[ColoradoTree]

I know, it was just a few months ago that women's tennis seized yet another title, and we're just getting into football season, but the slow march to tennis season begins again. The ITA preseason individual rankings were released today (the first team rankings will be released January 2), and here's where things stand:

Singles:

10. Michaela Gordon
13. Melissa Lord
24. Emily Arbuthnott
47. Caroline Lampl
56. Janice Shin
63. Emma Higuchi

Stanford is one of just two schools to have all six singles players ranked. (The other is North Carolina, whose players come in at #2, #19, #27, #58, #60, and #82.) 

Doubles:

3. Arbuthnott/Gordon
17. Lampl/Kimberly Yee

No ranked newcomers (recall Gordon was the #3 newcomer last year, and she certainly lived up to it), but that's OK, as neither Sara Choy nor Niluka Madurawe should be called upon to enter the lineup unless there's an injury. If they're needed in the dual match season, it'll be at the bottom of the lineup, so they should do just fine there. Also, the fact that they're both on the roster is interesting, as they're both blue chips, so we're currently at 9 blue chips on the roster in an 8-scholarship sport. Lele has apparently convinced either Choy or Madurawe to go without a scholarship this year, presumably with the promise of one next year, as this will be the last season for Lord, Lampl, and Yee. 

Pac-12 Singles Players in Rankings:

Here's how we stack up against the rest of the Pac-12:

9. Stacey Fung (UW)
10. Gordon
13. Lord
15. Jada Hart (UCLA)
17. Michaela Bayerlova (WSU)
24. Arbuthnott
25. Vanessa Wong (UW)
28. Julia Rosenqvist (Cal)
29. Anna Bright (Cal)
34. Olivia Hauger (Cal)
42. Shweta Sangwan (Oregon)
46. Lauryn John-Baptiste (ASU)
47. Lampl
52. Abi Altick (UCLA)
56. Shin
63. Higuchi
74. Rianna Valdes (SC)
86. Alaina Miller (UCLA)
118. Savannah Slaysman (ASU)
121. Ilze Hattingh (ASU)

The most surprising omission is Ena Shibahara. I hadn't heard that she was going pro or had gotten injured, and some light googling doesn't shed any light as to what's going on, but there's no way she'd be outside the top 10 on this list if she were returning.  This would only be her third year, but perhaps since she was the Pac-12 Singles POY her first two years, she felt the time was right to leave. If she's really not coming back, and this isn't some glitch, then UCLA is substantially weakened. Of course, they have the #3 newcomer in the country, Elysia Bolton, and she should play near the top of their lineup early. But without Shibahara, UCLA goes from 1a in the conference to a clear 2. (FYI, the other ranked newcomer in the Pac-12 is SC's Salma Ewing, coming in at #5. Some of the usual suspects--Duke, FSU, Georgia, UNC, Pepperdine, and Texas--also have ranked newcomers.)

Up next: we'll see some singles and doubles play at the ITA Women's All-American Championships starting on 9/29 with pre-qualifying singles. It's a 32-player draw, with 8 spots going to qualifiers, so expect to see Gordon, Lord, and Arbuthnott in the main draw (with Arbuthnott just squeaking in), Lampl, Shin, and Higuchi in the qualifying draw, and perhaps Choy and Madurawe in pre-qualifying. Last year's winner of the singles tournament was Vanderbilt's Fernanda Contreras (the preseason #7 this year), who lost to Lord at #2 in the clinching match of the national championship.  In doubles, it's a 24-pair draw, with the 8 seeds (which will include Arbuthnott/Gordon) getting a bye, and 4 spots for qualifiers, so Lampl/Yee should also be in the main draw, and Lord/Shin might be in qualifying. Last year's winners were Hamlin/McCarthy of Duke (the preseason #1 pair this year), who beat Arbuthnott/Gordon 6-3 in the national semifinal last year.

[ColoradoTree]

I know, it was just a few months ago that women's tennis seized yet another title, and we're just getting into football season, but the slow march to tennis season begins again. The ITA preseason individual rankings were released today (the first team rankings will be released January 2), and here's where things stand:

Singles:

10. Michaela Gordon
13. Melissa Lord
24. Emily Arbuthnott
47. Caroline Lampl
56. Janice Shin
63. Emma Higuchi

Stanford is one of just two schools to have all six singles players ranked. (The other is North Carolina, whose players come in at #2, #19, #27, #58, #60, and #82.) 

Doubles:

3. Arbuthnott/Gordon
17. Lampl/Kimberly Yee

No ranked newcomers (recall Gordon was the #3 newcomer last year, and she certainly lived up to it), but that's OK, as neither Sara Choy nor Niluka Madurawe should be called upon to enter the lineup unless there's an injury. If they're needed in the dual match season, it'll be at the bottom of the lineup, so they should do just fine there. Also, the fact that they're both on the roster is interesting, as they're both blue chips, so we're currently at 9 blue chips on the roster in an 8-scholarship sport. Lele has apparently convinced either Choy or Madurawe to go without a scholarship this year, presumably with the promise of one next year, as this will be the last season for Lord, Lampl, and Yee. 

Pac-12 Singles Players in Rankings:

Here's how we stack up against the rest of the Pac-12:

9. Stacey Fung (UW)
10. Gordon
13. Lord
15. Jada Hart (UCLA)
17. Michaela Bayerlova (WSU)
24. Arbuthnott
25. Vanessa Wong (UW)
28. Julia Rosenqvist (Cal)
29. Anna Bright (Cal)
34. Olivia Hauger (Cal)
42. Shweta Sangwan (Oregon)
46. Lauryn John-Baptiste (ASU)
47. Lampl
52. Abi Altick (UCLA)
56. Shin
63. Higuchi
74. Rianna Valdes (SC)
86. Alaina Miller (UCLA)
118. Savannah Slaysman (ASU)
121. Ilze Hattingh (ASU)

The most surprising omission is Ena Shibahara. I hadn't heard that she was going pro or had gotten injured, and some light googling doesn't shed any light as to what's going on, but there's no way she'd be outside the top 10 on this list if she were returning.  This would only be her third year, but perhaps since she was the Pac-12 Singles POY her first two years, she felt the time was right to leave. If she's really not coming back, and this isn't some glitch, then UCLA is substantially weakened. Of course, they have the #3 newcomer in the country, Elysia Bolton, and she should play near the top of their lineup early. But without Shibahara, UCLA goes from 1a in the conference to a clear 2. (FYI, the other ranked newcomer in the Pac-12 is SC's Salma Ewing, coming in at #5. Some of the usual suspects--Duke, FSU, Georgia, UNC, Pepperdine, and Texas--also have ranked newcomers.)

