Saturday, January 16
Davidson, N.C.
1:00 p.m.
Davidson College Athletics
vs
Georgia Southern
Photo by: Tim Cowie - DavidsonPhotos.com
Davidson M. Tennis Opens Spring Season Saturday
1/15/2016 12:32:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
2016 Quick Facts
2016 Men's Tennis Record Book (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The 2016 Spring season for the Davidson men's tennis team gets underway Saturday afternoon when they play host to a familiar opponent in the Georgia Southern Eagles at 1 p.m. in the Knobloch Tennis Center.
The Wildcats, who will be entering their second year in the Atlantic 10, faces a one-time Southern Conference foe in the Eagles, who have since moved to the Sun Belt.
Saturday's match vs. GSU is the first of three straight at home for Davidson to begin the season. Overall, the 'Cats will play five of their first seven matches at home. They last faced Georgia Southern during the 2014 season, their final year in the SoCon, falling 4-3. Dating back to 1993, the first time both teams met each other, Davidson holds a 13-10 lead in the all-time series and has won four of the past five matches.
In anticipation of a strong year, below is a look at the Davidson Men's Tennis 2016 Season Preview ...
Now in their 10th season under the direction of head coach Drew Barrett, the Wildcats will enter the 2016 campaign in its second year in the Atlantic 10 after a successful debut campaign last year.
"It was a good season for us last year, with the move to the A-10 and facing some new teams. We are looking forward to continuing that success we had and build on it," said Barrett. "We are thrilled about the challenge and I think the players are excited for the start of the season."
The 2016 team will look to carry on its solid campaign from a year ago, which Davidson went 12-10 overall and had an impressive 4-1 record in its first year in the Atlantic 10. Highlighting the season was a 10-match win streak, the longest since an 11-match stretch in 1997. It was the second time in the past three years the Wildcats collected 12 wins in a season.
This year's club will feature the return of all 10 letterwinners, including all six starters, as the Wildcats are set up for a great 2016 season and their second year in
the A-10.
Singles
Davidson picked up an impressive 74 singles wins in 127 matches last year and netted 20 of those victories against A-10 opponents. The Wildcats had five players reach the double-digit wins mark, led by the freshmen trio Artem Khrapko (15), Shamael Chaudhry (12) and David Hager (12). Also hitting the double-digit mark was J.B. Gough with 13 wins and Jordan Hart, who had an even 10.
•Senior Alex Howard: Played in eight singles matches a year ago, collecting three wins ... was the Wildcats' main No. 5 and 6 singles player ... scored a nice 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 28 Auburn ... has a career mark of 11-15 in singles.
•Senior Evan Watkins: Saw action in a pair of singles matches ... mainly a doubles specialist as a junior, playing in 10 total doubles matches, eight of them at No. 1.
•Junior J.B. Gough: Honored as the team's Rob Palmer MVP ... earned Davidson's first-ever Atlantic 10 weekly award, grabbing the performer of the week honor, Feb. 11 ... second on the team with a 13-9 single record a year ago ... collected 12 of the 13 singles wins at No. 3, going 12-7.
•Junior Jordan Hart: Enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign as a regular in the rotation ... honored with the team's Mike Derian Attitude Award ... went 10-7 in singles ... finished 7-3 in final 10 matches ... went a combined 9-6 at No. 5 and 6 singles ... ran off a personal-best seven-match win streak.
•Junior Ricky Saad: Had a steady sophomore year, picking up the team's Most Improved Award ... went 8-9 in singles action ... a regular at No. 4, picking up six of the eight wins ... had a 4-1 record in A-10 matches, second-best on the team.
•Junior Zack Zapatero: Did not see any singles action for Davidson in his second year.
•Sophomore David Hager: Had a strong debut season for the Wildcats, going 12-5 in singles ... named A-10 Rookie Performer of the Week twice ... played mainly the No. 5 singles slot and some at the No. 4 ... went 8-2 at No. 5 position, while adding another four wins at No. 4.
•Sophomore Shamael Chaudhry: The Wildcats' No. 1 singles player as a freshman ... outstanding freshman campaign was topped off by being named to the Atlantic 10 All-First Team ... twice was named the A-10 Rookie Performer of the Week in February ... ran off a stretch of winning 11 of 12 matches after falling in first collegiate match to No. 24 Clemson ... during the stretch, had an impressive 10-match win streak, second best on the team.
