The match was significant as it was the Jeffs' first experience with new rules regarding how matches are scored. Previously, whichever team won at least two out of the three doubles matches played would be awarded a single point. Now, each of the three doubles matches counts for a point.
The added emphasis on doubles play does not portend well for Amherst. In recent years the team's doubles play has consistently lagged behind the singles. "I think we definitely need to step up our doubles this year, now that the NCAA has moved to a nine-point format," said Jeff Wan '08.
To make matters worse, last season's top doubles combo, and the 2003 NESCAC Doubles Champions, Josh Rilla and Danny Babkes, both graduated last spring.
With the new rules and the loss of Babkes and Rilla, it is understandable that the Jeffs were looking to make a statement in the doubles, and they did just that. Zach Lerner '09 and Karti Subramanian '07 teamed to win the top doubles match and the tandem of Wan and Jeff Lawrence '07 and first-years Tristan Biesecker and Daniel Kim followed suit, giving the Jeffs a 3-0 sweep of the doubles.
Riding the momentum from the excellent doubles play, the singles gave Amherst few problems. The top-five singles players, Lerner, Lawrence, Biesecker, Wan and Subramanian each won their matches in straight sets with no set any closer than 6-4. The only slip-up came in the sixth singles spot, where first-year Alex Kaufman lost in straight sets 6-1, 6-2. However, by that time the Jeffs had already secured an easy 8-1 victory over the Seahawks.
The match against Salve Regina will be the last for the team during the fall. Next up for the Jeffs are the important ITA New Englands, an individual tournament which will be hosted by Williams College this coming weekend. Although the team as a whole performed respectfully last season, no player made it past the third round of singles play, while in doubles both Amherst squads faltered in the opening round.
The final tournament of the fall will be held Oct. 14-15 at Bates College in Lewiston, Me. The Jeffs had more success there last season, where they won the 'C' flight singles and 'B' flight doubles. Once finished with the individual tournaments, the Jeffs will take a break until the beginning of the more match-intensive spring season.
NESCAC Notes
As the fall season is largely just a warm-up for the spring, there has been little action among the NESCAC schools. But once again, the NESCAC is expected to be one of the top conferences in the nation. Middlebury College is ranked second in the country and Williams College in also in the top five. Next week at ITA New Englands, Amherst will get the opportunity to see how they match up against other NESCAC schools.