Dextennis 
Forum 2023 grass court season
Event XXVI Round V1 Year Ago17 September 2023  Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Magic 8-ball is life Dexter tennis fans: be sure to check your Tennis Assembly membership by visiting tennis.dex/join - voting on the remainder of the 2023 season schedule and the full 2024 season schedule are set to close Sunday, 1 October 2023, at 23:59. The nation's third and final grass tournament will soon wrap its third-to-last yet exponentially paramount stage upon the increasingly sacred grounds of Citizen's Arena, with eight elite entrants now left standing in both singles and doubles at The Fall of Dexterra 2023. It is only partly cloudy in Beagalia through these decisive quarterfinals weathered by candlelight vigils for recent victims of Hurricane Leviathan, with the official toll of the Category 3 system to be released in an upcoming report by the Nature Council, though likely not until after the grand finale of the ongoing autumn slam. Many Dexter tennis stars have made public statements from heartfelt condolences to calls for climate change action and anecdotes about how the storm impacted them, leading by off-court example through these waning days of summer soon to immerse them in an awe-inspiring national slam quarterfinals. There have been two singles and two doubles champions crowned this stormy grass season, as well as finalists and other formidable contenders on a comeback tear, and there yet may be new legends awaiting in a chaotic crescendo at this conclusive grass slam. With three matches separating the best of the Beagle best from an historic Major championship, who will prevail now as they stare down their most pressing challenges in the Fall elite eight? The Fall '23 singles quarterfinals will feature several pivotal matches between top-ranked entrants, as well as previous champions or finalists, in a series of do-or-die clashes to etch their place in a slam semifinals. During the Boardwalk elite eight, Dextennis consulted with a magic 8-ball to foretell the tennis future, a mostly symbolic gesture which our crew figures may be useful for an even loftier event like a slam quarterfinals. Singles top half quarterfinal one: (1) Julian Hull vs. (8) Curtis West IV Peoples Court, evening 1-seed and reigning Boardwalk champion Julian Hull wades into his third straight quarterfinals fully aware of the perilous history which continues to repeat itself: no singles number 1 has ever reached any semifinals, and only one 1-seed has ever met or exceeded that feat (Michael Loy at the 1st Independex). But to lift a mesmerizing curse that already struck twice this grass season, including to Hull himself at the Jungle, he must now depressurize an even more entangling quarterfinal challenger than ever before: 8-seed and grass specialist Curtis West IV, a recent Boardwalk semifinalist who has outgrown multiple five set Fall showdowns including that of 9-seed Viola Frederick - who herself fell to Hull in the Boardwalk final four in a slice of history for which West IV will be sure to steer clear. Will the singles number 1 ultimately fall 0-4 on title bids including back-to-back-to-back grass quarterfinal jinxes, fueling fears of a curse as the fourth of his name repeats history with his own back-to-back semifinals? A magic 8-ball says: “Without a doubt,” so Dextennis predicts West IV in 4 Singles top half quarterfinal two: (4) Wendy Yates vs. (5) Laila Love Peace Court, evening The winner of Hull vs. West IV will go on to face an even greater challenger than that of these quarterfinals: either 4-seed and former co-number 1 Wendy Yates, a clay specialist who seems to have finally cracked the grass code, or 5-seed and rumbly Jungle finalist Laila Love, storming back from an early Boardwalk exit to her second grass quarterfinals. Indeed, in one of the most dynamite collisions this grass season, two of the highest-ranked Fall entrants will lock horns in a lofty duel that eclipses the West IV vs. Frederick sweet sixteen showdown, as singles number 4 Yates and number 5 Love converge on the Fall's first top-five duel. For both stars, this season has been rife with heartbreak before this last gasp of quarterfinal hope: Yates began the season tied with Hull for number 1 only to discover a steep learning curve on her weakest surface, while Love fell short of the first grass title and sole number 1 ranking before bowing out of the next grass event early. As both of these stoic comeback dukes endure long and arduous journeys back to the top, could the drive to persevere all the way into the Fall semifinals - to face either the curse- breaking singles number 1 or his voodoo grass specialist vanquisher - soon produce one of the most earthshaking Fall classics so far? A magic 8-ball says: “Yes definitely,” so Dextennis predicts Yates in 5 Singles bottom half quarterfinal one: Laura Fields vs. (7) Esmeralda Serrano Beagle Court I, afternoon The bottom half also centers around a potential repeat of calamitous history: 7-seed and Brightsands native Esmeralda Serrano has become the first grass specialist to reach all three grass quarterfinals, but she could once again lose to an unseeded upset extraordinaire - this time, a particularly special fellow Brightsands grass specialist. The highest-ranked and highest-seeded grass specialist throughout this season even as others chomp at the bit, Serrano has nevertheless found a consistent quarterfinal kryptonite in unseeded opponents on a meteoric rise, dispatched in straight sets by Ulysses Bliss at the Jungle and Viola Frederick to end Boardwalk homecoming. Now, Serrano once again faces an unseeded rising star in the elite eight - none other than her own former high school classmate and tennis team partner who went on to stunningly upset Fall 2-seed and Jungle champion Camille Fletcher. Herself uprooted in the Boardwalk homecoming opening round only to become the last Fall unseeded singles entrant standing, Laura Fields has flourished far beyond Fall expectations, taking out that first-ever singles grass champion and other top-ranked stars en route to now becoming a potential repeat of history for her fellow alumni at Upper Shellview High. While the two admit that they were only acquaintances during their high school careers and lost contact after going their separate college ways, Fields and Serrano will soon reunite for a seismic all-Brightsandals, all-grass specialist slam quarterfinals. But only one will score a Major breakthrough in climbing to her first career semifinals, guaranteeing that the Fall final four will include at least one of its Boardwalk predecessor's best and brightest. Might third time finally be the charm for one of the nation’s most persistent yet scrappiest surface specialists, smiting a meteoric unseeded contender connected to her grassroots origins in a reversal of seasonal misfortune? A magic 8-ball says: “My sources say no,” so Dextennis predicts Fields in 4 Singles bottom half quarterfinal two: (3) Ulysses Bliss vs. (22) Francesca Burns Union Court, afternoon A University of Beagalia freshman appears to have been