Wake Forest Regional
Wake Forest Tennis Complex – Winston-Salem, NC
[6] Wake Forest Demon Deacons (29-5) vs. [49-64] Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (21-3) – Friday 3pm ET – Wake Forest earned the ACC’s automatic berth after defeating No. 1 Virginia in the finals of the conference tournament while Coastal Carolina won the Big South’s automatic berth after defeating Presbyterian 4-3. CCU only faced one ranked team this season with Duke shutting them out 4-0.
Who Is Streaking (Consecutive Wins >2)
[17-32] Michigan Wolverines (20-7) vs. [33-48] East Tennessee State Buccaneers (18-5) – Friday Noon ET – Michigan was awarded an at-large bid after falling to Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament while East Tennessee State won its 10th consecutive conference championship after blanking Furman in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament. ETSU is riding a 15-match winning streak and will be making its 14th NCAA appearance in the last 18 years. ETSU is 2-14 in those 14 appearances with wins over Notre Dame and Alabama in 2008 and 2010.
ETSU went 4-5 against ranked opponents with the wins coming over Penn, North Florida, UNC Wilmington, and Middle Tennessee State. ETSU won the doubles point in its final 12 matches after winning it only 4 times in its first 11 matches. The only common opponent between Michigan and ETSU was Washington with Michigan beating them at home 5-2 while ETSU lost on the road 5-2. Michigan was a perfect 14-0 at home while it 6-7 in road/neutral matches. Michigan’s only non-top 25 loss came against Notre Dame early in the season.
Doubles Records: Michigan 17-10, East Tennessee State 16-7
Projected Singles Lineups
The UTR Power 6 is the combined UTRs of the starting 6 (rounded to a whole #). An individual win/loss to anyone with a UTR difference of 1.0 or greater would be considered an upset.
Doubles Records: Tulsa 16-13, Oregon 20-3
Projected Singles Lineups
Doubles Records: Oklahoma 13-11, Tulsa 16-13
Oklahoma won the regular season meeting 4-1 without Andrew Harris in the lineup but I expect that he’ll play in this one with a trip to Tulsa on the line. All the singles pairings will be different this time around with OU a decent sized favorite on just about every court. Tulsa may take the doubles point but I like Harris, Alvarez, Bragusi, and Biro for OU in singles. Prediction: Oklahoma 4-1
Wake Forest Tennis Complex – Winston-Salem, NC
[6] Wake Forest Demon Deacons (29-5) vs. [49-64] Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (21-3) – Friday 3pm ET – Wake Forest earned the ACC’s automatic berth after defeating No. 1 Virginia in the finals of the conference tournament while Coastal Carolina won the Big South’s automatic berth after defeating Presbyterian 4-3. CCU only faced one ranked team this season with Duke shutting them out 4-0.
Doubles Records: Wake Forest 27-6, Coastal Carolina 15-9
UTR Starting 6 Power Rating: Wake Forest 84, Coastal Carolina 75
FYI, the number beside the player’s school is the player’s Universal Tennis Rating as of May 10th. For more details about UTR check out their website.
The UTR Power 6 is the combined UTRs of the starting 6 (rounded to a whole #). An individual win/loss to anyone with a UTR difference of 1.0 or greater would be considered an upset.
Projected Singles Lineups
1. #13 Skander Mansouri (WF 14.50) vs. Vuk Velickovic (CCU 12.90)
2. #27 Petros Chrysochos (WF 14.47) vs. Jabor Al-Mutawa (CCU 12.86)
3. Jon Ho (13.56) vs. Pedro Leme (CCU 12.40)
4. Romain Bogaerts (WF 14.00) vs. Sebastian Schneider (CCU 12.50)
5. Christian Seraphim (WF 13.96) vs. Rick Timmerman (CCU 12.16)
6. Dennis Uspensky (WF 13.93) vs. Luiz Faria (CCU 12.33)
2. #27 Petros Chrysochos (WF 14.47) vs. Jabor Al-Mutawa (CCU 12.86)
3. Jon Ho (13.56) vs. Pedro Leme (CCU 12.40)
4. Romain Bogaerts (WF 14.00) vs. Sebastian Schneider (CCU 12.50)
5. Christian Seraphim (WF 13.96) vs. Rick Timmerman (CCU 12.16)
6. Dennis Uspensky (WF 13.93) vs. Luiz Faria (CCU 12.33)
Who Is Streaking (Consecutive Wins >2)
WF: Uspensky 7
WSU: Velickovic 8, Faria 5
Wake will be a significant favorite on every court and after taking the doubles point I’ll go with Mansouri, Chrysochos, and Uspensky in singles. Prediction: Wake Forest 4-0.
