It’s been a slow week in terms of matches, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a big weekend ahead. There are plenty of marquee matchups this weekend, especially in the NE. My region will not be overlooked, however, as we have two huge matches for Carnegie Mellon, who happens to be one of the top 10 teams in my region. They will be playing Case Western and Kenyon in a home and away set, meaning we get to see CMU face off against two of their biggest rivals on Easter/Passover weekend. Since these two teams are from the Central, I figured it would behoove me to recruit none other than the infamous D3Central to this preview so we can get his expertise on a couple of his best teams.
Case Western @ Carnegie – Saturday, 2PM ET
Implications – While I can’t say this is the biggest match of the weekend (Amherst/Wash U probably is) I can say that this match is absolutely large in terms of Pool C implications. Why do you think this is #PoolCWeek? Case vs. Carnegie has become one of the best rivalries in DIII Tennis as Case has arisen to become the more successful team the past three years after being merely a blip on the Tartans schedule prior to that. A fun fact is that Case Western has actually ended Carnegie’s season the past THREE years, twice in UAAs and last year in an epic match in the Sweet 16. I know for a fact that Case gets up for all of these Case/CMU matches, but something has me feeling that CMU will be able to match the energy they bring with a somewhat sour taste in their mouths. That’s what happens when you continue to be served sour things for three straight years. If the rivalry wasn’t big enough, Case currently sits outside the Pool C landscape while CMU sits in the final spot. Whoever wins this match will most likely be 3rd in the UAA and avoid playing Chicago in the first round. Long story short, this is a big-time battle.
Carnegie @ Kenyon – Sunday, 1PM
Implications – Definitely less implications in this match, especially for Kenyon, but that does not mean this is not a big match for Carnegie. CMU has already lost to Kenyon this year and are probably looking to erase that loss from their resume given they are fighting for a Pool C spot. Depending on who makes it into the tournament, this could also have major implications about who gets to host a region between these two teams, because they very well might be playing each other again in NCAAs. Not to mention these teams have been playing each other for as long as I can remember. While it isn’t bad blood that is shared between these two, it’s still a rivalry and one that has cultivated itself in plenty of Sweet 16 battles.
So, instead of doing the normal matchup vs matchup, blah blah blah, Central actually came up with a different way to preview these two matchups. We’re going to be going through each lineup position with a blurb on how these guys play, then go into a quick 1 or 2 lines about our predictions. Ya feel me?
Position by Position
CMU
#1 Doubles – Heaney-Secord/Duncan – The duo of seniors at the top of the CMU lineup have been the Tartans most consistent spot. They play big and they play risky. Given their experience together, they can take out anyone on any given day. Both their serves are big and can reach up to 110 mph (just an estimate). Christian’s forehand and serve are clearly his weapons and I believe he plays the deuce side. On the other side, Duncan is rock solid and brings a big serve and volley game that he isn’t afraid to use in singles or doubles. This is the definition of a streaky team, and they can lose or win on any given day. The senior experience helps, too.
#2 Doubles – Kasbeer/Zheng – I’m going off CMU’s last match against Christopher Newport because I believe this is going to be the team at #2 doubles. I haven’t seen much of this team together but I do know a few things about these guys from their singles play. Kasbeer is another streaky player that can take over the court with his excellent instincts and no-fear attitude. He runs into trouble when things start going downhill for him. Zheng on the other hand is the exact opposite. Zheng is a consistent player who really doesn’t get rattled. This is a strange combination and I’m not really sure how their doubles is together, but I assume they’d rely on Kasbeer’s net prowess and Zheng’s steady attitude to grind opponents down.
#3 Doubles – Beisswanger/Kumar – While this team hasn’t met the expectations I gave them after they made the finals of ITAs, this is still a very good team, especially at #3 doubles. They don’t have a ton of talent but they have great net ability and a great rapport with each other. Watch out for Beisswanger’s closing ability around the net and his quick hands. Kumar is a guy who’s a bit more crafty than most but doesn’t wow you with any shots. This team definitely will let up a few breaks here and there but have the goods to take your serve at any given time.
#1 Singles – Abhishek Alla – One does not simply know if Alla is going to win a match. His game is totally ridiculous to the point where first time matchups against him almost always lose. Seriously, if you’re interested, check out his history. He destroys first timers (Krull is a great example) because his game is plain weird. With a ball that goes about 2 centimeters over the net, a general lackidasicalness around the court, and the worst second serve I’ve seen out of a DIII tennis player, you don’t really know what you’re going to get with Alla. A slap forehand winner may be in your near future, as may a slice lob slice backhand combo. Beware of the strangest player in DIII land.
