The Observer, April 27, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 26
Case hosts men's UAA tennis tournament this weekend
click to enlarge
The second half of the UAA tennis championship returns to Cleveland this weekend. Beginning Friday, men's tennis teams from each of the eight UAA schools will be competing for the league title. The games will be held at both Carlton Courts and Ursuline College. Below is a glimpse of each team, in order of their seeding, and how they stack up against their competition in the tournament.
Emory University
Emory is, once again, the team that looks to be untouchable in this weekend's tournament. Defending a national title, finishing third at ITA indoor championships, and ranked third nationally, every team will be gunning to knock off the No. 1 seed. Emory has won 18 of the last 19 UAA tennis championships. This year they are led by Michael Goodwin and Yoji Masuoka who are nationally ranked third and ninth respectively. The Eagles tout four players in the top 25 in the Atlantic South region, with Goodwin and Masuoka at the top.
Washington University
The Bears will look past all of Emory's accolades and talents and focus on their own this weekend. They are currently ranked ninth in the country and are riding a 12- match win streak into the tournament. They have unbelievable depth; only one player on their team possesses a record below .500. As a team, they are extremely consistent, with an overall winning percentage over .750. Their singles play is led by sophomore Charlie Cutler and freshman John Watts. Young talent is what drives this team: if they can hold their composure in championship caliber matches, they will be very tough to beat.
Carnegie Mellon University
The Tartans are having a record-breaking year. This past week they were announced as the 11th-ranked team in the nation, the team's highest ranking in the history of the program. Mellon will look to continue their historic run and bring a formidable team to Cleveland. Their newfound success is mostly due to the outstanding freshman play they've had this year. James Muliawan, Ravi Raghavan, and Jon Spero are all freshmen and play in the one, two, and three spots. They will need to improve their doubles play, however, to hang with the higher seeds.
Brandeis University
The Judges enter this weekend's tournament with a 9-7 overall record. They come with a very competitive, 12-man roster. Brandeis is led by a group of five seniors: Jordan Bieber, Sam Jonas, Adam Sher, Cliff Silverman, and Michael Vulfovich. This experience will help them, especially in the later rounds, when they play a plethora of younger players from other teams. They must be consistent in the top half of their lineup if they want to advance far into the tournament.
University of Chicago
Chicago will look for the number one and two spots to play much better tennis this weekend if they want to be competitive. The Bears are playing very inconsistent tennis, which should not happen on a team that is composed of three-fourths upperclassmen. Their doubles play is impressive, however Look for the second and third doubles teams to get Chicago a couple of points over a Brandeis squad not as adept at doubles play to help push them through the first round.
Case Western Reserve University
Case could be the sleeper pick in this tournament. While they are playing a very talented Mellon team in the opening round their singles play will give the Tartans something to worry about. Look for senior Ben Sinder to add to his career wins record and Kenneth Nguyen to build on his outstanding 10 win season. Also, the Smetona brothers could prove to be a handful if they come with their A-game. If the home team does advance past the first round, it could be enough for an invitation to the national tournament in St. Louis.
New York University
New York will need a heroic effort to get past Washington University in the first round this weekend. They have been beaten and battered this year only mustering two wins in their 14-match schedule. Part of their woes could stem from their lack of players. Right now, New York has only seven players on roster. As it stands, not one singles or doubles slot on the team has an overall winning record.
University of Rochester
The Yellow Jackets are another team limping into the tournament. Facing the No.1 seeded Emory, Rochester looks to be in for some trouble come Friday. They will look to juniors Michael Burger, Jason Maher, and Michael Shepheard for some leadership.
