UWIRE » Tennis

Column: The equal pay farce

admin — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:04:48 +0000

Professional French tennis player Gilles Simon was torn apart on the blogosphere last summer after commenting that female players should not receive equal pay, prompting the resurgence of equal pay advocates. While I will not defend Simon’s exact phrasing, he is correct — with the current rules, female tennis players do not deserve as much pay as male players. Advocates claim that women’s tennis has the same viewership and training regimen, and that the greater potential for upsets in women’s tennis makes it more interesting and compels equal pay for equal work. This last argument is the least persuasive, so let me begin here.

The principle of equal work for equal pay touted by advocates actually disproves their point. Men play best of five sets while women play best of three. Men are on the court for longer and play more games, for less prize money per game. If anything, this principle would mandate more pay for men, not less. Take the 2010 French Open singles matches, for example. There were 127 men’s matches, which took 18,797 minutes, while the 127 women’s matches took 11,730 minutes, meaning women were on the court less than 39 percent of the time. The women played 2,543 games while the men played 4,310. The women averaged 967.4 euros per game, while men averaged 583.49 euros per game. Never mind equal prize money — with men averaging 40 percent less winnings per game, “equal pay for equal work” seems to tell us to increase the gap.

Viewership data, on the other hand, is much more difficult to find. Based on the Nielson TV ratings data, viewership for each of the four major tournaments has been on a long-term decline since 1978, with a handful of exceptions. For example, the U.S. Open rose in viewership whenever a man from the United States was in the semifinals or higher. However, it is difficult to know in the aggregate which type of tennis is watched more. While some claim that men’s tennis is boring because men simply hold serve, others argue that they play better tennis, hit harder and serve faster.

In either case, it is a dangerous precedent to base prize money on contributions to viewership. At this past Wimbledon Championship, the early upset match of Rafael Nadal losing to Lukas Rosol had a far higher viewership than most other matches up to the quarterfinals. Does that mean that Rosol should have earned far more despite losing the very next match? When Serena Williams says, “I started playing tennis at two years old…I worked just as hard as he did,” the only real response should be “So what?” Prize money is not meant to reward the difficulty of training. It is a singular, defining recognition of excellence.

Some pragmatic advocates have suggested making all matches just best of three sets. Even if this were adopted, there is a more fundamental question underlying this entire discussion: do men play better tennis than women? Men serve faster, have a greater endurance, run faster and hit harder, so this raises the question of what we define to be “better tennis.” Some have interpreted this question as an open challenge, and this has given birth to well-known male-female matches: Will Tilden beat Suzanne Lenglen in the early 1920s to love in some sets, Bobby Riggs defeated Margaret Court in 1973 6-2, 6-1 and Jimmy Conners defeated Martina Navatilova in 1992 7-5, 6-2. Most infamously, during the 1998 Australian Open, Venus and Serena Williams claimed they could defeat any man outside the world’s top 200; Karsten Braasch, ranked 203, accepted. Braasch played a round of golf, drank several beers and smoked the morning of the match before defeating Serena 6-1 and Venus 6-2.

Bobby Riggs’ straight set loss in 1973 to women’s number one Billy Jean King is the usual rebuttal, but a young champion beating a 55 year-old man well past his prime is not an asset to the feminist cause. There is quite possibly a very good explanation for why women deserve equal pay in professional tennis, but that reason must be accompanied by a redefining of what constitutes “excellence in tennis” and why men’s triumphs do not disprove women’s accomplishments. Until then, I find it difficult to accept equal prize money in tennis majors.

Statement from Wisconsin Athletics regarding women’s tennis allegations

editor — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:15:26 +0000

STATEMENT FROM BARRY ALVAREZ:

A variety of allegations, made anonymously to the Badger Herald by several members of the UW women’s tennis team, were published by the Badger Herald last week on May 4. The allegations asserted that head coach Brian Fleishman’s “actions have put the players’ health at risk” and that Fleishman’s “strict limitations on what they eat and how they train has forced several girls to surrender to unhealthy lifestyles.” The allegations also assert that Fleishman himself “has issues with food” and that he has “inflicted serious physical and mental damage” on members of the team. Further, the allegations state that “certain players have battled with anorexia because of Fleishman’s constant focus on their diets.”

