Middlebury Wins 2009 Men's Tennis Championship

Courtesy Williams Sports Information

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  - Top-seeded Middlebury (19-2) captured the 2009 NESCAC Men's Tennis Championship with a 5-3 win over second-seeded Amherst (24-6). The Panthers’ top player Conrad Olson eked out a third set tiebreaker, 10-8, to take the decisive fifth point over Amherst’s Zach Lerner. Middlebury, which claimed its 11th-straight victory with the win, also earns an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament. It is the fifth NESCAC title for the Panthers, with their first four coming between 2004-07

Lerner ended up on the wrong end of tiebreaks this afternoon, also falling in number one doubles in a 7-3 tiebreak. The win at number one doubles by Farah and Thompson was critical, as Amherst swept the bottom two doubles matches for a 2-1 advantage heading into singles play.

Middlebury played brilliant singles play to swing the momentum back their way. Elliot Jai took a quick win at court six, 6-1, 6-2, while Andrew Peters followed at court four with a 6-2, 6-2 victory. Amherst’s lone singles win came on court two, where Austin Chafetz won in straight sets over Middlebury’s Andrew Thompson.

With the match knotted at three apiece, Andrew Lee captured a win at court three while the matches at courts one and five headed into their third sets. The battle at court one was an exciting finish to a competitive weekend of collegiate tennis, with Olson sealing the victory and the NESCAC championship for Middlebury.

No. 1 Middlebury 5, vs. No. 2 Amherst 3

Doubles
1 - David Farah/Andrew Thompson (Middlebury) def. Zack Lerner/Moritz Koeing (Amherst) - 9-8 (3)
2 - Priit Groos/Austin Chafetz (Amherst) def. Rich Bonfiglio/Andrew Lee (Middlebury) - 8-5
3 - Wes Waterman/Andrew Jung (Amherst) def. Conrad Olson/Andrew Peters (Middlebury) - 8-5

Singles
1 - Conrad Olson (Middlebury) def. Zack Lerner (Amherst) - 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (8)
2 - Austin Chafetz (Amherst) def. Andrew Thompson (Middlebury) - 6-4, 6-2
3 - Andrew Lee (Middlebury) def. Andrew Jung (Amherst) - 6-2, 7-5
4 - Andrew Peters (Middlebury) def. Moritz Koeing (Amherst) - 6-2, 6-2
5 - Peter Odell (Middlebury) vs. Priit Gross (Amherst) - DNF
6 - Eliot Jai (Middlebury) def. Wes Waterman (Amherst) - 6-1, 6-2

2009 NESCAC MEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
First Round - Friday, May 1 at Williams
No. 4 Bowdoin 5, vs. No. 5 Trinity 3
No. 3 Williams 5, vs. No. 6 Bates 1

Semifinals - Saturday, May 2 at Williams
No. 1 Middlebury 5, vs. No. 4 Bowdoin 1
No. 2 Amherst 5, vs. No. 3 Williams 0

Championship - Sunday, May 3 at Williams
No. 1 Middlebury 5, vs. No. 2 Amherst 3