Fifth-Seeded Jeffs Suffer 4-3 Heartbreaker To Top-Seeded Middlebury

April 30, 2006

By Ted Platt '05

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA – The 21st-ranked and fifth-seeded Amherst College men’s tennis team came up just short against top-seeded Middlebury College on Saturday, suffering a narrow 4-3 loss in the NESCAC Tournament Semifinals at Williams College. The Jeffs fall to 13-7 and await word of a possible berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament, which commences next weekend.

Amherst started sluggishly, dropping the doubles point early, as the tandem of sophomore Tal Avrahami (Riverdale, NY) and rookie Zach Lerner (Scarsdale, NY) posted the closest result of the trio of matches, falling 8-6.

The Jeffs came roaring back in singles play, however, as Lerner, senior Jon Godsall (Toronto, ONT) and sophomore Mike Mintz (New York, NY) each avenged last weekend’s losses to the Panthers, cruising to straight-set victories, but it wasn’t enough, as Middlebury picked up wins at No. 1, 2 and 3 to clinch a berth in Sunday’s NESCAC championship match.

Middlebury 4 – Amherst 3
SINGLES RESULTS
1. Brian Waldron (Mid.) def. Josh Rilla (6-2, 6-3)
2. Ari Beilin (Mid.) def. Lenny Lepner (6-1, 6-4)
3. Nathan Edmunds (Mid.) def. Danny Babkes (6-0, 7-5)
4. Michael Mintz (Amh.) def. Conrad Olson (6-3, 6-2)
5. Zach Lerner (Amh.) def. George Mayer (6-4, 6-2)
6. Jon Godsall (Amh.) def. Alex Scott (6-3, 6-2)

DOUBLES RESULTS
1. Beilin/Scott (Mid.) def. Rilla/Babkes (8-2)
2. Edmunds/Kevin Bergesen (Mid.) def. Lepner/Mintz (8-1)
3. Waldron/Mayer (Mid.) def. Lerner/Tal Avrahami (8-6)