Up next: we'll see some singles and doubles play at the ITA Women's All-American Championships starting on 9/29 with pre-qualifying singles. It's a 32-player draw, with 8 spots going to qualifiers, so expect to see Gordon, Lord, and Arbuthnott in the main draw (with Arbuthnott just squeaking in), Lampl, Shin, and Higuchi in the qualifying draw, and perhaps Choy and Madurawe in pre-qualifying. Last year's winner of the singles tournament was Vanderbilt's Fernanda Contreras (the preseason #7 this year), who lost to Lord at #2 in the clinching match of the national championship.  In doubles, it's a 24-pair draw, with the 8 seeds (which will include Arbuthnott/Gordon) getting a bye, and 4 spots for qualifiers, so Lampl/Yee should also be in the main draw, and Lord/Shin might be in qualifying. Last year's winners were Hamlin/McCarthy of Duke (the preseason #1 pair this year), who beat Arbuthnott/Gordon 6-3 in the national semifinal last year.

[BobK]

Just outstanding. As usual.

[BobK]

Just outstanding. As usual.

[ColoradoTree]

Thanks, Bob!  I'll keep it going here to let folks know that the ITA Women's All-American Championships get going tomorrow with pre-qualifying singles, though there won't be any Stanford players in action until October 2-3, when qualifying happens, and then in the main draws from October 4-7.  

As predicted, Gordon, Lord, and Arbuthnott are in the main draw, and Lampl, Shin, and Higuchi are in the qualifying draw. I was a little surprised that we haven't put Choy or Madurawe forward for prequalifying, but then I saw that the St. Mary's Invitational is going on around the same time, so it makes sense that you'll send Choy, Madurawe, and the walk-ons there against a lesser field to get more experience. 

In doubles, Arbuthnott/Gordon will be in the main draw, and Lampl/Yee will be in qualifying (unless someone in the main draw withdraws, as they're the first main draw alternate). No Lord/Shin in qualifying, but that's not too shocking given it's a smaller tournament. I'll give the pertinent details of matches once they're available, but it'll be nice to see the reigning national champions take the court again.  

I'll do a full preview post down the line once full schedules are out and we can assess roster changes, but, uh, it's probably not a bad thing that you don't lose anyone from the team that just won the national championship and you have two blue chip freshmen on the bench who likely won't even play in the spring season.

Quick scheduling note: after the ITA All-Americans and the St. Mary's Invitational, Stanford will host the ITA Northwest Regional Championships, as usual, on October 19-23, and then folks who qualify will go play at the ITA Fall National Championships on November 8-11 in Surprise, Arizona. (You can qualify for that in singles by making the quarterfinals at ITA All-Americans, by being a consolation finalist at ITA All-Americans by making the final at Regionals, or by being ranked highly enough with sufficient results from the fall season; in doubles, semifinalists at ITA All-Americans as well as consolation finalists make Fall Nationals, and each regional champion makes it, along with teams that have sufficient results to go along with a top ranking.)

[ColoradoTree]

Thanks, Bob!  I'll keep it going here to let folks know that the ITA Women's All-American Championships get going tomorrow with pre-qualifying singles, though there won't be any Stanford players in action until October 2-3, when qualifying happens, and then in the main draws from October 4-7.  

As predicted, Gordon, Lord, and Arbuthnott are in the main draw, and Lampl, Shin, and Higuchi are in the qualifying draw. I was a little surprised that we haven't put Choy or Madurawe forward for prequalifying, but then I saw that the St. Mary's Invitational is going on around the same time, so it makes sense that you'll send Choy, Madurawe, and the walk-ons there against a lesser field to get more experience. 

In doubles, Arbuthnott/Gordon will be in the main draw, and Lampl/Yee will be in qualifying (unless someone in the main draw withdraws, as they're the first main draw alternate). No Lord/Shin in qualifying, but that's not too shocking given it's a smaller tournament. I'll give the pertinent details of matches once they're available, but it'll be nice to see the reigning national champions take the court again.  

I'll do a full preview post down the line once full schedules are out and we can assess roster changes, but, uh, it's probably not a bad thing that you don't lose anyone from the team that just won the national championship and you have two blue chip freshmen on the bench who likely won't even play in the spring season.

Quick scheduling note: after the ITA All-Americans and the St. Mary's Invitational, Stanford will host the ITA Northwest Regional Championships, as usual, on October 19-23, and then folks who qualify will go play at the ITA Fall National Championships on November 8-11 in Surprise, Arizona. (You can qualify for that in singles by making the quarterfinals at ITA All-Americans, by being a consolation finalist at ITA All-Americans by making the final at Regionals, or by being ranked highly enough with sufficient results from the fall season; in doubles, semifinalists at ITA All-Americans as well as consolation finalists make Fall Nationals, and each regional champion makes it, along with teams that have sufficient results to go along with a top ranking.)

[oldalum]

any (admittedly unreliable) off-the-cuff predictions of whether and where any frosh will crack the spring singles or doubles lineup?

[oldalum]

any (admittedly unreliable) off-the-cuff predictions of whether and where any frosh will crack the spring singles or doubles lineup?

[ColoradoTree]

any (admittedly unreliable) off-the-cuff predictions of whether and where any frosh will crack the spring singles or doubles lineup?

