[ColoradoTree]

Overall, I'm pretty encouraged by the weekend's results, Ma's two losses notwithstanding.

• The Redelijk loss is a bad one, to be sure, but I'm not mad about losing a third-set tiebreaker to #30 Flores. 
  
• But Yepifanova had a good weekend, with comprehensive wins over outstanding, seasoned college players in FSU's Petra Hule and USD's Solymar Colling. That she also lost to a third-year player ranked #46 doesn't take the shine off that weekend too much for me. 
  
• Geller finding a top gear good enough to beat a player like Flores is something we haven't seen, and I'm pumped about that. (The inconsistency of then losing to a player like UNLV's Kovacs, but she'll probably play #2 for UNLV this year, so that's not that big of a deal.)
  
• And Angelica Blake's weekend was great. Sure, she lost to Bolton in the first round, but Bolton is a top player--you can't be too mad about that. She then got two ranked singles wins, including demolishing #87 Emma Shelton of Florida and trading bagels with 36th-ranked freshman Savannah Broadus of Pepperdine. Plus, she and Ma seem to be developing doubles chemistry together, beating some good pairs before falling in the final. That's a really good weekend. Bolton is UCLA's #2, and Blake will probably play 3-5 for us this year, so we need to keep that sort of stuff in perspective.
  
• Choy had a solid weekend, with one three-set win and one three-set loss (to a ranked opponent). And Houghton didn't drop a match. She played lesser competition, sure, but she beat who was in front of her. 
  
• Xu crushed it this weekend, with two ranked wins and a third win over a player who was ranked in the preseason and will very likely be ranked again later this year. I don't know how it'll shake out for the 4-6 lines between her, Blake, and Geller, but Xu will do her best to remind us that this historic freshman class has three members, not just the two we've been talking about.
  
• I would've loved to see Gordon play, because even if she's on the roster this spring, if she doesn't play more matches she won't be the Michaela Gordon we're used to seeing at the top of the lineup. But if she works her way into match fitness at the #3 line, that'll be less of a problem. Just imagine:
  

1. Ma
2. Yepifanova
3. Gordon
4. Blake
5. Xu
6. Geller

• That back-of-the-lineup depth is as good as we've ever had. 
  

LOOKING AHEAD

Anyway, we'll get our first look at whatever lineup will be this Thursday at 2:00pm vs. UC Davis. That match is at Taube, so I believe folks can attend (masked and distanced). Then that's it for a week until ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Charlottesville where Stanford will play Arkansas. The Razorbacks are sort of a UW/WSU-level team, usually ranked in the 40s (sometimes higher), and while they don't always make the NCAA tournament, they're usually at least on the bubble. Assuming we get past them, it'll be host UVA, who boast one of the best 1-2 punches in college tennis. That one should be a gem of a match, and I feel reasonably optimistic given our depth.

That's part of why I'm relatively pleased with the weekend's results. If we're going to have success this year, it'll be because we dominate at the 3-6 singles lines. If you're seeing Blake, Xu, and Geller playing well, then the pieces are coming together for us to have some success. Heck, even if Gordon doesn't play yet, pencil in Choy at #6. She has pushed great players, ranked or otherwise, to third sets and won some--she should feast on #6 singles players.

[ColoradoTree]

Overall, I'm pretty encouraged by the weekend's results, Ma's two losses notwithstanding.

• The Redelijk loss is a bad one, to be sure, but I'm not mad about losing a third-set tiebreaker to #30 Flores. 
  
• But Yepifanova had a good weekend, with comprehensive wins over outstanding, seasoned college players in FSU's Petra Hule and USD's Solymar Colling. That she also lost to a third-year player ranked #46 doesn't take the shine off that weekend too much for me. 
  
• Geller finding a top gear good enough to beat a player like Flores is something we haven't seen, and I'm pumped about that. (The inconsistency of then losing to a player like UNLV's Kovacs, but she'll probably play #2 for UNLV this year, so that's not that big of a deal.)
  
• And Angelica Blake's weekend was great. Sure, she lost to Bolton in the first round, but Bolton is a top player--you can't be too mad about that. She then got two ranked singles wins, including demolishing #87 Emma Shelton of Florida and trading bagels with 36th-ranked freshman Savannah Broadus of Pepperdine. Plus, she and Ma seem to be developing doubles chemistry together, beating some good pairs before falling in the final. That's a really good weekend. Bolton is UCLA's #2, and Blake will probably play 3-5 for us this year, so we need to keep that sort of stuff in perspective.
  
• Choy had a solid weekend, with one three-set win and one three-set loss (to a ranked opponent). And Houghton didn't drop a match. She played lesser competition, sure, but she beat who was in front of her. 
  
• Xu crushed it this weekend, with two ranked wins and a third win over a player who was ranked in the preseason and will very likely be ranked again later this year. I don't know how it'll shake out for the 4-6 lines between her, Blake, and Geller, but Xu will do her best to remind us that this historic freshman class has three members, not just the two we've been talking about.
  
• I would've loved to see Gordon play, because even if she's on the roster this spring, if she doesn't play more matches she won't be the Michaela Gordon we're used to seeing at the top of the lineup. But if she works her way into match fitness at the #3 line, that'll be less of a problem. Just imagine:
  

1. Ma
2. Yepifanova
3. Gordon
4. Blake
5. Xu
6. Geller

• That back-of-the-lineup depth is as good as we've ever had. 
  

LOOKING AHEAD

Anyway, we'll get our first look at whatever lineup will be this Thursday at 2:00pm vs. UC Davis. That match is at Taube, so I believe folks can attend (masked and distanced). Then that's it for a week until ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Charlottesville where Stanford will play Arkansas. The Razorbacks are sort of a UW/WSU-level team, usually ranked in the 40s (sometimes higher), and while they don't always make the NCAA tournament, they're usually at least on the bubble. Assuming we get past them, it'll be host UVA, who boast one of the best 1-2 punches in college tennis. That one should be a gem of a match, and I feel reasonably optimistic given our depth.

That's part of why I'm relatively pleased with the weekend's results. If we're going to have success this year, it'll be because we dominate at the 3-6 singles lines. If you're seeing Blake, Xu, and Geller playing well, then the pieces are coming together for us to have some success. Heck, even if Gordon doesn't play yet, pencil in Choy at #6. She has pushed great players, ranked or otherwise, to third sets and won some--she should feast on #6 singles players.