starting her potential Boardwalk run now as the 1-seed versus qualifier Kendall Salinas will be another litmus test altogether. Unfettered through a carousel of broken serves and electric rallies, Salinas claimed the Boardwalk's eighth qualifying ticket with the same mental fortitude and stoic disposition as the 1-seeded Clayfarer alumni. But he has never treaded deeper singles waters than the round of 64. Can Salinas now qualify the greatest upset of the year, or will Fletcher seed one further patch of history?       •• Whomever prevails between the 1-seed and the eighth qualifier may find an even more weathered opponent awaiting them. Former 1st Independex semifinalist Branson McClain is launching his unseeded debut after surfing the 5th and 3rd seeds through the Independex waves, now hoping to shore up career resurgence in a Boardwalk round of 64 washout versus Jaquan Knight. While Knight has fielded career progress in reaching the 2nd Independex round of 64 after he was dethroned in the 1st Independex round of 128, McClain has proven personal progress in overcoming physical and mental health nosedives long a performance albatross. But if either can net what could be one of the gnarliest victories of their lives, can they next move on to endure either the singles ranking queen, or her shocking usurper? • Two singles athletes are plotting their paths back to rankings leadership more than any other. While Julian Hull and Wendy Yates independently confided to national sports media a level of disappointment in themselves for letting the number 1 ranking slip beneath their Jungle tracks, they both have also expressed a passionate determination to climb back to the top. The two have clear steps to take for such an ascendancy - Hull's Jungle swing sank in quarterfinal quicksand while clay specialist Yates was shocked on the initial round of 32 ground floor. Now respectively the Boardwalk 2- and 3-seeds armed to the racquet teeth for this opening round of 64, the formerly interlocked Hull and Yates will officially go their separate ranking ways through a resurrection of qualifying rebellions. Though he handled a Jungle qualifier with apparent ease, can Hull withstand the Boardwalk breakers jettisoned by seventh qualifier Angelo Short, the former 15-seed in the 2nd Independex now rebounding with one shimmering Brightsands comeback already? And considering she was stunned by a Jungle qualifier in the grass sunrise, can Yates dig deep enough through Boardwalk foundation to tunnel her flimsiest surface guarded by sixth qualifier Anika Pugh, cresting her first career win since she advanced one round into the 1st Independex? Whether Hull falls Short or Yates worships Pugh, the Boardwalk appears only the beginning of this sacred rivalry.       •• In many ways, these two 2nd Independex semifinalists turned former numbers 1 are also connected to 2nd Independex wildcards under the Brightsands tennis sun. Hull's doubles partner Jennifer Kirby cruised into the first Boardwalk singles qualifying channel, but now in the round of 64 steers headlong towards 8-seed Ulysses Bliss in his first-ever national tournament seeding. Indeed, following up his brief 2nd Independex wildcard trial with a trailblazing dash to the Jungle semifinals, Bliss has corralled a meteoric boost while dipping his toes in career waters at only 18 years young. But the J. Kirby graduate from the school of Hull knocks will prove a worthy qualifying test for Bliss and his milestone 8-seed, even with the best scholastic wisdom soon instilled in him during his freshman year at the University of Beagalia - famous for producing Dexter sports legends. Might the Boardwalk main draw pave a path for J. Kirby, or will it be all superstar smiles for Bliss? Interestingly, a second wildcard shark could take a bite out of Hull himself if he isn't Short to start: Fidela Kirkpatrick has swam back after wading the 2nd Independex wildcard waters, with Genaro McCoy Jr. next in her Boardwalk round of 64 jaws. While McCoy Jr. has the upper fin in going 2-2 through both Independex bays, Kirkpatrick appears hungry to feast on her first career win with other former wildcards enjoying a smorgasbord of surprise success. If the younger minnow schools the larger fish or vice versa, can they next sink 2-seed Hull or the qualifier iceberg responsible for his shockingly Short trip? • In some of the most exciting developments, Dexterra's international grass specialists Macie Goodwin III and Serenity Petersen are planting their own returns to national turf, with both granted a Boardwalk singles wildcard. Each telling interviewers they couldn't miss out on home grass court opportunities, their Brightsands revival marks a pivotal turning point in their national careers after their 2nd Independex singles demonstrations, in which 21-seeded Goodwin III blossomed through the quarterfinals and 1-seeded defending finalist Petersen was uprooted in the round of 16. To now paddle through the Boardwalk opener, they must raid two of the steeliest seeded entrants aloft the main draw seas. For Goodwin III, fresh from months of serving as the first Dexter transgender male international tennis athlete, his round of 64 task now is to maroon 10-seed DeAngelo Barr - who has promised his own renaissance since he was cornered in the 2nd Independex round of 16 by future rankings ruler Fletcher. And though Barr was also upset in the 1st Independex opener as the 8-seed, he has sworn up and down to interviewers that history won't repeat itself no matter the wildness of Goodwin III's grass mastery. As for Petersen, also wildcarded into the Boardwalk doubles with partner Jaime Green Jr., her singles starting gun is far more lethal than either run to the 1st Independex singles or 2nd Independex doubles finals: 9-seed Michelle Keller, a former international tennis delegate turned national Deaf icon, recently toppled in a seismic Jungle round of 32 overthrow. While Keller was last seen signing "WTF" on court to her coaches as her grass season took lawnmower shape, she appears fully confident that she can surge back even facing Petersen's most palpable grass prestige. So can either international Beagle hold a Boardwalk torch to at least two of their national forever home's top dogs? Or will they experience growing pains just before the first national grass slam? • Alongside international wildlife, there are many other homeland grass specialists sprouting in these initial grains of Boardwalk sands. As unseeded entrants, Jabari Cervantes, Laura Fields and Curtis West IV are all itching to brandish