We have two big matches today, both with big NESCAC and even NCAA implications, giving us yet another wacky Wednesday in the NE. These matches could have easily been swept under the overwhelming rug that is The 114th Ojai, but I’m not gonna let that happen. In fact, just because my predictions have been going so well of late, I’m gonna break each battle down into a match by match preview for yall. If you just wanted to make an Ojai bracket, I understand. Just scroll down on the home page for more Ojai coverage. As for my match by match stuff, I know this can get somewhat repetitive at the end of the season, but each match is so important to any and all postseason hopes. Before we get to the breakdown, here’s what’s at stake for all 4 teams:
BATES: Needs to win to keep their longshot hopes at an NCAA bid alive. A win over the Jumbos would also lock up an NESCACs bid.
TUFTS: Needs to win to keep a decent shot at making NESCACs. A win over Bates would keep the Jumbo momentum rolling after their win over Williams on Sunday kept them alive.
TRINITY CT: Needs to win to keep their longershot hopes at an NCAA bid alive. Trinity looks good for NESCACs, but still has a very dark horse shot at NCAAs.
WILLIAMS: Needs to win to put themselves back in the projected NESCACs field. A reeling Ephs team needs a win here otherwise Tufts moves temporarily ahead of them for the projected final spot at NESCACs.
#14 Bates @ #24 Tufts 4pm
#1 Doubles: Planche/Ellis vs. Telkedzhiev/Gupte. Slight advantage Bates. Telk and Gupte should make a good team, but they have only played 3 matches together. Planche and Ellis have had a good season, but not a great season. This, like all of the doubles matches, is winnable for both teams, but I’m sticking with experience. Bates, 8-6
#2 Doubles: Lee/Ordway vs. Cary/Battle. PUSH! Lee and Ordway are coming off a nice win over Smolyar/Farrell (Midd), but have proven to be a streaky team with the ability to beat the best and lose some iffy matches. Cary and Battle have played both #1 and #2 dubs for the Jumbos this season, and have won their previous three matches. This seems like a match that Tufts needs to win, and I say they do it. Tufts, 9-8(5)
#3 Doubles: Rosen/Schwartz vs. Ali/Brockman. Slight advantage Bates. If Rosen and Schwartz are playing their best, they seem like a damn tough #3 team, but I’m not sure either guy is right now. Brockman and Ali have played a good amount of #2 and #3 this season, and are more than just a tough out. Bates should be the favorites here, but something tells me we’ll have yet another close match. Bates, 9-7.
#1 Singles: Planche vs. Telkedzhiev. Slight advantage Bates. The singles season has not been easy for the Bulgaria Hysteria. Telkedzhiev has lost 8 straight singles matches, dating back to Tuft’s #SB15 over a month ago. Planche hasn’t been untouchable this year, but he’s certainly been solid. Planche, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
#2 SIngles: Ellis vs. Gupte. Slight advantage Tufts. Gupte has been phenomenal so far this spring. He only has two losses all spring, and has moved up from #5 to #2. Normally that might put someone out of his or her element, but Gupte answered with wins at #2 over Murad (Colby) and Shastri (Williams). Ellis has played about .500 ball over the past couple weeks, and will always give you a grind, but I like Gupte to take the point for the Jumbos. Gupte, 6-3, 6-3.
#3 Singles: Schwartz vs. Ali. PUSH! Big match here. D3AS is tired of hearing about Schwartz, but that doesn’t mean the dude can’t win. He’s lost his past three matches, but Ali has lost his previous two matches as well. This should be a fantastic freshman fight, and I see this one going three sets. Schwartz, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
#4 Singles: Feldman vs. Battle. Slight advantage Tufts. Battle was playing #2 for the majority of the season, and since the Jumbos made the freshman bump (moving freshmen to 2&3 from 4&5), Battle should be much more at home. We know that Feldman is going to push whoever he plays, but that’s about it. Battle, 6-3, 7-5.
