Saturday, January 21
Davidson, N.C.
12:00 p.m.
Davidson College Athletics
vs
Winthrop
Wildcat M. Tennis Starts Spring Season with Doubleheader
1/20/2017 12:57:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Gavin McFarlin - Associate SID
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The 2017 Spring season for the Davidson men's tennis team gets underway Saturday when they play a doubleheader by hosting Winthrop and Clemson at 12 and 3 p.m. in the Knobloch Tennis Center.
Saturday's matches vs. the Eagles and Tigers 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.
Davidson will be taking on Winthrop and Clemson for the eighth and fifth time, respectively, in the all-time series. The 'Cats trail 4-3 vs. the Eagles, while they are seeking their first win in the series against the ACC Tigers.
In anticipation of a strong year, below is a look at the Davidson Men's Tennis 2017 Season Preview ...
Entering their 11th year under the guidance of head coach Drew Barrett, the Wildcats will enter the 2017 campaign in its third year in the Atlantic 10 after another successful campaign last year.
"It was another good season for us last year, and getting used to our new conference even more. We are excited and looking forward to continuing that success we had and build on it for this year," said Barrett. "We always look forward to the challenge of a new season and I think the players are excited for this year as we look to take the next step in advancing in the league tournament."
The 2017 team will look to carry on its solid campaign from a year ago, which Davidson went 11-10 overall and had its second straight 4-1 record in the Atlantic 10. It was the third time in the past four years the Wildcats collected 10 or more wins in a season. This year's club will feature the return of all eight letterwinners, including all six starters again, as the Wildcats are set up for a great 2017 season.
SINGLES ...
Davidson picked up 64 singles wins in 120 matches last year and netted 18 of those victories against A-10 opponents. The Wildcats had three players reach the double-digit wins mark and two more who had nine wins. Pacing the team was David Hager and Jack Riazzi with 13 victories each. For the second year in a row, Artem Khrapko reached double figures with 11, while Shamael Chaudhry and J.B. Gough finished with nine each.
•Senior J.B. Gough: Finished with a 9-8 record in singles play at No. 3 and 4 positions ... had a 5-4 record at No. 4 ... went 3-1 in A-10 matches ... ran off a four-match singles win streak, with three of the wins coming at home ... had a 3-2 record in three set matches
•Senior Jordan Hart: Honored with the team's Harry Fogelman Coach's Award ... saw action in 15 singles matches, playing at No. 3 and 5 ... finished with a 5-10 overall record and 1-2 mark in A-10 matches ... earned a 7-5, 6-3 singles win vs. Dayton to help the Wildcats clinch a 4-3 league victory at home.
•Senior Ricky Saad: Sported a 4-2 singles record between No. 4 and 5 ... in first singles match of the season, clinched the winning team point with a 7-5, 6-2 win vs. George Mason in A-10 play ... earned one of two team points for the Wildcats in the A-10 Championship vs. Dayton, earning a 6-2, 7-6 triumph at No. 5
•Senior Zack Zapatero: Saw action in one singles action for Davidson in his third year.
•Junior David Hager: Followed up first year with strong sophomore campaign, earning the team's Rob Palmer MVP ... tabbed A-10 Player of the Week, April 12 ... tied for the team lead with 13 singles wins, going 13-5 between No. 3-5 ... had a combined 11-4 record at No. 2 (5-1) and 3 (6-3) ... finished season on a three-match win streak at No. 3 position ... rattled off a season-high five-match win streak.
•Junior Shamael Chaudhry: Had a solid second year, again earning a spot on the A-10 All-First Team ... earned A-10 Player of the Week, March 22, after going 4-1 during the week in singles and doubles ... it was third career weekly award ... the Wildcat's main No. 1 singles player, amassed a 9-11 record and 2-2 in A-10 matches ... went 7-9 at the top spot.
•Junior Artem Khrapko: Enjoyed a nice sophomore campaign, earning a spot on the A-10 All-Second Team ... registered a record of 11-10 in singles and an even 8-8 mark in doubles play ... second straight season went 4-1 against A-10 foes in singles ... picked up all 11 wins at No. 2, going 11-6 ... seven of the 11 total wins came at home.