[17-32] Michigan Wolverines (20-7) vs. [33-48] East Tennessee State Buccaneers (18-5) – Friday Noon ET – Michigan was awarded an at-large bid after falling to Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament while East Tennessee State won its 10th consecutive conference championship after blanking Furman in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament. ETSU is riding a 15-match winning streak and will be making its 14th NCAA appearance in the last 18 years. ETSU is 2-14 in those 14 appearances with wins over Notre Dame and Alabama in 2008 and 2010.
ETSU went 4-5 against ranked opponents with the wins coming over Penn, North Florida, UNC Wilmington, and Middle Tennessee State. ETSU won the doubles point in its final 12 matches after winning it only 4 times in its first 11 matches. The only common opponent between Michigan and ETSU was Washington with Michigan beating them at home 5-2 while ETSU lost on the road 5-2. Michigan was a perfect 14-0 at home while it 6-7 in road/neutral matches. Michigan’s only non-top 25 loss came against Notre Dame early in the season.
Doubles Records: Michigan 17-10, East Tennessee State 16-7
UTR Starting 6 Power Rating: Michigan 81, East Tennessee State 80
Projected Singles Lineups
1. Alex Knight (UM 13.63) vs. #80 David Biosca (ETSU 14.12)
2. #99 Jathan Malik (UM 13.66) vs. Rogerio Ribeiro (ETSU 13.49)
3. Carter Lin (UM 13.68) vs. Diego Nunez (ETSU 12.70)
3. Carter Lin (UM 13.68) vs. Diego Nunez (ETSU 12.70)
4. Runhao Hua (UM 13.62) vs. Robert Herrera (ETSU 13.72)
5. Kevin Wong (UM 13.42) vs. Sebastian Yllera (ETSU 13.14)
6. Davis Crocker (UM 13.21) vs. Ismael Merino (ETSU 12.83)
6. Davis Crocker (UM 13.21) vs. Ismael Merino (ETSU 12.83)
O: Myles Schalet (UM 13.41)
Who Is Streaking (Consecutive Wins >2)
UM: Wong 5, Hua 3
ETSU: Herrera 13, Biosca 10, Ribeiro 10, Merino 8, Yllera 7, Nunez 4
If ETSU wins the doubles point I think they’ll really put Michigan under some heat however I think Michigan grabs the early lead. I do like David Biosca and Ismael Merino in singles for ETSU but Jathan Malik, Carter Lin, and Kevin Wong will pull through for Michigan. Robert Herrera will be leading at the time of the clinch. Prediction: Michigan 4-2
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Regional Final – [17-32] Michigan at [6] Wake Forest – Saturday 3pm ET
Doubles Records: Wake Forest 27-6, Michigan 17-10
UTR Starting 6 Power Rating: Wake Forest 84, Michigan 81
Projected Singles Lineups
1. #13 Skander Mansouri (WF 14.50) vs. Alex Knight (UM 13.63)
2. #27 Petros Chrysochos (WF 14.47) vs. #99 Jathan Malik (UM 13.66)
3. Jon Ho (13.56) vs. Carter Lin (UM 13.68)
4. Romain Bogaerts (WF 14.00) vs. Runhao Hua (UM 13.62)
5. Christian Seraphim (WF 13.96) vs. Kevin Wong (UM 13.42)
6. Dennis Uspensky (WF 13.93) vs. Davis Crocker (UM 13.21)
Wake will be coming off a routine win while Michigan will have left it all out on the court after winning a tough one against ETSU. I like Wake in doubles and Mansouri, Seraphim, and Uspensky in singles. Prediction: Wake Forest 4-0
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Oklahoma Regional
Headington Family Tennis Center – Norman, OK
[11] Oklahoma Sooners (15-10) vs. [49-64] UT Arlington Mavericks (18-10) – Friday 4pm CT – Oklahoma got in as an at-large selection after falling to TCU in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament while UT Arlington got in for the first time in 10 years after defeating South Alabama in the finals of the Sun Belt Tournament. UTA went 4-7 against teams that were ranked at some point during the season with the wins coming over Georgia State, South Alabama, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, and Wichita State. Oklahoma only played nine matches at home going 5-4 while UTA was 4-9 in road/neutral court matches.
Doubles Records: Oklahoma 13-11, UT Arlington 17-11
UTR Starting 6 Power Rating: Oklahoma 85, UT Arlington 76
FYI, the number beside the player’s school is the player’s Universal Tennis Rating as of May 10th. For more details about UTR check out their website.
The UTR Power 6 is the combined UTRs of the starting 6 (rounded to a whole #). An individual win/loss to anyone with a UTR difference of 1.0 or greater would be considered an upset.
