05-24-2018, 08:05 AM
(This post was last modified: 05-24-2018, 08:48 AM by ColoradoTree.)
As action started today, 7 Pac-12 players remained in the final 32, including two each from Stanford, UCLA, and UW, as well as Michaela Bayerlova from Washington State.
Today hasn't been as kind so far, as the Pac-12 is 0-4 on the day. UW's Vanessa Wong lost to 6th-seeded Arianne Hartono of Ole Miss, UCLA's Jada Hart lost to Pepperdine's Luisa Stefani (who beat the #1 seed yesterday), UW's Stacey Fung got upset by Veronica Miroshnichenko from Loyola Marymount, and WSU's Bayerlova lost in three tough sets to (9-16) Ashley Lahey of Pepperdine. The first two results are expected, and Miroshnichenko was ranked as the #10 freshman in the preseason rankings this year and is ranked #48 despite playing a weak conference, so while it's disappointing, Fung lost to a legit player. And a really nice fight from Bayerlova; no shame there.
That leaves just three players with a chance to advance:
(7) Ena Shibahara (UCLA) (won her first set 6-2 over a player from Idaho)
Emily Arbuthnott (warming up now) - her match is on Court 1 of the Lower Courts, which has nice live video
(9-16) Michaela Gordon (warming up now) - her match is on Court 6 of the Leighton Family Courts, where the video isn't as good
Note: while schools keep track of individual national championships, we have so many more individual national championships than UCLA that it's embarrassing for them (497 to 270, per Wikipedia). I'd obviously prefer Gordon to win this one, and for Arbuthnott to make a deep run (like martyup noted, Sharma looms, and that's probably too tall an order), but if Shibahara ends up winning it (she was the preseason #1 player, after all), we still lead 117-116 in team championships, I'll be happy for the Pac-12's tennis reputation to get a shot in the arm by adding an individual title to the team title.
By contrast, three Pepperdine players are through to the Round of 16. I remain stunned that Pepperdine didn't roll right over Georgia Tech--they had the talent to do it, clearly. There's no team in the country that has more talent than Pepperdine, yet while Stanford routinely overperforms its low seeds, Pepperdine doesn't.
Duke's Kelly Chen, who was down a break to Arbuthnott in the third set on Monday, is now an All-American after knocking off UNC's Makenna Jones. I get so used to players playing at their position that my mind can't handle the chaos of seeing #3s and #4s play (and beat!) #1s.
Of the nine players to reach the Round of 16 so far, the West Coast Conference leads with 4, the ACC has 3, the SEC has 2, and it's goose eggs for the Big 12, Big Ten, and Pac-12. The Big Ten doesn't even have anyone left in the draw, while the Big 12 and Pac-12 each have 3 players still with a chance.
Both Arbuthnott and Gordon down early, but Gordon is in worse shape:
Arbuthnott trails 3-4 (down a break)
Gordon trails 1-6, 0-0
Really sloppy display from Gordon so far. Lots of forehands into the net, spraying shots wide, etc. It's clearly frustrating her that she can't get her game right. She's serving to open the second, so a hold could get her started on a better path.
Today hasn't been as kind so far, as the Pac-12 is 0-4 on the day. UW's Vanessa Wong lost to 6th-seeded Arianne Hartono of Ole Miss, UCLA's Jada Hart lost to Pepperdine's Luisa Stefani (who beat the #1 seed yesterday), UW's Stacey Fung got upset by Veronica Miroshnichenko from Loyola Marymount, and WSU's Bayerlova lost in three tough sets to (9-16) Ashley Lahey of Pepperdine. The first two results are expected, and Miroshnichenko was ranked as the #10 freshman in the preseason rankings this year and is ranked #48 despite playing a weak conference, so while it's disappointing, Fung lost to a legit player. And a really nice fight from Bayerlova; no shame there.
That leaves just three players with a chance to advance:
(7) Ena Shibahara (UCLA) (won her first set 6-2 over a player from Idaho)
Emily Arbuthnott (warming up now) - her match is on Court 1 of the Lower Courts, which has nice live video
(9-16) Michaela Gordon (warming up now) - her match is on Court 6 of the Leighton Family Courts, where the video isn't as good
Note: while schools keep track of individual national championships, we have so many more individual national championships than UCLA that it's embarrassing for them (497 to 270, per Wikipedia). I'd obviously prefer Gordon to win this one, and for Arbuthnott to make a deep run (like martyup noted, Sharma looms, and that's probably too tall an order), but if Shibahara ends up winning it (she was the preseason #1 player, after all), we still lead 117-116 in team championships, I'll be happy for the Pac-12's tennis reputation to get a shot in the arm by adding an individual title to the team title.
By contrast, three Pepperdine players are through to the Round of 16. I remain stunned that Pepperdine didn't roll right over Georgia Tech--they had the talent to do it, clearly. There's no team in the country that has more talent than Pepperdine, yet while Stanford routinely overperforms its low seeds, Pepperdine doesn't.
Duke's Kelly Chen, who was down a break to Arbuthnott in the third set on Monday, is now an All-American after knocking off UNC's Makenna Jones. I get so used to players playing at their position that my mind can't handle the chaos of seeing #3s and #4s play (and beat!) #1s.
Of the nine players to reach the Round of 16 so far, the West Coast Conference leads with 4, the ACC has 3, the SEC has 2, and it's goose eggs for the Big 12, Big Ten, and Pac-12. The Big Ten doesn't even have anyone left in the draw, while the Big 12 and Pac-12 each have 3 players still with a chance.
Both Arbuthnott and Gordon down early, but Gordon is in worse shape:
Arbuthnott trails 3-4 (down a break)
Gordon trails 1-6, 0-0
Really sloppy display from Gordon so far. Lots of forehands into the net, spraying shots wide, etc. It's clearly frustrating her that she can't get her game right. She's serving to open the second, so a hold could get her started on a better path.