MONROE - Al Schroeder and Chris Garrow have been knocking at the door of a doubles championship before.
Schroeder and Garrow proved up to the challenge Sunday by defeating Frank Westphal and Matthew Bauman 6-3, 6-4 to win the 44th annual Class A City Doubles tournament sponsored by the Monroe Parks and Recreation Department. Schroeder and Garrow lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Taylor Soddy and Andrew Argall last year and in 2011, they lost the title match in three sets.
"The third time is a charm," said Garrow, a 1993 Monroe High School graduate who now lives in Grayslake, Ill.
Schroeder, Monroe, a 10-time city singles champion, was excited to win the doubles title, his third time playing with Garrow.
"We finally won it together," Schroeder said. "We obviously would like to win the championship every year."
It marks Garrow's fifth doubles championship in 20 years. The titles Garrow has won have come with four different doubles partners, including Monroe boys tennis coach Brad Saugstad.
"Al is a great singles player, but I have always been a good doubles player," Garrow said. "I'm a good vollier. The most talented player doesn't always win. You have to rely on your partner in doubles. It took us awhile to gel."
Schroeder said he took Garrow's advice to stay back and play his style of tennis, even in a doubles match.
"It's quicker reaction and quicker points," Garrow said.
Schroeder is 5-2 playing singles in a USTA league at a 4.5 level in Madison. Like Schroeder, Bauman also is playing in a 4.5 level tennis league in Madison.
"His cross-court shot and serving are very good," Schroeder said of Bauman. "We just got a couple of feet closer to the net. It doesn't mean you will win the point. It just gives you a positional advantage."
Schroeder and Garrow defeated Silas Setterstrom and Jeremy Miller 6-2, 6-2 in a quarterfinal match. In the semifinals, Schroeder and Garrow defeated David Shon and Inwha Shon 6-1, 6-0.
Setterstrom and Miller beat Frank Meier and Brenda Gottsacker in a three-set consolation match 6-7, 6-2, 6-1. The third-place match between Kevin Monahan and Matt Monahan against the Shons is pending since players weren't able to play the match Sunday.
In the Class B field, Emily Grossen and Tessa Brown defeated Chandra McGuire and Paige Prien in the title match. Because there weren't enough women's teams signed up to hold a separate tournament, the three women's teams played in the Class B bracket. Grossen and Brown beat Gavin Wels and Jerod Boyd 3-6, 6-2 10-4 to reach the finals.
McGuire and Prien defeated Maggie Setterstrom and Hallie Signer 6-0, 6-1 to reach the championship match. Wels and Boyd beat Setterstrom and Signer 6-4, 6-3 in a third-place match.
Schroeder and Garrow proved up to the challenge Sunday by defeating Frank Westphal and Matthew Bauman 6-3, 6-4 to win the 44th annual Class A City Doubles tournament sponsored by the Monroe Parks and Recreation Department. Schroeder and Garrow lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Taylor Soddy and Andrew Argall last year and in 2011, they lost the title match in three sets.
"The third time is a charm," said Garrow, a 1993 Monroe High School graduate who now lives in Grayslake, Ill.
Schroeder, Monroe, a 10-time city singles champion, was excited to win the doubles title, his third time playing with Garrow.
"We finally won it together," Schroeder said. "We obviously would like to win the championship every year."
It marks Garrow's fifth doubles championship in 20 years. The titles Garrow has won have come with four different doubles partners, including Monroe boys tennis coach Brad Saugstad.
"Al is a great singles player, but I have always been a good doubles player," Garrow said. "I'm a good vollier. The most talented player doesn't always win. You have to rely on your partner in doubles. It took us awhile to gel."
Schroeder said he took Garrow's advice to stay back and play his style of tennis, even in a doubles match.
"It's quicker reaction and quicker points," Garrow said.
Schroeder is 5-2 playing singles in a USTA league at a 4.5 level in Madison. Like Schroeder, Bauman also is playing in a 4.5 level tennis league in Madison.
"His cross-court shot and serving are very good," Schroeder said of Bauman. "We just got a couple of feet closer to the net. It doesn't mean you will win the point. It just gives you a positional advantage."
Schroeder and Garrow defeated Silas Setterstrom and Jeremy Miller 6-2, 6-2 in a quarterfinal match. In the semifinals, Schroeder and Garrow defeated David Shon and Inwha Shon 6-1, 6-0.
Setterstrom and Miller beat Frank Meier and Brenda Gottsacker in a three-set consolation match 6-7, 6-2, 6-1. The third-place match between Kevin Monahan and Matt Monahan against the Shons is pending since players weren't able to play the match Sunday.
In the Class B field, Emily Grossen and Tessa Brown defeated Chandra McGuire and Paige Prien in the title match. Because there weren't enough women's teams signed up to hold a separate tournament, the three women's teams played in the Class B bracket. Grossen and Brown beat Gavin Wels and Jerod Boyd 3-6, 6-2 10-4 to reach the finals.
McGuire and Prien defeated Maggie Setterstrom and Hallie Signer 6-0, 6-1 to reach the championship match. Wels and Boyd beat Setterstrom and Signer 6-4, 6-3 in a third-place match.
