Bill Moldoch, Jr. (1952-2015) - Highly Respected Baltimore and DC Tennis Player and Coach, #1 Ranked for his Age Group in the Mid-Atlantic States Numerous Times

[DonRocks]

I was just hit with a gut punch.

Randomly searching for an old friend, just in case he one day stumbled across this post, I just stumbled across this one.

I am so sad right now it is unbelievable. I'm at a loss for words. I'll write this later.

Bill ended the 2013 season as the #2-ranked player in the MATA (Mid-Atlantic Tennis Association) Men's 55-and-over and 60-and-over divisions. MATA runs the tournaments that players play when "ratings" (such as 4.0, 4.5, etc.) mean less than "rankings" (#2 in MATA, etc.) - playing MATA tournaments is another step up than playing in USTA leagues (although at the very highest level of USTA leagues (5.0 and 5.5), there is some overlap). The national championships (there are four in each age division each year: indoors, outdoor hard court, grass, and clay) are sanctioned by the USTA (United States Tennis Association), and MATA is a region within the USTA - this is the absolute top level that a tennis player competes in once professional careers are over.

The last time I spoke with Bill was about fifteen years ago (when I moved to Virginia in the mid-90s we kind of lost touch) - I remember saying to him, "I've been following your results from a distance." He replied, "Yeah, I've been following yours too."

There are some people you just don't imagine outliving - Bill Moldoch is one of those people for me. I just cannot imagine that he's no longer here. He was so fit - he didn't smoke, he didn't drink (that I know of), and he was on the tennis court for many hours each day giving lessons. Tennis was his life, and it was an honorable profession for an honorable man - not once have I ever seen Bill Moldoch angry.

And there's another, equally tragic, perhaps even more tragic, player's passing I'm going to be writing about as well. Kevin, you're on-deck.