Panthers claw their way to face DePauw

Author: Jeff Patterson

Recently-named NESCAC Player of the Year Alex Scott '07 and the rest of the Middlebury tennis team walked onto the Proctor tennis courts on Saturday and Sunday and twice they walked away the winners. Hosting one of the NCAA Tournament's eight Regionals for the sixth straight season, the Panthers swept Southern Maine 5-0 and beat Amherst 5-2 to move a step closer to a national championship.

With their dominating play, the biggest challenge the Panthers will face this spring might just be when to take their exams. The Panthers will open the quarterfinal round in St. Louis, Mo. against DePauw University on May 15, which falls right in the heart of finals week. If they reach the finals of the tournament, they will be playing all the way until May 20.

"Having the tournament right in the middle of exams puts us in a difficult position," wrote Filip Marinkovic '08 in an e-mail. "We will be looking to take our exams earlier so that they don't hang over us while we're enjoying the experience of the playoffs."

On Sunday, doubles partners Conrad Olson '09 and Marinkovic, and Kevin Bergesen '07 and Andrew Thomson '10 did not face much of a test from Amherst. Middlebury took a 2-1 lead after doubles play and the Panthers never looked back.

"Regionals can be a very nerve-racking occasion, especially as a freshman, and Andrew handled himself maturely and played great," wrote Bergesen.

Thomson handled Karti Subramanian 6-2, 6-2 in singles to give George Mayer '07, who was playing in his last home match, the opportunity to clinch the win.

"The strongest part of my game today was my footwork," wrote Thomson. "I am almost always smaller and not as physically strong as my opponent, so I have to try to outsmart my opponents and play better defense than they can."

Although only a first-year on the team, Thomson has had plenty of experience playing in the "Gateway City," so he will not feel out of place next week. "I have been to St. Louis twice before for junior USTA tournaments," he wrote. "I was a doubles finalist at one, and still have a plaque with the Gateway Arch on it."

His doubles partner, Bergesen, has also been to St. Louis and has even played at the Dwight Davis Tennis Center, the site of this year's tournament.

"I remember it being a great facility," wrote Bergesen, "not to mention near-perfect weather conditions."

The two partners will be trying to help Middlebury win its second national championship. The team won its first title during the 2003-2004 season.

"Unlike last year when we were essentially the favorite, this year's group has had to continually battle to prove ourselves," wrote Bergesen. "Now that we are headed to the final site, it will be fun to relax a little and see if we can play our best tennis of the year."