claimed by Beagaliens as one of their own, though his next and perhaps most infernal test is the city of Brightsands' third entrant in Fall quarterfinal contention. Soaring into the autumn slam under growing acclaim as one of the last Beagles standing in both grass tournaments though one of the youngest pups of all, 3-seed Ulysses Bliss has found increasingly rabid support from the crowds at Citizen's Arena weeks after beginning his freshman year at Beagalia, though a lifelong resident of Upperlight. But even through a 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 sweet sixteen breakdown of Fall wildcard and grass specialist Serenity Petersen, mercilessly knocking out the former multi-Independex finalist and last international singles competitor remaining, the opposition from across the baseline continues to be the only thing wiping the smile off Bliss' face. In the third and conclusive grass quarterfinals, Fall 22-seed and Brightsands native Francesca "Fran" Burns threatens to turn up the heat on a wildfire streak which just incinerated the last of Beagalia's hometown singles entrants. Setting Union Court aflame with a 2-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 broiling of 6-seed Abram Benson in the round of 16, the semi-rare English Coast generalist has also already spoiled the dreams of one former 2nd Independex singles wildcard, melting Fidela Kirkpatrick in a five set barnburner during the round of 32. But now lighting up her first career quarterfinals, Burns must outshine the other 2nd Independex singles wildcard, in fact the most ecliptic so far. Will one of the nation's youngest and most promising stars continue to blaze the hottest trail into the Fall or any quarterfinals, and over an adopted Beagalien instead imprint a second Brightsandal into the first-ever slam semifinals? A magic 8-ball says: “Yes definitely,” so Dextennis predicts Burns in 3 The Fall '23 doubles quarterfinals will also revolve around crucial collisions between top teams and previous champions or finalists, in an array of make-or-break turning points that will hopefully produce a most fruitful final four: Doubles top half quarterfinal one: (1) Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth vs. (WC) Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. Peoples Court, afternoon Incumbent doubles numbers 1 will next brawl with the first-ever if not most experienced and specialized-ever wildcards to reach a quarterfinals. Returning to the same round they reached as 1st Independex qualifiers in a magnificent launch to their careers, Fall 1-seeds and Boardwalk champions Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth have since made excellent strides in consolidating the sole top ranking after beginning the grass season tied for it and briefly slipping to number 2. But though they have muscled past epic matches over the other two of the doubles 'Big 3' to rise to the top, they must now salt the earth underfoot two of the tour's most lionhearted legends and in effect turn three straight quarterfinals into three straight semifinals. Famed as 2nd Independex finalists as well as rugged international competitors, Fall wildcards and grass specialists Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. have made further history as the first wildcards to reach an elite eight, perhaps mirroring history made by their next and most brutal adversaries yet. Having dropped exactly zero sets throughout their entire Fall campaign, including a straight set chopping of the 9-seeds to start the tournament, the two appear poised to sever their quarterfinal opponent's tenuous grasp on the number 1 ranking in what would also mirror a curse that may soon strike in singles for the fourth time. But Petersen/Green Jr. have collectively twice failed to cross that fabled championship finish line which Strong/Booth have already nailed. Will two of the doubles field's greenest yet most battered racquets ultimately amass the most sizable triumphs of their beleaguered journeys, promising the dawn of a new day that will highlight new champions and perhaps a new topmost team? A magic 8-ball says: “Without a doubt,” so Dextennis predicts Petersen/Green Jr. in 3 Doubles top half quarterfinal two: (13) Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha vs. Billy Holloway/Tiara Goodwin-Githa Peace Court, afternoon The nation's first-ever doubles champions will try to send home the only Beagaliens to reach their home tournament's quarterfinals. Having come an incredibly long way from winning the 1st Independex title only to then crash out of the 2nd Independex opener, Fall 13-seeds and clay specialists Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha are evidently learning to adapt to their flimsiest surface, crafting their second consecutive grass quarterfinals after marching out of the Jungle qualifiers. But the former international squad, while digging out of slippery Fall situations like saving multiple set points in a 7-6, 7-6 sweet sixteen landslide over 2nd Independex wildcards Marquita McClendon/Cordelia Natalya, must now send away the city of Beagalia's last team standing to mark their greatest run since their only career title was won in Beagalia. A part-time forest ranger at Houndhouse National Park and a former ballet instructor who is also the newlywed cousin of international singles athlete Macie Goodwin III, Fall unseeded sleeping giants Billy Holloway/Tiara Goodwin-Githa have stunned analysts and fans alike not only by careening into their first career elite eight, but by being the last hometown athletes still alive at the autumn slam. While their quarterfinal rivals will be the first seeded team they've faced all tournament, they've at least already dispatched carpet specialists and clay specialists stifled by grass expedience. But none of those specialists were previous champions and doubles number 1 for an entire year, the latter being a record which has currently stood the test of time. Could one of the nation's most quietly historic and grippingly resilient doubles teams continue to survive on their slipperiest surface, and send off the only homecoming king and queen still advancing upon this Major chessboard? A magic 8-ball says: “Outlook good,” so Dextennis predicts Waukesha/Waukesha in 3 Doubles bottom half quarterfinal one: (2) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead vs. Bruno McKnight/Yaritza García Union Court, evening Deposed doubles queens will plot the next phase of their could-be revenge tour against natives of the city in which they were dethroned. Having begun the grass season enduring boisterous fanfare from pundits as they broke a tie for the top ranking by conquering the first grass title, Fall 2-seeds and Jungle champions Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead appear to care not that they then went on to their second consecutive grass final and lost the crown to the Strong/Booth juggernauts with whom they were once tied. The only athletes to have also reached both Independex semifinals have come storming back with Fall ferocity, even saving two match points in a tumultuous 