NE Sunday Preview

No long intro here as it’s already after midnight on Saturday night/Sunday morning (the life of a blogger). I’ll be writing a mini-NE update early this week, which will look at Pool-C, and Individual NCAA stuff.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS:

#11 Wesleyan def. #14 Tufts 8-1 

#12 Amherst def. #25 Bates 8-1 

#4 Middlebury def. #6 Williams 8-1 

SUNDAY’S MATCHES

#11 Wesleyan @ #6 Williams 10 a.m

Notes from Saturday: Wesleyan and Williams ended up on very different ends of 8-1 drubbings earlier today, with Wesleyan handing Tufts a beatdown and Williams getting taken to town by Middlebury. Wesleyan’s lineup changed at #5 and #6 where the Cards played Cam Daniels (sophomore) and Michael King (senior). Daniels won and King lost, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Daniels and Yadav or even Daniels and Smith out there tomorrow. Of course, there is a chance that Roberts and Yadav are hurt, but seeing as both had lost some recent matches my guess is that Coach Fried was giving his depth a shot. As for the Ephs, Schidlovsky was dropped from the singles lineup. I thought the senior might play #5 or even #6, but a full drop from the lineup is a statement. Again, this is all speculation and Al could just be banged up. Raghavan and Indrakanti pushed up to #4 and #5, while Sadowsky filled in at #6. Raghavan lost in 3 sets to De Quant, Indrakanti beat Derbani, and Sadowsky split with Van der Geest before retiring. My guess is Sadowsky is out tomorrow (given the retirement), so we may see Schidlovsky at 5? Or perhaps a guy like Weiss or Wu could step in at #6? 

DOUBLES: Wesleyan swept the Jumbos today, but the Williams teams should be a minor step up. That being said, I think Wesleyan should be favored at both #2 and #3 doubles, with #1 being a push. Especially if Schidlovsky only has doubles to focus on, I’ll take the Ephs to get on the board. Wesleyan takes a 2-1 lead after doubles.

#1 Liu (Wesleyan) vs #1 Raventos (Williams). This is as much of a toss up match as we’ll see. Both guys have been playing well, but not necessarily the best tennis of their careers. I would be very surprised if one of these guys won this match handily. I’ll take the guy at home who pushed the best player in the country today (Farrell). Williams, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3

#2 Chen (Wesleyan) vs #2 Shastri (Williams). This is probably the biggest edge at any of the singles spots. At this rate, Chen will probably end up playing #1 at some point this spring, but for now Coach Fried seems content to steal a point at 2nd singles almost every time. Wesleyan gets the point. Wesleyan, 6-3, 6-1. 

#3 Eusebio (Wesleyan) vs #3 Grodecki (Williams). Eusebio had a nice win over Telkedzhiev (Tufts) today, while Grodecki was beaten in straight sets by Palmer Campbell (Middlebury). That being said, Grodecki has had the better season. Before today’s action, I would have taken Grodecki without a 2nd thought. Now, I’m thinking twice, but I’m still coming up with BG. Williams, 6-4, 6-4. 

#4 Samson (Wesleyan) vs #4 Schidlovsky/Raghavan (Williams). Whoever plays here for the Ephs will be an underdog against the talented Wes freshman. I think Raghavan plays him closer, and my guess is that’s the matchup, but either way Samson comes away with the point for the Cards. Wesleyan, 6-2, 6-4.

#5 Roberts/Yadav/Daniels (Welseyan), #5 Raghavan/Schidlovsky/Indrakanti (Williams). If the lineup holds and Indrakanti gets this spot, I think this is Williams’ biggest advantage of the day. While just a freshman, Deepak has been remarkable so far and I see no reason why that would not continue tomorrow, no matter which Cardinal he ends up seeing across the net. Williams, 6-4, 7-5. 

