Team Court Crashers crushes competition in 5th TMK Friendship Cup
96 players, 16 teams, one champion. Tennis Metrokada started out as a playgroup in BGC for beginners and has grown to Greater Metro Manila, advanced players, and hosting tennis events. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Team Court Crashers emerged as the victor in the recently concluded 5th Tennis Metrokada (TMK) Friendship Cup, besting 15 other equally competitive teams in a tournament of skill and strategy held at the Collegio de San Agustin (CSA) tennis courts in San Jose del Monte last June 22.
Frederick Geronimo, TMK founder and tournament director, said Team Court Crashers beat Team Hannahseyo in the finals match played out in CSA’s center court before an audience of family, friends and friendly competitors, reminiscent of a finals match in Grand Slam tournaments.
“While the annual TMK Friendship Cup is a fun tournament, it is so much more for the TMK organizers. We see it as a pilgrimage for tennis aficionados who are looking for fun games and interaction. This is (now) an annual event that aims to introduce the community to new players and reunite existing ones,” Geronimo noted.
He said that this year’s theme is “Two-gather,” which commemorates the second anniversary of the community and features a tag-team format where all six players of each team take turns in a race-to-12-games match.
“This year, there were 16 teams that participated with six players in each team, for a total of 96 players competing for the coveted championship trophy. Each team has a team captain who drafts his members from a pool of players, most likely choosing someone he or she doesn’t know personally,” Geronimo explained.
“And that is the beauty of the tournament. It builds on the principles of community formed principally on the basis of our love for tennis. This way, we expand our network and meet more tennis friends. This is why we call it the TMK Friendship Cup,” he added.
Team Court Crushers is headed by team captain Dennis Macaspac, while Team Hannahseyo is captained by Hannah Viterbo.
“It was an exciting match between a pair of seasoned male players against an unlikely mixed pair of an advanced and a newbie player. It’s uncanny to think of these pairs winning against a field of 16 teams and 96 players and meeting in the finals, in a format that is new and surprisingly complex!” said Geronimo.
The event was organized by TMK, a tennis community with playgroups in Greater Metro Manila, where both beginners and advanced players find the perfect environment to enjoy and improve their game.
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