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 round of 16 battle with Nicholas Blevins/Jeanine Burgess that put witnesses on the edge of their seat. But though they also stomped into the Fall with straight set outshinings of their Boardwalk finals fall from grace, Dunn/Whitehead must now endure the only remaining doubles representatives from the city in which they were overthrown. On the heels of denying the 10-seeds what would have been their third straight grass quarterfinals, Fall unseeded warriors and Brightsands natives Bruno McKnight/Yaritza García have - like Holloway/Goodwin-Githa - stunned experts and casual fans alike in reaching their first career quarterfinals, especially after they sunk in the opening round of their Boardwalk homecoming. They also washed out grass specialists and Jungle qualifiers Sergio Salazar/Alejandra Murphy to start their Fall resurrection. But McKnight/García have not yet dared dream of crossing paths with so unwieldy and regal a challenge as the only athletes to have reached both grass finals. Could the two developing behemoths from one of the nation's beachiest vacation cities and starriest sports corners now be on the cusp of shoring up the season's most watershed upset, putting an end to the resurgence of crestfallen titans refilling the basin of their power? A magic 8-ball says: “It is decidedly so,” so Dextennis predicts McKnight/García in 2 Doubles bottom half quarterfinal two: (3) Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson vs. (6) Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery Beagle Court I, evening The nation's first-ever grass doubles finalists are now intertwined with their second straight and perhaps most gleaming grass specialists. Following up their astounding qualifier run to the 2nd Independex quarterfinals with narrow shortcomings in the Jungle finals and Boardwalk semifinals, Fall 3-seeds Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson have nearly seen it all as they return to the same round in which they lifted off their illustrious career. Though sacrificing one set in all but one round through this conclusive grass slam, the two have managed to piece together their third consecutive grass quarterfinals, even souring plucky 14-seeds and grass specialists Giovani Arias Jr./Marcus Leon 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the sweet sixteen. But the grass parade isn't over for Trevino/Stevenson, who must remain sharper than ever in hatching an elite eight plot with even higher-ranked grass specialists than before. Blossoming in the ashes of disastrous upsets through both the Jungle and the Boardwalk openers, Fall 6-seeds Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery have finally figured out the winning formula as they take root in their first quarterfinals since the 1st and 2nd Independex. Much like their upcoming opponents, they erupted their careers by flying from the 1st Independex qualifying rounds to the quarterfinals, a feat they partially repeated the following year as 6-seeds. But in this first official national slam on their dominant surface, Powell Jr./Lowery can only exceed their career milestone by grappling with their most decorated and surely hungriest nemeses in years. Will the highest-ranked doubles grass specialists become the first to reach a grass semifinals despite back-to-back upsets to start the season, and deliver a Major blow to one team in what could be confirmation of their career renaissance? A magic 8-ball says: “My sources say no,” so Dextennis predicts Trevino/Stevenson in 3 As was true all through this first-ever grass season, it is difficult to do proper journalistic justice for the litany of exhilarating elite eight showdowns to soon adorn The Fall of Dexterra 2023. There are only three matches left until national tennis crowns its first official slam champions, and herein the upcoming quarterfinals awaits many of the best tennis star's most perilous precipices. While several of these groundbreaking Major quarterfinalists have already made history as previous champions, finalists or other claims to fame, they all enter this final grass elite eight on a blank slate. The scope is nearly too much to bear: from singles number 1 & champion Hull looking to break a curse over semifinalist & grass specialist West IV; to former co-number 1 & clay specialist Wendy Yates on the verge of disheartening Jungle finalist Laila Love or vice versa; to an all-Brightsandal, all-grass specialist brawl between former 'class-teammates' Laura Fields & Esmeralda Serrano; to University of Beagalia freshman Ulysses Bliss adopted by the city now taking on Brightsands native Fran Burns who claimed the city's last hometown singles entrant; to reigning doubles numbers 1 & champions Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth sizing up wildcard grass specialists & Independex finalists Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr.; to 1st Independex champions Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha attempting to pack up Beagalia's last doubles hometown team in Billy Holloway/Tiara Goodwin-Githa; to deposed doubles queens Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead cornered by Brightsands natives Bruno McKnight/Yaritza García of the city in which they lost their crown; and to Jungle finalists Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson possibly green with envy at the racquets of thriving grass specialists Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery, the Fall '23 quarterfinals promises the grass finale to end all grass finales. At least until next season, for which registered members of Tennis can voice their input by visiting tennis.dex/vote (voting closes Sunday, 1 October, at 23:59). Throughout this thrillingly cumbersome breadth of Fall quarterfinal breaking points to illuminate tennis fans nationwide first however, which of the nation's best tennis stars and rising talent will now move one step closer to true greatness by swinging into a Major semifinals? Live coverage of The Fall of Dexterra will be provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. |
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Quarterfinals1 Year Ago Singles quarterfinals  Doubles quarterfinals  |
