It must be warming up outside, because the Eagles are migrating north for the weekend! Emory is taking a little trip which should serve as an EXCELLENT warm up for UAAs. The Eagles blew by Sewanee and Hopkins over the past couple weeks, and much to their credit, haven’t actually played a close match since Indoors. This weekend should provide a great barometer of where exactly the Eagles stand with regards to some of the other top teams in the country, as Emory takes on both Amherst and Middlebury this weekend. Both matches have been given the full match-by-match treatment by myself and your headmaster, and then I threw in a BONUS PREVIEW at the end of the article as well. Happy weekend, boys and girls!
#1 Emory @ #7 Amherst, Friday 3:00 p.m.
The Eagles start their northern journey at Amherst on Friday afternoon. This matchup obviously had a little more juice before the Mammoths lost their #2 and #4 singles players, but the team formerly known as the Lord Jeffs still have plenty of firepower. Even shorthanded, Amherst is coming off wins over Bates and MIT, and still are in complete control of their own Pool-C destiny; however, the one title contender that Herst has played since their departures ended in an 8-1 loss at the hands of the Bowdoin Polar Bears. Emory, on the other hand, has been absolutely rolling through all competition for over a month now. MATCH BY MATCH PREVIEW!
#1 doubles: Rubenstein/Spaulding (EU) vs Fung/Wei (Herst)
NE: Even though this has been Emory’s top team for a while now, it’s probably their weakest position. That being said, Fung and Wei have not enjoyed the same success that Wei and Kaplan did earlier in the year. Amherst takes a close one to keep things interesting. Herst, 8-6.
AS: Hello, AS is here. I think Emory is going to come up Herst and really come to play. Spaulding/Rubinstein are coming off a rough loss to W&L in which everyone will question why they’re playing #1 doubles. They usually answer those calls with a win. Emory 8-5.
#2 doubles: Bouchet/Renke (EU) vs Bessette/Ma (Herst)
NE: Bessette and Ma have had their moments, and I’m not even sure they will be playing together this weekend, but I’ve always liked this #2 team for the Eagles. Give me the doubles specialist here. EU 8-5.
AS: I don’t like the Bouchet/Renke team as much as NE does, and I believe that they are very on/off. So, it really depends on how Adrien is feeling that day. In the first match in a long time, I think that Amherst comes out a little bit sharper here and that makes a big difference. Amherst, 9-8 (or 8-7 depending on format).
#3 doubles: Cassone/Jemison (EU) vs Kendall/Levitin (Herst)
NE: No one 3rd doubles team should have all that power. Cassone and Jemison can both crush the ball, and this team’s returns should be fire. The Amherst duo just doesn’t have the firepower to match, if they’re even playing together again this weekend. EU 8-4.
AS: We always talk about Emory’s #3 doubles team being so good, but they do lose every once in a while. If Amherst is to challenge the Eagles, they are going to have to win 2 of 3 doubles at the very least. Probably even sweep, but who knows. I don’t think that’s in the cards here despite Jemison/Cassone being a very unconventional doubles team. Emory 8-3.
#1 singles: Jonathan Jemison (EU) vs Sean Wei (Herst)
NE: I think we have a battle here. While it would be easy to take Jemison and just move on, I think Wei is really good and this one will go the distance. In something close to a toss-up match, I gotta take my ranked regional guy. Herst, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
AS: This should be a really great matchup. Wei has played extremely well this year, almost too good for a freshman at the top of the lineup. Jemison, on the other hand, hasn’t necessarily been an absolute dominant force. Wei has won his fair share of big matches, but Jemison’s demolition of Jack Gray of Sewanee tells me he might be upping his game to the next level. Emory, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
#2 singles: Hayden Cassone (EU) vs Kevin Ma (Herst)
NE: Wait a second, I haven’t been paying attention. Did somebody say that Cassone was a lock for NCAAs a couple weeks ago or something? Oh yeah, D3AS won’t shut up about it. You know what, you can do that when you are 100% RIGHT! The Eagle wins the battle of the frosh. EU 6-3, 6-2.
AS: D3NE has got it right. Cassone is a lock for the NCAA tournament. Give me Cassone over Ma any day of the week. Emory, 6-3, 6-4.
#3 singles: Alec Josepher (EU) vs Zach Bessette (Herst)
NE: Josepher had a rough go of indoors, but has been playing better since then. Bessette smoked Leiner from Bates, but then fell in straight sets to Cheng and Wolfe in his last two matches. Tighter match here, but I think Josepher prevails. EU, 6-4, 3-6, 10-5.