Man, that's tough. In terms of a permanent spot in the lineup, I just don't think it's going to happen absent injury. It's not that Choy and Madurawe wouldn't carry on the Stanford tradition of outstanding freshman play on the lower courts, but who do you sit?  I mean, three of our players are in the top 25 to start the season, including two in the top 15. (Quick pause to note just how bonkers that is.) So, let's assume Gordon, Lord, and Arbuthnott are safe, with only whether Gordon or Lord plays #1 to be decided, and whether Arbuthnott vaults Lampl to play #3 this year. (I pity the poor players at the #2 slot against us this year.)  Looking at the other three:  

* Emma Higuchi, who's been automatic at #6 the last two years, to the tune of a career 43-4 record in dual matches in her career, including 8-1 in NCAA competition? Three of her losses came last year when she was playing at #4 and #5, and the fourth was in the NCAA final two years ago. She's the most vulnerable by definition, playing in the last spot, and if one of the two freshmen is demonstrably better, then, well, tennis teams are merit-based, so perhaps there would be an argument. But you can't set a lineup strictly based on practice and challenge matches. Higuchi has been the first off the court more often than anyone else on the team. Every other singles player in the lineup knows that if we win the doubles point, we only really need two more points, because Emma is there at 6. 
* Janice Shin, who went 16-3 in duals last year, including 4-0 in NCAA competition, with two of her losses coming when she played up a spot at #4 and the third in a third-set tiebreak at Vanderbilt in Nashville?  Her four wins in NCAAs were routine, too. Michaela Gordon rightly got a lot of attention and praise last year, but the other half of last year's freshman class quickly proved how essential she was to team success. 
* Caroline Lampl, a senior who is 11-2 in NCAA competition, who is the beating heart of the team and who has held down #3 singles? That final vs. Vanderbilt last year could have gone very differently if she hadn't taken what should have been a toss-up of a match and taken control of it from the beginning. After losing doubles, Higuchi did her thing and leveled, but Lampl closed out her match right after that to put Stanford in the lead.  

I mean, heck, all three of those players made the NCAA All-Tournament Team in their respective singles positions last year. No, it's just too tough of a lineup to crack, barring injury. Now, I wouldn't be entirely shocked if various players get a little rest and we see Choy and Madurawe get a couple matches at 5 or 6 this spring just to get a few competitive team matches under their belts in case they're needed during the Pac-12s or NCAAs. (To answer your question as to when, I'm thinking matches like Hawaii out of conference, or Colorado, Utah, or Arizona in conference.) But not as a regular part of the lineup.  

As for doubles, maybe. Arbuthnott/Gordon are entrenched at #1, and Lampl/Yee went on a tear at #2 last year. Once Lord came back, she and Shin held down #3 nicely, and whether there's a shift in the doubles lineup will depend on how much Lord and Shin each need doubles as part of getting ready for singles. If, like Higuchi, one or both is just as effective without it, then Lele might be open to a change. (And historically, IIRC, we often see a freshman paired with a junior or senior in doubles, so two seniors in Lampl and Yee might not be what Lele wants, so there might be an opportunity to break in there, but when you find good chemistry in a doubles pairing, you just leave well enough alone.) But again, why mess with what works?

---

The qualifying draw for ITA All-Americans is out, and available here: https://www.itatennis.com/ITA/Events/Eve...ca563e2691

The matches are at the Riviera in Pacific Palisades, with the first two rounds of qualifying tomorrow, and the final round on Wednesday. None of the Stanford players will need to play another in order to make the main draw.

* #56 Janice Shin plays #61 Chiara Lommer (Michigan) at 10:30am (all times Pacific), and if she wins, she'd take on the winner between Florida's Victoria Emma and #35 Sophie Whittle (Gonzaga) tomorrow afternoon. Lommer was Michigan's #3 when we played them in NCAAs, and Lampl had won a first set tiebreaker and was level at 2-2 in the second when the match was abandoned. Emma was Florida's #3 when we played them, and Arbuthnott beat her in three sets. 
* #63 Emma Higuchi plays #72 Silvia Ambrosio (Purdue), also at 10:30am, and if she wins, she'd take on either #65 Ida Jarlskog of Florida (who transferred after a terrific freshman season at Georgia Tech) or #27 Sara Daavettila (UNC) tomorrow afternoon. Daavettila was UNC's #3 last year, and was a game away from beating Lampl (6-4, 5-2) when that match was abandoned. 
* #47 Caroline Lampl gets to sleep in a little, with a 12:15pm start against #67 Erica Oosterhout (Harvard), and if she wins, she'd take on the winner of #109 Bianca Mok (Denver) and #26 Lauren Proctor (Winthrop). 

Live streaming was apparently available for pre-qualifying through Pepperdine, as that's where those matches were held, but it remains to be seen if there will be live streaming for the matches held at the Riviera.

---

Looks like live scoring, at least, will be available here: http://www.r2sports.com/website/event-we...?TID=29455

If Shin or Higuchi exit the tournament early, it's possible that they'll join Choy or Madurawe at the St. Mary's tournament to get some extra matches in, but they might also just stick around and get some added matches in against better players outside the tournament structure.

[ColoradoTree]

any (admittedly unreliable) off-the-cuff predictions of whether and where any frosh will crack the spring singles or doubles lineup?