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Event XXVI Round VI1 Year Ago17 September 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Final fources of nature Two days of summer remain. Two rounds separate Dexter tennis from autumn slam champions. There have been a plethora of high-stakes showdowns worth legendary achievements from championships to number 1 rankings through the 2023 grass season, and soon The Fall of Dexterra 2023 will add yet another historic layer with an earthshaking Major semifinals between the best and brightest national tennis stars. In the aftermath of a riveting quarterfinals that assured a new top-ranked doubles team as well as other significant shake-ups across both draws, this first official national slam has already left a lasting impact different than that of its 1st and 2nd Independex Championships predecessors. But there is still much to decide in a series of dynamite final four clashes which will be played with front rows and box seats reserved for victims or their surviving family of Hurricane Leviathan. From the singles number 1 and Boardwalk champion trying to sink the number 5 and Jungle finalist, to the second straight all-Brightsandal standoff, an unofficial Independex sequel and a rematch of the Jungle doubles final, the Fall '23 semifinals will be remembered as the fulcrum upon which national tennis tipped towards one champion, one number 1 and one era or another. And after a phenomenal grass season which continues to sway in different historical directions, it all comes down to these penultimate Fall rounds. Many high-ranked players have fiercely intertwined for a place in the record books this grass season, and will soon reignite the courts with a chance at far more alluring titles and the topmost rankings in a ballistic Major semifinals. The Fall of Dexterra 2023 singles semifinal one: (1) Julian Hull vs. (5) Laila Love
  Peoples Court, evening: Hull (left) and Love (right) Aloft the Fall '23 singles top half semifinal, the reigning Boardwalk champion pushes the so-called Curse of the 1-Seed to its limit against a hearty Jungle finalist embarking on a crushing reunion with destiny, with one certain to break records by becoming the only singles athlete to reach multiple 2023 grass finals. As the first Black Dexter to win a national singles title, Fall 1-seed Julian Hull has already made a boatload of history this grass season as he now cruises within three sets of shoring up the number 1 ranking, even if he falls short of the first-ever Major title. But the King of the Deep - rowing past 8-seed and grass specialist Curtis West IV 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals - continues to navigate perilously uncharted waters: while he is the first singles 1-seed to reach any semifinals this year, no singles top seed has won any event since Michael Loy at the 1st Independex in 2022, a span elapsing more than sixteen months in what many fans and even pundits are calling the Curse of the 1-Seed. Even if the Curse falls in singles this autumn, it may have already struck in doubles (see: doubles top half semifinals). But while it appears Hull has broken the singles jinx by going farther than any other 1-seed this season including himself at the Jungle, he still has much further to go. Should he now sink in the Fall semifinals, the eventual champion will overtake the number 1 ranking and perhaps inherit the Curse shortly before a rumored Halloween-themed tennis tournament. One such contender to his precarious singles throne is Fall 5-seed Laila Love, enlightening her second grass semifinals after falling one set short of taking the top ranking and then later suffering a shock early exit, though still politely asking commentators to pronounce her name 'lay-luh' instead of 'lie-luh.' The former 2nd Independex quarterfinalist has already outpaced that career-high slam performance by seeing out 4-seed Wendy Yates 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, who was co-numbers 1 with Hull until the Jungle finale between Love and Camille Fletcher. And while having broken up other skillful Fall fighters like Beagalia's introductory wheelchair qualifier Kendrick Ingram in the opening round, many believe that if she could bleed out the 1-seed's former other half in an exorcism of clay specialist demons, Love could very well scrape a titanic tear in the kingly Hull of the singles world. Whichever way it goes, the singles top half semifinal is already one of the most pivotal and consequential of any match this grass season, perhaps the entire 2023 tour. The singles number 1 could push a possible curse to its ultimate breaking point by sailing into his second consecutive grass final, but he must shatter the hopes and dreams of the number 5 on a serious rebound from nearly claiming that top ranking. Dextennis predicts: Love in 5 The Fall of Dexterra 2023 singles semifinal two: (7) Esmeralda Serrano vs. (22) Francesca Burns
  Union Court, afternoon: Serrano (left) and Burns (right) In the Fall '23 singles bottom half semifinal, the city of Brightsands continues to assert itself as perhaps the best in national tennis with its second consecutive all-Brightsandal collision now splashing down onto the semifinals - with one Boardwalk homecoming queen guaranteed to reach her first career finals. Having endured back-to-back grass quarterfinal upsets by unseeded upstarts, Fall 7-seed and grass specialist Esmeralda “Esmé” Serrano of Shellview Heights, Brightsands, has finally broken through over unseeded magic into her first semifinals, validating months of uphill progress on her dominant surface amidst hype as one of the frontmost specialists. The nation's highest-ranked singles grass specialist has amassed a compelling case to that end with a wild and exhaustive performance at the grass slam, coming back from two sets down in the last three straight rounds - over not one but two fellow grass specialists, as well as former international competitor Michelle Keller. One of those fellow grass specialists was her own former high school classmate and teammate Laura Fields, who went up two sets and a break in the Fall quarterfinals until Serrano patched together a magnanimous 1-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 clipping exactly like her previous two comebacks. While no one knows how she keeps getting away with it, one person lighting up an exceptional Fall upset streak could hazard an educated guess in the semifinals. Catching fire at the right place and the right time after melting in the Boardwalk homecoming opener, Fall 22-seed Fran Burns of Dusktorch, Brightsands, is shinier than ever as she blazes into her first career final four having ashened Beagalia's son and adopted son in their own home tournament. Most recently hot on the quarterfinal trail of 3-seed and University of Beagalia freshman Ulysses Bliss in a 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 3-6, 6-3 torpedoing of the Boardwalk finalist to pulverize his meteoric grass season, therein was the second straight lofty Fall upset for the volunteer firefighter, as she also sent home Beagalien 6-seed Abram Benson in the sweet sixteen. But to mark yet another supernova overthrow and set her first national final aflame, even the spiciest shockers may not save a final four-degree Burns in the heat of Serrano peppering the court with grass comeback prowess. With both grappling for their first finals and possibly the number 1 ranking, the singles bottom half semifinal is just as crucial and decisive a turning point in tennis history as its top half counterpart. The leading and arguably most successful grass specialist is only three sets away from the grass slam final, though a fellow Brightsandal stands athwart with lightning potential to electrify her own place in history. Dextennis predicts: Burns in 4 The Fall of Dexterra 2023 doubles semifinal one: (WC) Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. vs. (13) Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha     Union Court, evening: Petersen/Green Jr. (left) and R. Waukesha/S. Waukesha (right) In what commentators are calling Independex 2.5, the Fall '23 doubles top half semifinal features former 2nd Independex finalists returning to a final four as resurgent wildcards sizing up none other than the 1st Independex champions - for one team’s historic return to a slam final. Imprinting history already as the first wildcards to reach any semifinals or quarterfinals, Fall wildcards and grass specialists Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. have made leaps and bounds since finishing 1-1 at the Boardwalk in what was their only run this season prior to the current grass slam. The international delegates are the only Fall entrants who have yet to drop a set, even ingraining into the quarterfinals a 6-4, 6-4 seismic crumbling of 1-seeds and Boardwalk champions Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth to officially guarantee a new doubles champion and new top-ranked team through the grass finale, leading many fans and commentators to believe that the Curse of the 1-Seed has crossed over into doubles if not still lurking in singles. While Dexter sports fans and media wonder when or if national tennis will ever see both the singles and doubles 1-seeds at one semifinal, Petersen/Green Jr. are determined to boulder past their muddiest challenge yet for what would be their third collective finals chance, as Petersen also reached the 1st Independex singles final. But on their own rocky journey back to the top even if they should soon falter, Fall 13-seeds and clay specialists Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha have sculpted one of their finest career performances on a resilient comeback tour despite the kryptonite of their weakest surface. When these first-ever doubles champions and first-ever Black Dexter champions suddenly collapsed in the opening round of their 1st Independex title defense, no one knew where the sisters would go next - but after climbing out of the Jungle qualifiers, they nevertheless then pushed into the Boardwalk quarters and now the Fall semifinals, most recently unpacking a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 farewell of Beagalia's last hometown entrants remaining in Billy Holloway/Tiara Goodwin-Githa. Yet with the most unlucky possible tournament seeding according to superstition, the Waukeshas must now press their luck against the vast fortune of grass talent - and cursed voodoo - of Petersen/Green Jr. in these Fall final four-leaf clovers. The Fall doubles top half semifinal is one of the most unexpected yet fascinating and demanding heads-to-heads in national slam history let alone the ongoing season, with significant ripples in championship timelines and doubles rankings influence. Flourishing simultaneously to each other, former 2nd Independex finalists and grass specialists will now lock horns with the 1st Independex champions and clay specialists to stamp one team's groundbreaking ascension into a Major final. Dextennis predicts: Petersen/Green Jr. in 2 The Fall of Dexterra 2023 doubles semifinal two: (2) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead vs. (3) Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson     Peoples Court, afternoon: Dunn/Whitehead (left) and Trevino/Stevenson (right) The Fall '23 doubles bottom half semifinal is one of the most exciting and storied staredowns so far in the Dexter sports epoch, as a rematch of the first-ever grass doubles final among other notable milestones and jaw-dropping records. On one baseline stands the only athletes to have reached the semifinals in each and every national tournament: Fall 2-seeds and Jungle champions Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead, now mathematically back atop the number 1 ranking after the collapse of the Strong/Booth giants who overtook them in the Boardwalk finals. But while enduring a windswept series of their own Fall classics in which they twice saved match point - though none during a 6-3, 6-4 quarterfinal shellacking of Brightsands natives Bruno McKnight/Yaritza García - they still have a long ways to go to reclaim the rankings throne. The Costa Esmeralda queens turned Brightsands runners-up are now into a record-extending fifth straight semifinals, yet for the markedly changed Dunn/Whitehead crew who now understand the bittersweet taste of finals defeat, their next and surely most daunting autumn slam challenge is by far the most karmic to date. On the other baseline squaring up for their own third straight semifinals, Fall 3-seeds and Jungle finalists Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson seem to clearly belong in what commentators are calling the 'Big 3' of top-ranked doubles teams, even if they fall short of learning from their previous final four rematch. Indeed, for the former 2nd Independex qualifiers who ascended to the quarterfinals in the first of many starry runs, revenge has been a dish best served on grass: they vanquished Strong/Booth in the Jungle semifinals, who rose back up to sweep them from the Boardwalk semifinals. And while already accomplished in having uprooted back-to-back Fall grass specialists - including a 6-3, 7-5 quarterfinal erosion of 6-seeds Jonathan Powell Jr./Lyndon Lowery - the pattern of revenge may soon repeat one way or another for Trevino/Stevenson in a Fall semifinals mountaintop reckoning with the ever-mighty Dunn/Whitehead atop a jungly totem pole. The Fall doubles bottom half semifinal is not just the second straight final four in which the doubles 2-seeds and 3-seeds cross explosive paths, but is also a quintessential highlight in what appears to be a new era dominated by the nation's top 3 doubles teams. In a vibrant rematch of the Jungle final that burrowed to a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 nailbiter crowning new sole doubles queens, two of the best Dexter tennis duos will reunite in the Fall semifinals to wrestle for a second chance at not just a grass finals, not just a championship, but a Major championship and the number 1 ranking. Dextennis predicts: Dunn/Whitehead in 3 Through amazing outcomes at The Swing of the Jungle and watershed turning points at The Brightsands Boardwalk, this inaugural grass season was well-set to forever alter the national sports landscape even before The Fall of Dexterra 2023 slammed into a momentous semifinals. And despite the disastrous effects of a Category 3 hurricane on the Fall '23 early rounds, for which those most severely impacted are enjoying VIP perks at the semifinals and upcoming championships, the autumn slam has all the most supercharged ingredients to end with a conclusive bang. Few could have foreseen what we now behold as the formal successor to the Independex Championships, which may still return in 2024 as a non-slam: from singles number 1 Julian Hull and number 5 Laila Love battling to become the only singles athlete to reach multiple grass finals; to the city of Brightsands finalizing a breakthrough for one of its sunniest daughters between Esmeralda Serrano and Fran Burns; to those who made Independex history - like Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. or the Waukesha sisters - now clamoring for Fall prestige; and Jungle finalists Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead and Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson ensnared in a thunderous rematch, the Fall semifinals could be remembered for years as a result of its impact on the upcoming, long-awaited Major championships. Just the crew at Dextennis alone have been waiting months to ask: as we hurtle towards an exuberant equinox, which Dexter sports stars will make Major history as the first autumn slam finalists? Live coverage of The Fall of Dexterra will be provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. |