#2 Singles – Christian Heaney-Secord – Boom or bust. Heaney-Secord is the ultimate wild card, He sports a gigantic forehand he can hit from 10 feet behind the baseline for a winner as well as a serve that guarantees him a couple aces every match. With a steady but not amazing backhand and pretty good movement for a 6+ footer, Heaney-Secord is a tough player to beat. If you can neutralize his power (which isn’t easy at all) he gets a bit inconsistent and that’s how you’ll beat him. Drougas did this to him last year in the NCAAs and Geier simply outplayed him at Indoors.
#3 Singles – Will Duncan – The fiery Tartan senior Duncan has shuttled between #3 and #4 singles but played 3 in his last match. I’d expect him at #3 with these big matches coming up as well. Duncan has an all around game and a mean one handed backhand that he can flick for winners at ease. His game is based on power and quick points, where he will mix in a serve and volley once in a while and a net charge a lot of the time. When’s he’s on, he’s on. When he’s off, you’ll probably know it.
#4 Singles – Kunal Wadwani – Seeing Wadwani at Indoors was really a treat as he played two spots up and essentially became the Tartans #4 player. Wadwani really doesn’t miss all that much, and when he does it’s probably because of some random glitch in the world’s matrix. He’s blessed with groundstrokes that clear the net well and usually push his opponent back into the court for his opportunities. He doesn’t have any huge shots and his serve and return are merely average, but he’s a tough player to beat at #4 for sure.
#5 Singles – Kenny Zheng – Zheng played #6 against CNU and W&L coming back from his Spring Break injury, but this is a kid that played #3 at Indoors. If he’s at #6, he’s almost an automatic win. Zheng is similar to Wadwani where he has a solid set of groundstrokes and an okay serve and return. His forehand is his weapon, and I saw a few mean angles on that side that drove Mosetick off the court for a great set-up. Zheng failed in the clutch a bit during indoors, but he’s a mean player at #5 and it will be something if he’s even close down there.
#6 Singles – Kiril Kirkov – I saw this kid play 0 times last year and have yet to see him play this year. What I hear is that everything about his game is solid. I have no idea how his hand is doing, but I assume he’ll continue to play with a slice on his backhand side. You better hit there if you’re playing him, because I’m fairly certain his forehand is nasty. Kirkov is a steady player at #6 that can overpower most of his opponents down there. I expect a lot of the same from the young sophomore who only lost 2 matches at #3 last year.
Case Western
#1 Doubles – Krimbill/Stuerke: These guys are the definition of textbook when it comes to how to play doubles. Very few teams will beat them on doubles strategy and IQ as they are the best of the best when it comes to that. However, they can be beaten by shot makers/creativity or simply being outclassed in terms of talent. Rarely are they outclassed in talent because Krimbill is that good. Stuerke has a big serve, returns well, and volleys like all Case Western players do: perfect, but he is streaky. Body serves to both players can be effective as they return well on each side. Jam them up and close hard.
#2 Doubles – Drougas/Simhadri: Case has really struggled at #2 (and #3) doubles and I think it’s because the rest of their squad is made up of grinders from the baseline or big hitters. Drougas is a combination of both and Simhadri just crushes forehands. While that is great in singles, it makes it difficult for them to be effective against the disciplined doubles teams they have played. Put them against other teams of equal talent, but less doubles IQ, they will win (see Wesleyan). Play fundamental doubles and smart tennis, and Drougas and Simhadri are not threats.
#3 Doubles – Komarov/Chen: I can honestly say I don’t have a ton of knowledge about this tandem as they are relatively new partners. Both are freshman so they are only going to get better as the season goes on. Chen seems more like a singles grinder, but again, I haven’t seen him enough to know for sure. Komarov won an Illinois state doubles tournament last year in high school so he at least knows how to play solid dubs. The longer these two play together and get to know each other as partners, the better they will be. Coach Todd is probably putting in overtime teaching them the Case textbook forward and backward.
#1 Singles – Chris Krimbill: What can I say about this guy that isn’t positive? He has been the workhorse for the Spartans in both singles and doubles. He has faltered a bit as of late losing to Carswell out in Cali and Heinrich from Stevens, but both those guys are national title contenders especially if Carswell continues his return to form. Krimbill plays such a clean game from the baseline dictating points from both his forehand and backhand side. His lefty forehand has heavy topspin making a miss rare and his backhand is just as good. I don’t think he comes to the net enough in singles as his volleys are such a weapon. My biggest fault for Krimbill is he doesn’t have anything huge to put players away, but previous top players have proven you don’t need a massive weapon to win big matches. Massive weapons turn into weaknesses real fast if they are missing their shots. Krimbill won’t miss his shots.