Man, that's tough. In terms of a permanent spot in the lineup, I just don't think it's going to happen absent injury. It's not that Choy and Madurawe wouldn't carry on the Stanford tradition of outstanding freshman play on the lower courts, but who do you sit?  I mean, three of our players are in the top 25 to start the season, including two in the top 15. (Quick pause to note just how bonkers that is.) So, let's assume Gordon, Lord, and Arbuthnott are safe, with only whether Gordon or Lord plays #1 to be decided, and whether Arbuthnott vaults Lampl to play #3 this year. (I pity the poor players at the #2 slot against us this year.)  Looking at the other three:  

* Emma Higuchi, who's been automatic at #6 the last two years, to the tune of a career 43-4 record in dual matches in her career, including 8-1 in NCAA competition? Three of her losses came last year when she was playing at #4 and #5, and the fourth was in the NCAA final two years ago. She's the most vulnerable by definition, playing in the last spot, and if one of the two freshmen is demonstrably better, then, well, tennis teams are merit-based, so perhaps there would be an argument. But you can't set a lineup strictly based on practice and challenge matches. Higuchi has been the first off the court more often than anyone else on the team. Every other singles player in the lineup knows that if we win the doubles point, we only really need two more points, because Emma is there at 6. 
* Janice Shin, who went 16-3 in duals last year, including 4-0 in NCAA competition, with two of her losses coming when she played up a spot at #4 and the third in a third-set tiebreak at Vanderbilt in Nashville?  Her four wins in NCAAs were routine, too. Michaela Gordon rightly got a lot of attention and praise last year, but the other half of last year's freshman class quickly proved how essential she was to team success. 
* Caroline Lampl, a senior who is 11-2 in NCAA competition, who is the beating heart of the team and who has held down #3 singles? That final vs. Vanderbilt last year could have gone very differently if she hadn't taken what should have been a toss-up of a match and taken control of it from the beginning. After losing doubles, Higuchi did her thing and leveled, but Lampl closed out her match right after that to put Stanford in the lead.  

I mean, heck, all three of those players made the NCAA All-Tournament Team in their respective singles positions last year. No, it's just too tough of a lineup to crack, barring injury. Now, I wouldn't be entirely shocked if various players get a little rest and we see Choy and Madurawe get a couple matches at 5 or 6 this spring just to get a few competitive team matches under their belts in case they're needed during the Pac-12s or NCAAs. (To answer your question as to when, I'm thinking matches like Hawaii out of conference, or Colorado, Utah, or Arizona in conference.) But not as a regular part of the lineup.  

As for doubles, maybe. Arbuthnott/Gordon are entrenched at #1, and Lampl/Yee went on a tear at #2 last year. Once Lord came back, she and Shin held down #3 nicely, and whether there's a shift in the doubles lineup will depend on how much Lord and Shin each need doubles as part of getting ready for singles. If, like Higuchi, one or both is just as effective without it, then Lele might be open to a change. (And historically, IIRC, we often see a freshman paired with a junior or senior in doubles, so two seniors in Lampl and Yee might not be what Lele wants, so there might be an opportunity to break in there, but when you find good chemistry in a doubles pairing, you just leave well enough alone.) But again, why mess with what works?

---

The qualifying draw for ITA All-Americans is out, and available here: https://www.itatennis.com/ITA/Events/Eve...ca563e2691

The matches are at the Riviera in Pacific Palisades, with the first two rounds of qualifying tomorrow, and the final round on Wednesday. None of the Stanford players will need to play another in order to make the main draw.

* #56 Janice Shin plays #61 Chiara Lommer (Michigan) at 10:30am (all times Pacific), and if she wins, she'd take on the winner between Florida's Victoria Emma and #35 Sophie Whittle (Gonzaga) tomorrow afternoon. Lommer was Michigan's #3 when we played them in NCAAs, and Lampl had won a first set tiebreaker and was level at 2-2 in the second when the match was abandoned. Emma was Florida's #3 when we played them, and Arbuthnott beat her in three sets. 
* #63 Emma Higuchi plays #72 Silvia Ambrosio (Purdue), also at 10:30am, and if she wins, she'd take on either #65 Ida Jarlskog of Florida (who transferred after a terrific freshman season at Georgia Tech) or #27 Sara Daavettila (UNC) tomorrow afternoon. Daavettila was UNC's #3 last year, and was a game away from beating Lampl (6-4, 5-2) when that match was abandoned. 
* #47 Caroline Lampl gets to sleep in a little, with a 12:15pm start against #67 Erica Oosterhout (Harvard), and if she wins, she'd take on the winner of #109 Bianca Mok (Denver) and #26 Lauren Proctor (Winthrop). 

Live streaming was apparently available for pre-qualifying through Pepperdine, as that's where those matches were held, but it remains to be seen if there will be live streaming for the matches held at the Riviera.

---

Looks like live scoring, at least, will be available here: http://www.r2sports.com/website/event-we...?TID=29455

If Shin or Higuchi exit the tournament early, it's possible that they'll join Choy or Madurawe at the St. Mary's tournament to get some extra matches in, but they might also just stick around and get some added matches in against better players outside the tournament structure.

[ColoradoTree]

A mixed day for our players in qualifying yesterday, as both Emma Higuchi and Janice Shin won their first round matches but fell in the second. Shin beat Michigan's Lommer 6-2, 7-5, but then got drubbed by #35 Sophie Whittle (Gonzaga), 6-2, 6-1. Beating Whittle would have been an upset, but still, I would have liked to have seen a closer match.  

Higuchi won her first round match over Purdue's Ambrosio before falling to #65  Ida Jarlskog, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. No shame there in pushing Jarlskog to the limit, as Jarlskog strikes me as a little underranked--she made the NCAA All-Tournament Team at #4 singles as a freshman last year. 

But a disappointing outing from Caroline Lampl, as she lost 7-6, 6-2 to Harvard's Erica Oosterhout in the first round, and then lost 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to Winthrop's Lauren Proctor. While the Proctor result is reasonable--she's ranked about 20 spots above Lampl--Oosterhout was ranked about 20 spots behind Lampl, so she can't be happy with her day overall.  She still has the doubles main draw in front of her with Kimberly Yee starting tomorrow, though. We'll see if Lampl can turn it around at Northwest Regionals in a few weeks. 

Frustratingly, while Stanford had a disappointing day, other Pac-12 teams, especially Cal. Both Anna Bright and Julia Rosenqvist will play for spots in the main draw later today. (Remember, though, that Rosenqvist and Bright play #1 and #2 for Cal, while our #1 and #2 (and our #4) are already in the main draw.)

