Spartans are 6-0 in the spring, 5-0 against ITA top 30 teams

Coming off the best season in program history, the No. 17 Case Western Reserve University men’s tennis team doesn’t seem to be intent on slowing down. The men have opened the 2013 spring season on a 6-0 tear, capping the streak off with an upset over University Athletics Association rival No. 4 Washington University. The Spartans topped the Bears 6-3, who were ranked Nos. 3 and 2, respectively in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region.

The Spartans have started off their season with five of their six foes being ranked in the ITA top 30 nationally. In the opening weekend Case took down No. 12 North Carolina Wesleyan College and No. 21 University of Mary Washington and unranked Vassar College. This past weekend at the DePauw Invitational the Spartans dispatched the No. 28 hosts, No. 29 University-Wisconsin Whitewater and No. 4 Washington.

With the first official poll of the 2013 season debuting on Thursday, Feb. 28 (after the Observer goes to print), the Spartans are all but assured of climbing the national rankings from what was previously their best ever position in program history.

Against the Bears, the Spartans were led by their doubles as the Central’s No. 2 ranked duo of junior John Healey and senior Nicholas Howe won in the top slot in an 8-6 win over the No. 9 doubles team of brothers Adam and Ross Putterman. Also earning a point for the Spartans were senior Kyle Gerber and freshman Christopher Krimbill who scored an 8-2 win over Kevin Chu and Max Franklin.

The Bears got on the board with an 8-3 win by Kareem Farah and Tyler Kratky over Alex Solove and Richard Brunsting.

The Bears would even the score in singles as the No. 3 player in the nation, Adam Putterman, scored a win over Drougas, 6-3, 6-1, in the top spot.

The Spartans would rebound and capture the second-fifth spots to seal the victory. Gerber, the regions No. 7, topped Ross Putterman 6-2, 6-3 in the second spot. Krimbill topped the ninth ranked player in the central region Tim Noack in three sets, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5.

Klawitter won in the fourth spot 6-4, 6-4, over Kratky and in the fifth slot Derek Reinbold won 7-6, (7-4), 6-3 over Gary Parizher.

Farah won in the sixth spot for the Bears over freshman Harrison Smith 7-5, 7-6, (7-4).

Krimbill has opened up his rookie season with an impressive debut, going 5-1 in combined action this week, losing in doubles to DePauw. Krimbill was named UAA Athlete of the Week and is the third Spartan to earn that honor so far this season. He is 12-4 in singles this year, 5-1 in the spring season and 14-4 in doubles this year, 5-1 in the spring.

The Spartans will head to the Hope/Kalamazoo Shootout this weekend starting on Mar. 1, for five matches over two days beginning with Ohio Northern University at 12:00 p.m. Friday.