Indoors Part 2

Claremont versus Gustavus- This should also turn out to be a really interesting match. Gustavus goes into the tournament the defending champions and they obviously have much more experience on their notoriously fast courts. A big thing for CMS is whether they will be able to quickly adjust from the slow outdoor courts to the quick indoor ones. The most interesting matches will be at 1 singles and 1 doubles. In doubles, the matchup of Kauss/Burdakin vs Schils/Wang should be a great one and will set the tone for the whole match. Also, current #1 Kauss will go off in singles against Wang who has a game built for indoor courts. I think that in order for Gustavus to win this they're going to have to sweep 3 doubles, which is quite possible for this team.

Emory versus Mary Washington- The great 1-2 punch of James and Loden is going to be offset by an even stronger combination of 1 and 2 from the Goodwins. Emory just matches up way to well with this team---they are simply stronger in the positions that Mary Washington counts on winning. That said, Mary Washington still fights all the way down and I don't think they will get blanked. Their biggest chance of getting on the board is probably at 6 singles and 2/3 doubles, and while they are certainly not favored in those spots I think they will be able to squeak out with a win or two.

Indoors

Wash U versus Trinity: My prediction for this match is a lot of pain for Trinity. They are just simply outmatched at every position and don't have the leaders that they had last year. Trinity's shot at getting a point on the board should be at both #1 and #3 doubles as they always bring it but the odds are still against them. In singles, Wash U is too deep at every spot, but if they decide to rest their 4,5,6 it is possible for Trinity to get on the board. This match should be quick and painless with a 9-0 for Wash U

Santa Cruz versus Kenyon: This should shape up to be the most interesting first round match of the tournament. After seeing their early results it appears that Pybas & Kamel have both been out of the lineups for Santa Cruz, while Brody has been out for Kenyon---I don't have any information on why this is the case but Pybas is no longer rostered on the team website. If these three players are out it will be a blow to both sides and significantly effect the match. That said, I expect Santa Cruz to go up 2-1 after doubles. In singles, I like Greenberg and Piskacek at 1,2 for sure. That leaves Kenyon up 3-2 with 3-6 left to play. Assuming all these players stay out I like Santa Cruz at 3,4 and Kenyon at 5,6. That would make Kenyon a winner at 5-4 but I think this match can go either way.