Today will be a practice day for Stanford, with no more players alive in the qualifying draw. You might see Shin, Higuchi, or Lampl with an added match or two, however.

[ColoradoTree]

A mixed day for our players in qualifying yesterday, as both Emma Higuchi and Janice Shin won their first round matches but fell in the second. Shin beat Michigan's Lommer 6-2, 7-5, but then got drubbed by #35 Sophie Whittle (Gonzaga), 6-2, 6-1. Beating Whittle would have been an upset, but still, I would have liked to have seen a closer match.  

Higuchi won her first round match over Purdue's Ambrosio before falling to #65  Ida Jarlskog, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. No shame there in pushing Jarlskog to the limit, as Jarlskog strikes me as a little underranked--she made the NCAA All-Tournament Team at #4 singles as a freshman last year. 

But a disappointing outing from Caroline Lampl, as she lost 7-6, 6-2 to Harvard's Erica Oosterhout in the first round, and then lost 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 to Winthrop's Lauren Proctor. While the Proctor result is reasonable--she's ranked about 20 spots above Lampl--Oosterhout was ranked about 20 spots behind Lampl, so she can't be happy with her day overall.  She still has the doubles main draw in front of her with Kimberly Yee starting tomorrow, though. We'll see if Lampl can turn it around at Northwest Regionals in a few weeks. 

Frustratingly, while Stanford had a disappointing day, other Pac-12 teams, especially Cal. Both Anna Bright and Julia Rosenqvist will play for spots in the main draw later today. (Remember, though, that Rosenqvist and Bright play #1 and #2 for Cal, while our #1 and #2 (and our #4) are already in the main draw.)

Today will be a practice day for Stanford, with no more players alive in the qualifying draw. You might see Shin, Higuchi, or Lampl with an added match or two, however.

[oldalum]

I see a very interesting possible third-round singles matchup:  Melissa Lord vs. #6 seed Fernanda Contreras, a rematch of the deciding match of last year's national championship

[oldalum]

I see a very interesting possible third-round singles matchup:  Melissa Lord vs. #6 seed Fernanda Contreras, a rematch of the deciding match of last year's national championship

[Lorcan]

A nice win for Emily Arbuthnott over #14 ranked Marie Leduc of Clemson. 2-6 7-6(5) 6-2. #8 Katarina Jokic up next with top seed Makenna Jones potentially looming in the next round. 

#PraisethemLord (Isn't this her hashtag? I can't remember) moves on with a straight set win over #40 Petra Granic. 


Michaela Gordon fell to #60 Alexa Graham 0-6 6-3 6-3. So, not a great start to the season from Michaela. Lampl and Yee did manage to advance in the doubles over Clemson and will face Georgia next.

[Lorcan]

A nice win for Emily Arbuthnott over #14 ranked Marie Leduc of Clemson. 2-6 7-6(5) 6-2. #8 Katarina Jokic up next with top seed Makenna Jones potentially looming in the next round. 

#PraisethemLord (Isn't this her hashtag? I can't remember) moves on with a straight set win over #40 Petra Granic. 


Michaela Gordon fell to #60 Alexa Graham 0-6 6-3 6-3. So, not a great start to the season from Michaela. Lampl and Yee did manage to advance in the doubles over Clemson and will face Georgia next.

[ColoradoTree]

Main draw singles and doubles action yesterday, and it continues today.

Singles

More background on Gordon's loss (as the 8th seed) to UNC's Alexa Graham.  Graham lost to Arbuthnott in the NCAA Round of 16 last year, and it wasn't close (6-3, 6-1), so this is a real disappointment for her. Gordon is a good deal better than Graham, as shown by her first-set bagel, but for whatever reason, she couldn't close it out.  

As Lorcan noted, great wins from Arbuthnott and Lord. I'm particularly jazzed by Arbuthnott's win. To get an upset win like that, and to do it in the way she did--bouncing back after getting blown out in the opening set, fighting in the second set and winning a tiebreaker to force a decider, and then imposing her will in the third--is really encouraging. Great fight. 

Lord has a tough one today vs. 6th-ranked and 4th-seeded Anastasia Rychagova of Kansas, while Arbuthnott gets 8th-ranked and 6th-seeded Katarina Jokic of Georgia. When Stanford beat Georgia 4-0 in last year's NCAA quarterfinals, Gordon had taken the first set from Jokic at 6-4, but was down a break in the second at 3-4 when the match was abandoned. A win for either player qualifies them for ITA Fall Nationals in November. 

What's next: Lord vs. Rychagova (KU) at 10:45am; Arbuhnott vs. Jokic (UGA) at 10:45am.  

Doubles

Gordon's disappointing day continued, as she and Arbuthnott--ranked #3 and seeded #1--lost in their first match to an unranked pair from Kansas, 8-5. 

Lampl and Yee, by contrast, are rolling.  They're through to the quarterfinals after beating the #16 team in the country, Clemson's Leduc/Navarro, 8-3, and then knocking off #6 Christofi/Coppoc of Georgia (the 4th seed), 8-2. One more win from them and they'll be through to ITA Fall Nationals. Arbuthnott/Gordon, by contrast, need to either make the finals of the consolation bracket, win Northwest Regionals, or else get a few wins here and at that tournament and hope to squeak by on ranking. 

What's next: #17 Lampl/Yee vs. #7 Golovin/Richardson (LSU) (last year's national champions) at 9:00am today. 

(Note: for those of you trying to get updated scores from the ITA's vendor site, it's dreadful. You can't see results for hours, so you're often better off looking at the opposing team's twitter account, though that wasn't much use yesterday.)

---

It was a rough day for the rest of the Pac-12 in singles, which had 7 entrants in the 32-player field. Just 2 advanced to the second round--both from Stanford. 