No UW athletics administrator had been made aware of these issues prior to last week. Nonetheless, when we were made aware of them, we took them very seriously and immediately began to look into the allegations. Members of our senior staff met individually with each of the women’s tennis student-athletes to give them an opportunity to share their perspectives on their experience with the program and to provide us with background or additional information relating to the allegations against Coach Fleishman that appeared in the Badger Herald.

The results of those individual meetings did not verify the seriousness of the allegations made to the Badger Herald. Based on that finding, Coach Fleishman has my support going forward.

Every one of our head coaches goes through an annual evaluation and review. That process is currently underway for many of our spring sports coaches, including Coach Fleishman. It is unrealistic to think that any of our coaches would come through an evaluation without an identification of areas they can work on to continue to improve their respective programs. I’m sure Coach Fleishman will be no different. But I am confident that Coach Fleishman’s actions do not match up with the allegations that were anonymously made public last week.

ND Women’s Tennis: Area freshman finds home at Notre Dame

cipavec — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:07:05 +0000

This season the Irish bring a large group of fresh faces to their lineup, as freshmen make up half of the eight-woman team. Among them is freshman and Mishawaka native JoHanna Manningham, who began her career at age 10 and has not put down the racket since.

“I grew to love the sport because it was a fun pastime yet it also provided a competitive outlet as well,” Manningham said.

Throughout her high school career at Penn, she served as a role model both on and off the court, taking AP courses, holding a GPA over 4.0 and holding the position of No. 1 singles player at her high school since her freshman year. She remembers the highlight of her career there as her state run sophomore year when she made it to quarterfinals.

“That was probably my most memorable moment,” she said.

She hoped to attend U. Notre Dame for years, but was unsure if her game was up to par with the University’s competitive team.

“Playing in college was always on the table; I never thought about not playing,” Manningham said. “I was looking at Navy, Toledo, IPFW and Wheaton College, but I chose ND because it provided the best educational opportunities. I knew if I came here I would be part of a ‘family’ after I graduated.”

Now that her dream has come true, she’s ready to run with it. Manningham’s first test will come this weekend at Notre Dame’s Eck Classic, the first meet of the fall season.

“This tournament will be different because in high school there was a difference in the level of play between area schools. Here everyone will be good,” she said.

But Manningham does not plan to let the new level of competition bring her down.

“I plan to bride the gap by stepping up to the plate and not having the fear of losing, only the desire to win,” she said.

Looking to coaches and fellow teammates is made easy with such a small, close-knit team who provide good resources in the early stages of the season.

“We all get along so well and it made the transition into college very easy. I wouldn’t ask for it to be any other way,” Manningham said.

Men’s Tennis: Irish head out to dual invites

cipavec — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 17:44:50 +0000

The Irish hope to build on last season’s success with a strong returning cast. With their entire lineup returning and the addition of talented freshmen to the mix, U. Notre Dame expects to have the depth it needs to compete on the highest level.

“The freshmen are doing really well,” Irish coach Bobby Bayliss said. “Greg Andrews has one of the better forehands you will see this year and has become better moving forward and finishing at the net. Billy Pecor has a big game, hitting with power from both sides. All he needs to do is play within himself and continue to take advantage of his opportunities to move forward. Ryan Bandy is a better athlete than I realized and can hurt you off the ground. Matt Dooley is very athletic and has a very complete game. He simply needs to cut down on his errors while continuing to play his natural aggressive all-court game. These guys are going to impact us tremendously this year.”

This weekend, the Irish will be traveling to two different early season invitationals — the Illinois Invitational and the Purdue Invitational.

Associate head coach Ryan Sachire will take half the team to Purdue, and Bayliss will take the other half to the Illinois Invitational.

Last season the Irish wrapped up the Illinois Invitational with six individual singles wins including an impressive win for junior Casey Watt over Illinois’ Connor Roth in three sets.

“The two events this weekend are on different surfaces,” Bayliss said. “The Illinois Invitational is at Olympia Fields Country Club on clay courts, which will be an adjustment for most of our guys. The other teams all spent time in last season’s top 20 — Wake Forest, Illinois, Alabama, and Florida State — so we are excited about the level of competition, and it should tell us where we are going into the year.

“The Purdue Invitational includes more teams and will be a flighted format. We expect to have the best team we have fielded in several years, and I am excited to see how we stack up.”

Bayliss noted that winning at the top of the lineup, as well as consistently earning the doubles point, will be key for the Irish throughout the season.