Projected Singles Lineups
1. #97 Andrew Harris (OU 14.54) vs. Guanarteme Nuez (UTA 13.00)
2. #25 Axel Alvarez (OU 14.31) vs. Jhonathan Gonzalez (UTA 12.65)
3. #82 Spencer Papa (OU 13.92) vs. Mario Muniesa (UTA 12.50)
4. #61 Alex Ghilea (OU 14.04) vs. Daniel Armengol (UTA 13.02)
4. #61 Alex Ghilea (OU 14.04) vs. Daniel Armengol (UTA 13.02)
5. Florin Bragusi (OU 13.86) vs. Carlos Arbiza (UTA 12.85)
6. Andre Biro (OU 13.75) vs. Mauricio Del Rio (UTA 12.47)
O: Maxime Mora (OU 13.68)
Who Is Streaking (Consecutive Wins >2)
OU: Harris 4, Bragusi 4
UTA: Arbiza 12, Muniesa 3
6. Andre Biro (OU 13.75) vs. Mauricio Del Rio (UTA 12.47)
O: Maxime Mora (OU 13.68)
Who Is Streaking (Consecutive Wins >2)
OU: Harris 4, Bragusi 4
UTA: Arbiza 12, Muniesa 3
Andrew Harris didn’t play singles in the final two matches after playing in the five previous ones. Oklahoma is going to win regardless of whether he plays or not but but if he sits UTA will keep it a little closer. I’ll say Harris sits but OU still win the doubles point and gets wins from Alvarez, Ghilea, and Bragusi. Prediction: Oklahoma 4-0.
[17-32] Tulsa Golden Hurricane (17-13) vs. [33-48] Oregon Ducks (18-7) – Friday 1pm CT – Tulsa got in as an at-large after falling to South Florida in the finals of the AAC while Oregon squeezed in as an at-large after falling to Stanford in the Pac-12 quarterfinals. Tulsa played one of the toughest schedules in the country with 23 of its 30 matches coming against opponents that were ranked at some point (15 in the current top 30) while 17 of Oregon’s 25 matches were against ranked foes (5 in the current top 30). Tulsa was a streaky team all season with a five-match winning streak and two three-match winning streaks while it also had a five-match and three-match losing streak. Tulsa’s Majed Kilani and Francois Kellerman were the only starters on the team with a winning dual-match record while all of Oregon’s starters were at least two matches over .500.
This will be Oregon’s fifth all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament but they’ve yet to get a win with shutout losses in 1998, 2000, 2004, and a 4-2 loss to NC State in 2014.
Tulsa will be playing just 130 miles from home while Oregon makes the 2000 mile flight in from Eugene. The weather condition will probably suit Tulsa more than Oregon with temperatures expected to be in the high 70s with winds around 10 miles per hour.
Doubles Records: Tulsa 16-13, Oregon 20-3
UTR Starting 6 Power Rating: Tulsa 80, Oregon 80
Projected Singles Lineups
1. #48 Or Ram-Harel (TUL 13.84) vs. Daan Maasland (UO 13.51)
2. Juan Matias Gonzalez (TUL 13.55) vs. Simon Stevens (UO 13.49)
3. Majed Kilani (TUL 13.75) vs. Thomas Laurens (UO 13.89)
3. Majed Kilani (TUL 13.75) vs. Thomas Laurens (UO 13.89)
4. Carlos Bautista (TUL 13.43) vs. Jayson Amos (UO 13.58)
5. Dylan McCloskey (TUL 12.76) vs. Cormac Clissold (UO 13.10)
6. Francois Kellerman (TUL 12.84) vs. Ethan Young-Smith (UO 12.61)
Who Is Streaking (Consecutive Wins >2)
Or Ram-Harel (3) is the only starter on the two teams that has won more than two in a row.
Or Ram-Harel (3) is the only starter on the two teams that has won more than two in a row.
