Well we had one quarterfinal that was devoid of drama, and one quarterfinal that was overflowing with it. As expected, Middlebury took care of Bates without any issue, as the Panthers blanked the Bobcats. Like Midd, Wesleyan started off their match with a doubles sweep, but then things got hairy. Amherst had five first sets, but ultimately the doubles sweep proved too difficult to overcome. The Mammoths fought back to 4-3, but just as Levitin saved a match point in the 3rd set breaker at #5 singles, Cam Daniels (senior) clinched the match with a sweet backhand pass by Jayson Fung at #4. Wesleyan lives to fight another day, and now we get to look ahead to the semifinals.
No. 5 Wesleyan (#12 nationally) vs No. 1 Bowdoin (#3 nationally)
Why it matters for Wesleyan: Again, their season depends on it. While the win over Herst was necessary, it should not qualify the Cards for NCAAs given their losses to CMU, Wash U and Amherst earlier in the season. However, if Wes were to beat Bowdoin on Saturday, then the whole thing gets very murky, as one of the then four deserving teams would be left out. Easier said than done, but after today the Cards should have a nothing to lose attitude!
Why it matters for Bowdoin: Unlike Wesleyan, Bowdoin is not fighting for an NCAA berth. That being said, they are still in the conversation for the overall No. 1 seed at NCAAs. While a loss in the NESCAC finals wouldn’t drop the Polar Bears far from where they currently stand (somewhere in the #1-#3 region), a loss to the Cards has the potential to drop the Polar Bears to the point where their quarterfinal match would be significantly more difficult.
What happened last time: I’d like to tell you it was a close match that came down to the wire and we should expect another one, but Bowdoin stomped on Wesleyan just last weekend, taking the match 8-1. Couple of things, 1) that match was played at Wesleyan, so expect a less friendly atmosphere for the Cards, 2) Bowdoin won three different three-set singles matches, so the match was certainly closer than the final score.
Individual Implications: Chen’s loss to Wei today shouldn’t do anything but possibly keep him from getting an overall seed at NCAAs. His matchup with Urken tomorrow won’t affect the rankings much either. There’s a much bigger match at #2 singles, as Finkelman now probably has to beat Tercek to stay in the race for a singles spot given his loss to Ma earlier today. In dubs, Wes got a much needed win at #1 dubs to keep any hope alive, and now they’ll get another shot at Bowdoin. If Eusebio/Carter can beat Terk/Urk, then Wes might just have a shot at a wild card after all.
MATCH BY MATCH!
#1 doubles: Eusebio/Carter (Wesleyan) vs Tercek/Urken (Bowdoin). Terk and Urk comprise one of the best teams in the country and they will be favored here. Eusebio/Carter played well against Herst earlier on Friday, and will need to carry that momentum into a strong start. If Terk and Urk go up a break early, they rely on their serve and it works. Bowdoin 8-5.
#2 doubles: Chen/Daniels (Wesleyan) vs Wolfe/Jiang (Bowdoin). After swapping their #2 and #3 doubles teams really helped the Cards earlier today, I think it comes back to hurt them against Bowdoin. The Polar Bear #2 team is strong, but without Patel their #3 team has been struggling. Chen and Daniels CRUSHED at #3 last time, but I’m afraid they don’t have enough to take out Wolfe/Jiang, and they have a worse chance at #3 now. Bowdoin 8-5.
#3 doubles: Roji/Smith (Wesleyan) vs Roddy/Zhao (Bowdoin). As I said above, a struggling spot for Bowdoin, but this Wes team hasn’t been inspiring much confidence either. If Roddy is the best player on the court, Bowdoin should take this one even if it’s close. If not, it’s a toss up. Bowdoin, 9-7.
#1 singles: Steven Chen (Wesleyan) vs Grant Urken (Bowdoin). Urken won this battle last time in three sets, and Chen blew a 5-1 2nd set lead today against Wei, but I just have a hard time seeing Chen dropping back to back matches. Both these guys tend to play some quicker points, especially if Urken is playing well, but I’m still leaning unfinished here. Wes leads, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 1-0.
#2 singles: Andrew Finkelman (Wesleyan) vs Luke Tercek (Bowdoin). I was pretty surprised by Fink’s result today. Ma had his way with his fellow freshman, and nothing changed between the outdoor and indoor courts. Tercek won the previous matchup in a super, but if Fink plays like he did today then the Polar Bear senior will roll. Bowdoin leads 7-6 (2), 3-4.
#3 singles: Tiago Eusebio (Wesleyan) vs Kyle Wolfe (Bowdoin). Another spot where I believe Bowdoin has a significant edge. Wolfe sprinted past Tiago in their last match, and should be a nightmare matchup if the Cardinal is feeling any type of fatigue from today. Bowdoin, 6-2, 6-2.
#4 singles: Cam Daniels (Wesleyan) vs Jerry Jiang (Bowdoin). This is a very interesting match. Daniels was the hero today against Amherst, and I’m worried about how much he’ll have left tomorrow. Jiang has probably been Bowdoin’s most vulnerable spot, but if Daniels is flat early Jerry will pounce. Bowdoin leads, 6-3, 2-5.