“We need to build a toughness in our doubles identity that was missing much of the season,” Bayliss said. “Our strength coach, Chris Sandeen, is doing a great job, and I am confident we will be physically ready pretty soon and for the remainder of the year. I feel that Ryan Sachire is as good as any coach in the country, including head coaches, so I think he gives us an edge as well. At this time, everybody on all teams is excited and working hard.”

Notre Dame will look to show some of their big hitters this weekend before heading to the Harvard Invitational the first weekend in October.

U. Notre Dame Women’s Tennis: Irish duo named All-Stars

cipavec — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 17:47:10 +0000

After a stellar 2009-10 season, junior Kristy Frilling and 2010 graduate Kali Krisik were recently named to the ITA Collegiate All-Star team as a doubles pair, recognition they earned for finishing last season as the nation’s No. 1 doubles pair.

Frilling and Krisik finished last season 34-3 overall and 25-0 during the dual season.

“It is a testament to the hard work our kids have put in, and it shows that hard work pays off,” Irish coach Jay Louderback said.

Although Louderback noted that Frilling and Krisik were slightly different players, he said that together, they made a great team.

“They were a perfect fit with their game styles on the court,” he said. “[Krisik] was very consistent and made few errors but can still play a power game. [Frilling] is a big hitter who hits many winners but makes more errors.”

Frilling, a junior from Sidney, Ohio, has had success at the collegiate level since her freshman year. She received All-America and Big East honors in her first season and participated in the NCAA tournament in both singles and doubles. Frilling and her 2009 doubles partner, Kelcy Tefft, finished the season as the No. 1 doubles pair in the nation as well.

Her sophomore season was more of the same as she and Krisik dominated the doubles circuit and reached No. 1. As a power player, she creates a distinct advantage for her partner.

“[Frilling] sets her partners up with quite a few easy balls because she hits so hard,” Louderback said.

Krisik has since graduated, but she received her fair share of

honors during her career, as well. In her junior season, she received Big East honors and was named a Big East Academic All-Star and an ITA Scholar Athlete.

What made the two such a successful tandem, according to Louderback, was their chemistry.

“They are both really calm under pressure,” Louderback said. “Kali is more vocal during the match while Kristy keeps her intensity within herself. They have those same personalities off the court as well.”

The relationship they developed on the court grew into a friendship, which in turn made that unique chemistry even better.

“They really enjoyed playing together and have become very close friends off the court,” Louderback said.

This honor for two Notre Dame women’s tennis players is just one more example of the program’s rapid ascension into the premier teams in the nation.

“We have had two [doubles pairs] make the ITA All Star team each of the past two years and it is a testament to the hard work our kids have put in and it shows that hard work pays off,” Louderback said.

Nebraska U. men’s tennis team stresses conditioning for successful season

cipavec — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:58:01 +0000

Staying in shape in the offseason for any sport has its ups and downs.

The Nebraska men’s tennis team found multiple ways to stay in shape during its offseason.

Tennis involves a lot of footwork and agility. During a match, a player will cover a substantial amount of distance.

“They cover a lot of court during the match with quick movements,” coach Kerry McDermott said. “We’re doing a lot of conditioning and getting them in shape.”

Over the summer, McDermott said every player competed in about five to six college-level tournaments.

“Some of the younger guys won’t always get to play in season, so it’s good to get them some experience in the summer,” McDermott said.

Along with gaining match experience, McDermott said it helps them keep in shape during the summer.

Junior Drew Freeman said he understands the importance of being well-conditioned for tennis.

“It’s really important because every point you’re moving a lot, and you don’t know how long the match will be,” Freeman said. “It could be a few hours, so you have to be ready for anything.”

A college tournament can last three days, and the players may end up being on a court for five to six hours at a time.

“It’s very crucial to be well-conditioned,” McDermott said. “If we get beat on the court, it better not be conditioning, it should be because the guy was better.”

The men’s tennis team has been practicing for more than a week now in preparation for the fall season. The Cornhuskers begin their season Friday in Charlottesville, Va., at the U. Virginia Fall Classic.

The College of New Jersey tennis team extends win streak to 132

admin — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:12:45 +0000

The College of New Jersey women’s tennis team began their season on a high note, completing a 9-0 sweep of Rutgers-Newark U. on Sept. 1. All six singles matches and three doubles pairs extended the Lions’ streak to 132 consecutive wins.

