Doubles: The doubles pairs from Williams simply don't miss.....especially when in the crosscourt. Unforced errors on their side of the net was limited to say the least. Once again, movement from all 4 players on the court was impressive; net players ALWAYS ready to volley. Honestly, Amherst better took advantage of short ball opportunities, and closed the net with more confidence. However, when push came to shove, the grinding ability of Williams could not be matched. I was reminded of an article written by Elliot Teltscher (that very well could have been written by Coach Rodgers himself) on shot tolerance. If the Amherst shot tolerance was 23, Williams boasted one of 32. Following long rallies/points, Amherst would hang their head in frustration. Williams 3, Amherst 0.
Singles: The celebration that ensued after doubles, and look of sheer will on the face of the Amherst players, was evidence to me that the match was not over. I expected Amherst to come out fighting against a lackadaisical/casual Williams squad and witnessed just that. The typical fight/grind that Williams had displayed over the course of the 2 previous days was lacking from the outset, and Amherst took advantage of that, capturing 4 first sets (and battling in the 2 that they dropped). Williams recovered shortly thereafter, and buckled down. Rallies were long; at one point I counted 3 consecutive rallies of 21, 16 and 28 groundstrokes on courts 4, 5 and 6 respectively. On courts 1, 2 (during the 1st set) and 3, Amherst was able to match the consistency/grind of Williams. On top of that, Amherst better recovered to the baseline throughout rallies, and created and capitalized on short balls. This was enough for them to attain victories at the top spot, and court 3. With courts 4 (Williams) and 6 (Amherst) being one sided, it became apparent that courts 2, and 5, would determine the outcome of the match. Worley (Williams #2 player) is very athletic and a fighter, and in many respects, represents the epitome of a Williams tennis player. Starting with Tuesday's play, she quickly became one of my favorite players to watch. Thus, I found it fitting that the match came down to her court. In form, and with the experience of a National Championship under her belt, she captured court 2 in a 3rd set tiebreaker to give her team the title for the 4th straight year.
Williams 5, Amherst 4. My congratulations to both teams for a match/season well-played!
Men's Final - Amherst vs. Emory
Doubles: Once again, the men's doubles was physical and athletic. On both sides of the net, players moved together (with little distance between them), covered the middle, gave up low % shots in terms of court coverage, closed the middle (BOTH players and ALWAYS!), dug low volleys, etc. Returns were BIG, and with depth, yet few return errors. The attack mentality was evident. Offensive lobs, always followed in, were utilized often. With the exception of the top court, Amherst forced errors and played through Emory. Amherst 2, Emory 1.
Singles: Based on the singles play that I had seen from Amherst the previous day, I strongly believed the match to be over after doubles and that ended up being the case. The play of Pottish, Emory's #1 singles player, was the only highlight for the Eagles.
Amherst 5, Emory 2. Congratulations to Amherst for a fairly dominant tournament, and the avenge of their 2nd place finish the previous 2 years.
NCAA Individual Singles and Doubles play opens up tomorrow morning!
Below is a picture of the Williams players storming the court in celebration of their victory.
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