AS: Bessette of Herst has always impressed me, and Josepher is a bit of an enigma sometimes on the court. Both the #3 and #4 singles matches are basically impossible to predict, and I am going to go with the one dude who will probably stay loyal to the Amherst program throughout his career. Home court matters, and Amherst 5-7, 6-3, 10-4.
#4 singles: Adrien Bouchet (EU) vs Jayson Fung (Herst)
NE: This is a tough one to predict, because Fung is so hit or miss. If Bouchet is playing well and Fung isn’t, this match could be over in about 20 minutes. If Fung is playing well, he can easily win this match. If Bouchet plays within himself, he should frustrate Fung and take care of business. EU 7-6 (2), 6-1.
AS: Fung at #6 singles was an absolutely absurd lineup – now with Fung at #4, it’s much more reasonable. Bouchet struggled out of the gate but has more than enough game to be winning very consistently at #4 singles. I think his groundstroke game beats Fung in a solid match that doesn’t feel as close as the score. Emory 6-4, 6-4.
#5 singles: Andrew Harrington (EU) vs Jesse Levitin (Herst)
NE: Levitin has been playing very well since he got “the call”. Jesse clinched the win at Bates, pushed Gil Roddy to a super breaker, and came up with a big win against MIT as well. However, the uber reliable Mr. Harrington presents a challenge far more similar to Gil Roddy than Bates or MIT. EU 7-6 (4), 6-4.
AS: The Comeback Player of the Year in Harrington will continue to make 2018 his year. Harrington has really come in motivated and will not be denied a W in this match. Emory 6-1, 6-4.
#6 singles: Scott Rubenstein (EU) vs Jon Heidenberg (Herst)
NE: The Eagle senior will simply make too many shots for the younger Mammoth, who has been playing well but is severly lacking in big match experience. EU, 6-4, 6-2
AS: The senior Rubinstein has his fair share of head-scratching losses, but this is one where I think he comes out on fire after a big win in doubles to get back on track. If not, his teammates are circling the water for his #6 singles spot. Just kidding. Emory 6-2, 6-2.
FINAL PREDICTIONS:
NE: #1 Emory def. #7 Amherst 7-2
AS: #1 Emory def. #7 Amherst 7-2
newD3Central: #1 Emory def. #7 Amherst 7-2
DIIIWest: #1 EMory def. #7 Amherst 8-1
#1 Emory vs #6 Middlebury (@ Trinity Ct), Saturday 3:30 p.m.
Finally, the biggest match of the weekend! Midd is coming off their most impressive match to date, an 8-1 drubbing of Bowdoin last weekend. Farrell and de Quant appear to be back to form, which means the rest of the country should take note. However, even though Midd just crushed the Polar Bears, they are still just sitting at #? in our Power Rankings. A win this weekend would absolutely change that, and likely turn some skeptical bloggers into Panther believers. That is easier said than done, as they will be taking on the defending NCAA champs and current #1 team in the country. As I said above, the Eagles haven’t played a truly meaningful match since their spring break, and Midd might just be the most talented team that EU will play all year. When you can play these types of out-of-conference matches before your big conference tournament, it should only be beneficial! Buckle up for this one, I don’t think it would shock anybody if this ended up being a preview of the 2018 NCAA title match.
AS: All I have to say is, I hope Middlebury fans don’t yell at me for getting predictions wrong in this article. That’s all.
#1 doubles: Rubenstein/Spaulding (EU) vs Cuba/Schlanger (Midd)
NE: Another day, another tough opponent at #1 dubs for the Eagles. Out of region wins aren’t supposed to count as highly for regional rankings, but a win over Cuba/Schlanger could go a long ways…could being the operative word. In my opinion, this is the tightest doubles match of the three, and I think it’s gonna stay closer for a while EU 9-8(4).
AS: Rubinstein/Spaulding play a weird game of cat and mouse with me all the time. They win when you think they won’t, and they throw in a loss when you think everything is all good. Here’s where I don’t think they are going to win, so watch and see when they make my prediction look stupid. Midd 8-6
#2 doubles: Bouchet/Renke (EU) vs de Quant/Farrell (Midd)
NE: A BATTLE OF STRENGTHS! Farrell and de Quant have been fantastic since both guys got healthy, and I’m not picking against this loaded #2 team until they prove me wrong. Midd 8-5.
AS: This should be a doozy of a matchup, and could really tilt in Emory’s favor if Renke is serving lights out. Emory has a great combination of serve and return with their duo and I personally I think they could overpower DQ and Farrell on the right day. I think they get up for this match and do just that. Emory, 8-4.