•Sophomore Artem Khrapko: Had a great freshman season capped off by earning a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-First Team ... named A-10 Rookie Performer of the Week once as well as Performer of the Week once ... went a team-best 15-7 in singles ... sported a 4-1 record in A-10 matches ... recorded 13 of the 15 wins at No. 2 during the season ... rattled off a team-high 12-match win streak that spanned over a month long ... collected five three-set wins during the stretch and finished a perfect 6-0 in his three-set matches on the season.
•Sophomore Jack Riazzi: Played mainly doubles as a freshman last year.
Newcomers
With the return of all its players from a year ago, Davidson brought in just one newcomer for the 2016 season.
•Noah Constantine: A North Carolina native from Durham, was a two-time high school team state champion with Cardinal Gibbons (2013 & 2014) ... twice won the individual doubles state championship title ... two-year team captain ... two-time all-state, all-conference, all-region and all-metro pick (2013 & 2014).
Doubles
Davidson's doubles teams tallied 24 wins in 2015, getting six of those against the Atlantic 10. The 'Cats rotated through six doubles combinations.
•No. 1 position: The Wildcats return their top doubles team of Riazzi and Watkins ... the duo went just 1-7 at the position ... three of their matches were decided in the final two games of the set ... also seeing action at the top spot was Gough and Hart, who went 3-3.
•No. 2 position: Gough and Hart were the Wildcats' main No. 2 doubles team, going 4-6 ... the duo went a combined 7-9 at the top two doubles spots ... Hager and Khrapko also saw action at No. 2, sporting a 4-4 record.
•No. 3 position: The Wildcats' four different teams at No. 3 combined to go a team-best 10-6 a year ago ... Chaudhry and Saad played eight matches at the
third spot, picking up five wins in those matches ... Hager and Khrapko also played some at No. 3, getting four wins in six matches ... the duo of Howard and Riazzi played once together, picking up a 6-1 victory over North Carolina A&T.
Schedule
Davidson will open its 2016 season with a three-match homestand on its brand new tennis courts, starting against former Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern, Jan. 16. The Wildcats will also play host to N.C. Central and Gardner-Webb. Overall, five of their first seven matches will be at home. Later in the season, they will have a pair of three-match homestands (March 6-12 & April 6-10).
Davidson will get a chance to break in their new tennis courts right from the start. The new 12-court open air tennis complex, a $1.55 million project, was built and finished in the summer of 2015. Half of the courts are equipped with spectator grandstands and the project also included installation of infrastructure for lights, which will be installed at a future date. The outdoor courts are located behind the Baker Sports Complex.
The Wildcats enter their second year in Atlantic 10 after an outstanding debut season a year ago. They went 4-1 in league play and earned the third overall seed for the tournament. Davidson will be looking to redeem itself after falling in the first round to George Mason, which it defeated during the regular season 4-3, but lost 4-3 in the tournament.
Atlantic 10 play begins at home against Richmond, Feb. 14. The 'Cats and Spiders have played 22 times dating back to 1988. Davidson holds a 12-10 edge, having won two of the past three meetings. Richmond took a 6-1 decision at home a year ago.
March has the 'Cats facing three of its four other A-10 opponents, with two of them on the road. They will play at Saint Joseph's (19th) and Duquesne (20th), before hosting Dayton (24th). Their final league match will be April 2 at George Mason. Davidson holds a 3-1 lead in the series after both teams split their two matches last year.
Davidson finishes out the season with three straight home matches against cross-county rival Charlotte, Appalachian State and College of Charleston. The Wildcats are seeking to halt a three-match skid against the 49ers, with their last win coming in 2011 (5-2) at home. A year ago saw Charlotte down Davidson 6-1 on its home courts.
The Atlantic 10 Tournament takes place April 14-17 in Charlottesville, Va., at Boar's Head Sports Club. Last year saw George Washington take home the championship title for the second year in a row. The fourth-seeded Colonials defeated second-seeded VCU, 4-2. GW and the Rams have met in the A-10 Championship final the last three years, with the Colonials winning titles in 2014 and 2015.