A better showing in doubles, however. Three of the five Pac-12 pairs in the 24-team field are still alive, with ASU's Baptiste/Hattingh and USC's Kulikov/Valdes joining Lampl/Yee in the final eight.

[ColoradoTree]

Main draw singles and doubles action yesterday, and it continues today.

Singles

More background on Gordon's loss (as the 8th seed) to UNC's Alexa Graham.  Graham lost to Arbuthnott in the NCAA Round of 16 last year, and it wasn't close (6-3, 6-1), so this is a real disappointment for her. Gordon is a good deal better than Graham, as shown by her first-set bagel, but for whatever reason, she couldn't close it out.  

As Lorcan noted, great wins from Arbuthnott and Lord. I'm particularly jazzed by Arbuthnott's win. To get an upset win like that, and to do it in the way she did--bouncing back after getting blown out in the opening set, fighting in the second set and winning a tiebreaker to force a decider, and then imposing her will in the third--is really encouraging. Great fight. 

Lord has a tough one today vs. 6th-ranked and 4th-seeded Anastasia Rychagova of Kansas, while Arbuthnott gets 8th-ranked and 6th-seeded Katarina Jokic of Georgia. When Stanford beat Georgia 4-0 in last year's NCAA quarterfinals, Gordon had taken the first set from Jokic at 6-4, but was down a break in the second at 3-4 when the match was abandoned. A win for either player qualifies them for ITA Fall Nationals in November. 

What's next: Lord vs. Rychagova (KU) at 10:45am; Arbuhnott vs. Jokic (UGA) at 10:45am.  

Doubles

Gordon's disappointing day continued, as she and Arbuthnott--ranked #3 and seeded #1--lost in their first match to an unranked pair from Kansas, 8-5. 

Lampl and Yee, by contrast, are rolling.  They're through to the quarterfinals after beating the #16 team in the country, Clemson's Leduc/Navarro, 8-3, and then knocking off #6 Christofi/Coppoc of Georgia (the 4th seed), 8-2. One more win from them and they'll be through to ITA Fall Nationals. Arbuthnott/Gordon, by contrast, need to either make the finals of the consolation bracket, win Northwest Regionals, or else get a few wins here and at that tournament and hope to squeak by on ranking. 

What's next: #17 Lampl/Yee vs. #7 Golovin/Richardson (LSU) (last year's national champions) at 9:00am today. 

(Note: for those of you trying to get updated scores from the ITA's vendor site, it's dreadful. You can't see results for hours, so you're often better off looking at the opposing team's twitter account, though that wasn't much use yesterday.)

---

It was a rough day for the rest of the Pac-12 in singles, which had 7 entrants in the 32-player field. Just 2 advanced to the second round--both from Stanford. 

A better showing in doubles, however. Three of the five Pac-12 pairs in the 24-team field are still alive, with ASU's Baptiste/Hattingh and USC's Kulikov/Valdes joining Lampl/Yee in the final eight.

[BobK]

That site really sucks so we all await your posts Tree

Here a commit announced yesterday


https://mobile.twitter.com/nicolemossmer...5172746240

[BobK]

That site really sucks so we all await your posts Tree

Here a commit announced yesterday


https://mobile.twitter.com/nicolemossmer...5172746240

[ColoradoTree]

That site really sucks so we all await your posts Tree

Here a commit announced yesterday


https://mobile.twitter.com/nicolemossmer...5172746240

Mossmer is a blue chip, but you could have assumed that already. Stanford only offers blue chips or top international recruits. (Note: there are only 25 blue chips in the current senior class. Blue chips are the top level of domestic tennis recruit, then you have a group of 5-star recruits, then 4-star recruits, etc. So like the football system, but with serious grade inflation.) She's a past winner of the USTA Junior Girls' 16s, so she's a national age group champion.  She's currently ranked as the 18th recruit, but has been as high as 12th this year. Last year, she was as high as the 3rd-ranked junior recruit, and the year before, she got as high as the 4th-ranked sophomore. So, she's plenty talented. 

I've been following that class, and no one was indicating interest in Stanford, which had started to give me a little concern. But perhaps folks are keeping interest closer to the vest, because all it takes is admission, and you immediately lock in a blue chip player who hadn't previously expressed much of a college preference. 

Of the 24 other blue chips, there are still 11 who have yet to pick a school (or express much of a preference). Some of those will inevitably try the professional route first, but with Mossmer, our roster math stands at 7 out of 8 available scholarships for the 2019-2020 school year (2 seniors - Arbuthnott and Higuchi; 2 juniors - Gordon and Shin; 2 sophomores - Choy and Madurawe; 1 freshman - Mossmer). So, we either get one more blue chip or a top international player to round out the roster, or we have an open scholarship for the following season.

[ColoradoTree]

That site really sucks so we all await your posts Tree

Here a commit announced yesterday


https://mobile.twitter.com/nicolemossmer...5172746240

Mossmer is a blue chip, but you could have assumed that already. Stanford only offers blue chips or top international recruits. (Note: there are only 25 blue chips in the current senior class. Blue chips are the top level of domestic tennis recruit, then you have a group of 5-star recruits, then 4-star recruits, etc. So like the football system, but with serious grade inflation.) She's a past winner of the USTA Junior Girls' 16s, so she's a national age group champion.  She's currently ranked as the 18th recruit, but has been as high as 12th this year. Last year, she was as high as the 3rd-ranked junior recruit, and the year before, she got as high as the 4th-ranked sophomore. So, she's plenty talented. 

I've been following that class, and no one was indicating interest in Stanford, which had started to give me a little concern. But perhaps folks are keeping interest closer to the vest, because all it takes is admission, and you immediately lock in a blue chip player who hadn't previously expressed much of a college preference. 

Of the 24 other blue chips, there are still 11 who have yet to pick a school (or express much of a preference). Some of those will inevitably try the professional route first, but with Mossmer, our roster math stands at 7 out of 8 available scholarships for the 2019-2020 school year (2 seniors - Arbuthnott and Higuchi; 2 juniors - Gordon and Shin; 2 sophomores - Choy and Madurawe; 1 freshman - Mossmer). So, we either get one more blue chip or a top international player to round out the roster, or we have an open scholarship for the following season.

