Team Semifinals

Wow!

Hard to belive that today could top the finish of yesterday's Amherst/Emory tilt, but BOTH semis were great today! First Amherst took on #3 Claremont and went up 2-1 after a fairly routine hour of doubles. Then the fun began. CMS quicly won first sets at 5 and 6, Amherst countered with a quick set at #1. The teams split first sets at 3 and 4. As the match unfolded CMS actually went up 4-3 with wins at 2, 5, 6, while Amherst won easily at 1. Third sets at 3 and at 4. Another 3rd set tiebreak for the Amherst #3, and again he prevails this time rallying from 1-6 in the TB for a 11-9 win evening the match at 4-4. Five minutes later #4 closes out the match with a 6-2 win and puts #7Amherst into the final.

Where they will face the victor of the WashU/Middlebury match. On paper this looked to be a routine win for the #1Panthers of Middlebury. WashU had other ideas. The teams split 2 and 3 doubles, and WashU served at #1 87 40-15, but Middlebury has the top doubles pair in the country and they showed why breaking serve and then dominating the tiebreak to give Midd a 2-1 lead going into doubles. Straight set wins at 5 and 2 extended the Midd lead to 4-1, before WashU mounted a strong comeback winning court 6 in straight and then adding 3rd set wins at 4 and 1. Midd's 5th year senior at #3 capped a comeback after dropping the 1st set 26 and won 62 in the 3rd at the 4 hour and 35 minute mark of the match.

Middlebury and Amherst are both from the NESCAC Conference where Midd won the only encounter of the season 54 in April. Suffice to say the two schools do not like each other which adds an interesting twist to what has already been a tremendous Team Tourney.

From a coaching view, today's play only reiterated what I saw yesterday. Good players competing with positive energy, intelligent shot selection, tremendous fitness & willpower. Most of all they all played with a sense of confidence and expectation of success. Momentary setbacks, like losses of points & games, were mere blips in the road towards their end goal of winning. While only 1/2 the players, pairs and teams ended up winning, not a single point was given to an opponent. Everything was contested and earned.

Beautiful!

FINALS at 1pm Eastern