GAC and Pomona have a wild opportunity ahead of them, whoever wins this first match gets the chance to test their stuff against the nation’s best programs. The loser is put in the never-enviable position of playing in the consolation bracket. If GAC wins it’ll be due to their indoors experience, technical doubles play, and an energy to team matches that’s rarely met. If Pomona wins it’ll be due to their big talents caring very little over what is or isn’t above their head as they get down to business. Both West and I expect this to be a barnburner, with each of us curiously hedging against our own region by selecting the other’s team. The Blog predicts that this and WashU/CMU will be the matches-to-watch on Day 1 and the match-by-match look preview reflects that view as well.
Match: Quarterfinals (3rd seed vs 6th seed)
Location: ITA D3 National Indoors – Cleveland, OH
Time: Friday February 22 – 2:00 PM EST
#1 Doubles: Chase Johnson & Patrick Whaling vs. Octave Bellet de Giacomoni & Josh Gearou
newCentral: GAC 8-7(3) Johnson and Whaling are amongst the most savvy and technical doubles players in the region, and I think that their experience indoors and at Indoors will carry them here. It’ll be close, which will foreshadow the closeness of the overall match, but I think Johnson and Whaling get GAC going with a point here.
DIIIWest: GAC 8-5 – Not much is going to separate the winner of this match, maybe a break here and there. But in the end, I think the bigger hitting and larger presence from Johnson/Whaling will prevail over the PP duo of Bellet/Gearou. Gearou is a very savvy doubles player, but his lobs and grinding style of play may not translate into a hard hitting indoor doubles encounter.
#2 Doubles: Yassine Derbani & Nick Aney vs. Jed Kronenberg & Jansen Comadena
newCentral: GAC 8-4 Kronenberg and Comadena are a powerful team and if they’re hitting their shots there’s no hope for many. However, I think Derbani and Aney will use their GAC indoor doubles prowess to stymie a PP upset with a win here as well.
DIIIWest: GAC 8-5 – Jed and Jansen are a power duo of a doubles team (talk about some big hitting), but I think Derbani and Aney may be the better team. Margins are slim when it comes to indoor doubles and I think a tighter knit team with more experience on the bigger stage might be the deciding factor in this match. This one could go either way, but watch out for this PP team as their energy and intensity will no doubt echo under the bubble.
#3 Doubles: Michael O’Neil & Indraneel Raut vs. Charlie Stark (son of Jon) & Avery Bicks
newCentral: Pomona’s not getting swept, so I’m thinking their point comes here from the duo of House Bicks and House Stark. Bicks ace total over/under for the day is set at 9.5 with singles, 3.5 with doubles only. PP 8-6
DIIIWest: PP 8-7(5) – Too close to call. With some big servers all around, I see this 8 gamer going into a tiebreak with no breaks to spare. My prediction is that PP will be down 0-2 with this match going into the tiebreak, making it absolutely necessary for PP to come out ahead to keep them in the match as they head into singles. And they’ll do just that.
#1 Singles: Patrick Whaling (11.71, 4th Yr) vs. Jed Kronenberg (12.12, 2nd Yr)
DIIIWest: PP 6-1, 6-4 – The california boy may be coming into this match having never played on an indoor court, but that shouldn’t be a problem. I see Jed coming out hot and loud in this match, taking a quick first set with Whaling battling close in the second. Kronenberg’s talent and punishing groundies will provide him with a late break in the second set, securing a comfortable 1 and 4 win. Whaling is a great player, but Jkro is going to have too much firepower in this one.
newCentral: PP 6-4, 6-4
#2 Singles: Chase Johnson (11.42, 4th Yr) vs. Octave Bellet de Giacomoni (11.84, 4th Yr)
newCentral: PP 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 If Pomona is going to win, they’ll need to mount a comeback beginning with their top 2. Johnson has had some massive moments for GAC over the past couple years, but so has Giacomoni. A battle between two capable seniors in a big moment tends to go three sets because neither wants to let their team of four years down, and I think we’re in store for such an occasion here. I think Giaocomoni guts out a win with GAC knocking on the door of clinch city, and he keeps the upset alive. If nothing else this match should be lit with fiery shots and more.
DIIIWest: GAC 7-6, 6-2 – Johnson had a spectacular year last season, with a noteworthy victory against Josh Gearou when these two teams matched up last year. Bellet is a terrific talent, but his clay court style of play may cause him some trouble on these fast indoor surfaces. I give the edge to GAC in this one as I think indoor experience will prevail in the end, but by no means will it be a walk in the park for the senior Johnson.
#3 Singles: Yassine Derbani (11.17, 3rd Yr) vs. Josh Gearou (11.81, 4th Yr)
DIIIWest: GAC 6-2, 6-2 – Contrasting styles of play here and a match I see Gearou struggling in. Derbani can absolutely smash the ball and with the indoor pace, it may be too tough for Josh to keep up. This match in an outdoor setting is a completely different story, but with Derbani playing indoor year in and year out and Gearou’s grinding tactics laying the ball in the strike zone, it may be a field day for the junior. Could be wrong, I’ve seen Gearou absolutely create havoc for his opponents, but I see Derbani taking this one comfortablely in straights.
newCentral: GAC 6-3, 7-5
#4 Singles: Michael O’Neil (10.98, 3rd Yr) vs. Sam Gearou (11.19, 4th Yr)
newCentral: PP 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 I believe in all leftys, so I’m going to side with UTR and pick the Hen here.
DIIIWest: GAC 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 – The other Gearou! Sam’s lefty serve and net play should get him close in this match, but I see O’Neil coming out ahead in a tough three setter. UTR may tell a different story, but DIII West thinks Gustavus will find the finishing line in this one.
#5 Singles: Nick Aney (10.70, 1st Yr) vs. Jansen Comadena (10.86, 1st Yr)
DIIIWest: PP 7-5, 6-4 – A battle among the freshman and a true test of nerves on both sides. Jansen’s big groundies might be too big for Aney, but what do I know, I don’t even know who Aney is (insert emoji with hand up in air). Have to go with UTR on this one and past play this season, in which Jansen has had the more stellar start. A close battle won the by the Hen in this one.
newCentral: PP 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(3)
#6 Singles: Indraneel Raut (10.81, 1st Yr) vs. Avery Bicks (10.48, 3rd Yr)
newCentral: GAC 7-6(4), 6-3 – GAC doesn’t have the depth that Pomona does, so it’s a little counterintuitive to give GAC their bottom three win here at 6, but I think Raut is very good and he’ll be able to neutralize whomever gets the Hen’s six assignment. If it is Bicks, Raut will be working a very fine line on return, but I think GAC keeps their win alive with a victory at 6.
DIIIWest: PP 6-4, 6-3 – No one really knows who is going to be playing 6 for the Hens, but whoever it might be, I think they have the advantage. As of now, I think the Hens are the deeper team and that depth will provide them with a minor advantage in this match. If Bicks gets the nod, Raut will have a tough time breaking the booming serve, resulting in a comfortable 4 and 3 match.
newCentral: PP def. GAC 5-4
DIIIWest: GAC def PP 5-4
NE: PP def GAC 5-4 (overcoming a doubles deficit)
RegAS: PP def GAC 7-2