Author: dlockwood2@berklee.edu

2025 Summer Challenge Ladder WINNERS: Announced!

As Executive Director of the Tennis4All Summer Challenge Ladder, I am pleased to announce the following Winners of this Summer’s EPIC match-play. For their efforts, each of these players will be receiving extraordinary prizes in the mail.

Overall Winner:

Alan Tang

Once he reached the Top, Alan never relinquished that rung, with victories this summer over Geary, Krasikov, Wu, Fulgencio and (shockingly) Lockwood.

Top Two in Overall Points

(for those unfamiliar, 3 points are awarded for a win, 2 points for issuing a challenge and 1 point for accepting a challenge. That means these two players made the most of their 10 dollars and played a LOT of tennis. yay!:

#1 Clarke Gasper, with a whopping 79 points

#2 Neal Riley,  with 60 points

Biggest Jump

This is the player who made the biggest jump up the ladder, from the bottom toward the top! And that person is…

Conroy Jackson

Conroy began the summer at #25 and ended at #10, a leap of 15 rungs.

Thanks to all 38 players this summer.
Let’s get to 40 or more next year

Until then…

Doug

 

Final Two Days of Ladder-Play!

Helllooooo

We have reached the end of the Summer Challenge Ladder of 2025. When you read this, it will be Saturday. Sunday the 28th is the last day of official match play. Will there be a sudden surge by someone? Will Tang remain untouched? Will Clarke reach 1,000 points? Please get any results into me by monday.

Tuesday I will announce winners and a final sassy-recap, duh.

Until then, play your hearts off this weekend. Let’s GO!

-Doug

 

 

 

 

Final Month of Ladder!

Greetings!

As the US Open begins it’s opening rounds, we are entering the final month of play on the Tennis 4-All Summer Challenge Ladder. Still lots of nice weather to be had and lots of opportunities to make a move!

A few updates of note: Steven Crowe makes his top 5 debut this week after two consecutive third set wins over Tom Walsh and…..ME! I can’t be mad at Steven though. Not only did he deserve the win, he also came thru with a band-aid when I cut myself on one of those awful tennis ball tops! Rookie move on my part! Thanks for the Band-Aid, Steven.

Romie Fulgencio is also on the move of late, taking #1 Alan Tang to a decisive third set before Tang took control and then following that up with two wins over Clarke Gasper and Neal Riley. Keep going Romie!

Our top 5 on the leader board are: Alan Tang, Roman Krasikov, Jason Wu, Dana Coombs and Steven Crowe

Over on the Points Ladder, the top 2 players have created some distance with their constant play! Nice job Clarke Gasper being the first to 50 with a total now of 51 points. Followed by Neal Riley with 47 and then Kevin Lalli and Neang Chea tied for third with 33 points each.

Remember the last day of official play is September 28th.

Get out there. Bring Band-Aids

-Doug

 

Challenge Ladder Sizzles: August Update!

Hello out there!

Welcome to August!

Some lovely tennis weather this weekend and for the upcoming week: keep making playdates!

As the Montreal and Toronto tournaments near their conclusion with #1 Coco Gauff being taken down last night by Victoria Mboko, there has also been a shakeup on top of our very own challenge ladder…on July 21st Alan Tang defeated Roman Krasikov in a third set 7-5 blockbuster: thousands of lucky fans were present to watch this epic match.

Congratulations Alan. I wonder how long you will stay….

Roman then had the AUDACITY to defeat yours truly this past week, 3 and 3. It was not pretty tennis but ya know what, he got the job done and I am furious. Revenge will be sought.

A special shout out to Kevin Lalli. This guy has played in SEVEN super tie-breakers this summer. SEVEN! This speaks to his competitiveness and…fitness! I applaud that. Nice work, Kevin! You are right there.

On the points ladder, Clarke Gasper continues to dominate with a whopping 45 points. The race for second however, is TIGHT, with Kevin ‘Super-Tie’ Lalli at 25, Neal Riley and Neang Chea tied at 24 and Caleb Adams right under them with 23. Remember that first and second place finishers on the Points ladder will both receive unfathomable prizes at the end of the challenge season!

