#15 Men’s Tennis Shocks #1 Amherst 5-3 in NCAA Quarterfinals
RESULTS | CHAMPIONSHIP SITE
Cary, N.C., May 21, 2012 – The No. 15 ranked Washington University in St. Louis men’s tennis team made sure there would be a new NCAA Division III National Champion. Keyed by a doubles sweep, Washington University upset No. 1 ranked and defending national champion Amherst College 5-3 on Monday afternoon in the NCAA Division III Quarterfinals at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, N.C.
Washington University (18-6) takes on No. 4 ranked Kenyon College on Tuesday, May 22, at 9 a.m. (ET) in the NCAA semifinals. The Bears are making their fifth-straight Final Four appearance. Kenyon defeated Washington U. 5-4 in the 2012 ITA Indoor Championship third-place match on Feb. 26. Amherst ends its season with a 31-3 record and saw its 16-match winning streak come to an end.
“We have worked on our doubles play since conference play and just went back to the basics,” said 11th-year head coach Roger Follmer. “I definitely think we have gotten hot at the right time. The kids believe in what we can do in doubles and its all coming together at the right time.
After Washington U. swept all three doubles matches, Amherst quickly got back into the match with straight-set victories at No. 2, No. 5 and No. 4 singles. Freshman Ross Putterman battled out a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles to make it 4-3, and then junior All-American Adam Putterman ousted No. 31 ranked Mark Kahan 6-4, 7-5 at No. 1 to seal the upset win.
“The team has grown in the last month. We took our lumps early in the year, and lost some close 5-4 matches,” Follmer added. “We play good competition throughout the year so we are ready for moments like today.”
Match-by-Match Results:
Singles:
1. #3 Adam Putterman (WASHUM) def. #31 Mark Kahan (AMHM) 6-4, 7-5
2. Austin Chafetz (AMHM) def. Gary Parizher (WASHUM) 6-2, 6-0
3. #25 Ross Putterman (WASHUM) def. Luis Rattenhuber (AMHM) 6-4, 6-4
4. #5 Joey Fritz (AMHM) def. Kareem Farah (WASHUM) 6-2, 6-4
5. Andrew Jung (AMHM) def. Parker Chang (WASHUM) 6-0, 6-2
6. Wes Waterman (AMHM) vs. Tim Noack (WASHUM) 3-6, 7-5, 4-0, unfinished
Doubles
1. Adam Putterman/Ross Putterman (WASHUM) def. Luis Rattenhuber/Austin Chafetz (AMHM) 8-5
2. Kareem Farah/Parker Chang (WASHUM) def. Andrew Jung/Mark Kahan (AMHM) 9-8 (7-1)
3. Gary Parizher/Jeffrey Hirsh (WASHUM) def. Wes Waterman/Chris Dale (AMHM) 8-5
Notes:
• Washington U. is 10-6 this season against nationally ranked teams.
• The Putterman’s rallied from a 5-4 deficit at No. 1 doubles to win four-straight games to win the match.
• Washington U. swept doubles play for the third-straight match and ninth time this season.
• The Bears are 9-0 in NCAA Tournament play in doubles.
• Monday’s showdown was a rematch of the 2009 NCAA semifinals, when Amherst earned a 5-2 win over Washington U.
• The Bears are 12-1 in their last 13 matches.
• With a doubles win on Monday, junior Kareem Farah is now three wins shy of 100 for his career.
• Junior Gary Parizher’s doubles win was the 90th overall victory of his career.
• #3 Williams defeated #10 Bowdoin (5-3) and #2 Emory upended #13 John Hopkins (5-4) in the other two quarterfinal matches.