#2 SIngles – Will Drougas: Drougas is absolute nails when it comes to toughness. Let’s bring it back to last season when he won a match serving underhand to thrust Case to the Elite 8 (yes that was against CMU). That goes to show how mentally tough he is and how good his baseline game is. He plays with a lot of fire and feeds off of the Case fans and the noise they provide. The best way to describe his game is just solid on all fronts.
#3 Singles – Viswajit Simhadri: If you want to see flat footed powerhouse forehands from ten feet behind the baseline, Simhadri is your man. This guy can hit a forehand winner from anywhere on the court. When he does it, you say nice shot and move on to the next point because there is nothing you can do. His backhand doesn’t have nearly the same bite on it so it is more of a neutral shot. If you can weather the storm of forehand winners and catch Simhadri on a streak of misses, you can take advantage very quickly. He doesn’t have much net clearance which make his ball that much more penetrating, but also that much more open to a miss.
#4 Singles – Louie Stuerke: I have seen singles play from Stuerke a few times and he is somewhat of an anomaly to me. It is clear his strengths are serve, return, and volley, but yet he doesn’t play to those strengths in singles. He is content to play from the baseline only venturing into the net when it is all but necessary. I would love to see Stuerke emulate Pat Rafter/Tim Henman as a serve and volley player as well as chip and charge. It might be that he doesn’t have a great approach shot to make the trip into the net worthwhile without getting passed. Don’t get me wrong, he is solid from the baseline, but others are better. He has shown to be shaky in a third set too. Potential is high, but he has yet to fulfill it.
#5 and #6 Singles – Tytus Chen/Andrew Komarov/Bas Van Lent/Josh Dughi: Case has had a revolving door of sorts at the last two singles spots. It is partially results based and partially because there isn’t much difference between Chen who will likely play 5 and the rest of the roster. Dughi came into the season with high expectations, but hasn’t produced. His human backboard reputation is great, but he lacks depth in his shots. Van Lent has the elder experience, but not much in the big matches.
Kenyon
#1 Doubles – Rosensteel/Geier: Two very good doubles players make a very good tandem. Geier has the big serve and big forehand which proves to be a great thing and a liability depending on which guy shows up. As for Rosensteel, he has been a staple at the top of the doubles lineup for awhile. Some guys just know what it takes to win doubles matches and he is one of those guys. The two are capable of competing with any team in the country, but also can go missing at inopportune times (see Chicago and Depauw).
#2 Doubles – Haas/Heerboth: Everything about Wade’s game screams terrible doubles player, but it is quite the opposite. He is so crafty, unorthodox, and gets to everything that he is extremely effective. Combine that with big serving (also a lefty?) Haas and you get a team that has had a lot of success. The duo started at #3 and was a virtual lock there. At #2, their success has continued and they continue to be an important part of the Lords squad moving forward.
#3 Doubles – Turlington/Roberts/Thrailkill/Hazlett/???: Kenyon has been trying to figure out who would be best at the third doubles spot since the start of the season. I am not sure I have an answer or even a guess. I am fairly confident that Turlington will be one of the two guys at the spot, but his partner is a guessing game. Even a new name Weston Noall popped up (and won) in their last match over Swarthmore.
#1 Singles – Wade Heerboth: Mr. Heerboth isn’t winning any tennis form trophy’s, but he knows how to win. There is no doubt that his unorthodox style gets into opponents heads and only one guy has an uglier game (Guess who he plays?!?). Wade gets to so many balls and can take any and all balls whatever direction he chooses. His forehand seems better when he is hitting it from an awkward position. I don’t know how many times I have see him slap winners from behind his head or way deep in his hitting zone. In the words of Ron Burgandy, “I’m not mad, I am impressed.”
#2 Singles – Sam Geier: Geier will go as far as his big serve and big forehand will take him. If he catches some fire with those weapons, he can blow you off the court. He likes to follow his forehand into the net and he is just as solid putting those balls away. But like most players that rely on one or two shots to carry them, he can go cold and makes him very vulnerable because he doesn’t have a secondary plan/option to take out opponents.