The Lions, who were picked unanimously to capture their 28th consecutive NJAC title, are mostly comprised of underclassmen this season. Two seniors graduated last year, and they currently have two juniors as the eldest members of the team.

“I think its great that we have a young team,” junior Felice Trihn said. “It gives us the opportunity to grow together, giving us a better chance to overcome any obstacles. The new freshmen are a great asset and will help us continue with our success.”

Sophomore Karisse Bendijo defeated freshman Bushra Memon at the first singles position 6-0, 6-1. She paired with fellow sophomore Allison Tierney at first doubles to take Memon and freshman Agnes Bangayan 8-1. Tierney took down sophomore Ashley Lawrence 6-2, 6-3. Lawrence and freshman partner Michelle Kvitnitsky fell to the second sophomore duo of Lauren Balsamo and Paige Aiello 8-0. Aiello and Balsamo also shutout their singles opponents Kvitnitsky and Liane Drastal with scores of 6-0, 6-0.

Rounding out the doubles victories were junior Emily Petersack and freshman Tara Criscuolo who posted an 8-0 win over freshman Dhaneya Kumar and Drastal. Petersack went on to beat Bangayan and Criscuolo took down Kumar 6-0, 6-0 in her debut for the College.

“I was really nervous about my first match as a Lion because of our streak,” Criscuolo said. “But I was also excited. After just a few weeks with the team, I can tell this is going to be a really fun and successful year.”

The Lions’ next match is this Wednesday at William Paterson University. The team’s home opener is a doubleheader on Saturday against Richard Stockton College at 11:30 a.m. and Kean University at 3 p.m. at the Tennis Complex.

New head coach Kane receives warm welcome

cipavec — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:27:36 +0000

The Macomb Area Community Tennis Association is holding a Tennis Social on August 31 at 6 – 8 p.m. to welcome Western Illinois U. first-year head coach Chris Kane. The event will be held on the WIU tennis courts. It will also double as a celebration of the Macomb Area Community Tennis Association being recognized as part of the United States Tennis Association (USTA). The event is open to the public.

Kane’s tennis reputation encompasses more than a successful coaching career. A former top-ranked player in the USTA Midwest and New England Sections, Kane has ranked among the ‘Top 15′ nationally in both the junior and senior divisions. He has captured 15 state and three United States tennis championships throughout his career. He will be on hand to meet fans and area tennis players.

A prize court will be giving away free items to those who show off their tennis skills. Snacks and beverages will also be served. The Macomb area USTA representative, Bret Schrama, will also be speaking on the importance of a community tennis association.

Daniel Anthony excels on court and in classroom

cipavec — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 05:27:24 +0000

The minimum requirement to play NCAA sanctioned sports is at least a 2.00 grade point average. If there is such a thing as a prototypical good student athlete, Triton tennis player and India native Daniel Anthony is the man.

Anthony, senior, Management Information Systems major, is the recipient of a prestigious minority scholarship.

The Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award was given to the U. Missouri-St. Louis Tennis player in recognition of his cumulative 3.483 grade point average, according to the Tritons athletic website.

“It truly is an honor to be a recipient of this award,” Anthony said. “My parents are very proud of me.”

Lori Flanagan, UM-St. Louis Athletic Director, also shared much of the same sentiment as Anthony. “He is a real good kid who works just as hard as most of our student-athletes,” Flanagan said.

The scholarship was first established in 1992 to help minority students who exemplify the character of late tennis great Arthur Ashe who passed away in 1995. Anthony, who was one of 23 recipients of the award, was given the award for his tennis performance, grade point average, and his effort in the community, both at UM-St. Louis and elsewhere, according to the Tritons athletics website.

The senior UM-St. Louis tennis player accomplished more than excelling in the classroom last year. According to UM-St. Louis statistics, Anthony had a combined winning percentage of 87%, winning 27 of the 31 matches he played, both singles and doubles.

“We had a really good core group of players last season and my usual partner performed very well,” Anthony said. Andreas Hammar, sophomore, undecided, was not available for comment. But from the UM-St. Louis and Great Lakes Valley Conference statistics, it is easy to notice that Anthony and Hammar, who hails from Sweden, were an almost perfect match partners.

