Hey everyone! D3ASW here with my first women’s article. I’m gonna be previewing the Atlantic South regional by blatantly stealing ASouth’s format. Emory has won both the singles and doubles for as long as I can remember and I don’t really see this year being any different. Here’s a link to the draw: http://sewaneetigers.com/sports/wten/2015-16/releases/20150930pmie24
The Favorite
Michelle Satterfield, Emory, #1 Seed – Satterfield has had a very interesting fall career. Her freshman year she won the singles and doubles and ended up winning the small college national in singles as well. Last year she was ousted in the round of 16 by Lopez of N.C. Wesleyan. Satterfield finished the season strong though by making the semifinals of individuals and I think she has learned from her poor performance last year. She will also benefit from being in the top half of the draw which looks like the much weaker half.
Close Runner-up
Bea Rosen, Emory, #3 Seed – Rosen is the defending champ, but will potentially have to play Fuhr, Harding, and Su back to back to back just to make it to the finals. This is an absolute gauntlet and at least one of those matches will go three sets. Rosen is a tough competitor, but I think that her draw will be too tough for her to repeat as champion.
Dark Horses
Lindsey Liles, Sewanee, #2 Seed –It feels a little weird calling the #2 seed a dark horse, but this tournament is so consistently dominated by Emory I didn’t feel comfortable having Liles as a favorite. Liles is the only non-Emory player that I think could make a run, but she is unfortunately in the bottom half of the draw. Liles will have to play either Su or Gordon in the quarterfinals. If she can get past that match then the Emory players might start wearing each other out, but realistically I see her losing in a hard fought match in the quarters
Bridget Harding, Emory, #6 Seed – Harding made the semifinals of this tournament a year ago and then followed that up by only having one loss at court 5 all spring. Harding is ready to move up in the Emory lineup and her match with Rosen in the quarters will be a battle. I think that Harding is actually the better overall player, but that Rosen has a little more experience as a senior and that her game matches up well against Harding’s. This will be the match of the tournament and I’m picking Rosen in 3 sets.
Madison Gordon, Emory, Unseeded – Gordon has been an absolute rock for Emory at the bottom of the lineup the last few years for Emory. This is her senior year and I think she’s going to come out ready to play. My bold prediction of the tournament is that Gordon makes it out of the bottom half of the draw and into the finals. Her match with Su will be close, but after that I think she is too solid for Liles and will beat a tired Rosen in the semis.
Prop bets and things to look out for:
- Emory’s top recruit Taylor Cosme will upset #4 seed Melissa Goodman to reach the semifinals
- Anna Fuhr will have a closer match than expected with Rosen. I predict two tight sets
- Lindsey Liles will be the only non-Emory player in the quarters
- Emory will win the doubles
- It will rain all weekend and at least one match will play next to a Saturday morning 2.5 clinic
- I could actually be Caitlyn Jenner. D3AS is just trying to throw you guys off my trail
- The D3Tennis instagram will blow up so you should follow it now and tell all your friends how you knew about it before it was cool: D3Tennis Instagram!