•Sophomore Jack Riazzi: Had a breakout sophomore season, going 13-7 to tie for the team lead in wins ... given the team's Most Improved Award ... went a team-best perfect 5-0 in A-10 play ... scored 12 of 13 wins at No. 6 ... rattled off four and five-match win streaks (season-high) during season ... a win against Dayton was a three-set affair, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, in helping the 'Cats clinch a 4-3 home victory ... tallied eight of 13 overall wins at home.
NEWCOMERS ...
With the return of all its players from a year ago, Davidson added four freshmen to the roster for added depth.
•Axel Fries: Part of Swedish Nationals boys U-18 singles finalist ... Swedish nationals boys U-18 doubles champion ... was ranked as No. 6 junior in Sweden ... Stockholm regionals champion in singles and doubles.
•Kotaro Horiuchi: Won state team title in freshman year ... won state individual title as freshman, while going undefeated all season ... was the youngest player in N.H. history to win high school state individual title ... trained at Mouratoglon Tennis Academy in Nice, France ... academic honors included: Honor Roll as freshman and sophomore at Hanover High ... was Salutatorian at Mouratoglon Tennis Academy.
•Thomas Mason: Four-year letterwinner at Fairview in Boulder, Colo. ... an All-Colorado pick in 2012 & 2014 ... named all-region all four years of prep career (2011-2014) ... state champion at No. 1 doubles in 2012 and a state champion at No. 2 singles in 2014 ... only the second two-time state champion in Fairview high school history..
•Matthew Rose: Named team MVP in 2014-2015 and 2015-16 ... finished with a singles record of 73-10 during prep career ... earned first-team All-VIC selection four times (2013-2016) ... honored with Coaches Award in 2014 ... first-team All-State (2013 & 2014) ... part of the The Covenant School's fifth and sixth state championship in a row during 2011-12 and 2012-13.
DOUBLES ...
Davidson's doubles teams tallied 27 wins in 2016, getting six of those against the Atlantic 10. The 'Cats rotated through eight doubles combinations.
•No. 1 position: The Wildcats return their top doubles team of Chaudhry and Gough ... the duo went 6-4 at the top spot and 8-5 overall ... they rattled off a career-best six-match doubles win streak.
•No. 2 position: The main No. 2 team of Alex Howard and Evan Watkins graduated after going 4-4 ... three other teams played at No. 2, led by Khrapko and Zapatero with four matches.
•No. 3 position: The Wildcats' used four different teams at No. 3, combining to go a team-best 11-8 a year ago ... Khrapko and Zapatero had the best mark of 5-3, while Hager and Riazzi were 4-3 ... Hart also played two matches at No. 3, getting a pair of wins.
SCHEDULE ...
Davidson will open its 2017 season with a three-match homestand, starting with a doubleheader against Winthrop and Clemson, Jan. 21. The Wildcats will also play host to Gardner-Webb four days later. Overall, five of their first seven matches will be at home. Last year the Wildcats went 6-5 on its home courts.
Other non-conference home matches feature Wingate, N.C. A&T, Presbyterian, USC-Upstate and UNCG.
Atlantic 10 play begins on the road against Fordham, Jan. 28 followed by a match against St. Bonaventure, Feb. 11, in a neutral side match in Blacksburg, Va. The 'Cats and the Bonnies are playing each other for the first time. SBU went 5-11 overall a year ago and 1-4 in A-10 matches. Davidson is 1-0 against Fordham, winning the first-ever meeting in 2015.
Also in February, Davidson will take on VCU, Feb. 26, on the road in another A-10 match. The Rams had an 18-8 record overall last year.
March has the 'Cats facing two more A-10 opponents in Saint Joseph's (Mar. 12) and George Mason (Mar. 19) at home. They have a 6-2 combined record all-time against both teams, including collecting 5-1 and 4-2 victories, respectively, last year on the road.
Their final league match will be April 1 at Richmond. Davidson holds a 12-11 edge in the all-time series that dates back to 1988.