UM-St. Louis men’s tennis qualified for the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament last season, but was ousted in the first round of play. Despite the early exit, Anthony said he and his Triton teammates hoped to put on a better show and perform better next Tennis season.

“My teammates help me and everyone else out a lot. If it weren’t for them there would obviously be no team,” Anthony said.

Tritons men’s tennis will look to replace some key senior players as well. Anthony, who is one of many returning men’s players, hopes to expound on his high winning percentage next season. During his UM-St. Louis career, Anthony has been named Academic All GLVC several times and has amassed over 60 wins.

Coach Rick Gyllenborg, UM-St. Louis Head Men’s Tennis coach, was not available for comment. However, last season, Gyllenborg often mentioned that Anthony was one of the leaders of the UM-St. Louis tennis team.

Column: Dream of meeting Roddick realized

admin — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 18:05:08 +0000

The question: “If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be?” is one that has been asked of me many times. Through different stages in my life I’ve had different answers, but most recently it’s been an easy answer: Andy Roddick.

This Sunday, I got to have my lunch.

Now I don’t know if it was the fact my birthday was this week or if karma just had my number, but at our opening meeting for a class covering the Special Olympics, our teachers informed us of a tennis demo/exhibition by Roddick this weekend.

At the time, I saw it all play out in my head. I’d cover the event and get to meet him, and it’d be the time of my life.

Little did I know that’s exactly how it would turn out.

I started with shooting pictures and videos from the perimeter, but then I was asked by one of the media relations staff to be one of the two media members from our class to step inside the fence and record the event.

I got to follow Roddick around as he finished the skills demo with the athletes, then stand court side as he took part in three exhibition tiebreakers. The opportunity was a photographer’s dream by itself, but it just so happened the subject was my favorite athlete in the world of sports.

What made it so great, however, wasn’t getting to see him play up close and personal, or even when I met his supermodel wife (Brooklyn Decker); it was getting to see his sense of humor and charismatic personality on full display.

From making jokes with the officials, to noting his opponent’s aggressiveness against his serve, Roddick made the event special for the athletes and spectators.

He gave the Special Olympic athletes a chance to play with and against him, rather than just watching from afar. He even took time to sign autographs when he could and came out for more meet and greet time with fans. He proved that he wasn’t just a world class athlete, but a good person who genuinely cared about making an impact for a great cause.

On a personal level, it was a great feeling to see Roddick being Roddick for myself. In a world where athletes’ personal lives are filled with negative headlines about drug use, sex and guns, it couldn’t be more rewarding as a sports fan to know the guy you cheer for is a good guy.

It’s nice to read stories about his antics with his fellow players, but it’s on a totally different level to be able to stand five feet away and hear him joking around and having fun with everyone around. I not only got to have my picture taken with him (by Decker ), but he put it on his Twitter page as a way to say thanks. Overall, it was an experience I don’t think I’ll probably ever have again, but that’s OK.

Once was enough.

Column: Federer should retire from tennis

admin — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 02:38:41 +0000

Roger Federer could easily be titled the best tennis player of all time.

He has won numerous titles and tournaments, but his time in the spotlight is coming to an end.

Federer has dominated the tennis scene for several years now, but I am ready to see other people winning and in the spotlight. I couldn’t have been more excited when Federer lost in the early rounds of Wimbledon.

With him losing, it meant that someone different would win the tournament this year.

Not to mention that I am a Rafael Nadal fan anyway.

I would never denounce the talent of Roger Federer, because he is by far one of the best male tennis players this world has seen, but at a certain point enough is enough.

What more does he have to prove in tennis?

He has already won just about every tennis tournament along with several titles and grand slams.

What more can Roger Federer ask for? He definitely doesn’t need the money.

Yes, he may just love the sport and the competition, but it gets boring for viewers when the same person continuously wins.

Also, Federer is getting older, while these new guys coming in are way younger. Age can start to take a toll, especially in a sport like tennis.

Federer should want to leave the spotlight on a good note. Why not leave with a tournament win or a final grand slam?

Instead, he may leave with several early-round losses.

This showing at Wimbledon is just an example of what is to come for him.

Many athletes do not know when it is their time to leave the spotlight.

I feel like the fame and the competition gets addicting.

They just can’t get enough of it, but there has to come a time when it is just best to pack up and be done.

Roger Federer is just one example of an athlete that has over-stayed his welcome.