#3 Singles – Robert Turlington: Turlington has been a big help for the Lords this season. Plagued by injuries in seasons past, I was unsure what to expect both in regards to his game and in regards to the results he can produce this high in the lineup. Turlington is the type of player you are going to have to hit through to beat and good luck doing that. His grinding style makes for long matches that typically go three sets and he has some big wins already (Trinity, Wash U, Case). He also has a loss to Case’s Simhadri who probably hit through him the second time around. If he goes up against someone with a big weapon, he is vulnerable. If he goes up against a grinder, it will be a close three set match.
#4 Singles – Tim Rosensteel: What a difference a year can make. Rosensteel struggled mightily last season when he was put there after Raz was no longer on the team. Man I haven’t said that name in ages, but I digress. The emergence of Turlington has made Rosensteel’s integration back into the Lords lineup at a proper spot much easier. He has been plagued by injuries, but seems to be back healthy and provided a good option for Kenyon in the middle of the lineup.
#5 Singles – Jacob Huber: Huber has found a nice home at #5 singles starting a bit higher in the beginning of the season. His game isn’t terribly impressive, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know how to win. I am not sure he has enough game to take out some of the depth the top national teams have, but is a reliable #5 against mid-ranked teams.
#6 Singles – Davis Thrailkill/Colin Haas: I would normally say that Thrailkill would be a lock at #6, but Haas has featured in the lineup above both Huber and Thrailkill in three out of the last four matches. I will be honest and say that I think that Haas was playing more of a place holder role with a normal starter out of the lineup. Whether that’s legal or not isn’t up to me. Thrailkill saved the Lords with his huge third set tiebreaker win over Santa Cruz and has won his last 4 matches all against nationally ranked opponents.
Okay, now that you’ve got the lowdown on every single team in this weekends incomplete triangle, let’s get to the matchups.
Case vs. CMU by Matchup
#1 Doubles – Krimbill/Stuerke (Case) vs. Heaney-Secord/Duncan (CMU)
AS: It depends on which H-S shows up in doubles, but I just think the #1 Case team is too fundamental for this explosive CMU team. Case, 8-5
Central: I will always take discipline over shot making abilities every day of the week. Even if the CMU team is on, I think Case wins this. Case 8-4
#2 Doubles – Drougas/Simhadri (CASE) vs. Zheng/Kasbeer (CMU)
AS: Big time match here because these two teams are unknown entities in terms of winning. They’re made the same way (big hitter, consistent guy) so this will be a close one for sure. I’m not sure about the CMU chemistry, so I take Case, 8-6.
Central: I really don’t like this Case team. For whatever reason they have been unable to find the winning combination. Swing match for sure. CMU 9-8(5)
#3 Doubles – Komarov/Chen (CASE) vs. Beisswanger/Kumar (CMU)
AS: Advantage, CMU here. I think the CMU team takes over the net and uses their experience to beat this relatively inexperienced team. CMU 8-4
Central: I think Case is finally starting to figure it out at #3, but aren’t quite there yet. Come May, these guys will have more time under their belts. CMU 8-6
#1 Singles – Krimbill (CASE) vs. Alla (CMU)
AS: This one is going to be closer than people expect. These two guys play fairly similar “styles” with flat groundstrokes. I think Krimbill has worked harder since last year and will take this one. Case 7-5, 7-6 (4)
Central: Krimbill won’t get sucked into the Alla sleepy tennis. He may struggle putting points away which keeps this close, but never in question. Case 6-4, 6-4
#2 Singles – Drougas (CASE) vs. Heaney-Secord (CMU)
AS: I’m not sure how to predict this because it basically depends if Christian ate his Wheaties in the morning. Let’s say he ate his Wheaties. CMU 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Central: One wildcard and one consistent performer. I am going to go with the wildcard here and say CHS is on his game for this match. CMU 7-6, 6-3
#3 Singles – Simhadri (CASE) vs. Duncan (CMU)
AS: This one is going to have the fireworks with Simhardi bringing his big game to the CMU courts. I like the home court advantage here with Duncan and he’ll figure out Simhardi after a bit. CMU 7-6 (5) 6-1
Central: The other wildcard of the day is Simhadri. I have been pretty impressed with him as of late and I think he will take down Duncan in an upset. Case 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
#4 Singles – Stuerke (CASE) vs. Wadwani (CMU)
AS: Tough matchup for Stuerke because Wadwani is going to grind him down. CMU 6-3, 6-3
Central: This is where Case starts to look overmatched. Stuerke will struggle mightily especially if this is outdoors which is the plan. CMU 6-4, 6-1
#5 Singles – Chen (CASE) vs. Zheng (CMU)
AS: The return of Zheng to the lineup gives CMU a huge advantage at #5. Kenny was beating good #3s at indoors. Expect him to take out Chen. CMU 6-2, 6-1
Central: Freshman Chen is going to go up against a crazy talented player in Zheng. CMU 6-2, 6-2
#6 Singles – Komarov (CASE) vs. Kirkov (CMU)
AS: Komarov can take this if he hits 90% of his shots deep to the corner of Kiril’s backhand. Good luck my friend! CMU 6-3, 6-4
Central: Komarov is relatively unknown especially in singles. Not a guy I expect much out of yet and not even sure he gets the nod at #6. CMU 6-2, 6-2
Overall Prediction
AS: If you like counting, it looks like I’m predicting my region’s team to win 6-3!
