#9 Wash U vs #3 U Chicago
Well, damn – an absolute peach of an opening day here at Indoors. I’d recap but if you’re reading this you were also watching the barns burn down and the action unfold…just kidding here’s a little somethin, somethin for y’all that did not see any Indoors action on Friday.
tl:dr: Wash U def CMU 5-4 (MOTY Candidate): the match began with a 2-1 CMU lead and ended with three third set tie breakers at 2-4 singles. Daniel Li clinched at 3 over Ray Bopanna. Chicago, in solidarity, fell behind 1-2 to Case dropping the top two doubles spots as well. (Pomona did this in a victory over GAC as well, why so different Emory – think you’re better than everyone else?!) Chicago overwhelmed Case in singles only dropping a match to Case’s pillar of strength: Rob Stroup at five. Only Charlie Pei dropped a set in his comeback victory at 3 – Chicago def Case 6-3.
Who’s the best team in the central, who’s coming for Emory’s UAA throne (even though Chicago tEcHnIcaLLy has it?), and will newCentral finish any previews?!? Find all of it out and MORE in the rapid preview for this National Indoor Semifinal between Wash U and U Chicago. There are no more barns, but it’ll probably be all Harrenhal up in here after this one anyways. FTHZ.
Match: Semifinals (4th seed vs 1st seed)
Location: ITA D3 National Indoors – Cleveland, OH
Time: Saturday February 23 – 4:30 PM EST
#1 doubles: Kozlowski/McClelland (Wash) vs Raclin/Yuan (Chi)
Both Ones are coming off of lopsided losses in the opening round. Kozlowski and McClelland were always going to be the underdogs to one of the best doubles teams in the country, but Raclin and Yuan’s loss to Kanam and Powell was an absolute surprise. Case went up 2-1 against this vaunted Chicago doubles lineup, which begs the questions: Is Case doubles back, did we overestimate Chicago’s doubles, or was it something less consequential? Anyway, I think that both teams bounce back from today’s “disappointment” and play up their billing tomorrow. If both teams are firing on all cylinders, it’s hard to go against the most decorated doubles player in the country and Yuan. Chicago: 8-4
#2 doubles: Komis/van der Sman (Wash) Kerrigan/Kumar (Chi)
I guess the secret to the first round is to lose the top two doubles spots…Pomona did it too. Komis and van der Sman lost a battle to CMU: they couldn’t stop the buzzsaw that was Bopanna and Calzolano (and Bopanna’s ridiculous re-lobs). Kerrigan and Kumar lost to Chennessey, which doesn’t bode well for the up and down pairing. Coach Tee will expect a W from his studs in the semis or else we may see some lineup movement in the following match: if anyone has options it’s Coach Tee. I believe that the sassy Kerrigan and the fiery Kumar will bully Komis and van der Sman with their bigger games, and ultimately secure a 2-1 Chicago lead in a second consecutive tiebreak loss for the Bear pairing. Chicago: 8-7(11)
#3 doubles: Hillis/Neves (Wash) vs Pei/Xu (Chi)
Both of these three doubles teams helped keep their respective teams in the match by routining their opponents. Hillis and Neves could very well be the best three dubs in country (I guess we’ll see over the next two days) but Pei and Xu have had some marked success as well. All four of these players were double winners in the first round, and were integral to their team’s progression to the semis. I think that Hillis and Neves keep the Bears in it for the second day in a row by defeating Pei and Xu before either of the other doubles matches finished. Hillis and Neves will find the holes in Pei and Xu’s attack and counter like a streaking Liverpool in this quick one.Wash U: 8-2
#1 singles: Ethan Hillis (Wash) vs Erik Kerrigan (Chi)
Kerrigan avenged his doubles loss to Chennessey, by taking down King Leonidas: 6-4, 7-5. Kerrigan was down 4-1 in the second set before Chen crumbled beneath the weight of Kerrigan’s game. Hillis had the enormous task of defeating one of the country’s best players and many’s pick for the GOAT of CMU tennis: Daniel Levine. Both players won in straight sets, but Hillis’ win was far more impressive, and I think he continues his impressive start as a Bear with a momentum win at the top. Wash U: 6-3, 7-5
#2 singles: Bernardo Neves (Wash) vs Jeremy Yuan (Chi)
