Sales Price Walsh 2022 Recap
While the US Amateur was in full swing at the Tennis and Racquet Club in Boston. Older, and therefore wiser, racquets players from Chicago, New York, Montreal, the United Kingdom and, of course, Jersey arrived in Detroit for the 2022 Sales Price Walsh Championships with fresh racquets tightly strung in travel presses and athletic bags packed to the brim with Bengay, knee braces and cricket jumpers for a spirited weekend of racquets play. The Sales Price Walsh Championships are near and dear to the Detroit Racquet Club as one of Detroit’s very own, Murray Sales, is the namesake of the over-forties tournament. Tournament play began on Thursday and Friday with early-round play leading into the E. Denis Walsh Doubles Championship followed by cocktails and a Friday Stag Dinner. The Murray
Sales Doubles and Tom Price Singles Championships took place over cocktails Saturday evening. Sunday culminated in the Murray Sales Singles, the Tom Price Doubles and the E. Denis Walsh Singles Championships. Murray Sales’ family, including his son Murray Sales IV and grandson Murray Sales V graciously attended the Sunday Finals matches. Murray Sales IV presented awards to the Murray Sales Singles and Doubles Champions and Finalists.
Murray Sales
Singles Final
After an exhaustive round-robin series starting at 1pm on Thursday and culminating at 5pm on Saturday, Jonny Calow (Charterhouse Monks) and Chris Allen (Detroit) emerged as finalists for the Murray Sales Singles Championship. Calow and Allen, both eying the Murray Sales Championship Trophy – which is housed at the DRC – had spent the prior evening strategizing as they had met on court only the day before in the round-robin qualifiers. Calow, channeling his Tonbridge sensei Dave Makey, served hard and fast, but Allen fought back by covering the court and extending rallies. After two exciting games, Calow emerged victorious.
Doubles Final
Partners Chris Allen (Detroit) and Mike Howe (Detroit) found themselves in the Murray Sales Doubles Championship versus Nick Harding (Jersey) and Tyler Hathaway (New York). As this match took place during the Saturday Cocktail Hour, two of the game’s injured-but-in-attendance elder statesmen, Michael Goodell (Detroit) and James Madon (Montreal) provided colorful commentary from the gallery as onlookers witnessed a Detroit victory compliments of Mr. Chris Allen and Mr. Mike Howe.
Tom Price
Singles Final
Rowan Carroll (Chicago) and Jonny Calow (Charterhouse Monks) made for a riveting, hair-raising match following the Murray Sales Doubles Final. Rowan, with knee braces on both knees and a vintage 1980s DRC Sweater on, stoically entered the court for the match. Jonny, on the other hand, came out guns blazing. Jonny’s now-infamous serves were able to give him an early lead – but Rowan Carroll, undeterred, countered at pace with precise shot placement. Jonny found himself winded as he raced around the court keeping rallies in play. The gallery watched with mild concern as Rowan casually wiped his glasses waiting for Jonny to catch his breath. Jonny (despite his huffing and puffing) fought through, finding a way to win in the first game.
Jonny’s run continued as he established an early 11-2 lead in game 2; but Rowan stayed calm and went on a serving run of his own. Again, the gallery found themselves in awe as Jonny gasped for air while Rowan calmly cleaned his glasses. Tied at 14-14, Rowan found himself with a chance to take Jonny to Game 3. Detroit Racquet Club President Tim Duffy raced to find the defibrillator out of fear Jonny would collapse if it came to that! Jonny, suspecting Tim could be right, decided he had to close out game two and seize victory. In a rousing back and forth that truly could have gone either way, Jonny captured his first of three finals victories 17-16 in Game 2.
Doubles Final
Dr. Manny Tancer (Detroit) and Charlie Roby (Detroit), the No. 1 seeds in the Price Doubles Draw, waited as three doubles teams played on Saturday for the right to compete in the Sunday Final. Nick Harding (Jersey) and Jonny Calow (Charterhouse Monks) found a winning strategy in the semi-final and arrived on Sunday ready to test their skills. Bloody Mary’s in hand, the gallery witnessed an entertaining Sunday Doubles Final in which all three games went to tie-break. Calow/Harding took the first game 16-13, Tancer/Roby brought the series to 1-1 with an 18-13 win in Game 2. Harding found his rhythm in Game 3 and the rest is history. Jonny Calow/Nick Harding won the third game 18-13.
E. Denis Walsh
Doubles Final
After playing each other for years at various racquets tournaments, Dr. Manny Tancer (Detroit) and Rowan Carroll (Chicago), both lefty’s, were excited to finally play together as a doubles pair in the E. Denis Walsh Doubles Final. Thomas P. Howe (Detroit) and Bill Goldsmith (Detroit), longtime friends, were similarly excited to be on court together and play for glory. The left-handed pairing proved to be a successful combination. Expect to see Carroll/Tancer on future Walsh Doubles Draws!
Singles Final
The final match of the weekend was almost pre-destined to pit Walsh Doubles Champions Manny Tancer (Detroit) and Rowan Carroll (Chicago) against each other in the E. Denis Walsh Singles Final at 2pm. Two players who know their way around the racquets court – and how to employ their left-handed play to their advantage – engaged in a Sunday afternoon thriller. Rowan took the first game 15-12 and after a quick break, Manny and Rowan resumed play on court for Game 2. Manny, determined to get a game off of Rowan, surprised even himself, tying the series 1-1 with a 15-6 win. Building on that momentum, Manny and Rowan went toe to toe in Game 3. Some might say it was the fact Manny’s wife and daughter were watching in the gallery, some might say it was the fact that Manny had home-court advantage, some might say his recent retirement has left him nothing but time to play racquets; but in any event, Manny ended his weekend on a high-note with a 15-10 win against his Walsh Doubles Partner and friend.
A special thank you to: Stephen Toseland, for thoughtfully planning six separate tournaments and ensuring that every player had plenty of racquets play; Ben Calow, for enthusiastically marking all weekend; Glenn Rivers, Phil, Kenny and Yusef for the excellent food and beverage service throughout the weekend; and finally, all of our guests and members that made for such an enjoyable weekend of racquets.