The Atlantic 10 Tournament takes place April 27-30 in Orlando, Fla, at USTA National Campus. Last year saw George Washington take home the championship title for the third year in a row and sixth overall since 2011. The second-seeded Colonials defeated top-seeded VCU, 4-3. GW and the Rams have met in the A-10 Championship final the last four years, with the Colonials winning titles in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The 2017 Spring season for the Davidson men's tennis team gets underway Saturday when they play a doubleheader by hosting Winthrop and Clemson at 12 and 3 p.m. in the Knobloch Tennis Center.
Saturday's matches vs. the Eagles and Tigers 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.
Davidson will be taking on Winthrop and Clemson for the eighth and fifth time, respectively, in the all-time series. The 'Cats trail 4-3 vs. the Eagles, while they are seeking their first win in the series against the ACC Tigers.
In anticipation of a strong year, below is a look at the Davidson Men's Tennis 2017 Season Preview ...
Entering their 11th year under the guidance of head coach Drew Barrett, the Wildcats will enter the 2017 campaign in its third year in the Atlantic 10 after another successful campaign last year.
"It was another good season for us last year, and getting used to our new conference even more. We are excited and looking forward to continuing that success we had and build on it for this year," said Barrett. "We always look forward to the challenge of a new season and I think the players are excited for this year as we look to take the next step in advancing in the league tournament."
The 2017 team will look to carry on its solid campaign from a year ago, which Davidson went 11-10 overall and had its second straight 4-1 record in the Atlantic 10. It was the third time in the past four years the Wildcats collected 10 or more wins in a season. This year's club will feature the return of all eight letterwinners, including all six starters again, as the Wildcats are set up for a great 2017 season.
SINGLES ...
Davidson picked up 64 singles wins in 120 matches last year and netted 18 of those victories against A-10 opponents. The Wildcats had three players reach the double-digit wins mark and two more who had nine wins. Pacing the team was David Hager and Jack Riazzi with 13 victories each. For the second year in a row, Artem Khrapko reached double figures with 11, while Shamael Chaudhry and J.B. Gough finished with nine each.
•Senior J.B. Gough: Finished with a 9-8 record in singles play at No. 3 and 4 positions ... had a 5-4 record at No. 4 ... went 3-1 in A-10 matches ... ran off a four-match singles win streak, with three of the wins coming at home ... had a 3-2 record in three set matches
•Senior Jordan Hart: Honored with the team's Harry Fogelman Coach's Award ... saw action in 15 singles matches, playing at No. 3 and 5 ... finished with a 5-10 overall record and 1-2 mark in A-10 matches ... earned a 7-5, 6-3 singles win vs. Dayton to help the Wildcats clinch a 4-3 league victory at home.
•Senior Ricky Saad: Sported a 4-2 singles record between No. 4 and 5 ... in first singles match of the season, clinched the winning team point with a 7-5, 6-2 win vs. George Mason in A-10 play ... earned one of two team points for the Wildcats in the A-10 Championship vs. Dayton, earning a 6-2, 7-6 triumph at No. 5
•Senior Zack Zapatero: Saw action in one singles action for Davidson in his third year.
•Junior David Hager: Followed up first year with strong sophomore campaign, earning the team's Rob Palmer MVP ... tabbed A-10 Player of the Week, April 12 ... tied for the team lead with 13 singles wins, going 13-5 between No. 3-5 ... had a combined 11-4 record at No. 2 (5-1) and 3 (6-3) ... finished season on a three-match win streak at No. 3 position ... rattled off a season-high five-match win streak.
•Junior Shamael Chaudhry: Had a solid second year, again earning a spot on the A-10 All-First Team ... earned A-10 Player of the Week, March 22, after going 4-1 during the week in singles and doubles ... it was third career weekly award ... the Wildcat's main No. 1 singles player, amassed a 9-11 record and 2-2 in A-10 matches ... went 7-9 at the top spot.
•Junior Artem Khrapko: Enjoyed a nice sophomore campaign, earning a spot on the A-10 All-Second Team ... registered a record of 11-10 in singles and an even 8-8 mark in doubles play ... second straight season went 4-1 against A-10 foes in singles ... picked up all 11 wins at No. 2, going 11-6 ... seven of the 11 total wins came at home.