Oregon was strong in doubles all season so i see them grabbing the early lead after winning a tight doubles point. Tulsa should get a win at No. 1 with Or Ram-Harel riding a three-match winning streak while Daan Maasland struggled down the stretch dropping his final seven matches. I also like Juan Matias Gonzalez, Dylan McCloskey, and Francois Kellerman for Tulsa while I’ll go with Thomas Laurent and Jayson Amos for Oregon. Prediction: Tulsa 4-3
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Regional Final – [17-32] Tulsa at [11] Oklahoma – Saturday 1pm CT –
Regular Season Meeting
#8 Oklahoma 4, #29 Tulsa 1
Feb 20, 2016 at Tulsa, Okla. (Michael D. Case Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #60 Axel Alvarez Llamas (OU 14.30) def. #97 Carlos Bautista (TU 13.49) 6-3, 6-1
2. #30 Or Ram-Harel (TU 13.73) vs. #95 Alex Ghilea (OU 13.93) 3-6, 6-4, unfinished
3. Florin Bragusi (OU 13.83) def. Dylan McCloskey (TU 12.84) 6-3, 6-1
4. Maxime Mora (OU 13.66) def. Juan Matias Gonzalez (TU 13.39) 6-3, 7-5
5. Majed Kilani (TU 13.53) def. Andre Biro (OU 13.86) 6-1, 6-2
6. Francois Kellerman (TU 12.65) vs. Austin Siegel (OU 13.30) 3-6, 6-1, 2-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #37 Alex Ghilea/Andrew Harris (OU) def. Dylan McCloskey/Matthew Kirby (TU) 6-4
2. #52 Matias Gonzalez/Carlos Bautista (TU) def. Florin Bragusi/Axel Alvarez Llamas (OU) 6-3
3. Andre Biro/Austin Siegel (OU) def. Or Ram-Harel/Dominic Bechard (TU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Oklahoma 6-3; National ranking #8
Tulsa 6-3; National ranking #29
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,3,5,4)
Regular Season Meeting
#8 Oklahoma 4, #29 Tulsa 1
Feb 20, 2016 at Tulsa, Okla. (Michael D. Case Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #60 Axel Alvarez Llamas (OU 14.30) def. #97 Carlos Bautista (TU 13.49) 6-3, 6-1
2. #30 Or Ram-Harel (TU 13.73) vs. #95 Alex Ghilea (OU 13.93) 3-6, 6-4, unfinished
3. Florin Bragusi (OU 13.83) def. Dylan McCloskey (TU 12.84) 6-3, 6-1
4. Maxime Mora (OU 13.66) def. Juan Matias Gonzalez (TU 13.39) 6-3, 7-5
5. Majed Kilani (TU 13.53) def. Andre Biro (OU 13.86) 6-1, 6-2
6. Francois Kellerman (TU 12.65) vs. Austin Siegel (OU 13.30) 3-6, 6-1, 2-1, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #37 Alex Ghilea/Andrew Harris (OU) def. Dylan McCloskey/Matthew Kirby (TU) 6-4
2. #52 Matias Gonzalez/Carlos Bautista (TU) def. Florin Bragusi/Axel Alvarez Llamas (OU) 6-3
3. Andre Biro/Austin Siegel (OU) def. Or Ram-Harel/Dominic Bechard (TU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Oklahoma 6-3; National ranking #8
Tulsa 6-3; National ranking #29
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,3,5,4)
Doubles Records: Oklahoma 13-11, Tulsa 16-13
UTR Starting 6 Power Rating: Oklahoma 85, Tulsa 80
Projected Singles Lineups
1. #97 Andrew Harris (OU 14.54) vs. #48 Or Ram-Harel (TUL 13.84)
2. #25 Axel Alvarez (OU 14.31) vs. Juan Matias Gonzalez (TUL 13.55)
3. #82 Spencer Papa (OU 13.92) vs. Majed Kilani (TUL 13.75)
4. #61 Alex Ghilea (OU 14.04) vs. Carlos Bautista (TUL 13.43)
4. #61 Alex Ghilea (OU 14.04) vs. Carlos Bautista (TUL 13.43)
5. Florin Bragusi (OU 13.86) vs. Dylan McCloskey (TUL 12.76)
6. Andre Biro (OU 13.75) vs. Francois Kellerman (TUL 12.84)
O: Maxime Mora (OU 13.68)
6. Andre Biro (OU 13.75) vs. Francois Kellerman (TUL 12.84)
O: Maxime Mora (OU 13.68)
Oklahoma won the regular season meeting 4-1 without Andrew Harris in the lineup but I expect that he’ll play in this one with a trip to Tulsa on the line. All the singles pairings will be different this time around with OU a decent sized favorite on just about every court. Tulsa may take the doubles point but I like Harris, Alvarez, Bragusi, and Biro for OU in singles. Prediction: Oklahoma 4-1
Harris is out of singles today. Alvarez hasn't been nearly as good this year as last year. Then again, Harris hasn't really played much. I know when healthy, he is a legitimate threat to win every match but I can't believe Harris is very match tough.
Working on it now – should have it done shortly
If possible, can you do a Bracket Challenge for the women as well?
Do you happen to know if Andrew Harris was listed as 1 during the Big 12 tournament? Or he was still at #2 at the time? If so, do you think that is in anticipation of playing Wake, considering Alvarez wasn't matched up very well against Mansouri.