The No. 3-ranked Emory men’s tennis team won all three home matches against Kalamazoo College (Mich.), DePauw University (Ind.) and Johns Hopkins University (Md.) this past weekend. The Eagles defeated Kalamazoo 8-1, blanked DePauw 9-0 and trounced Johns Hopkins 8-1 as part of their seven-game winning streak. The Eagles have not lost a match since February.
Head Coach John Browning said the team’s greatest strength was how hardworking these players are at practice.”
This practice paid off against No. 27-ranked Kalamazoo, the first match of a three-game home stretch on March 28. In the doubles matches, seniors Jonathan Jemison and Adrien Bouchet blanked their opponents 8-0. Senior James Spaulding and sophomore Will Wanner earned an 8-3 victory, while sophomore Hayden Cassone and freshman Antonio Mora won 8-2.
In singles competition, Jemison faced a tough opponent but played with great consistency, beating his opponent 6-4, 7-6. Bouchet secured a 6-2, 6-4 win, and Mora won the match 6-0, 6-2. Freshman Andrew Esses secured a victory with a 6-3, 6-2 score, and sophomore Sahil Raina swept his opponent in the second set to win 6-3, 6-0. Cassone fought relentlessly but ultimately lost in a close match, 7-6, 4-6, 10-8.
On March 29, the Eagles notched another victory against DePauw. In doubles, Jemison and Bouchet won 8-3. Spaulding and Wanner recorded another win, scoring 8-5. On the third court, Mora and sophomore Alec Rabinowitz beat their opponents 8-1.
The Eagles carried their brilliant performance into the singles matches, where Jemison dominated his opponent and achieved a spectacular 6-0, 6-0 victory. Bouchet continued to play at a high level and earned a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Mora also had a strong performance, as he defeated his opponent 6-4, 6-2. Esses played with unstoppable momentum, winning the match 6-4, 6-2. And senior George Congdon won easily by topping his opponent 6-0, 6-2. Wanner blanked his challenger 6-0, 6-0 to close out singles play.
Browning praised the performance of his senior players.
“Jonathan [Jemison] has been really consistent and [has been] the vocal leader of our team,” Browning said. “And it is fun to watch how [Bouchet] plays the way he is playing. His level is pretty high.”
After just one day of rest, the Eagles returned to action on March 31, facing No. 25-ranked Johns Hopkins. Like before, the Eagles did not face too much challenge in doubles. The dominating tennis pair of Jemison and Bouchet acquired an 8-3 victory. Spaulding and Wanner continued their momentum and won the match 8-4, while Cassone and Mora won their match 8-3.
In the singles match, Jemison played excellent volleys and even blanked his opponent in the second set to score 6-2, 6-0.
“I think I played well today,” Jemison said. “I got the ball and hit the ball deep, but I still need to work on my serve and forehand.”
Bouchet faced a harder challenge, but he successfully overcame every tough moment and scored key points several times in the game to win the match 7-6, 7-5. Mora’s strong return skills helped him earn another victory 6-2, 6-1. Esses He blanked his opponent in the first set by utilizing a variety of hitting styles and won the match 6-0, 6-3. Spaulding kept rendering pressure to his competitor and concluded the game with 6-1, 6-4 at court five. After losing the first set, Raina fought to catch up in the second set but missed the first few points in the match tie-break. Ultimately, his match ended in defeat 3-6, 6-1, 10-7.
The Eagles will return to action against Middlebury College (Vt.) on April 7.