Keep on keeping on and remember to always double check my recording of scores and points and placement etc because…I make mistakes.

See ya!

Doug

The Ladder is SIZZLING!

Heloooooo!

Forgive me: I am way overdue for an update on some things happening on the 2025 Challenge Ladder.

But here goes, my first report: we have 35 players this summer, which is awesome. Please remind any friends who you think might be interested that they CAN still join, there is always room on the ladder for more rungs!

Special shout out (and vague concern?) for Neang Chea and especially Clarke Gasper. Back on June 22, Neang played not once but twice in one day (!) Clarke also played twice in one day on June 11 and then, what’s worse, on June 19, which if memory serves was a terribly hot day, he played THREE times! I do not understand either of you but….well done!

I encourage you all to NOT get into a tie break with Daniel Benitez-Posada: he has won Two deciding tie breaks #clutch

Update on the 2 Ladders: Challenge Ladder and Points Ladder

Congrats to Roman Krasikov who on July 4, defeated Jason Wu (7-6, 6-3) to take over the top spot on the Challenge ladder. But I ask you…is that position secure? Do I sense a wiggly rung? Take care up there, Roman. Folks are thirsty.

Congrats also to Clarke Gasper, Caleb Adams and Neang Chea. Clarke is in first place on the Points Ladder with a whopping 34 points, Caleb is in second with 20 and Neang is just behind with 19. Remember, there are end of the season prizes for #1 AND #2 on the Points Ladder. This means they have all been playing a lot of tennis, which is the whole idea: well done to you 3!

Just a friendly reminder that only the Winner of the match needs to email me the result and please remember to include the info on Who challenged Who as different points are allotted for those things.

Stay hydrated out there. The heat is real.

Wimbledon quarterfinals are almost here…who will take it this year? Who will rise up? Those same questions are being asked right here at the Challenge Ladder. Who has the answers?

-Doug

‘The Glass Menagerie’ by Tennessee Williams

Hello Tennis and Theatre Lovers!

In addition to my duties Helming the Challenge Ladder, I am also directing ‘The Glass Menagerie’ for Gloucester Stage Company and we open in early June. It’s a charming and very intimate theatre right on the harbor. And it’s Tennessee Williams!

I really am excited about the actors and designers and how we are presenting this timeless story and hope you’ll come see.

AND, as a special Tennis Family Bonus, if you type in:

Glass25

to the Promo Code Box, there is a 50% friends and family discount. 50%!

Here is a link to all of the dates and times:

The Glass Menagerie

thanks in advance for your support

-Doug

‘Dream’ closing May 4th!

Hi Tennis Friends!

Thanks to those who have already been to the show and reached out to me. We have tomorrow (Sunday at 2 pm) and then one more weekend of shows next week of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ over at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown. Very fun, very sexy production and it flies by in a little over 90 minutes (no intermish!) Very late 1990s Limelight Club in NYC.

I am playing Bottom.

That’s all you need to know.

Here is the link to tickets etc

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

-Doug

‘Dream’ has Opened!

Hi folks!

We got a lovely review in the Globe today. The show opened this past weekend and we play thru May 4th at the Mosesian Theatre in Watertown.

Come see yours truly as Bottom and enjoy the Gay shenanigans!

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/04/14/arts/actors-shakespeare-project-midsummer-nights-dream-review/?event=event12

-Doug (the tall tennis ladder guy)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream- with a very tall Bottom…

Hello Tennis Friends

I’m playing Bottom in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ with Actors Shakespeare Project and yes, it’s a real stretch for me…

(cue all the ‘Bottom’ jokes)

Please come out to Watertown and check us out. If any of you spent any time in NYC in the 90s….the director of the play is thinking about the church-nightclub ‘Limelight’  as the ‘forest’ so….should be pretty raunchy! With, ya know, just a whiff of spiritual guilt to give it some spice!

Here is the link to ticket and information: we open April 11 and play thru early May

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

I’d love to see you there!

-Doug (the ladder guy)