#3 doubles: Cassone/Jemison (EU) vs Martin/van der Geest (Midd)
NE: Here is the one doubles position that certainly favors Emory. The Eagle’s top two singles players have only one loss this year in dubs, and boast a number of ranked wins including teams who play at levels “higher” than DIII. The Midd kids are now a pair of doubles specialists, but I’m still leaning Emory. EU 8-5.
AS: This is going to be a match where Emory plays closer than they should, on paper, because the Jemison/Cassone team I feel is susceptible to breaks. Middlebury is sending out a very good team at #3 here and we shouldn’t just be looking at star power to determine who’s going to win. At the end of the day, this is going to be close and a swing match. Emory 9-8 (6).
#1 singles: Jonathan Jemison (EU) vs Lubo Cuba (Midd)
NE: This is a spot that would be huge for Emory to steal. Now, it’s tough to call betting on Jonathan Jemison a steal, but Cuba is the favorite in this match. It’s supposed to be 50’s and sunny in Hartford this weekend, which should favor Jemison more than the bigger hitting Cuba, but I like Lubo to get it done. Midd, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
AS: Cuba has played a highwire act all year, where he comes out totally lost and loses a first set real quickly. I’m not sure what kind of match preparation is going on here but it’s a bit concerning coming from what should be the best player in the country. While I think this one will be close, I’ll put my faith in Cuba stepping up one more time and taking down Jemison. Midd 7-5, 6-2.
#2 singles: Hayden Cassone (EU) vs Noah Farrell (Midd)
NE: SWING MATCH. Farrell has made an unfortunate habit of losing first sets VERY quickly, before he gets going. If that happens here, you’d think it would be tough to turn it around. That being said, Cassone seems like the sort of matchup where something like that could work perfectly…Midd 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
AS: There’s really been one spot that Middlebury has been unsure of what they are going to get, and that’s the spot that Noah Farrell plays at. Hayden Cassone has come up big for the Eagles all year round and that is no coincidence. He’s going to have to make sure his big shots are consistent against a tough competitor like Farrell, but let’s say that Cassone makes this his first huge win of his career. Emory, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
#3 singles: Alec Josepher (EU) vs William de Quant (Midd)
NE: Another singles spot, another big showdown. De Quant seems to be getting better and better with each match back, and him outlasting Kyle Wolfe last weekend is a great sign. WDQ also has the advantage of not having played a match the day before, which should work out in his favor. Midd, 6-4, 6-3.
AS: Middlebury has the advantage here as WDQ is a proven player at #3. Josepher is slowly but surely starting to get some good results, but Emory simply has not played enough big matches with Josepher at this spot to make me feel confident he’s going to beat the grizzled veteran WDQ. Midd, 6-3, 6-4.
#4 singles: Adrien Bouchet (EU) vs Kyle Schlanger (Midd)
NE: SWING MATCH Part II! Like Josepher, Bouchet had an up and down Indoors, but the Eagle junior hasn’t lost since. Schlanger took tough three-set losses against both CMS and Williams, but rebounded nicely against Tufts and Bowdoin. Schlanger is tough, and he’s not shy about speaking his mind on court, but gimme the headbanded Eagle to take a nailbiter. EU, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
AS: Despite not playing well in the beginning of the year, anyone that doesn’t have confidence that Bouchet will be close to a lock at #4 singles is not looking at his historically good performance year after year. Bouchet and Schlanger both would probably be some of the best #3 singles players if they played there, so this one should be super entertaining. I’m going to take my guy from Emory. Emory, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.
#5 singles: Andrew Harrington (EU) vs Nate Eazor (Midd)
NE: Finally we have a singles match where the paper favors the Eagles. Harrington has been a rock so far this year, and I don’t believe he has lost to any DIII competition this spring. He hasn’t played a big match in a while, but too tough to pick against the Eagle senior here. EU 6-4, 6-3.
AS: Harrington hasn’t lost, is a senior, and wants to give a middle finger to all those who thought his career was done. He’ll match any shenanigans that happen in the match and will shake it off with ease. Emory 7-5, 6-3
#6 singles: Scott Rubenstein (EU) vs Andre Xiao (Midd)
NE: Xiao is playing the best tennis of his collegiate career right now, notching big wins over Patel and Taylor, but Rubinstein is really solid. This one should be a battle, but give me the hot hand. Midd 6-4, 6-4.
AS: Freshman vs. senior, and this one could turn very quickly for Middlebury if it starts going downhill. On paper, Xiao seems to be the talent winner but Rubinstein has played in infinite more big dual matches than him. Rubinstein could absolutely sneak his way to a win here – you know what, I’m going to go for it. Rubinstein surprises the young freshman. Emory, 6-2, 7-6 (2).