Viewers thrive off the suspense of who will win, but Federer continuously wins. It is time for a change.

This Wimbledon loss is only a glimpse of what lies in Federer’s future if he doesn’t retire soon.

Barte, Burdette roll through to become doubles national champs

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:35:33 +0000

Stanford U.’s Lindsay Burdette can’t be stopped this postseason, putting up another remarkable run to become NCAA doubles champion with longtime partner Hilary Barte, and upset the nation’s No. 1 team from Tennessee 7-5, 4-6, 6-0.

“I have known deep down that Hilary and I were the best team together,” Lindsay Burdette said. “That showed me that it was the right thing and it just made me work that much harder so that we can be together.”

The No. 2 team in the country all season, Burdette and Barte have really proved their dominance. With an overall record of 36-6, the team is Stanford’s first NCAA doubles champions since Alice Barnes and Erin Burdette — Lindsay’s older sister — defeated Amber Liu and Ann Yelsey in 2005 in an all-Stanford final.

Their run to the final was a fairly routine affair. They recorded four wins before the final match, all in straight sets. In fact, their most dominant match came in the semifinals over No. 4 Andrea Remynse and Yasmin Schnack of UCLA, as they won 6-0, 6-1.

The duo also defeated the No. 11 team of Csilla Borsanyi and Lenka Broosova for the second time this postseason in the quarterfinals by the score of 6-4, 6-4. The last time they met was when No. 8 Stanford upset No. 1 Baylor on its way to its 16th NCAA championship. Barte/Burdette defeated Borsanyi/Broosova in a close 9-8 (3) match that time.

“I don’t really know how to put it into words, but I think a lot of what makes [Lindsay and me] good is what we have off the court as well as on,” Barte said. “We just kind of know what the other person is going to do. I know exactly where Lindsay will hit the ball and that is what makes us so good.”

In the finals, Stanford faced the nation’s top doubles team of Natalie Pluskota and Caitlin Whoriskey from Tennessee. In their past two matches, the Cardinal and Lady Vols had split. Pluskota/Whoriskey recorded the first win 8-4 in the second-round of the ITA All-American Championships, but Stanford rebounded and won 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (4) in the championship match of the ITA National Indoor Championships.

“In the first set, they were making it tough to play our game,” Lindsay Burdette said. “We had our chances in that first set and ended up carrying it out. Second set, they got the upper hand in an up-and-down set, but in the third, we started to tough it out and that just carried us right through the third all the way to the end.”

In their most important match together, Barte said the pair entered the zone and just played their way through the third set to close out the match.

“I just felt like I was seeing the ball and it looked like it was going really slow,” Barte said. “I was always one step ahead of them.”

With only two entrants into the singles tournament — freshman Mallory Burdette and Barte — the Cardinal put up quite the challenge but couldn’t get to the finals.

Ranked No. 33, Mallory made it to the second round this year before falling to No. 7 Laura Vallverdu of Miami 6-4, 6-0. In the first round, she defeated No. 58 Alexa Guarachi of Alabama 6-1, 6-3. Mallory was the player who clinched the NCAA team tournament for Stanford, winning the go-ahead match that day. She ends her season at 38-6 overall, tied for most wins on the team and capping off a phenomenal freshman season.

Barte appeared dominant in tournament play until running into the inspired No. 12 Chelsey Gullickson of Georgia, the tournament’s eventual champion. Barte posted wins over No. 55 Michaela Kissell of Marshall, No. 88 Ute Schnoy of Denver, No. 44 Kristi Boxx of Mississippi and No. 40 Bianca Eichkorn of Miami. Barte won in straight sets in all those matches before falling to Gullickson 7-6(3), 6-3. With a final record of 38-8, Barte earned All-America honors in both singles and doubles for the third consecutive year.

Lindsay Burdette has now finished her college career, a long and well-fought four years on the Stanford women’s team that ended with the NCAA team and doubles titles.

“That was my last hurrah, and I was fighting back tears running around warm-up this morning,” Lindsay Burdette said. “It takes a lot of effort and hard work to be able to look back and say you gave it everything you had. I definitely accomplished that goal. I played through injuries, I did my part, and at the end of the day, I think those things count the most.”

Klahn cruises to NCAA singles title

admin — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:30:38 +0000

Bradley Klahn must have looked a little strange walking through security at the Atlanta International Airport on Monday afternoon.

