On Friday, the Tennis Recruiting Network released their 2009 winter recruiting class rankings, with Florida barely edging out Harvard for the No. 1 spot. Both got seven first place votes (mine went to Florida), with No. 3 Stanford getting the final first place vote. In my opinion, Lauren Embree is the bluest of blue chips, tipping the scales in the Gators' favor.
There have been several interesting dual matches this week, in both men's and women's competition.
Last night in Houston, Texas, the ITA's No. 2 ranked men's team, shut out No. 15 Texas A & M in the Texas Cup. In Dale Robertson's Tennis Notebook entry in the Houston Chronicle prior to the match, A & M is said to be waiting for NCAA clearance on Alexei Grigorov and Alexis Klegou of France. Their participation may have made a difference in the score, but probably not the outcome, as the Longhorns won at Nos. 1, 2, and 3, where the Aggies are strongest. For more on the match, see the Texas website.
Another men's intrastate rivalry went to the favorite on Thursday, when the ninth-ranked University of Mississippi beat No. 52 Mississippi State 4-2 in the Mississippi Cup (creative names for these competitions aren't they?) held at an indoor club in Jackson. One of Mississippi State's points came at No. 1, where Devin Britton and Ryan Farlow, both from suburbs of Jackson, went to a third set tiebreaker before Farlow prevails. The Jackson Clarion-Ledger attended and focused, understandably, on that match in this story.
Next week's ITA Team Indoor championships will help sort out some of the favorites for the May NCAAs, and on the women's side, I'm looking forward to seeing how No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 9 Duke fare. After Notre Dame upset Arkansas to earn a spot in Madison, Razorback coach Michael Hegarty said the Fighting Irish "really looks like a final four team to me." And after losing 7-0to the Blue Devils yesterday, No. 30 ranked Indiana coach Lin Loring, is quoted as saying, "they are probably top-four right now and they showed why." Even without Tara Iyer playing, Duke won every set of the nine matches against the previously undefeated Hoosiers. The current top four in the women's rankings are Northwestern, California, UCLA and Baylor. If these two coaches are right, who stays and who goes if Notre Dame and Duke move in?
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