#6 Yadav/Daniels/Smith/King (Wesleyan) vs #6 Weiss/Indrakanti (Williams). More absurd scenarios. I don’t think King will get another shot at #6, purely because Wesleyan has so many good options here. If Indrakanti plays here, then Schidlovsky is back in the lineup. Also, Schidlovsky likely won’t be playing #6 because when we last saw him he was playing at #4 and moving a guy two spots isn’t supposed to be allowed (although he sat out today so my guess is they could make it happen if they wanted to do so). As I said before, Sadowsky was forced to retire tonight so I can’t imagine he’ll be playing tomorrow, so if Schidlovsky isn’t playing then I think senior Howie Weiss will get his shot. He’ll be an underdog against almost any Card he faces. Wesleyan, 6-4, 6-2. 

MATCH PREDICTION: There you have it. Wesleyan takes a 5-4 win and puts themselves back into the Pool-C conversation (although still likely on the outside), while damaging Williams’ hopes (although not beyond repair).

#28 Skidmore @ #20 Stevens 1 p.m.

Notes from Saturday: Stevens won a conference match with ease earlier today, and did so while resting almost all of its starters. Skidmore on the other hand played its usual lineup in an 8-1 win over TCNJ today. Stevens should be the fresher of the two teams, but none of the Skid/TCNJ matches went a full 3 sets so the Thoroughbreds should be fine. Sanderson and Koulouris switched for today, and Koulouris won at 2 while Kit fell in a super at #3, so my guess is that they will play the same lineup tomorrow against Stevens. It’s also important to note that this match is quickly becoming an interesting rivalry. The two teams played multiple times last year, with Skidmore eventually knocking Stevens out of the NCAA tournament in a drama filled 5-4 win.

DOUBLES: Both teams have been playing pretty good doubles of late, and #1 should be an absolute battle. The last time these two teams played was at the semis of the fall ITA where the Skidmore team won in a tiebreaker. Both teams have losses to Bowdoin’s #1 team, but the Skidmore team beat Amherst’s #1 team last weekend. I think that rematch at #1 will be a swing match because I see Stevens winning a battle at #2 doubles but Skidmore taking #3 without too much trouble. Let’s call it a 2-1 Skidmore lead after dubs, because the margin at 2 is much closer than at 3. 

#1 Leung (Skidmore) vs #1 Heinrich (Stevens). Both of these guys are complete studs and as close as you can get (besides Farrell) to being locks for NE Individuals. Leung is coming off of a surprising beat down at the hands of Zykov (Amherst), while Heinrich hasn’t played in 2 weeks since he’s been off jaunting about with the other Elite 89. Saying this one goes the distance isn’t much of a stretch. I think the energy from Heinrich’s guys will boost him to yet another POTW Honorable Mention. Stevens, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4. 

#2 Koulouris (Skidmore) vs #2 Drake (Stevens). Drake is in the midst of 4-match losing streaks, albeit against some top notch competition, while Koulouris is playing some good tennis, and he won today in a close match against TCNJ. We saw that Drake gets going when the going gets tough earlier this year against Brandeis, but Koulouris has been Skid’s most consisten point other than Leung. Skidmore, 7-6, 6-2. 

#3 Sanderson (Skidmore) vs #3 Polk (Stevens). Polk has played a lot close matches, and come up short so many times in 2016. Sanderson as also fallen on hard times so far in 2016, but he is the more experienced and probably talented player. I’d like to say that Kit will rebound, but I think Polk gets the win here. Stevens, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. 

#4 Pickering (Skidmore) vs #4 Foran (Stevens). We have another great match here, with two players who have brought home a bunch of wins for their respective teams this spring. It’s tough for me to pick against the senior at home, especially if he’s well rested, so I wont. Stevens, 7-6, 7-5. 

#5 Tong (Skidmore) vs #5 Henry (Stevens). #5 and #6 are spots that neither team usually relies on to win matches, and both Tong and Henry are coming off of a few losses in a row. Tong is more of a doubles player, although he did just take Revzin to 3 sets. Henry did more than just take Leung (Chicago) to 3 sets, he actually won that 3rd set 7-5. I’ll take the Duck in a grind. Stevens, 6-4, 6-4. 

