The I-94 Cup

After a hiatus of nearly thirty years, the Detroit Racquet Club and the Racquet Club of Chicago resumed inter-club racquets competition on October 23–24. The I-94 Cup, named for the interstate connecting the two cities, is back!

Proceedings opened Friday evening with a Stag Dinner for twenty members of both clubs. Elder statesmen from each side rose to speak fondly of the inter-club play of years past. Chicago’s Racquets Professional, John Cashman, attended in a strictly social capacity, a role he executed flawlessly. He also brought along the former Detroit/Chicago inter-club salver as added incentive for the players, unaware that the Detroit/Chicago Inter-Club Trophy was sitting in the Racquet Club of Chicago’s trophy case all along. The salver performed admirably in its unexpected starring role, and the Trophy was spared the indignity of travel.

On Saturday morning, the previous evening’s revelers arrived bleary-eyed and somewhat worse for wear. Chicago, by design or coincidence, opened play with the pairing of Lawrence Buhl and Will Buhl, neither of whom had attended the Stag and both of whom appeared to have enjoyed a full night’s sleep. Chapin Lee, Hampden Keil, Mark Yingling, Andrew Fritz, Wes Koontz and Chicago’s current Fellow, Ali Maynard, rounded out the Chicago side. Representing Detroit were Racquets Professional Stephen Toseland and members Joe Maiorana, Ward Detwiler, Thomas Shumaker Jr., Dillon Melvin, Bryan Melvin IV and Mike Howe Jr., who were rusty after a summer without a court due to roof repairs but nonetheless keen to see Detroit’s name on the salver.

Despite Detroit’s best efforts, Chicago won 9 matches to 4, a result its members will no doubt mention frequently until the next I-94 Cup. The Buhls and Mark Yingling went through the day unbeaten, a feat one would be obliged to admire were it not for the Buhls’ conspicuous absence from the previous night’s Stag.

Detroit, however, would like the record to show the points: Chicago 269, Detroit 242. Twenty-seven points across thirteen matches is close enough to inspire a good deal of “if only” at the bar, which, of course, occurred after the final match was played. Several games came down to the final rallies, and two were settled by the clock rather than the scoreboard, one for each club.

Detroit’s brightest moments belonged largely to the Melvins, with Bryan Melvin IV and Dillon Melvin claiming two of Detroit’s four wins as a pair. Chicago, naturally, won the final match of the day, because Chicago does not believe in letting anyone leave on a high note.

A special thank you to Stephen Toseland, Will Hopton, Glenn Rivers and the Detroit Racquet Club staff, who organized a splendid return to inter-club play and managed to get the participants fed, well-lubricated and onto the court more or less on schedule.

The Cup now goes west. Detroit intends to retrieve it, ideally sooner than another thirty years.

Play!

Joe Maiorana

Detroit Racquet Club

Vice President

Left to Right: Ricky Atkins, Wes Koontz, Mark Yingling, Andrew Fritz, Ali Maynard, John Cashman, Bryan Melvin IV, Dillon Melvin, Chapin Lee, Stephen Toseland and Mike Howe Jr. Not pictured: Lawrence Buhl, Will Buhl, Hampden Keil, Joe Maiorana, Ward Detwiler and Thomas Shumaker Jr.