#5 Singles: Rosen vs. Jacobson. Slight advantage Tufts. Great match at #5. Rosen just got walked over by De Quant from Midd, while Jacobson is a bonafide #3 who should benefit greatly from being moved down in the lineup. Should be some very high level tennis. Jacobson, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
#6 Singles Ordway vs. Glickman. PUSH! Here we go, a 4-4 match with #6 being the singles swing match. He’s been really solid at #6, only losing one match (Mandel (Trin) two weeks ago). However, Ordway has also been playing very well, with wins over Wesleyan, Bowdoin, and Midd in the past couple of weeks. Glickman might be a tough matchup for the big hitting Ordway, but we’ve seen that Ordway can close a match when he has to…Ordway, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
Total Prediction: Bates def Tufts 5-4. Looks like a close match through and through. Tufts will need to bring whatever it brought vs. Williams on Sunday. We know Bates plays solid dubs, but Tufts actually does too. If the Jumbos can take a 2-1 lead, their new depth should be able to hold off the Bobcats, but that’s easier said than done. Let’s see if the Jumbos can play well in back to back big matches for the first time this season.
#19 Trinity Ct @ #18 Williams 4pm
#1 Doubles: Traff/Mbithi vs. Schidlovsky/Sadowsky. Advantage Trin. Traff and Mbithi have very quietly put together an excellent season. They are the #2 doubles team in the region, and have only lost 2 matches all spring. On the other side of the net, Schidlovsky and Sadowsky have lost 6 of their past 8, and have been moved up and down in the lineup. I’ll take the consitency, thank you. Trinity, 9-7.
#2 Doubles: Carpenter/Myers vs. Raventos/Shastri. PUSH! Doubles swing match! BIG TIME MATCH. Both teams are more than solid, and both teams can really hit the stuffing out of the ball. Williams really needs this match, as I think they will have a significantly harder time coming back from a doubles deficit than Trinity will. Rosé is the Ephs’ most accomplished team, and I think they take it. Williams, 8-6
#3 Doubles: Glickman/Levin vs. Astrachan/Grodecki. Slight advantage Williams. Trinity has played a variety of teams at #3 dubs over the past few matches, and none of them have been particularly consistent. Astro has taken over Raghavan’s spot as Grodecki’s partner at #3 dubs, and should be able to provide some leadership. Neither team has shown they are ready to win a big match, but I like Williams to win here. Williams, 8-4.
#1 Singles: Carpenter vs. Raventos. Advantage Trin. Carpenter, my reigning POTW, has picked up 3 top-8 wins (Granoff, Liu, Reid) in the past week. Raventos has won 3 of his past 4, but will go into this match as the underdog. Carpenter, 7-6 (4), 6-4.
#2 Singles: Mbithi vs. Shastri. Slight advantage Williams. I’ve been saying it since my Trin Season Preview, but the Bants have 5 guys that could conceivably play #2. That leaves whomever plays there as likely the weakest spot. Mbithi has a couple of good wins this year, but Shastri’s have been better, and all over the lineup. I think Local-Ro comes up big for the Ephs when they need him most. Shastri, 6-3, 6-3.
#3 Singles: Matingo vs. Schidlovsky. PUSH! After playing most of the season at #1 or #2, Schidlovsky was moved down to #3 and responded with a straight set win over Ali (Tufts) on Sunday. Matingo has won 4 matches in a row, but I think this match is Schidlovsky’s to lose. Schdlovsky, 6-1, 6-4.
#4 Singles: Traff vs. Harron. PUSH! Harron didn’t play for the Ephs vs. Tufts last Sunday after getting DOUBLE BAGELED by Rodriguez (Amherst) the day before. Who knows, he might play below #4, he might not even play at all? With the way Harron’s season is going, and the season Traff has had, I gotta take the Bant. Traff, 6-3, 6-2.
#5 Singles: Levin vs. Grodecki. Slight advantage Williams. Grodecki has been one of the better spots for the Ephs, and has played anywhere between 4-6. Levin and Mandel have anchored the Bantam’s lineup, and Levin hasn’t actually lost a singles match since the fall. All streaks must come to an end, right? Grodecki, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
#6 Singles: Mandel vs. Raghavan. Slight advantage Trin. Mandel hasn’t quite been as good as Levin, but he has been good when the Bants needed him. I can’t pick both seniors to lose to freshmen, can I? Mandel, 6-4, 7-5.
Total Prediction: Williams def Trinity Ct 5-4. Two 5-4 matches in the same afternoon? Seems too good to be true. I almost feel like I’m picking Williams just to spite D3AS. I also know just how much havoc an Ephs win would create for the final weekend of NESCACs, which both excited and terrifies me. In the end, I leave it up to the matchups, and the matchups tell me that we’re in for a great day of NE tennis. Enjoy people!