Earlier that day, Klahn had won the NCAA singles title in Athens, Ga. Not wanting to check his hard-earned trophy in his suitcase, the sophomore made the only logical choice.

“I took out my schoolbooks and put the trophy in my backpack,” Klahn said.

Apparently studying for finals can wait a day for the man who became Stanford’s first NCAA singles champion since 2000.

In the championship match, Klahn defeated Louisville’s Austen Childs 6-1, 6-2 — his fourth straight-sets victory in the tournament. The match was never particularly close.

“When I went up two breaks at 4-1, then held serve to go 5-1, I thought I had it in the bag,” Klahn said. “It was nice to close it out 5-2.”

When Klahn finally won on his fourth match point, the Poway, Calif., native dropped to his knees, screamed and raised his clenched fists toward the skies. Klahn was soon greeted by head coach John Whitlinger, assistant coach Brandon Coupe, doubles partner Ryan Thacher and lastly, his mom.

“To be a national champion, it’s a huge deal,” Klahn said. “Just to win an NCAA championship in anything is a huge honor. I’m so excited. I don’t really know what to say.”

As one of eight No. 9-16 seeds, Klahn had a tough road to the title match. After breezing past Southern Methodist’s Artem Baradach in straight sets in the first round, Klahn ran into trouble against Tennessee’s Boriz Conkic. Klahn dropped the first set 6-4, but was able to recover, pulling out the last two sets 6-3, 6-4.

“I had two tough three-setters. I controlled the tempo this year,” he said in reference to his first-round lost last year at the NCAAs.

In the round of 16, Klahn found himself matched against the tournament’s No. 4 seed, Guillermo Gomez from Georiga Tech. In his first upset of the tournament, Klahn dismantled Gomez 6-4, 6-4.

Klahn had his second three-setter in the quarterfinals against Mississippi’s Marcel Thiemann. After dropping the first set 6-1, Klahn looked dead in the water — nearly two straight weeks of tennis taking its toll. Somehow, Klahn fought his way back in the second set to win the tiebreaker and held on to win the third set 6-4 to advance.

In the semifinals, Klahn ran into Duke’s Henrique Cunha<\p>–<\p>the No. 2 player in the nation and the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. Playing what he described as the best tennis of his life, Klahn rattled out two easy 6-2 victories to advance to the finals and a date with history.

“It still hasn’t fully sunk in yet,” he said. “It’s pretty unbelievable.”

In addition to his singles championship, Klahn and Thacher also advanced to the semifinals in the doubles tournament. As the No. 4 seed in the draw, the sophomore duo fell to eventual champions Drew Courtney and Michael Shabaz of Virginia.

For now, Klahn plans on taking some much-deserved rest. After finals are over, he will play in some professional tournaments, hopefully including the U.S. Open if he can earn a wild-card spot.

In the meantime, he might get around to digging those textbooks out of his checked baggage.

Stanford women’s tennis wins national championship in thriller

admin — Tue, 25 May 2010 22:45:30 +0000

The Stanford U. women’s tennis team defeated U. Florida 4-3 in the national championship match in Athens, Ga. to secure the Cardinal’s NCAA-leading 16th national title.

Florida won the doubles point, as the No. 2 and No. 3 teams for the Gators defeated the Cardinal teams 8-1 and 8-6.

Stanford started out the singles competition well, as five of the six Stanford players won their first set, with only No. 1 Hilary Barte losing 6-4.

No. 4 Stacey Tan was the first to finish, completing a 6-2, 6-2 victory to tie the overall score at one. No. 2 Lindsay Burdette followed with her own straight-set victory, 6-3, 6-3. Florida tied the score at two on court No. 1 when Lauren Embree took down Barte 6-4, 6-3.

At No. 6, Veronica Li lost the first three games to her opponent Marrit Boonstra, but then came back for a 6-3, 7-5 win to get the Cardinal within a point of the national title.

No. 3 Mallory Burdette had a match point in the second set, but her return went into the net, and she eventually lost the set in a tiebreaker.

No. 5 Carolyn McVeigh came back from a 5-3 deficit in the first set to win 7-5. She came close to an even bigger comeback in the second set, as she lost the first four games before winning the next four. McVeigh lost the next two games, forcing a decisive third set.