[ColoradoTree]

Doubles happened hours ago, but I have no idea what happened, because neither the official site nor the team twitter accounts are saying anything. So we'll have to wait on that.  

But both Arbuthnott and Lord have lost.  Arbuthnott lost to Jokic 7-5, 6-2, while Lord lost a more lopsided match to Rychagova, 6-2, 6-3.  I'm sure Melissa is disappointed to have lost that definitively (though losing to Rychagova is fine by itself--she's very good), but I'm glad Emily made it close.  Emily isn't our #1, but she held her own against #1s from Clemson and Georgia, and that's something she can build on.

[ColoradoTree]

Doubles happened hours ago, but I have no idea what happened, because neither the official site nor the team twitter accounts are saying anything. So we'll have to wait on that.  

But both Arbuthnott and Lord have lost.  Arbuthnott lost to Jokic 7-5, 6-2, while Lord lost a more lopsided match to Rychagova, 6-2, 6-3.  I'm sure Melissa is disappointed to have lost that definitively (though losing to Rychagova is fine by itself--she's very good), but I'm glad Emily made it close.  Emily isn't our #1, but she held her own against #1s from Clemson and Georgia, and that's something she can build on.

[ColoradoTree]

Lampl/Yee defeat Richardson/Golovin 8-5 to move onto the semifinals!  They'll face Blanco/Rioux from Oklahoma State, currently ranked #24. 

It was a consequential win, as Lampl and Yee have now qualified for ITA Fall Nationals, so if Arbuthnott and Gordon can get a few wins under their belts (or more helpfully, win Northwest Regionals), we'd be sending two doubles teams to that tournament. Not too shabby.

[ColoradoTree]

Lampl/Yee defeat Richardson/Golovin 8-5 to move onto the semifinals!  They'll face Blanco/Rioux from Oklahoma State, currently ranked #24. 

It was a consequential win, as Lampl and Yee have now qualified for ITA Fall Nationals, so if Arbuthnott and Gordon can get a few wins under their belts (or more helpfully, win Northwest Regionals), we'd be sending two doubles teams to that tournament. Not too shabby.

[oldalum]

 Lord lost a more lopsided match to Rychagova, 6-2, 6-3.

One indication that Lord is not where she was last year is that last year she beat Vandy's Contreras in a close championship-clinching match; today Contreras destroyed Rychagova 6-1 6-1. No worries, though, it's just the very start of a long year.

[oldalum]

 Lord lost a more lopsided match to Rychagova, 6-2, 6-3.

One indication that Lord is not where she was last year is that last year she beat Vandy's Contreras in a close championship-clinching match; today Contreras destroyed Rychagova 6-1 6-1. No worries, though, it's just the very start of a long year.

[ColoradoTree]

 Lord lost a more lopsided match to Rychagova, 6-2, 6-3.

One indication that Lord is not where she was last year is that last year she beat Vandy's Contreras in a close championship-clinching match; today Contreras destroyed Rychagova 6-1 6-1. No worries, though, it's just the very start of a long year.

If there were one constant with Lele’s teams, it’s that they improve substantially over the course of the season. So while I like these early season tournaments, doing well in them is gravy for me—there is a lot of noise as players have yet to find their form on a consistent basis. 

FYI, Michaela Gordon shook off her first-round disappointment and took it out on her opponents in the consolation bracket. She defeated #40 Granic of Texas 6-2, 6-1 before defeating #32 Natalia Novotna of Virginia Tech 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. In her brief tenure, Gordon has lost more 3-setters than she’s won, so it’s really encouraging to see her fight back like that. Up next is Miami’s Estela Perez-Somarriba, the #3 player in the country, for a spot in the consolation final, and the ITA Fall Nationals berth that comes with it. That match starts at 10:00 am today, and it should be terrific tennis.

---

FYI, over at the St. Mary’s Invitational, both Sara Choy and Niluka Madurawe won their first round matches handily, and they’re into the doubles semifinals as a pair. Choy is the 3 seed and Madurawe the 4, so they won’t meet until the final. 

Singles matches are at 10:30 (R16) and at 3:30 (QFs) there, today, in case you’re in Moraga and want to swing by to scout Stanford’s future. Cal’s Maria Smith looms as a quarterfinal opponent for Choy, so that could be a nice early test.

Back at ITA All-Americans, Lampl/Yee play at 1:30.

[ColoradoTree]

 Lord lost a more lopsided match to Rychagova, 6-2, 6-3.

One indication that Lord is not where she was last year is that last year she beat Vandy's Contreras in a close championship-clinching match; today Contreras destroyed Rychagova 6-1 6-1. No worries, though, it's just the very start of a long year.

If there were one constant with Lele’s teams, it’s that they improve substantially over the course of the season. So while I like these early season tournaments, doing well in them is gravy for me—there is a lot of noise as players have yet to find their form on a consistent basis. 

FYI, Michaela Gordon shook off her first-round disappointment and took it out on her opponents in the consolation bracket. She defeated #40 Granic of Texas 6-2, 6-1 before defeating #32 Natalia Novotna of Virginia Tech 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. In her brief tenure, Gordon has lost more 3-setters than she’s won, so it’s really encouraging to see her fight back like that. Up next is Miami’s Estela Perez-Somarriba, the #3 player in the country, for a spot in the consolation final, and the ITA Fall Nationals berth that comes with it. That match starts at 10:00 am today, and it should be terrific tennis.

---

FYI, over at the St. Mary’s Invitational, both Sara Choy and Niluka Madurawe won their first round matches handily, and they’re into the doubles semifinals as a pair. Choy is the 3 seed and Madurawe the 4, so they won’t meet until the final. 