FINAL PREDICTIONS:
NE: #6 Midd def #1 Emory 5-4
AS: #1 Emory def. #6 Midd 6-3
newD3Central: #6 Midd def #1 Emory 5-4
DIIIWest: #1 Emory def #6 Midd 5-4
#15 Tufts @ #24 Bates, Friday 2:00 p.m.
Even though Emory isn’t involved here, I wanted to give this match a full preview due to its importance. The winner of this match SHOULD be in line for the 6th and final spots at NESCACs in a couple weeks. I capitalize “SHOULD” because last year it didn’t happen that way, and Tufts was unjustly ousted from the conference tournament. That means there is a bit of a revenge aspect to this match for both teams, but especially for the Jumbos, who are comprised of mostly the same guys. Again, it’s not all set in stone, but the loser of this match will have to go and beat Bowdoin if they want any shot of making the conference tournament and keeping their slim hopes of a team trip to NCAAs alive. The forecast for Lewiston on Friday is mid 40’s and cloudy, and if that holds then we will get some BATES INDOORS action, which has the potential to swing the outcome of this match. All in all, I believe the bottom of the singles lineup will decide the match, particularly the final three spots, but it’s possible that either team could come out of this match with a 7-2 win!
#1 doubles: Ali/Gupte (Tufts) vs Kauppila/Rosen (Bates)
NE: A match where Bates is favored and probably needs to win. They certainly need to win it if Rosen and Kauppila are going to have any shot of making NCAAs. Ali/Gupte are battle-tested seniors, but they have lost five of their last six matches, and all five came against ranked teams. Bates 8-5.
#2 doubles: Niemiec/Grant (Tufts) vs Leiner/Quijano (Bates)
NE: Leiner/Quijano have been pretty solid for Bates so far this year, especially on their home courts, while the 2nd team from Tufts has taken three not so close loses in a row. I believe in momentum. Bates 8-6.
#3 doubles: Bershtein/Sorkin (Tufts) vs Davis/Yadav (Bates)
NE: Advantage to the Jumbos here. The Tufts #3 team has wins over Midd, Sewanee, and MIT this spring, while this Bates team is 1-6 in ranked matches with their lone win coming over Mary Wash. Tufts 8-5.
#1 singles: Rohan Gupte (Tufts) vs Ben Rosen (Bates)
NE: Gupte has had a particularly rough schedule of late, falling to Grodecki, Cuba, and Chen in his last three singles matches. That streak continues against Rosen on Friday. Gupte’s MO this year is to play good players close, but he hasn’t been able to break through yet. Tough to pick against those numbers. Bates 6-4, 6-4.
#2 singles: Boris Sorkin (Tufts) vs Josh Quijano (Bates)
NE: Q deserves some credit for his season so far, notching wins over ranked teams like UMW, Hopkins and Brandeis so far this spring. However, Sorkin should be a better player than each of those previous opponents. Bates indoors should help level this match, but Young Boris is still the favorite. Tufts 7-6, 6-4.
#3 singles: Zain Ali (Tufts) vs Josh Leiner (Bates)
NE: Leiner has impressed me this year, as I had him penciled in for the bottom of the lineup, but he is the underdog here against one of the region’s best #3’s. Zain wins another battle of the seniors. Tufts, 6-2, 6-4.
#4 singles: Nathan Niemiec/Carl Grant (Tufts) vs Jacob Kauppila (Bates)
NE: I don’t know who will be playing #4 for Tufts, as they have a tendency to keep changing their lineup, and they just made a swap last weekend. My guess is they hold and Niemiec takes #4, but it could well be Grant given that he just beat Alex Taylor. Kauppila has been solid for Bates, but is one of the few Bobcats who doesn’t seem to have his best results at home. I’ll take Tufts here in another battle. Tufts, 7-5, 7-6 (4).
#5 singles: Nathan Niemiec/Carl Grant (Tufts) vs Vid Yadav (Bates)
NE: If I don’t know who will be playing #4, I obviously don’t know which Jumbo will be slotted in at line 5. What I do know is that Yadav is streaky, plays well at home, and has only played one close match all year. Just for kicks and giggles, let’s make that two close matches. Tufts 2-6, 6-1, 6-2.
#6 singles: Ben Biswas/Danny Coran (Tufts) vs Nick Glover (Bates)
NE: Bis has been pretty good so far this year, while Coran has really struggled. I would be surprised to see the senior in the singles lineup for this one, but then again I was surprised when he was re-inserted last weekend too. Glover is a nice addition to the Bates lineup, and came up with a good win against Amherst two weeks ago. If we get Biswas vs Glover, this one should be close. Bates, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
FINAL PREDICTION:
NE: Tufts def. Bates 5-4