Finally we were able to get over the hump and tally a win versus Flagler. I was certainly happy to win but we still have much work to do. That being said, we are pretty tough to beat in certain spots. We will need the other positions in the lineup to progress to that level in the near future if we are to achieve our goals.
We continue to struggle in doubles and we seem to have difficulty playing at a high level and with intensity at #2 and #1. David and Andreas have found the good tennis and are a perfect 3-0 on the spring trip. I must admit that I am very surprised about our lack of success at #2. Dani and Geza are a heck of a team and should be winning. It is really up to the coaching staff to figure out what is going wrong and to correct it. We need that point day in and day out. #1 is a bit of a mystery. We simply have not been able to get a pair playing at a high level at the same time. They have done a great job competing with the best but have had trouble keeping the intensity level high for an entire match. We have seen opponents do just that and that has been the difference between winning and losing. I do believe that we have seen great improvement and it should continue. I have confidence in our guys and they are open to learn and hungry to improve.
Versus Flagler, we went down again early 2-1 after the doubles. Although this was not what we were looking for or expecting in our bounce-back effort, I did feel very confident that we would be able to win five, if not six singles matches.
As I mentioned, we are pretty tough in spots. Benas played very good first and third sets and really fought hard. He is representing himself well and is improving each and every day. Benas is a young man who works very hard on and off the court and has the right attitude to succeed. I could not be more pleased. He plays with energy and intensity and that is responsible for his solid play. It was nice to see him get a win. Dani was solid defeating his opponent rather easily at #2. Andreas continues to battle but could not gain a win in another close match. Once he adjusts to the out of doors, he will be a solid top of the lineup player. David is just a machine. He does not give opponents an inch and was able to win while surrendering only one game. He has been a very bright spot on the trip. Mark is working hard at #5 and was able to win routinely. He will have to continue to work hard on fitness and maintain focus throughout an entire match. I still believe that he will drop very few matches this season. Tomasz cruised to victory and is beginning to find his singles game. He certainly has the tennis ability to succeed and will be a very tough out when his conditioning and intensity match his ability.
When all was said and done, we won the match 6-3 versus a tough Flagler team. It was great to get a win and gain some momentum going into the Armstrong match. In my opinion, along with many other coaches, Armstrong is the best team in the nation and maybe one of the best teams we have seen recently in NCAA D2. They are really not easy to beat at any of the nine positions. However, I think that we will be ready to play our best match of the young season and will compete very well. I think that we may see some nice surprises on Friday. It is very important to have a strong showing. We feel that we are a better team than our play and results have shown and that we should really be 3-0. We are essentially just two points away from being undefeated. Of course the record is what it is and our opponents have done a better job on the big points. They have been tougher and have deserved to win.
There is some good news as Geza seems to be feeling better and may be ready to play singles at the top of the lineup. It will really help us to get him back in there and move everybody down a spot. I am sure he is ready to give us a big effort.
We have a practice day today and will continue to work hard on improving each day. I will be killing it at the gym and also looking forward to another run on the beach. It is funny how beach scenery makes a run much easier and more enjoyable. I will miss that when we return back to NY or at least until there is a Bronxville beach.
Nuff said...
Congratulations! Forward & Onward!
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