Neves narrowly defeated Downing in a a classic today (7-6 in the third, the first of three third set breakers to finish), while Yuan overcame Kanam in two routine sets. I think that Neves and Yuan excel at many of the same things: positioning, baseline hitting, directionals so this match will likely turn on the fitness of Neves and mental of Yuan. Yuan didn’t have an opportunity to falter mentally in his stroll past Kanam, but Neves had to show tremendous mettle in his victory over Downing (at a cost of playing through to a third set breaker). If Neves is fully fit in the semis, I think he frustrates Yuan enough to steal two sets and an incredibly important point for the Bears. If Yuan stays glued to the baseline, it’ll be very tough for Neves to win points – his success will depend on how many different ways he makes Yuan shift from his regular game plan. Wash U: 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
#3 singles: Daniel Li (Wash) vs Charlie Pei (Chi)
Daniel, BMOC, Li was the hero in 2019’s Match of the Year. He defeated one of the nation’s best threes in Bopanna in a third set breaker. Pei defeated Case’s best new freshman, Umen, after dropping the first set. Li will have to recover both physically and emotionally after this career win, but I think the Wash U top three goes 3-0 for the second consecutive day against UAA competition. Pei is silky smooth, almost to a fault, and he can tag any backhand he wants, but I think that D.Li continues his stretch of ironclad defense in a physical test with Pei. Trust the sleeve in this one. Wash U: 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
#4 singles: Ben van der Sman (Wash) vs Alejandro Rodriguez (Chi)
van der Sman was on the losing end of his epic third set tiebreaker against Levin of CMU, while Rodriguez gave a lesson to Case’s other super freshman: Vicario. Rodriguez is an absolute savage at four, and I think he adds an important point to the Maroon’s side of the board by dictating the match with his thicccc forehand. van der Sman was also dealing with what appeared to be quad cramps late in the third, so that could be a factor late in the match as he will have also played a crucial and emotional doubles match. Rodriguez and his forehand will need to lead the bottom half of the lineup to victory in matches they’re either even or favorited in – and I think it starts with another W for A Rod. Chicago 7-6(2), 7-6(8)
#5 singles: J.J. Kroot (Wash) vs Alex Guzhva (Chi)
Both Kroot and Guzhva lost in their openers, and with the depth behind them who knows if they’ll be playing tomorrow, but let’s assume they are. This is an intriguing match between the only two leftys in either lineup and should be a unique matchup for both of them. Leftys sometimes have trouble adjusting to another lefty’s funkiness, so the first couple games of the match could be sloppy. Guzhva likes to whip his forehand short and wide, while driving his backhand through the court, but Stroup was able to grind past the freshman with senior guile and classic Case grittiness despite being run ragged by Guzhva. Kroot likes to attack and bring the volume, while also dipping into the bag of lefty tricks. I think that Guzhva (thank you Raclin) will adjust more quickly than Kroot and ride his angles to another important point for Chicago. I think that this will be one of our louder courts with momentum swings galore, and the freshman channels his inner Heerboth (who coached against him in a W, so Heerboth still GOAT). Chicago: 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
#6 singles: Konrad Kozlowski (Wash) vs Joshua Xu (Chi)
No one believed in Kozlowski. Then he went out and served an everything bagel with cream cheese and pesto to CMU’s Youngster Gibson. What a welcoming to the big leagues for Young Gibson – who showed a lot of toughness and promise fighting back to even that match at a set a piece before being finessed to death by Koz. Xu had a straightforward day to the enjoyment of the HR dept, many DK team owners, and Chicago. I think that Xu continues his impressive indoors and bludgeons Koz’s chips and dips in a straight set win. Chicago 6-0, 7-6(4)
PREDICTIONS:
newCentral: Chicago def. Wash U: 5-4
AS: Wash U over Chicago 5-4
Denison, your preview is coming soon*
– newCentral.