#5 singles: Adrian Roji (Wesleyan) vs Gil Roddy (Bowdoin). Roji played A LOT of tennis today, and was stopped at 6-6 in the 3rd set tiebreak. When you’re tired, Roddy is the exact opposite of the person you want to play. Bowdoin, 6-4, 6-2.
#6 singles: Princeton Carter (Wesleyan) vs Justin Patel (Bowdoin). Carter played extremely well earlier today, finishing his match with very little trouble. However, Patel is a different level of opponent, and I would be surprised if this one finished. Bowdoin leads 7-5, 3-2.
MATCH PREDICTION:
NE: Bowdoin def. Wesleyan 5-0.
newCentral: Bowdoin def Wesleyan 5-2
No. 3 Middlebury (#1 nationally) vs No. 2 Willliams (#4 nationally)
Why it matters for Midd/Williams: I’m combining these two sections into one because it’s the same answer for both teams, NCAA seeding and the chance at the No. 1 overall seed. The winner of this match will have a chance to earn that overall top seed, which as I’ve expressed, should mean a hypothetical matchup with a team like Wash U/CMU/Amherst in the quarterfinals, which is much easier than a hypothetical matchup with Emory/CMS/GAC.
What happened last time: Williams swept doubles and hung on to defeat Midd 5-4. There has been a fair amount of change in the lineups since then, but the about 2/3 of the individual matchups should features rematches.
Individual Implications: BG and Cuba at #1 singles is simply for the shot at an NCAA seed, which Grodecki might have already wrapped up. Like the Bowdoin/Wes semifinal, the more interesting matchup comes at line 2 where Lil Barr and Farrell will go to battle, both with the probable chance to move up past Finkelman in the rankings with a win. Not much in dubs as Williams has kept switching around their top team and Midd is the best team in the region.
MATCH BY MATCH!
#1 doubles: Cuba/Schlanger (Midd) vs Grodecki/Barr/Indrakanti/Lil Raghavan (Williams). Lots of uncertainty about who will be at the top spot with BG for the Ephs, but given how the Midd pair has been playing of late I’m not sure it would affect my pick. Midd, 8-6.
#2 doubles: Farrell/de Quant (Midd) vs Chung/Taylor (Williams). Farrell and de Quant looked somewhat human today against Bates, but still came up big when it mattered most. This Eph pair has turned into a couple of doubles specialists, so look for them to leave EVERYTHING out on the court. This is probably the swing match of the doubles. Williams, 9-8 (4).
#3 doubles: Martin/van der Geest (Midd) vs Kam/Sadowsky (Williams). Petey and TVG played very well against Bates today, but a different level of opponent here. I know I usually lean towards the experience, but Kam has turned me into a believer. Williams 8-5.
#1 singles: Lubo Cuba (Midd) vs Brian Grodecki (Williams). It’s so tough to pick against either guy, and this one really should go deep into the third set, so that’s exactly what I’m going to predict. Midd 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (5).
#2 singles: Noah Farrell (Midd) vs Austin Barr (Williams). Farrell came back from a 6-0 first set loss to beat Lil Barr in three last time around. It’s a huge matchup for NCAA Individuals, and unfortunately for the field I think Farrell is rounding back into form. Midd, 6-4, 6-3.
#3 singles: William de Quant (Midd) vs Sachin Ragahavan (Williams). Possibly Midd’s biggest advantage in singles, and de Quant rolled by the elder Raghavan earlier this season. Sach has played well in big moments, but I think WDQ gets the better of him here. Midd, 6-1, 6-4.
#4 singles: Kyle Schlanger (Midd) vs Ananth Raghavan (Williams). Lil Rag has been one of the most improved players in the region (in fact, he won my vote in our Regular Season Awards), and he took down Schlanger 6-3 in the 3rd set last time around. Just like #1 singles, this is another huge swing match. Midd, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3.
#5 singles: Nate Eazor (Midd) vs Deepak Indrakanti (Williams). SURPRISE! Indrakanti appears to be back and playing some good singles! He took down Fung with ease last weekend, and should slot in here. These two have never played, but the edge goes to Deepak here if he’s fully healthy. Williams, 7-5, 6-3.
#6 singles: Timo van der Geest (Midd) vs Arturo Kam (Williams). TVG back in the singles lineup and he looked damn good today against Bates. As I’ve said at least 32 times, Williams simply presents a different sort of challenge. Kam has been one of the best players in the country at his position, and TVG has struggled in big matches. Williams, 6-3, 7-5.
MATCH PREDICTION: I do think Midd is the better team, but the Ephs match up so well with the Panthers and can give them possibly more trouble than anybody else out there. That being said, if one team does roll, I think it’s more likely to be the Panthers so they get the slight nod.
NE: Midd def Williams 5-4
newCentral: Midd def Williams5-4
Great coverage. Would have liked to have seen something like it for the NCAC tournament last week.