#6 Berkowitz (Skidmore) vs #6 Feldman (Stevens). Feldman has more losses than Berkowitz, but to better competition. I think the Duck gets his team a big win here. Stevens, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

MATCH PREDICTION: Skidmore takes a doubles lead, but Stevens wins multiple 3-setters and holds off the Thoroughbreds. Final score, Stevens def Skidmore in a tight 6-3 contest.

#4 Middlebury @ #14 Tufts 1 p.m.

Notes from Saturday: Middlebury played close to its normal lineup against Williams today, and looked great doing it. The only switch was Schlanger in a #3 dubs for Van der Geest. Connecticut Casual Noah Farrell proves time and time again that he is the best player in the country, and Midd’s depth looked good coming up with a couple split set wins. Tufts on the other hand, didn’t have its best stuff against Wesleyan, and I think the Jumbos will be much more comfortable playing at home tomorrow. Never underestimate what that advantage can do for a team’s psyche. Tufts played a slightly different lineup than what they brought in their win against Amherst last weekend, with Cary sitting after dubs and Jacobson/Ali/Coran slotting up to 4/5/6, with mediocre results (Coran did get Tufts’ sole point on the day). Telkedzhiev also played #3 (how, I’m not so sure. He played #1 vs Conn on Thursday, although maybe there is a rule that after split squads a player can move multiple lineup spots?) while Gupte moved up to #1. Not sure how they’ll look tomorrow.

DOUBLES: Middlebury has to be favored here. Their top team has been playing well, their depth looked better today vs Williams (who also has pretty good doubles depth), and their doubles confidence should be high at this point. Tufts jumped out to a 2-1 lead en route to their upset of Amherst, and I think the Jumbos need at least that same lead if they are to pull of another stunner. I give Midd the edge at one, while two and three are still close. I think they split 2&3, and Midd takes a 2-1 lead after doubles. 

#1 Farrell (Middlebury) vs #1 Gupte/Telkedzhiev (Tufts). Big edge to Midd. Farrell looks so good, and Gupte was beaten easily by Liu today. If I were Tufts, I would play Telk here tomorrow to give Gupte a better shot against a guy like Campbell at #3. Middlebury, 6-3, 6-2. 

#2 Smolyar (Middlebury) vs #2 Glickman/Telkedzhiev/Gupte (Tufts). Glickman got trounced by Chen (Wesleyan) earlier today, while Smolyar rebounded and did some trouncing of his own, beating Shastri 1&1. I know Glickman is in the middle of his senior year resurgence, but Smolyar is the favorite here. Middlebury, 6-1, 6-3. 

#3 Campbell (Middlebury) vs #3 Telkedzhiev/Gupte/Glickman (Tufts). Campbell had a good win today over Grodecki, who had been playing as well as any Eph so far in 2016. Campbell smoked Eusebio back in March, and the Wesleyan freshman just crushed Telkedzhiev today. Advantage, Campbell. Middlebury, 3-6, 6-4, 10-5.  

#4 De Quant (Middlebury) vs #4 Cary/Jacobson (Tufts). Another sweet performance from De Quant toady, winning his match with Raghavan after dropping the 1st set. Whichever Jumbo ends up here should be an underdog. Middlebury, 6-3, 6-2. 

#5 Derbani (Middlebury) vs #5 Jacobson/Ali (Tufts). Whether its Rob or Zain playing #5 for Tufts, this should be a fun contrast of styles. Derbani was the one Panther to fall today, and has now lost two matches in a row (although losing a 3-setter to Yeh (CMS) and a super to Indrakanti are not bad losses), and both Jacobson or Ali will certainly make him work for it. If Tufts is going to steal a singles match, this is a good chance for it, but I’m going with the “Moroccan Missile.” Middlebury, 6-4, 6-1. 

#6 Van der Geest (Middlebury) vs #6 Ali/Coran (Tufts). Van der Geest was down a set and 5-2 (I think) to Sadowsky today before climbing all the way back to win. Ali/Coran will certainly be a tough out, and this is likely another match that Tufts will HAVE TO win if they are to somehow pull off an upset (although as you can see by now I don’t think that’s gonna happen). Tufts, 6-3, 6-4. 