2016 Men's Tennis Record Book (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The 2016 Spring season for the Davidson men's tennis team gets underway Saturday afternoon when they play host to a familiar opponent in the Georgia Southern Eagles at 1 p.m. in the Knobloch Tennis Center.
The Wildcats, who will be entering their second year in the Atlantic 10, faces a one-time Southern Conference foe in the Eagles, who have since moved to the Sun Belt.
Saturday's match vs. GSU is the first of three straight at home for Davidson to begin the season. Overall, the 'Cats will play five of their first seven matches at home. They last faced Georgia Southern during the 2014 season, their final year in the SoCon, falling 4-3. Dating back to 1993, the first time both teams met each other, Davidson holds a 13-10 lead in the all-time series and has won four of the past five matches.
In anticipation of a strong year, below is a look at the Davidson Men's Tennis 2016 Season Preview ...
Now in their 10th season under the direction of head coach Drew Barrett, the Wildcats will enter the 2016 campaign in its second year in the Atlantic 10 after a successful debut campaign last year.
"It was a good season for us last year, with the move to the A-10 and facing some new teams. We are looking forward to continuing that success we had and build on it," said Barrett. "We are thrilled about the challenge and I think the players are excited for the start of the season."
The 2016 team will look to carry on its solid campaign from a year ago, which Davidson went 12-10 overall and had an impressive 4-1 record in its first year in the Atlantic 10. Highlighting the season was a 10-match win streak, the longest since an 11-match stretch in 1997. It was the second time in the past three years the Wildcats collected 12 wins in a season.
This year's club will feature the return of all 10 letterwinners, including all six starters, as the Wildcats are set up for a great 2016 season and their second year in
the A-10.Singles
Davidson picked up an impressive 74 singles wins in 127 matches last year and netted 20 of those victories against A-10 opponents. The Wildcats had five players reach the double-digit wins mark, led by the freshmen trio Artem Khrapko (15), Shamael Chaudhry (12) and David Hager (12). Also hitting the double-digit mark was J.B. Gough with 13 wins and Jordan Hart, who had an even 10.
•Senior Alex Howard: Played in eight singles matches a year ago, collecting three wins ... was the Wildcats' main No. 5 and 6 singles player ... scored a nice 3-6, 6-0, 6-3 victory at No. 28 Auburn ... has a career mark of 11-15 in singles.
•Senior Evan Watkins: Saw action in a pair of singles matches ... mainly a doubles specialist as a junior, playing in 10 total doubles matches, eight of them at No. 1.
•Junior J.B. Gough: Honored as the team's Rob Palmer MVP ... earned Davidson's first-ever Atlantic 10 weekly award, grabbing the performer of the week honor, Feb. 11 ... second on the team with a 13-9 single record a year ago ... collected 12 of the 13 singles wins at No. 3, going 12-7.
•Junior Jordan Hart: Enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign as a regular in the rotation ... honored with the team's Mike Derian Attitude Award ... went 10-7 in singles ... finished 7-3 in final 10 matches ... went a combined 9-6 at No. 5 and 6 singles ... ran off a personal-best seven-match win streak.
•Junior Ricky Saad: Had a steady sophomore year, picking up the team's Most Improved Award ... went 8-9 in singles action ... a regular at No. 4, picking up six of the eight wins ... had a 4-1 record in A-10 matches, second-best on the team.
•Junior Zack Zapatero: Did not see any singles action for Davidson in his second year.
•Sophomore David Hager: Had a strong debut season for the Wildcats, going 12-5 in singles ... named A-10 Rookie Performer of the Week twice ... played mainly the No. 5 singles slot and some at the No. 4 ... went 8-2 at No. 5 position, while adding another four wins at No. 4.
