| Most Exciting
Match in Platform Tennis History |
1-16-2004 |
Pre Exhibition
events included The
Viking Academy and the Jensen
Brothers teaching Cincinatti Inner City Youth how to play
Platform tennis. Philip Bell of C.I.C.Y. commented this was
"truly a memorable experience for these kids and an event
they will not forget, 20 degrees and they smiled the entire
time. Platform Tennis was a big hit."
Luke and Murphy
Jensen know how to win over a crowd. Thursday, that meant
Luke yelling, "Hand warmers for all Jensen fans!"
That's how the
coldest and boldest tennis match in the wacky brothers' career
began Thursday night at Beckett Ridge Country Club. Murphy,
wearing a Viking hat in the 20-degree chill, quipped to the
crowd, "You bet I trained for this; I just got back from
Anchorage."
Their platform
tennis exhibition against reigning national champions Dave
Ohlmuller and Chris Gambino was notable for the cold, which
about 450 fans braved. The Jensens also gave the primarily
country club sport its first lesson in trash talk.
"There has
never, ever been trash talking in platform," Ohlmuller
said. "We loved every minute of it."
The Jensens lampooned
their novice standing when they asked loudly, "What are
the rules?" Ohlmuller and Gambino beat them 6-1 in the
first set.
The Jensens knew
what act would play even better: quibbling siblings. So they
split up, Murphy joining Gambino and Luke joining Ohlmuller,
and traded barbs throughout the second set.
"Where's that
in the rulebook, huh?" Murphy yelled when they switched.
"I got rid of the dead weight, so now I'm going to roll."
Murphy drilled
Luke in the ankle on one shot. That was mock vengeance for
the occasion in practice earlier Thursday that Luke's paddle
struck Murphy's left thumb, which was badly swollen Thursday
night.
Luke and Ohlmuller
would win the set in a tiebreak by a 7-4 score. The crowd
cheered and laughed along with the Jensens, who showed much
aptitude for having trained just two days.
"There's a
fine line between stupid and clever when it comes to the Jensen
brothers," Murphy said.
Ohlmuller said
the only larger crowds the sport has drawn are for the national
championship match, and by only a few people.
"This was
incredible," he said. "It was like a U.S. Open night
match."
The Jensens are
staying to play in the Midwestern Tournament this weekend.
Their first match will be at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Camargo
Country Club.
"I got a couple
calls today from other (platform) tourneys, asking us to play,"
Luke said. "We'll hook up with some of these."
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