ITA Day 2 Recap, Finals Preview

same link as yesterday, but draws can be viewed

Singles

Semifinals

#4 Andy Hersh (Hopkins) def. Aaro  Aaron Skinner (Trinity) def. #4 Andy Hersh (Hopkins) 6-3, 6-1

I’m getting ready to pick against him again in a couple minutes here, but man, what a performance by Skinner. In the past two days, he’s defeated two of DIII’s most consistent performers in straight sets. This coming from a guy who played 5 and 6 singles last year. Whatever he did between the end of last season and the start of this season, he should keep doing that. Hersh just lost in the semis here for the second year in a row, and it can’t feel good. As great as Skinner must be playing, it is quite uncharacteristic for him to lose so decisively. We’ll see if he can recover against Burgin tomorrow.

Robert Kjellberg (NCW) def. #2 Paul Burgin (Kenyon) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5

Going back to his regional final, that makes three straight matches in which Kjellberg got beaten decisively in his first set, only to come back and win. This Bishop is playing refuse-to-lose tennis right now, and I really feel good about his chances tomorrow. Two straight three-setters might be a detriment at this point, but since the final is being played so early, I don’t think heat will be an issue at least. For Burgin, there’s obviously no shame in losing this match. After losing to Putterman in the regional, anything that he can get in Mobile has to be a bonus.

Backdraw

#1 Adam Putterman (Wash U) def. Mya Smith-Dennis (GAC) 6-3, 6-1

Nothing unexpected here. The Skinner loss is looking a little less confusing, and Putterman responded well with a blowout victory in this one. Like I said, the best Smith-Dennis can hope for is 7th, but I really don’t think that’s going to happen for him with Loutsenko unexpectedly ending up on the other side of the net

Neel Kotrappa (CMS) def. #3 Oliver Loutsenko (Skidmore) 7-6 (3), 6-2

Great match from the Brown Mamba. I’m a little sad that we didn’t get to see a Loutsenko/Putterman rematch, but I’m also excited to see if Kotrappa can make another statement.

Preview

Aaron Skinner (Trinity) vs. Robert Kjellberg (NCW)

I really like how none of the seeds made it to the final here. It’s very illustrative of the parity currently present in DIII. I hate to pick against Skinner three times in a row, especially since he’s earned a fair bit of respect, but that’s what is about to happen. I had Kjellberg tabbed as the champ from the beginning, and I’m going to stick with that pick. Skinner will absolutely keep it close, but I like the Bishop to come away from this one in another 3-set battle.

#4 Andy Hersh (Hopkins) vs. #2 Paul Burgin (Kenyon)

You have to go with Burgin in this one. Mentally, Burgin should be feeling better. He knew the match with Kjellberg was going to be rough, and he has to feel good about his effort. He also has the added benefit of being in Alabama by fluke, so he can’t feel that disappointed about not having the chance to play for the championship. Hersh, on the other hand, ought to be very disappointed about his play today. When Putterman lost, he probably thought the draw had opened up for him to get to the finals, but he ran into the same buzzsaw Putterman did, and he didn’t even put up much of a fight. Coming back from that disappointment will be difficult. I’m sure Hersh will put in one hell of an effort, but I’m going with Burgin in three.

#1 Adam Putterman (Wash U) vs. Neel Kotrappa (CMS)

I’ve never seen Kotrappa play outside of a doubles match, but he must be doing something special here, because he was definitely the weaker link on his doubles team last year. I’m not about to pick him over Putterman, but win or lose, he should be immensely proud of his effort. Even with a victory, Putterman will not feel great about 5th. That’s the mentality of an elite player: great achievements seem disappointing. I’ll take him in straights.

Mya Smith-Dennis (GAC) vs. #3 Oliver Loutsenko (Skidmore)

This is literally a repeat of last year’s 7th place match. It’s the Northeast winner versus the Midwest winner, and so far this tournament, the Northeast winner has looked better. Last year, Donkena reached deep into his reserves to pull out a three-setter against Perepelov. This match has some definite upset possibilities, and I’m just going to sack up and pick the upset for once. Smith-Dennis in three. Please don’t make me look stupider than I already do.

Doubles

I really took a beating on the doubles predictions, so when you read these scores, just imagine a look of shame on my face. (Picture whatever face you like. I prefer Brad Pitt, but you can use Michael Moore if you’re not feeling generous).

#2 Micheli/Meyer (Williams) def. #4 Rivers/La Cava (Whitman) 7-6 (6), 6-3

This was a terrific match by all accounts. Whitman was up an early break in the first set before surrendering it and eventually losing in the tiebreaker (they even held a set point). In the end, Williams’ superior experience paid off, and they came through in a smattering of deuce games in the second. Meyer is now a two-time champion here, and I’m really hoping they can do some damage in the Super Bowl to garner some respect for DIII (he and Chow actually came reasonably close to winning last year). What a great tournament for Whitman. After losing three starters, it’s a good sign for them to have a rock-solid doubles team. We already knew Williams was great at doubles, so we’ll have to wait for the season to see if they can pull their singles together and make a run at a national championship.

#3 Wood/Dorn (CMS) def. Brown/Lim (Hopkins) 7-5, 6-2

This was the icing on a rough day for Hopkins, but Wood and Dorn were just too much for the Blue Jays. These Stags have the potential to be more consistent that Wood and Lane ever were, and it would be great for them to have a solid #1 doubles team, as they flopped around a lot last season before finally finding a good combo in Lane and Erani. Even though they lost, this showing is a very good sign for Hopkins. They are one of the few teams that had the depth to hang with Emory last year, and that hasn’t changed. Their doubles was always the thing that let them down, and since they basically cleaned up in their region and did pretty well here, their future is brighter than ever.

Heerboth/Turlington (Kenyon) def. Isaacs/Szczurek (Emory) 2-6, 7-5, 10-3

I’m just going to skim over how wrong I was about this match and bring up something else: I was talking about this match with a couple friends earlier, and we asked ourselves, “Do you think either of these teams will be playing #1 doubles in the season?” Nobody though either team would be. With Raz back for the Lords, you gotta think he and Williams will take the helm there, and Emory has a Mr. Potato Head’s worth of options to try out for the next couple months. This is not a bad thing for either team. Both doubles teams would be insanely successful anywhere but #1 (where they would only be moderately successful). We’ll see how it plays out.

Lathrop/Smego (Drew) def. #1 Osborne/Balkin (UWW) 7-6 (3), 5-7, 10-4

Losing tiebreakers is never fun, but Whitewater picked a bad week to go 0-3 in them. I’m really quite stunned by this result. Personally, I believe the Warhawks are streakier than just about any team in the country. The Osborne/Balkin doubles combo has beaten Donkena and Smith-Dennis (One of the most consistently good doubles teams in the country last year) twice, but they have some truly mystifying losses. (Westminster? Anyone?) That being said, I should give credit where credit is due. Everyone I’ve talked to who knows about Drew says they are mediocre at best last year. In Vegas, they were going off at 1.5:1 to lose all three of their match this weekend. And they came in and played great all weekend. They pushed the eventual champs in their first match, and had another great match against Kenyon in their second. Now, they get to come away from the tournament with a win. Kudos.