With the score 3-2 in favor of Stanford, Mallory Burdette and McVeigh played in their respective third sets with the Cardinal needing only one victory to win a national title. Mallory Burdette jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but appeared to become flustered as she lost the next three games. She came back to go up another break, but then could not hold serve, tying the score at 4-4.

McVeigh was outmatched in the third set, losing 6-0, leaving the national title up to Mallory Burdette and Merrit Boonstra on court No. 3.

Mallory Burdette broke Boonstra at 5-5 to serve for the championship. On the third championship point, Boonstra’s attempt was blown wide by the wind, and Stanford claimed the national title.

Immediately after the winning point, Lindsay Burdette tackled her sister in celebration as the entire team piled on to celebrate.

Illinois coaches, players have mixed feelings on possible Big Ten expansion

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:09:47 +0000

Recent speculation that the Big Ten Conference could add one or more members in the near future has caused some concern — and excitement — among U. Illinois coaches and athletes.

The biggest issue could be the distances teams would likely have to travel if the conference added schools outside the Midwest.

Making another trip to the East Coast, for example, would take a bigger chunk out of the University’s budget than the current setup, and it would cause some athletes to miss class more often than they already do.

“This year we had about a 12-hour trip to get to Penn State,” men’s tennis head coach Brad Dancer said. “When we look at expansion, it’s probably going to be driven by finances and revenue opportunities, but I hope that when they look at that they do look at the logistics in terms of missed class time and other factors that are associated with that.”

Baseball head coach Dan Hartleb said while road trips may be extended, the benefits of expanding the conference would cancel out the drawbacks of the extra travel.

“You could have someplace where you have further travel, maybe another flight,” Hartleb said. “But that stuff will all be considered, and if it brings more revenue to the entire conference, then there’s going to be money there for us to travel.”

Some athletes may not notice or care too much about the increase in distance that expansion could bring.

“Obviously, we travel a good amount as it is right now,” sophomore tennis player Dennis Nevolo said. “I don’t know how much we’d realize it if they did add another school. Clearly, it’d be a long trip (to the East Coast), and we probably don’t want to travel too far again. But if that’s how it happens, then that’s just how it is.”

Illinois softball’s Audrey Gallien said any disadvantages of adding teams would be negated by the positives another team could bring.

“Every softball program is getting better and better every year, and to add that much more competition to the conference would just be great all around, in terms of competition and camaraderie,” Gallien said.

“We’d miss more school, obviously, but it’s a great opportunity,” Gallien added.

The Big Ten began as a seven-school conference in 1895. The original members were Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin and the University of Chicago. Indiana and Iowa joined four years later, and Ohio State joined in 1912 to bring the number of members to 10. Chicago left the conference in 1946 and was replaced by Michigan State three years later.

The conference first expanded to 11 schools in 1990 with the addition of Penn State. A decision resolving current expansion discussions will not be announced until at least December.

Schools that have been included in the expansion rumors include (in no particular order): Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Missouri, Notre Dame, Texas and, to a lesser extent, Connecticut and Maryland. Notre Dame turned down an offer to join the Big Ten in 1999.

“Everyone talks about possibly bringing in Texas,” Dancer said. “I know that might be a pie-in-the-sky dream, but everyone’s got an understanding of what kind of revenue that potentially brings in, too.”

Schools joining the conference would likely need to be members of the Association of American Universities, an organization of universities to support research, which could rule out Connecticut and Notre Dame — unless the benefits of adding either school trump the importance of AAU membership.

All 11 current Big Ten schools are AAU members, which no other Division I conference can claim.

The extended travel would either cause long road trips or a two-division conference, splitting it either north-south or east-west. Softball head coach Terri Sullivan said she wouldn’t be in favor of splitting the conference, which would have the Illini facing fewer teams and possibly playing three-game series instead of the current setup of two-game series.

“I don’t particularly care for that,” Sullivan said. “That’s what the SEC has to do — they’re split into two divisions and then they join up at the end. I’ve just always been a big fan of being able to play everybody in the conference. I’d go nuts if I was in football and wasn’t able to.

“You find a true conference winner by playing each other.”

No matter how many teams are added — if any — Hartleb thinks the Big Ten will remain one of the premier conferences in the country.

“I don’t mind one way or the other,” Hartleb said. “I think our setup’s very good right now. I think if you bring more teams into the mix, it just adds a new dimension. If it’s what’s best for the entire conference, I’m all for it.”