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Semifinals1 Year AgoSingles semifinals  Doubles semifinals  |
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XXVI Round VII1 Year Ago26 August 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Final words National grass season parachutes into a revolutionary slam championship denouement The clock strikes midnight. It is officially the first day of autumn in this part of the world, and after a breathtaking summer of national tennis featuring the 2023 grass season set to leave a lasting legacy in the public pantheon, three slam champions will soon achieve immortality through an eruptive finals at The Fall of Dexterra 2023. There have been an overwhelming number of historic achievements, groundbreaking milestones and record-setting breakthroughs across a magnificent season which began with The Swing of the Jungle in Costa Esmeralda, traveled to The Brightsands Boardwalk in Brightsands and now careens towards an illustrious Fall '23 finale in Beagalia. Two pivotal Major championships will soon conclude the grass season in a formal successor to the Independex Championships proto-slams which established national tennis, but these current Fall finals are particularly noteworthy for further significance: not only are three out of four possible grass slam champions from the English Coast (the most famous Dexter region for grass tennis), but for the first time ever, all of the finalists are women. As well, there will be a new number 1 crowned in singles for the third time this season, while a powerhouse doubles duo will return as doubles number 1 even if revenge keeps them from netting a Major jewel to that accomplished end. Factoring in additional claims to fame across two ecliptic Fall slam championships such as prior titles, finals and surface specialties, this autumn equinox could loom large as one of the most venerated and celebrated days in Dexter sports memory, with three names soon to be etched into marble upon the Wall of Champions at the front entrance of Peoples Court in Citizen's Arena. The Fall of Dexterra 2023 singles championship: (5) Laila Love vs. (7) Esmeralda Serrano Peoples Court, evening: Love (left) and Serrano (right) The Fall '23 singles championship is a
heart-pounding, all-English Coast duel for an historic first career
title, first-ever Major title and the number 1 ranking, between the only
singles athlete to reach multiple grass finals and the first grass
specialist to reach any grass final. One such titanic challenger is she
who caused the top ranking to be once again up for grabs, en route to
her second date with finals destiny: Fall 5-seed and Jungle finalist
Laila Love, roaring back from falling one set short of that first grass
title and number 1 ranking. A crushing lapse in confidence that
culminated in an early Boardwalk exit for the Queen of Hearts now seems
to have all but healed, as the 22-year-old from Allsgoode conjured the
fortitude to cast the Curse of the 1-Seed upon Fall 1-seed and Boardwalk
champion Julian Hull during a 3-6, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 semifinal
overshadowing - saving match point in an instant Fall classic to
guarantee a new singles number 1 and new champion through this simmering
autumn slam final. But even after hemorrhaging both athletes who began
the grass season tied for number 1 (Hull and Wendy Yates, whom she
defeated in the Fall round of 16), the top-ranked championship demons
are far from exorcised. Broken up 4-6, 6-4, 2-6 by clay specialist
Camille Fletcher in the Jungle final, Love now shines into a decisive
grass slam final with an alluring and revitalizing second chance, but
one against a far more daunting challenge likely than ever before: the
top-ranked grass specialist. Having valiantly fought all season long to
stand alone as the foremost grass specialist, Fall 7-seed Esmeralda
Serrano had already ascended to both previous quarterfinals after
reaching the 2nd Independex elite eight as a qualifier. But few could
have foreseen the kind of journey undertaken by the Queen of Green at
this grass slam: not only has the 24-year-old from Brightsands outlived
back-to-back all-Brightsandal showdowns including one with her former
high school classmate and teammate (Laura Fields in the quarterfinals),
but she has also survived four straight comebacks from two sets down -
including a 6-7, 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 semifinal revival over Brightsandal
and 22-seed Fran Burns. Historic already as the first grass specialist
to reach three grass quarterfinals, the part-time horticulturalist and
relative to Tío's Dios Mío executives can now be further enshrined as
the first grass specialist to reach a grass finals, yet she can still
fully realize a truly transcendental apotheosis by becoming the first of
any singles athlete to win a Major title. Seeming to have outgrown a
spell cast in prior events by unseeded upstarts, now Serrano spices up a
dynamite autumn slam final against one of the most lionhearted
adversaries: the first-ever grass finalist fresh from breaking
top-ranked hearts as Love conquers all. The Fall singles championship is
one of the most highly-anticipated and long-awaited moments in Dexter
sports history, capping an exhilarating grass season with a decisive
battle between a former finalist and a leading grass specialist for her
first career championship, first Major championship and the number 1
ranking. While Dextennis' crew voted to predict Serrano in 5, previous singles champions or finalists were kind enough to offer their predictions: Serenity Petersen: Love in 4, with all sets ending in six games Camille Fletcher: Serrano in 5, coming back from two sets down for the fifth straight time and maybe even winning in a final set tiebreak Scarlett Dyer: the dark lord Teragram in 1, lighting the earth on fire The Fall of Dexterra 2023 doubles championship: (13) Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha vs. (2) Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead Peoples Court, afternoon: R. Waukesha/S. Waukesha (left) and Dunn/Whitehead (right) The Fall '23 doubles championship is an incredible
slam final collision that few of the most seasoned fans and studious
experts foresaw, as the first-ever doubles champions on a formidable
