The beauty of this tournament is that these are the best of the best and anybody can win. Please pick a player from your “region” and tell us why he can bring home the hardware.
AS: Jonathan Jemison, because he’s either the best or second best player in the draw. He’s a senior, he has championship experience, and he’s really the most experienced player in the draw at this stage. The best freshman in 2014 may finally get the singles title that has eluded him for the past 3 years.
NE: Anybody who has been reading our stuff this fall knows how high I’ve been on Boris Sorkin. The Tufts sophomore was my pick to win the New England ITA, and I think he has a great shot to improve on that. He has a tough draw with leading MIP candidate Trondson in the 1st round and then a matchup with either Hillis or Jemison, but he made it through the toughest Regional ITA in the country so there’s no reason he can’t win the whole thing!
NewCentral: Ethan Hillis, the player formerly covered by D3NE, will win the ITA Cup because he just won the most difficult ITA Regional in the country. Not only did he win, but he did not lose more than three games in a set until the final, where he overcame Chicago’s breakout 1st year from the 2018 Season: 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. Hillis is probably the best sophomore in the region and the All-American is going to continue his promising 2018-2019 campaign with an ITA Cup victory.
NewWest: Chad LeDuff, some say he is the favorite to win it all and as the second seed, he absolutely can bring home the hardware. The style in which he won the Claremont ITA was very impressive, taking out Kronenberg and Katzman who are arguably better than most in this 8 player tourney. With his attacking style of play and huge serve, LeDuff catching fire could pretty much guarantee him a national championship.
NewRegional: Mr. Trondson from Hamline. Why? Why not. I’m gonna ride the hot hand. With nothing to lose, Trondson should enjoy his time at the ITA Cup and play loose. He showed that he can play the big points well against Leo Vithoontien to win the Gustavus ITA, and we’d all like to see that play continue.
Same question, but this time let’s focus on the doubles draw.
AS: I never like focus on doubles, but Downing/Levine should also be the strongest team or the second strongest team in the tournament. Outside of Raclin/Yuan, there aren’t many other teams out there that have as much experience as this dual senior team that has been playing together for 2 years running. The fact that Levine is one of the best in the country and Downing is about to make his case for a top 25 argument, this is my team to watch in doubles.
NE: I know that Jiang and Wang are a new team, but I thought just the fact that they play for Bowdoin would be enough to get that duo seeded. Alas, they have a tough draw, but we’ve seen Tercek and Urken end up finalists here, and Jerry played here with Kyle Wolfe two years ago. Jerry has always been a good doubles player, and when he gets hot there are few better. Wang adds some size and firepower which could be a perfect combo to take home the title.
NewCentral: No Mohanad, No problem. Chase Johnson and Patrick Whaling dominated their ITA with relative ease, but the results that I’ll substantiate their ITA Cup victory hopes on are from the Drake Invite. At the Drake Invite, the Gustavus duo combined to defeat: Northwest Missouri State (6-2), Creighton (6-3), Drake (6-4), and Nebraska (6-2). That’s as hefty a doubles competition that any of these teams in the tournament have seen this year – I’m picking GAC to win in a year many have assumed will be a down one for the Gusties.
NewWest: Lambeth and Pitts are a powerhouse doubles team. Though they have to win one extra match (their play-in against Fox) to officially receive a bid into the main draw, this Tigers duo has been playing impressive tennis by absolutely dominating the Grass Courts in Rhode Island along with their Texas ITA. Lambeth’s big serve and presence along with Pitts’ solid volleys and groundies make this a tough out for anybody – I absolutely can see this team making a run in Rome.
NewRegional: Yuan/Raclin. Another year playing together and this team looks as good as last year. Raclin is a monster and has won 3 regional doubles titles, rolling through the field this year. While I expect the matches to be close, I can’t bet against the experience of this team.
Who has the most to prove this weekend?
AS: Small schools with big time players. Here’s your chance to show that you have dudes that are absolutely some of the best in the business. We always look at the Emorys, Wash Us, Bowdoins, and Middleburys. But, we forget about the Hamlines and the Hobarts and the Concordia TXs of the world. With multiple small school players in the draw mixed in with the big names, mark this weekend as a prove it weekend for the little guy.
NE: Jemison is the #1 seed for a reason. My guy has been to multiple of these in singles and doubles but this will be his final chance for a Small College Nationals title (yes, I will forever think of it as Small College Nationals). That being said, he has a tough 1st match with Hillis, and if he wins gets one of the two hottest players in the country in Trondson or Sorkin. Let’s see what senior’s got.
NewCentral: Chaz Downing. If Chaz Downing can come out and confirm his place as one of the top 2s in the country, then the UAA and Pool C conversations become even more chaotic and just a touch more tartan.
NewWest: We all knew Hillis had the goods, but his run in the Central ITA was nothing short of outstanding. If he is able to take out the top seed in Jemison and end up winning the whole thing, he won’t just be that “good player” that transferred to Wash U., but rather a force the Bears will surely need if they want to make a push into national contention conversation.
Who is your surprise pick to impress this weekend?
AS: I will steal from West (who did his first) and pick Chaz Downing. Criminally underrated by everyone outside Pittsburgh and especially in the Blog Chat, this workmanlike player finally gets his chance to shine. I wouldn’t be surprised if half the country hasn’t heard of Chaz Downing. They’re about to know him a little bit more. With entries in both singles and doubles, the Tartan can make a HUGE impression that he’s one of the best two-way players in the nation.
NE: I don’t care if Trondson wins this whole thing, once you get to the Final 9 there are very few surprises. Each player deserves his spot here, whether he played in the strongest or shallowest ITA.
NewCentral: Ethan Hillis. Criminally unseeded and playing in the faux-final on Day 1…oof. I predict hillis to impress by taking out the perennial All-American Jemison is a three set, three hour barn burner en route to winning the whole damn thing.
NewWest: Chaz Downing. I mean he is the third seed for a reason and the way he dispatched teammate and Tartan GOAT, Levine, means he has what it takes to take out a LeDuff and Jemison/Hillis.
What is your ITA Cup X-Factor?
AS: None – there are no X factors in individuals. Just go out there and play your best.
NE: Simplicity, not complacency. Even though the fall season is so short, it’s very much a grind. Most of these players have only played a few matches this fall, which means all of their practices for the past couple weeks have been with this upcoming tournament in mind. Let’s remember that just by getting here, these players have already shown they are some of the best in the country. If you go into this tournament thinking you’re a favorite or that you have no chance, you’re almost certainly going to lose. There is a massive difference between a simplicity and complacency. Take a deep breath, play your game, enjoy the fact that you’re playing this weekend, and go take what’s yours!
NewCentral: Hurricane Michael. While not expected to impact Rome, Georgia (NW Georgia), the hurricane could present some logistical nightmares should it continue to gain strength. On Tuesday, the predicted weather in Rome is 70s and 55% humidity, perfect tennis weather – let’s hope it stays that way as the central takes home both titles.
PREDICTIONS!