•Sophomore Jack Riazzi: Had a breakout sophomore season, going 13-7 to tie for the team lead in wins ... given the team's Most Improved Award ... went a team-best perfect 5-0 in A-10 play ... scored 12 of 13 wins at No. 6 ... rattled off four and five-match win streaks (season-high) during season ... a win against Dayton was a three-set affair, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, in helping the 'Cats clinch a 4-3 home victory ... tallied eight of 13 overall wins at home.
NEWCOMERS ...
With the return of all its players from a year ago, Davidson added four freshmen to the roster for added depth.
•Axel Fries: Part of Swedish Nationals boys U-18 singles finalist ... Swedish nationals boys U-18 doubles champion ... was ranked as No. 6 junior in Sweden ... Stockholm regionals champion in singles and doubles.
•Kotaro Horiuchi: Won state team title in freshman year ... won state individual title as freshman, while going undefeated all season ... was the youngest player in N.H. history to win high school state individual title ... trained at Mouratoglon Tennis Academy in Nice, France ... academic honors included: Honor Roll as freshman and sophomore at Hanover High ... was Salutatorian at Mouratoglon Tennis Academy.
•Thomas Mason: Four-year letterwinner at Fairview in Boulder, Colo. ... an All-Colorado pick in 2012 & 2014 ... named all-region all four years of prep career (2011-2014) ... state champion at No. 1 doubles in 2012 and a state champion at No. 2 singles in 2014 ... only the second two-time state champion in Fairview high school history..
•Matthew Rose: Named team MVP in 2014-2015 and 2015-16 ... finished with a singles record of 73-10 during prep career ... earned first-team All-VIC selection four times (2013-2016) ... honored with Coaches Award in 2014 ... first-team All-State (2013 & 2014) ... part of the The Covenant School's fifth and sixth state championship in a row during 2011-12 and 2012-13.
DOUBLES ...
Davidson's doubles teams tallied 27 wins in 2016, getting six of those against the Atlantic 10. The 'Cats rotated through eight doubles combinations.
•No. 1 position: The Wildcats return their top doubles team of Chaudhry and Gough ... the duo went 6-4 at the top spot and 8-5 overall ... they rattled off a career-best six-match doubles win streak.
•No. 2 position: The main No. 2 team of Alex Howard and Evan Watkins graduated after going 4-4 ... three other teams played at No. 2, led by Khrapko and Zapatero with four matches.
•No. 3 position: The Wildcats' used four different teams at No. 3, combining to go a team-best 11-8 a year ago ... Khrapko and Zapatero had the best mark of 5-3, while Hager and Riazzi were 4-3 ... Hart also played two matches at No. 3, getting a pair of wins.
SCHEDULE ...
Davidson will open its 2017 season with a three-match homestand, starting with a doubleheader against Winthrop and Clemson, Jan. 21. The Wildcats will also play host to Gardner-Webb four days later. Overall, five of their first seven matches will be at home. Last year the Wildcats went 6-5 on its home courts.
Other non-conference home matches feature Wingate, N.C. A&T, Presbyterian, USC-Upstate and UNCG.
Atlantic 10 play begins on the road against Fordham, Jan. 28 followed by a match against St. Bonaventure, Feb. 11, in a neutral side match in Blacksburg, Va. The 'Cats and the Bonnies are playing each other for the first time. SBU went 5-11 overall a year ago and 1-4 in A-10 matches. Davidson is 1-0 against Fordham, winning the first-ever meeting in 2015.
Also in February, Davidson will take on VCU, Feb. 26, on the road in another A-10 match. The Rams had an 18-8 record overall last year.
March has the 'Cats facing two more A-10 opponents in Saint Joseph's (Mar. 12) and George Mason (Mar. 19) at home. They have a 6-2 combined record all-time against both teams, including collecting 5-1 and 4-2 victories, respectively, last year on the road.
Their final league match will be April 1 at Richmond. Davidson holds a 12-11 edge in the all-time series that dates back to 1988.
The Atlantic 10 Tournament takes place April 27-30 in Orlando, Fla, at USTA National Campus. Last year saw George Washington take home the championship title for the third year in a row and sixth overall since 2011. The second-seeded Colonials defeated top-seeded VCU, 4-3. GW and the Rams have met in the A-10 Championship final the last four years, with the Colonials winning titles in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
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