MATCH PREDICTION: A not super close 7-2 win for the Panthers, and the myth put to bed that the only reason Tufts beat Amherst is because they have a real advantage playing on their super fast home courts.

#12 Amherst @ #2 Bowdoin 3 p.m.

Notes from Saturday: Amherst’s doubles looked far far better against Bates yesterday than they have in weeks. Herst swept the Cats, and again looked dominant at #3-6 singles. Zykov edged out Rosen in a super, while Solimano was beaten by Ellis in a super of their own. Nice to see Yaraghi and Revzin get such quick wins. Bowdoin took down Hamilton with absolutely no issue. The Polar Bears didn’t rest anybody, which means that team must be in pretty good health. Just because Bowdoin is 10 spots ahead in our power rankings, doesn’t mean that a win over Amherst comes without any of the pomp and circumstance in 2016. This match will be played indoors, which I think adds a certain advantage for Bowdoin. They’ll be playing on their indoor courts, where they have looked awfully tough to beat in the past.

DOUBLES: While Amherst swept Bates, Bowdoin’s doubles should be a different story. The #2 team of Wolfe and Jiang still hasn’t lost all year, and Savage/Roddy at #3 are more than formidable. Amherst should have the edge at #1, but Trinka/Tercek is not a slouch of a pairing either. I like Bowdoin to take a 2-1 lead going into singles, something that I would have never said in years past.

#1 Zykov (Amherst) vs #1 Tercek (Bowdoin). Zykov got a good win over Rosen (Bates) earlier today, albeit in a super. Tercek has been playing well of late as well, but has struggled with Zykov in the past. Slight edge here, but an edge nonetheless. Amherst, 7-6, 6-4. 

#2 Solimano (Amherst) vs #2 Trinka (Bowdoin). Solimano struggled again today, falling to Ellis in 3-sets. It’s almost like Amherst is suddenly a team full of #3’s and #4’s without a true #2. If Solimano shows any signs of weakness tomorrow, Trinka will pounce. Playing indoors might not help Trinka’s chances, but I think he’ll get the job done. Bowdoin, 6-4, 6-3. 

#3 Bessette (Amherst) vs #3 Wolfe (Bowdoin). Absolute battle here. Wolfe has been just about perfect this year, but Bessette is probably playing the best/most consistent tennis for Herst other than Zykov. That being said, Wolfe is always ready for a dog fight. Wolfe, 5-7, 6-4, 10-3. 

#4 Yaraghi (Amherst) vs #4 Jiang (Bowdoin). Interesting what a lineup switch can do for a guy’s confidence. Yaraghi switched down to #4 today against Bates, and responded with an easy straight set win. He should be favored tomorrow against the Polar Bear freshman, who has been Bowdoin’s weakest spot so far in 2016. Amherst, 6-2, 6-2. 

#5 Revzin (Amherst) vs #5 Roddy (Bowdoin). Revzin still has a ranking from the fall/early spring results, so this is technically an upset for betting purposes, but like Wolfe, Roddy has been as good as good can be this spring. Not only that, he hasn’t lost a set since the fall. Pretty impressive. Revzin’s slide continues. Bowdoin, 6-4, 6-2. 

#6 Fife (Amherst) vs #6 Urken (Bowdoin). What? Bowdoin is really deep? Why? Just because NEITHER RODDY NOR URKEN HAS LOST ALL YEAR? Yeah, that’s why. Urken came back to beat Yadav (Wesleyan) in a match his team won 5-4, but other than that he has yet to play at top-10 caliber #6 player. When Fife is on, he is that and then some. I expect this one to be close, but Urken to pull it out after his team has clinched. Bowdoin, 7-6, 6-4.

MATCH PREDICTION: Total up my score and you get a convincing 6-3 win for the Polar Bears. Playing indoors does help them, and if they take a doubles lead they should be in great shape. Amherst is favored at #1 dubs, but with the way they’e been playing, a Bowdoin sweep is not out of the question. A convincing win here and I think Bowdoin will finally have a lot of people believing they are truly the class of the NESCAC.