comeback resurrection face a rematch with the first-ever grass champions
set to return as numbers 1 even if they fall short in what is their
third consecutive finals. Never mind the asterisk in the record books
beside their proto-slam 1st Independex title, Fall 13-seeds Rebecca
Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha are in fact official slam champions as well as
the first-ever doubles numbers 1, and now stand within two sets of
becoming the only Dexters to win multiple slam titles through this
feverish Fall finale. The clay specialists were surely perturbed by talk
amongst commentators of a 'Big 3' on the doubles tour - referring to
the top 3-ranked duos who all either won a title, reached a finals or
both this grass season - and overrode the dangers of their most perilous
surface to climb all the way back up to doubles numbers 4 by merit of
this Fall finals ascension, demanding that sports media instead refer to
a 'Big 4.' Or perhaps even a 'Big 5,' quaking a 6-1, 6-4 landslide over
wildcarded international competitors and grass specialists Serenity
Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. in the semifinals, ending a historic run by 2nd
Independex finalists. But few forget from where exactly the 19- and
25-year-old sisters rise, and it isn't just New Shetland, Tristerra:
glamorous though by 1st Independex heroics, they were suddenly shocked
in the 2nd Independex opening round by qualifiers and future Jungle
finalists Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson. After clawing out of the
Jungle qualifiers and into the Boardwalk quarterfinals, the Waukeshas
nevertheless now seem poised to do their title defense proper justice in
an unexpected run to the Fall final, but they will have to unleash some
of the greatest tennis ever witnessed in order to now dethrone the
queenly Jungle champions back atop the number 1 ranking - who defeated
the sisters' Jungle qualifying run 4-6, 5-7 in the round of 16. As they
crescendo their own storied journey to this grass season be-all end-all,
Fall 2-seeds Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead have reached their third
consecutive final in a feat only achieved by Michael Loy on the
international circuit. Their outcomes have been quite the opposite than
his, however: victorious in the first Jungle final to become sole
numbers 1, only to then slip in the Boardwalk final which cost their
crown, the 25-year-olds are now two sets away from a perfect mirror of
that historic trail once blazed worldwide by the 1st Independex singles
champion. Even if they fall short of the autumn slam title, the
Sunshorians have already mathematically shored up the number 1 ranking
after the fall of Boardwalk champions Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth and
their own 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 legendary rematch of the Jungle final in the
Fall semifinals versus Trevino/Stevenson. While Dunn/Whitehead have
bodied other auspicious Beagle packs and even saved match point to
return as sole numbers 1 and become the English Coast's third
representatives in slam final contention, not even the most stirring
poetry by Tristan "Rhyme Dime" Armstrong could describe the historical
and career karma for all involved as they now try to walk out the
Waukesha sisters from this Major final. The Fall doubles championship is
a fascinating and turbulent rematch of tennis timelines between number
1-ranked, champion teams on indomitable career comebacks who met in the
Jungle round of 16, now anointing one with not just their second career
title, but in fact a Major title - and guaranteeing significant rankings
shake-ups that will reverberate long after this grass season
conclusion. Similar to its singles championship counterpart, Dextennis voted to predict Waukesha/Waukesha in 3, but previous doubles champions or finalists were kind enough to offer their predictions: Jaime Green Jr.: Dunn/Whitehead in 2, with both sets ending in tiebreaks Gwen Daniel: Waukesha/Waukesha in 3, similar to the Jungle singles final because the Waukeshas are clay specialists like Camille Fletcher Dorian Trevino: me and Viviana in 2, next year... and the year after... "It has been the Tennis Assembly's sincere pleasure to organize, direct and conduct a full grass court season for the first time in Dexter tennis history, with our first-ever Division III, II and I tournaments completed successfully during not one, but two hurricanes. With new numbers 1, new champions and soon new Major champions, we have seen firsthand the enormous skill and growing potential in a number of tennis professionals who continue to forever alter the course of national sports history," expressed Rebecca Margareta, Caretaker of the Tennis Assembly, her heartfelt appreciation and gratitude towards fans, athletes and event organizers in a keynote closing ceremony speech this morning on Peoples Court. "With your support, we can organize exciting new surface seasons and thrilling new tournaments, including a Halloween tournament that continues to be one of our most highly requested. Please be sure to check your Tennis registration by visiting tennis.dex/join. Voting on the remaining 2023 schedule and full 2024 schedule will close at midnight on 1 October." With polls giving no clear indication as to which surface Tennis members want to follow grass, all Dexters can look back at the 2023 grass season as one of immense valor and meteoric ascensions, shepherding champions, finalists, numbers 1 and other heroics into national sports mythology. Beginning with the 2nd Independex aftermath of Julian Hull and Wendy Yates tied for singles number 1, and Hillary Dunn/Ellen Whitehead and Dane Strong/Dorothy Booth tied for doubles number 1, the '23 grass season has so far seen it all: a Jungle final delayed by storms only to witness the thunderous likes of clay specialist Camille Fletcher disheartening Laila Love to become sole singles number 1 - and Dunn/Whitehead staving off Dorian Trevino/Viviana Stevenson to become sole doubles number 1 - and then to a Boardwalk final dampened by Hurricane Fontus in which Hull cruised back to number 1 over the superstar rise of Ulysses Bliss, as Strong/Booth overthrew Dunn/Whitehead to solely reclaim the top ranking. Grass specialists have also been of particular focus, and many have made history, such as Esmeralda Serrano becoming the first to reach a grass finals & the first to reach three quarterfinals, Curtis West IV becoming the first to reach a singles semifinals and Serenity Petersen/Jaime Green Jr. becoming the first wildcards & first doubles grass specialists to reach a semifinals - not to mention the qualifying introduction of Cori Cherry. There were also notable generalist qualifying introductions such as wheelchair athletes Kendrick Ingram and Kurt F. Kerry/Tara Shields, with one introductory qualifier (Víctor Vélez) finishing as strong as 2-1. Many international delegates also returned to homeland action, with some discovering their racquets a bit rusty while others remain sharp as ever. Finally, the most successful hometown entrant this grass season was Yandel