Singles matches are at 10:30 (R16) and at 3:30 (QFs) there, today, in case you’re in Moraga and want to swing by to scout Stanford’s future. Cal’s Maria Smith looms as a quarterfinal opponent for Choy, so that could be a nice early test.

Back at ITA All-Americans, Lampl/Yee play at 1:30.

[ColoradoTree]

And Lampl/Yee are through to the final! They win a thriller, 6-7, 6-3, and then 12-10 in a match tiebreaker (they started playing best of three this round). 

Meanwhile, Arbuthnott/Gordon are into the consolation final, and with it, booking a trip to ITA Fall Nationals themselves. So, two titles at issue tomorrow!

Gordon lost her consolation match pretty handily, 6-2, 6-2, but losing to Perez-Somarriba is nothing to be ashamed about.

[ColoradoTree]

And Lampl/Yee are through to the final! They win a thriller, 6-7, 6-3, and then 12-10 in a match tiebreaker (they started playing best of three this round). 

Meanwhile, Arbuthnott/Gordon are into the consolation final, and with it, booking a trip to ITA Fall Nationals themselves. So, two titles at issue tomorrow!

Gordon lost her consolation match pretty handily, 6-2, 6-2, but losing to Perez-Somarriba is nothing to be ashamed about.

[oldalum]

I like reading this thread better than the football thread.

I hope these tennis results foreshadow a return to dominance in doubles, instead of routinely losing the doubles point against top teams which we've been doing the last few years.

[oldalum]

I like reading this thread better than the football thread.

I hope these tennis results foreshadow a return to dominance in doubles, instead of routinely losing the doubles point against top teams which we've been doing the last few years.

[ColoradoTree]

Meanwhile, Sara Choy lost her quarterfinal match at the St. Mary’s Invitational to Cal’s Maria Smith 6-2, 6-3. A disappointing result, though Smith is a senior and Cal’s #4 last year, so perhaps my expectations are a tad high for someone who won’t crack the lineup this year absent an injury. 

But Madurawe advanced, and will take on Anna Makarova of Wisconsin in tomorrow’s semifinal. If she wins and gets Smith in the final, it’ll be a nice early look at the pecking order between Choy and Madurawe

They lost in doubles, so it’s just Madurawe alive in that tournament. Her semifinal is at 10:30am tomorrow, and if she makes it, the final would be at 1:30pm.

Over at ITA All-Americans, Arbuthnott/Gordon will play at 10:30 for the consolation title, while Lampl/Yee’s match is to follow the singles championship, which starts at 11. 

Neither match will be easy. Arbuthnott/Gordon have arguably the harder match, as they get the #9 team in the country, Proctor/Kauffman from Winthrop.

Lampl/Yee’s opponents are unranked, but only because the Kansas duo they’re playing is a new pair. KU has the #11 doubles team, but they split them up, for this tournament at least. Doubles rankings at this point in the year are a weird mishmash of last year’s results and guesswork as to who the pairs will be this year. 

But five Stanford players in the mix for titles tomorrow of one sort or another. Not too shabby.

[ColoradoTree]

Meanwhile, Sara Choy lost her quarterfinal match at the St. Mary’s Invitational to Cal’s Maria Smith 6-2, 6-3. A disappointing result, though Smith is a senior and Cal’s #4 last year, so perhaps my expectations are a tad high for someone who won’t crack the lineup this year absent an injury. 

But Madurawe advanced, and will take on Anna Makarova of Wisconsin in tomorrow’s semifinal. If she wins and gets Smith in the final, it’ll be a nice early look at the pecking order between Choy and Madurawe

They lost in doubles, so it’s just Madurawe alive in that tournament. Her semifinal is at 10:30am tomorrow, and if she makes it, the final would be at 1:30pm.

Over at ITA All-Americans, Arbuthnott/Gordon will play at 10:30 for the consolation title, while Lampl/Yee’s match is to follow the singles championship, which starts at 11. 

Neither match will be easy. Arbuthnott/Gordon have arguably the harder match, as they get the #9 team in the country, Proctor/Kauffman from Winthrop.

Lampl/Yee’s opponents are unranked, but only because the Kansas duo they’re playing is a new pair. KU has the #11 doubles team, but they split them up, for this tournament at least. Doubles rankings at this point in the year are a weird mishmash of last year’s results and guesswork as to who the pairs will be this year. 

But five Stanford players in the mix for titles tomorrow of one sort or another. Not too shabby.

[oldalum]

am I reading the stupid ITA website correctly that Arbuthnott/Gordon won, and Lampl/Yee lost?

[oldalum]

am I reading the stupid ITA website correctly that Arbuthnott/Gordon won, and Lampl/Yee lost?

[ColoradoTree]

You are! Lampl/Yee didn’t have it, losing 6-3, 6-2 to the Kansas pair, while Arbuthnott/Gordon are consolation champions, taking that title 8-3.

Over at St. Mary’s, Niluka Madurawe raced to the title, beating Cal’s Maria Smith 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match. Yes, that’s a player who won’t even be in our lineup absolutely dominating Cal’s #4 from last year. (And quite the turnaround from how thoroughly Smith beat our Sara Choy. But trying to glean much out of one common opponent is interesting, but ultimately not of much use. On any given day, and all that....)

So, that’s 2 of 3 possible titles on the day, which is a heck of a result.

[ColoradoTree]

You are! Lampl/Yee didn’t have it, losing 6-3, 6-2 to the Kansas pair, while Arbuthnott/Gordon are consolation champions, taking that title 8-3.

Over at St. Mary’s, Niluka Madurawe raced to the title, beating Cal’s Maria Smith 6-1, 6-2 in the championship match. Yes, that’s a player who won’t even be in our lineup absolutely dominating Cal’s #4 from last year. (And quite the turnaround from how thoroughly Smith beat our Sara Choy. But trying to glean much out of one common opponent is interesting, but ultimately not of much use. On any given day, and all that....)

So, that’s 2 of 3 possible titles on the day, which is a heck of a result.