•Sophomore Shamael Chaudhry: The Wildcats' No. 1 singles player as a freshman ... outstanding freshman campaign was topped off by being named to the Atlantic 10 All-First Team ... twice was named the A-10 Rookie Performer of the Week in February ... ran off a stretch of winning 11 of 12 matches after falling in first collegiate match to No. 24 Clemson ... during the stretch, had an impressive 10-match win streak, second best on the team.•Sophomore Artem Khrapko: Had a great freshman season capped off by earning a spot on the Atlantic 10 All-First Team ... named A-10 Rookie Performer of the Week once as well as Performer of the Week once ... went a team-best 15-7 in singles ... sported a 4-1 record in A-10 matches ... recorded 13 of the 15 wins at No. 2 during the season ... rattled off a team-high 12-match win streak that spanned over a month long ... collected five three-set wins during the stretch and finished a perfect 6-0 in his three-set matches on the season.
•Sophomore Jack Riazzi: Played mainly doubles as a freshman last year.
Newcomers
With the return of all its players from a year ago, Davidson brought in just one newcomer for the 2016 season.
•Noah Constantine: A North Carolina native from Durham, was a two-time high school team state champion with Cardinal Gibbons (2013 & 2014) ... twice won the individual doubles state championship title ... two-year team captain ... two-time all-state, all-conference, all-region and all-metro pick (2013 & 2014).
Doubles
Davidson's doubles teams tallied 24 wins in 2015, getting six of those against the Atlantic 10. The 'Cats rotated through six doubles combinations.
•No. 1 position: The Wildcats return their top doubles team of Riazzi and Watkins ... the duo went just 1-7 at the position ... three of their matches were decided in the final two games of the set ... also seeing action at the top spot was Gough and Hart, who went 3-3.
•No. 2 position: Gough and Hart were the Wildcats' main No. 2 doubles team, going 4-6 ... the duo went a combined 7-9 at the top two doubles spots ... Hager and Khrapko also saw action at No. 2, sporting a 4-4 record.
•No. 3 position: The Wildcats' four different teams at No. 3 combined to go a team-best 10-6 a year ago ... Chaudhry and Saad played eight matches at the
third spot, picking up five wins in those matches ... Hager and Khrapko also played some at No. 3, getting four wins in six matches ... the duo of Howard and Riazzi played once together, picking up a 6-1 victory over North Carolina A&T.Schedule
Davidson will open its 2016 season with a three-match homestand on its brand new tennis courts, starting against former Southern Conference foe Georgia Southern, Jan. 16. The Wildcats will also play host to N.C. Central and Gardner-Webb. Overall, five of their first seven matches will be at home. Later in the season, they will have a pair of three-match homestands (March 6-12 & April 6-10).
Davidson will get a chance to break in their new tennis courts right from the start. The new 12-court open air tennis complex, a $1.55 million project, was built and finished in the summer of 2015. Half of the courts are equipped with spectator grandstands and the project also included installation of infrastructure for lights, which will be installed at a future date. The outdoor courts are located behind the Baker Sports Complex.
The Wildcats enter their second year in Atlantic 10 after an outstanding debut season a year ago. They went 4-1 in league play and earned the third overall seed for the tournament. Davidson will be looking to redeem itself after falling in the first round to George Mason, which it defeated during the regular season 4-3, but lost 4-3 in the tournament.
Atlantic 10 play begins at home against Richmond, Feb. 14. The 'Cats and Spiders have played 22 times dating back to 1988. Davidson holds a 12-10 edge, having won two of the past three meetings. Richmond took a 6-1 decision at home a year ago.
March has the 'Cats facing three of its four other A-10 opponents, with two of them on the road. They will play at Saint Joseph's (19th) and Duquesne (20th), before hosting Dayton (24th). Their final league match will be April 2 at George Mason. Davidson holds a 3-1 lead in the series after both teams split their two matches last year.
Davidson finishes out the season with three straight home matches against cross-county rival Charlotte, Appalachian State and College of Charleston. The Wildcats are seeking to halt a three-match skid against the 49ers, with their last win coming in 2011 (5-2) at home. A year ago saw Charlotte down Davidson 6-1 on its home courts.
The Atlantic 10 Tournament takes place April 14-17 in Charlottesville, Va., at Boar's Head Sports Club. Last year saw George Washington take home the championship title for the second year in a row. The fourth-seeded Colonials defeated second-seeded VCU, 4-2. GW and the Rams have met in the A-10 Championship final the last three years, with the Colonials winning titles in 2014 and 2015.
Players Mentioned
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