Jiménez, who reached the Jungle doubles semifinals with partner Armani P. Edwards; hometown contenders also reached both other grass quarterfinals. As national tennis now prepares to add the finishing touches to a phenomenal slam championship at The Fall of Dexterra 2023, all proceeds will go towards victims and surviving family of Hurricane Leviathan, which swept through the nation during the early Fall '23 rounds. Amidst calls for climate change action and a solemn pall cast by the Category 3 storm, the autumn slam was able to push forwards into two riveting all-women, mostly-English Coast championship sundowns: the 5-seed & Jungle finalist hoping to now Fall in Love amidst 7-seed & grass specialist Serrano also cooking up a Major championship and the number 1 ranking, while 13-seeds & clay specialists Rebecca Waukesha/Shirley Waukesha look to repeat Independex history with tangled vengeance on 2-seeds & Jungle champions Dunn/Whitehead for a slam title and rankings reshuffling. Though it remains unclear where Tennis members want the sport to go from two iconic Fall finals, polls say the Dexter people clearly want more jaw-dropping moments and spectacular showdowns - so this historic, inaugural grass season may only be the beginning. "The autumn slam championships are something we've all been waiting months for, and I can't wait any longer to see how it all turns out. I want to thank everybody who made this event possible, and look forwards to next year. Please also consider donating to victims of Leviathan - the Tennis Assembly has resources if you visit tennis.dex/leviathan," continued Caretaker Margareta, joined in speaking by tournament Chair Rudyard Tyrrell and Deputy Commoner of the United Peoples Connor J.H. Warren. "We hope you had a wonderful summer, and have a fantastic autumn. Now let’s crown three slam champions! Go Beagles!" Live coverage of The Fall of Dexterra will be provided courtesy of Dextennis, a subsidiary of the Dexter Cultural Bureau. |
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Championships1 Year AgoSingles championships  Doubles championships  |
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Event XXVI Round VIII1 Year Ago25 September 2023 Est. 19 November 2021 ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Tennis Assembly to establish the Hall of Fame The names of three historic Major titleists have finally been chiseled upon the Wall of Champions by the front entrance of Peoples Court, and soon many more names, matches and other greats may join them in an equally alluring and glorious temple expected to draw millions of visitors annually. Since its founding, Dexter national tennis has produced staggering history and legendary records, much of which may someday be formally enshrined as part of the Hall of Fame, officials from the Tennis Assembly have confirmed. The revelations are the latest development after months of public speculation and high-profile calls for action. Tennis Deputy Caretaker Roshanara Abbasi broke the news just before the close of the trophy presentation ceremony at The Fall of Dexterra 2023 singles championship, and later confirmed in a post-event presser that the Hall of Fame will officially enter the planning stages before the year's end, with registered Tennis members to vote on plans in 2024, 2025 or later. Fans across the nation are welcome to provide serious input as to the Hall of Fame plans at tennis.dex/hof, officials encouraged. "This is something all our fans and all of us at Tennis have been wanting to do for a long time, and we think we can start putting together a world-class shrine for Dexter sports history," stated Deputy Caretaker Abbasi in the post-event presser. "I personally believe that we already have so many athletes and matches and other things that belong in the Tennis Hall of Fame, and it will be awesome to see them there one day." There has been much public discussion, both in the wake of the announcement and prior, as to what would constitute eligibility for the Tennis Hall of Fame. It is widely believed that athletes who achieve the number 1 ranking, win a Major title or win multiple Division II and/or III tournaments would generally constitute a first or at least second ballot case for the Hall, but of course other career situations will be weighed by registered Tennis members, who will vote on Hall cases. In addition to athletes, it is also expected that the Hall will feature matches of note, such as significant finals or other pivotal clashes. Finally, many fans appear to want various historical objects to be included, such as Julian Hull's trident-shaped racquets with which he won The Brightsands Boardwalk 2023, or the mangled sailboat dropped on Beagle Court V by Hurricane Leviathan donated by the owner to Citizen's Arena. While there seems to be much agreement as to the important qualities of Hall entries, there is also polarization as to when cases should become eligible, with many staunchly divided between three to five years or more. Rising public chatter as to official Hall plans will head to the polls as soon as possible, Tennis officials promise, but until then the debates around eligibility may continue to reach a fever pitch. Experts predict that Tennis has plenty of reasons to take its time in establishing the Hall of Fame, but will complete the project in a timely manner out of respect for fans and the general public. For one thing, the most pressing problem in physically founding the Hall will likely be the site selection process, for which there has never been a clear answer. Though long assumed to belong somewhere on Citizen's Arena, neither that specific location nor any area within it has ever boasted a spot that stands out as befitting for a grand and illustrious Hall, besides perhaps the already crowded grounds of Peoples Court. And whenever the site is selected, then comes the arduous processes of designing and actually constructing the Hall, which entail their own set of challenges. As well, the Hall must withstand a litany of red tape, such as audits, inspections and environmental impact studies, at the minimum. Some engineering experts believe it is generous that Tennis could have members vote on Hall plans in 2024 or 2025, but many believe it can be done well, done right and done on time for public enjoyment. "As exciting as this is, it's important that we all be patient and do our due diligence," explained Haley H.L. Hill, Chair of the newly formed Hall of Fame Exploratory Committee, in the same presser as the Deputy Caretaker. "There is a lot of work for us to do. Tennis will provide further detailed updates as soon as we can, as often as we can." Until the first Hall of Fame plans are rolled out, officials have provided digital access to the Hall, which will also be updated in due course. As a friendly reminder, Tennis members can provide serious input on Hall plans at tennis.dex/hof, in addition to voting on relevant matters when available. But fans are being advised to watch out for a Halloween tournament first. "Boo!" officials said. |
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