Central: Same score line with a few different spots winning. CMU 6-3
Kenyon vs. CMU by Match-Up
#1D – Rosensteel/Geier vs. Heaney-Secord/Duncan
Central: I haven’t been a fan of the streaky behavior of the Kenyon squad and think CMU will want this one more. CMU 8-6
AS: I would like to say that the atmosphere at Kenyon is always rowdy, but this CMU senior squad can handle it. CMU 9-8 (6)
#2D – Haas/Heerboth vs. Zheng/Kasbeer
Central: The Lord duo has been fantastic all season and they will need to be as Kenyon needs this spot pretty badly. Heerboth will lead the way. Kenyon 8-4
AS: No contest in my eyes. Kasbeer has struggled for a long time and who knows, he might come out of his shell in a rowdy environment. I don’t think so. Kenyon 8-2
#3D – Turlington/Roberts vs. Beisswanger/Kumar
Central: This match is much more important to Kenyon than it is CMU, but the inconsistency as to who is playing with who will hurt the Lords. CMU 9-8(3)
AS: I have a lot of confidence in the CMU team at #3 and not a lot of confidence in the way anyone at Kenyon #3 has played. CMU 8-5
#1S – Heerboth vs. Alla
Central: I watched every point of this match at Indoors and hated every second of it. If you like tennis, pay attention to court 2. Kenyon 7-6, 7-5
AS: 3 hours, 2 players, 1 singles. That’s my prediction, and ma dude wiggitywiggity1 comes out on firing. Kenyon 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
#2S – Geier vs. Heaney-Secord
Central: Two big hitters that are streaky. It will either be close or one will run away with it. I think CHS has the edge if it’s close. CMU 6-3, 6-2
AS: Last time out Geier smoked CHS. I am seeing a big weekend from CHS so let me choose the giant in this one. CMU 6-4, 6-1
#3S – Turlington vs. Duncan
Central: Turlington has been pretty impressive, but I like Duncan here just based off shear talent. CMU 6-4, 3-6, 7-6
AS: I can’t pick Duncan 2-0 on the weekend, can I? No, I can’t. Turlington is playing well and Duncan might get a little flustered by the keg-standers next to his court. Kenyon, 7-5, 6-2
#4S – Rosensteel vs. Wadwani
Central: CMU’s depth continues to make things tough for opponents and this will be no different. Not sure Rosensteel has enough in the tank to make this happen. CMU 6-4, 6-4
AS: This is a perfect matchup for Wadwani if he’s slated at #4. The way Rosensteel was playing at Indoors would make this a barn burner, but how many times can Tim do that this season? CMU 6-3, 7-5
#5S – Huber vs. Zheng
Central: Huber beats the guys he is supposed to beat and loses when he is supposed to lose. Zheng is one of those losses. CMU 6-4, 6-1
AS: I don’t have faith in Huber against the best of the best and I’ve heard he won’t read this anyways due to superstitions or something. Penalty. CMU 6-2, 6-4
#6S – Thrailkill vs. Kirkov
Central: Big D has been rock solid at the bottom of the lineup, but it looks like he may be out measured (see what I did there?) in this one. CMU 7-5, 6-4
AS: THRAILKILL has been a revelation this year! I want to go with Big D (are we even allowed to call him that) but I just can’t. I have faith in the bottom of the CMU lineup. CMU 6-3, 6-3
Overall Prediction
Central: Can’t believe it, but I have this as 7-2 CMU. That can’t be right can it?
AS: Unlike Central, I don’t hate Central teams. This is going to be a close one and the crowd will play a factor (trust me, it will). This will be 6-3 CMU in my book with a few scary moments for the Tartans.
That was a long preview. ASouth and Central, OUT.