OVERLAND PARK, KS - Monday featured the last day of MLP Kansas City, with four matches. With teams fighting for the playoffs and playoff position, every match is important and every point matters. Monday’s results yielded some separation in the standings, but there are still lots of important matches remaining.

 

1. A battle at the top. The three top teams all year have been St. Louis, Dallas, and Texas. All three teams were in action in KC. All three are just about locks to make the playoffs, but they are battling for just two first round playoff byes. There was mostly good news for all three in KC. Texas grabbed six team points in three matches. But, they lost 3-1 on Monday to DC, a lost opportunity. Texas came out of KC with 35 total points, putting them in third place. Dallas had an up and down time in KC, ending up with six team points, but needed four matches to get there. Dallas exits KC with 37 total points, in second place. St. Louis had the best event, scoring ten team points in four matches, getting them to the top spot at 38 points.

 

2. A battle at the bottom. Utah has trailed the field all year. But Utah netted five team points in KC, while Columbus gained zero, both playing three matches. Columbus is now only one point ahead of Utah in the battle for last place.

 

3. A battle for playoff positioning. Six teams make the playoffs. DC came into KC barely hanging on to sixth. But DC won 3-1 twice on Monday, defeating AZ and Texas. That gave DC seven team points for the event and put them solidly in the top six. LA, on the other hand, went 0-3 in KC and failed to gain a single team point. LA now sits out of the playoffs, and will have trouble getting back into the top six. 

 

4. Almost Orlando. The Squeeze came in to KC well off the playoff pace. They started hot in KC, getting six team points in their first two matches, but in a crucial Monday match, Orlando lost 3-1 to NY. As NY is likely to finish sixth, this match was crucial to Orlando’s faint playoff hopes. The loss meant that NY and Orlando gained the same six points in KC, so making the playoffs will be diffcult for Orlando.

 

5. Which players did well (or not) in KC? It was another solid event for Anna Bright. She went 7-1 to lead first place St. Louis. Bright’s PPA doubles partner, Rachel Rohrabacher, went undefeated at 6-0 at the event, the only player who did not lose at all. At the other end of the spectrum, the Columbus women, Andrea Koop and Meghan Dizon, went a combined 1-11.

 

We now have a bit of a break in MLP. The next event is in New York, beginning September 19. Every point will matter in New York.

 

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