their greenest post-Independex racquets, while 6-seed Esmeralda Serrano is buzzing to bedazzle her swing into the Jungle quarterfinals. Two of these grass prowlers are especially the talk of the town, as Fields and Serrano were both born and raised in the Brightsands metropolitan area, as was generalist 14-seed Francesca Burns. All awash in the glow of national sports media, however, can the unseeded grass herd outfox the all-court adaptability of Keira Gay, Sabrina Craig and Jeanine Burgess to terraform the round of 64? Can 6-seed Serrano persist on an upwards career trajectory on roller coaster home soil, or will she immediately be served Alonzo Hurley fries? Might the city's only hometown generalist cause others to feel the Burns, or could it be an upset voila for Viola Frederick? Though many former Jungle grass specialists also made a valiant effort in surveying this latest Boardwalk foreground, only the mountainous aforementioned grass hikers summited these first steps of a perilous journey through the Brightsands tennis foothills. • There are other specialists hunting for Division II pride than grass apex predators. The clay domain has shepherded around the Boardwalk round of 64 not only 1-seed Fletcher, 3-seed Yates or would-be qualifying sacrifice Elliott Nichols, but unseeded Luis Bond as well as an all-clay duel between unseeded Ross Cisneros and Sheryl Moses. Known by fans as 'double-oh siete,' Bond himself was last muddied in his own all-clay smattering in the 2nd Independex round of 64 versus Yates, and must now sculpt grass artistry to rubble Connor Rivas in the first Boardwalk steps. Will Bond barrel past his deadliest surface, or drown in a Rivas of well-rounded tennis? Meanwhile, saddling up to ensnarl clay horns, R. Cisneros and Moses are both forming their rockiest career recoveries, after R. Cisneros last collapsed as the 20-seed in the 2nd Independex round of 64 to future 2-seed Hull, and Moses ignited the 2nd Independex by upsetting the 25-seed - only to then also falter in the round of 64. Which of these two claywrights will rewrite their tennis saga as they unstick their blank Boardwalk round of 64 page to unfold this grass chapter? As was true with grass masters, there were other clay specialists who chiseled their attempt to construct a foothold in Brightsands entry, but only the most solid could comprise the base of this latest national sports wonder.       •• Family ties have threaded together many athletes and matches through the stairway to Boardwalk heaven, and there is one attached to the clay lighthouse. As R. Cisneros grapples for the all-clay helm before Moses parts the green sea, his brother Aarav Cisneros will take his own Boardwalk unseeded place athwart now-displaced Costa Esmeralda native Alanna Jesenia Ochoa. In many ways the A. Cisneros and Ochoa brawl is poised to outshine claymer versus claymer: the younger A. Cisneros is 2-2 through consecutive Independex round of 64 quests, while Ochoa was most recently sent home early in the Jungle round of 32 by then 7-seeded Serrano. Can either of the Cisneros brothers independently, or Independexly, prevail side-by-side through the singles dawn? Or might Moses and Ochoa command the will of some higher tennis power? • Surely calling upon divine intervention for where her talents meet their limitations, the Boardwalk 4-seed is the same singles star as the Jungle 4-seed - but hopes to improve upon her result in the only championship way possible. Crestfallen after the Jungle title and number 1 ranking slipped through her racquet, Laila Love appears unshaken as she regroups to now tackle the Boardwalk main draw. She has adamantly reiterated to interviewers and the press her desire to organize another date with finals destiny, even if the ultimate heartbreak again waits to illustrate that to Dexter tennis players love means nothing but a capital L. To now seize her round of 64 bouquet before it wilts, Love must sputter speedboat fifth qualifier Estella Y. Kirby, accelerating into her first main draw appearance by breaking a streak of three straight qualifying losses. Wheelchair wizard E. Kirby has herself made it abundantly clear to sports media that she always feels like she can take on anyone on any court surface, including the heartiest of warriors such as Love on the heels of grass breakdown. So will the Boardwalk round of 64 raise the pitch of a tennis Love song, or might the radios instead broadcast a runaway electric E. Kirby qualifying vehicle? • One absence from the singles main draw is noteworthy to many fans and experts. Following their miracle unseeded trip to the Jungle semifinals, Carter Allen decided not to enter the Boardwalk as a seeded entrant, instead promising they will be back to national tennis after tending to their pistachio farm - likely, they told interviewers, during the upcoming grass slam. The English Coast's response to Costa Español grass roots has highlighted many more significant singles athletes and matches through The Brightsands Boardwalk singles round of 64, especially in the wake of the Boardwalk qualifying rounds. From Demetrius Barron's dual efforts in singles and doubles second only to wildcard Petersen, to Lane Bird taking first national flight since crashing as the 8-seed in the 2nd Independex, and other familial ties quelled in qualifying banishment, there have been - and still are - far too many spectacular showdowns for Dexter sports fans to wrap their tennis minds around in this sophomore national grass tournament. With the eventual Boardwalk champion, finalist and other top finishers slated to receive double the ranking points as their Jungle predecessor, the stakes continue to ramp up to their greatest wavelength under sweltering Brightsands summer sun. Between a clay specialist turned grass champion seeking to solidify the singles throne, the two former numbers 1 planning to somehow take back their rightful reign, a fleet of international and national court specialists putting their expertise to the test, a recent finalist hoping to right the ship and other storied singles athletes charting the Boardwalk round of 64, who will flourish in deeper tennis waters and who may sink to the bottom of the deep brown-and-blue sea? Dexter sports history could soon record surprising and exciting answers as the Boardwalk singles round of 64 next prepares to sync with the doubles main draw in the round of 32. Live coverage of The Brightsands Boardwalk will be provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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