01-19-2023, 04:52 PM
(This post was last modified: 01-19-2023, 05:02 PM by ColoradoTree.)
As expected, Stanford takes the doubles point, but the lineups are different than I would've predicted:
1. Blake/Blokhina win 6-0
2. Xu/Yepifanova win 6-1
3. Choy/Ma win 6-2
But it's the singles lineup that shocked me:
1. Yepifanova, not Ma
2. Blokhina!
3. Ma
4. Blake
5. Xu
6. Choy
Xu and Choy at 5 and 6 is what I would've predicted, but I figured Blokhina would slot in behind Blake--having Blokhina above her isn't too big of a shock, though. The shock is Ma--who played #1 all last year, who made the NCAA singles final, who just woodshedded a couple of great players in San Diego--coming in at #3. The only thing I can think of is that Lele is using Yepifanova's defeat of Ma at Northwest Regionals as the reason to start the season with Sasha at #1, and while I think that's putting way too much weight on one match, when every other indicator in the world tells you that Ma is the better player, I can understand it--if only to give Sasha a chance to play at #1 singles on her home court. But Blokhina above Ma?! I can't understand it. And it means Ma can't play #1 next match either--the soonest she could return to that singles line is the third match of the year.
It's just above over, as Stanford leads 6-0 with just Court 6 in the balance.
1. Yepifanova def. Gurevitch 6-2, 6-1
2. Blokhina def. Stavropolous 6-0, 6-3
3. Ma def. Mannupau 6-0, 6-0
4. Blake def. Evloeva 6-2, 6-0
5. Xu def. Zell, 6-1, 6-1
6. Choy leads Wolfe 6-0, 6-5
Choy looks to have had her changes to shut the door on this match, including a deciding point on Wolfe's serve that would've given Choy the match, but they play on. Seems as if she let her foot off the gas and Wolfe started to believe, and belief is a dangerous thing when you're playing a player you absolutely should beat.
I wish someone covered Stanford tennis so they could ask Lele why--in the name of all that is holy--she played Ma at Court 3!
1. Blake/Blokhina win 6-0
2. Xu/Yepifanova win 6-1
3. Choy/Ma win 6-2
But it's the singles lineup that shocked me:
1. Yepifanova, not Ma
2. Blokhina!
3. Ma
4. Blake
5. Xu
6. Choy
Xu and Choy at 5 and 6 is what I would've predicted, but I figured Blokhina would slot in behind Blake--having Blokhina above her isn't too big of a shock, though. The shock is Ma--who played #1 all last year, who made the NCAA singles final, who just woodshedded a couple of great players in San Diego--coming in at #3. The only thing I can think of is that Lele is using Yepifanova's defeat of Ma at Northwest Regionals as the reason to start the season with Sasha at #1, and while I think that's putting way too much weight on one match, when every other indicator in the world tells you that Ma is the better player, I can understand it--if only to give Sasha a chance to play at #1 singles on her home court. But Blokhina above Ma?! I can't understand it. And it means Ma can't play #1 next match either--the soonest she could return to that singles line is the third match of the year.
It's just above over, as Stanford leads 6-0 with just Court 6 in the balance.
1. Yepifanova def. Gurevitch 6-2, 6-1
2. Blokhina def. Stavropolous 6-0, 6-3
3. Ma def. Mannupau 6-0, 6-0
4. Blake def. Evloeva 6-2, 6-0
5. Xu def. Zell, 6-1, 6-1
6. Choy leads Wolfe 6-0, 6-5
Choy looks to have had her changes to shut the door on this match, including a deciding point on Wolfe's serve that would've given Choy the match, but they play on. Seems as if she let her foot off the gas and Wolfe started to believe, and belief is a dangerous thing when you're playing a player you absolutely should beat.
I wish someone covered Stanford tennis so they could ask Lele why--in the name of all that is holy--she played Ma at Court 3!