2023 Amigos Cup

This is a fixture event vs. the Mexican IC. It took place in Mexico City from 9/29/23 to 10/1/23.
The venue was the beautiful Club Raqueta Bosques which is a very unique tennis facility with many covered and yet open to the outside courts as it can apparently rain for 3 months straight there. It is also a facility with a tremendous home court advantage as it is at high altitude, and on red clay with un-pressurized tennis balls. However, team USIC was up to the challenge. We brought a very strong squad. Women: Margaret Lumia, Judi Fess, Paula Myslivecek, Michaela Wey, and Samantha Guy Turosienski. Men: Phil Cox, Greg Fess, Jeff Snow, Robert Principe, Rudy Obregon (guest), and Julian Turosienski. We played singles, men's doubles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles matches against the best the Mexican IC had to offer. After Friday's matches team USIC was ahead 8 to 6. We were treated to a delicious dinner at a local restaurant serving local cuisine.

By Saturday morning we had lost Rudy to a rotator cuff injury and Robbie to Montezuma's revenge. However, the rest if team USIC had adapted to the very different conditions and started winning tie breaker after tie breaker, finishing the day ahead 15 to 7. We even managed to beat "El Gato", the Mexican IC team ringer, who is headed out to the world games with a loss to the USIC sticking in his craw. We had the formal dinner at another local restaurant serving typical local cuisine that was delicious. Margaret was presented the actual Amigo's cup from a kneeling Jack (captain of Mexican IC team), who was later made an honorary member of the USIC. Paula was made an honorary member of the Mexican IC. Phil Cox presented a brief talk on the philanthropic work he and Margaret, among others, are doing in Rwanda; and formally invited all present to participate in the project.

As the outcome of the event was already decided we played Sunday morning's matches with combined teams - one USIC and one Mexican IC player vs. another USIC and Mexican IC player. Another wonderful bonding experience.

On the whole everyone had a great time. The venue was beautiful. The food excellent. The level of competition perfect (more matches decided by a third set tie breaker than I can remember). The hospitality of the Mexican IC team outstanding. Good friends were made. Plans for a return visit to the US are already underway with the Mexican IC team requesting either New York or California instead of the usual Florida for their return visit. The USIC goal of reaching hands across the net was certainly achieve. I for one am certainly looking forward to next year's visit from our Mexican friends.