Jan. 19, 2012
THREE STORYLINES TO KEEP IN MIND
Survive The First Few Matches
Stanford will likely be without the services of two-time All-American Bradley Klahn early on, as the senior recovers from an injury that kept him out of action during the fall. So head coach John Whitlinger will have to do some lineup shuffling for at least the first few weeks of February. Once Klahn returns, Stanford will once again field a strong singles lineup and the doubles pairings should be set. Senior Ryan Thacher is a highly-ranked, proven player at No. 2 while juniors Matt Kandath and Denis Lin appear ready to take the next step in their development as solid middle-lineup players. Reaching the 20-win mark for a third straight season in 2011, Stanford reached the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time since 2006 and pieced together a 13-match winning streak before its season-ending loss to No. 1 Virginia.
Time For One Final Doubles Run
Seniors Bradley Klahn and Ryan Thacher have combined to form one of the nation's top doubles teams. As both players enter their final season in 2012, the hope is for another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Klahn and Thacher came up one step short in 2011 during their quest for Stanford's first NCAA doubles crown since 2004, falling to Texas A&M's Jeff Dadamo and Austin Krajicek in the title match. The first Stanford duo to reach the championship match since Sam Warburg and KC Corkery claimed the NCAA title seven years ago, Klahn and Thacher were also searching for their seventh doubles title since pairing up as freshmen. Over the last two seasons, Klahn and Thacher have combined for an incredible 83-16 overall record.
Rookies Expected To Contribute
The top half of Stanford's lineup should be solid, but the departures of Alex Clayton and Greg Hirshman should translate into opportunities for freshmen John Morrissey and Robert Stineman. Both players are capable of filling spots in the lower half of the lineup. Head coach John Whitlinger has noted that Morrissey's strength is that of a talented all-court player, while Robert likes to serve and volley and is adept at taking returns and playing around the net. "I'm really looking forward to the contributions from our freshmen," said Whitlinger. "Both players are really skilled in singles and doubles, and should make significant impacts on our season."
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THREE MATCHES THAT MATTER
This year's regular-season schedule features 12 home matches to be played at Taube Family Tennis Stadium, an appearance in the National Team Indoor Championships and a revamped conference schedule with the addition of Utah. This year's NCAA Championships will be held May 17-28 in Athens, Ga., hosted by the University of Georgia.
Feb. 3 vs. USC
- 1:30 p.m. |
It's always a highly-anticipated weekend when the Southern California schools pay a visit to Taube Family Tennis Stadium. This year's LA weekend opens with three-time defending NCAA champion USC making its first appearance on the same court where title No. 3 was captured last May. USC has been the class of the conference in recent seasons, but Stanford has been right on the Trojans' heels. The Cardinal finished second in last year's Pac-10 race behind USC, and even notched a neutral-site win over the Trojans in February at the National Team Indoor Championships when the SoCal rivals were ranked No. 2. It should be noted the rematch in LA in April will serve as the counting Pac-12 match. |
Feb. 17-20 vs. TBA
- TBA |
No reason to single out a specific match during this particular weekend in February when Stanford competes at the National Team Indoor Championships. Anyone the Cardinal faces in this tournament will likely be a top-20 opponent. This year's event will be held in Charlottesville, Va. Three matches are guaranteed and that total increases to four if Stanford reaches the title match. Stanford last captured the hardware at this tournament in 2002 with a 4-3 win over Illinois. |
Apr. 20 at California
- 3 p.m. |
Stanford has held the upper hand in the rivalry series, having won three in a row against California. The Cardinal is 86-16 all-time against the Golden Bears in a series that dates back to 1967. However, these matchups are always competitive and both clubs are usually highly-ranked and in contention for the conference title. Cal will visit Stanford in late February, but this match will count toward the league standings. With the Pac-12 Championships switching from an individual tourney to a traditional team event, dual wins like this become very important. |
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BREAKING DOWN THE PERSONNEL
Sophomore Jamin Ball
2011-12: Through nine matches, owns a 2-7 record ...
2010-11: Finished rookie year with a 9-9 overall record ... 4-4 in dual matches, playing all of his contests at the No. 6 spot ... 5-5 in tournament matches ... made his dual match debut on Feb. 8 against Utah, outlasting Garrett LaBarre 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (8) on court six ... 13-8 in doubles, pairing mostly with Alex Clayton down the stretch with the duo posting a 6-3 record at the No. 3 spot ... Ball and Clayton pieced together a five-match winning streak late in the year, including victories in two NCAA Tournament contests.
Junior Sam Ecker
2011-12: Has yet to appear in a match ...
2010-11: Dropped both matches of the year while competing at the Battle of the Bay Classic, falling to Santa Clara's Kyohhei Kamono 6-1, 6-2 and UC Davis' Josh Albert 6-2, 6-2.
Sophomore Daniel Ho
2011-12: Sports a 5-5 mark through 10 matches ...
2010-11: Wrapped up season with a 2-4 overall record ... 1-2 in dual matches, including a victory in his lineup debut, defeating Washington's Max Manthou 6-2, 6-1 at the No. 6 spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament ... both dual match losses came against opponents from Texas A&M and Virginia in the NCAA Tournament ... compiled a 4-2 record with Jamin Ball while also reaching the quarterfinals of ITA Northwest Regional Championships.
Junior Matt Kandath
2011-12: 5-6 overall, falling to teammate Ryan Thacher in semifinals of ITA Northwest Regional Championships ...
2010-11: Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention selection ... registered a 19-16 overall record ... 14-9 in duals, compiling a 7-2 mark at the No. 5 position and a 6-7 ledger at the No. 6 spot ... collected victories in two NCAA Tournament matches, posting wins over opponents from Texas A&M and Virginia ... partnered primarily with Denis Lin in doubles, finishing 23-10 overall and 14-6 in duals at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots of the lineup.
Junior Walker Kehrer
2011-12: In seven matches, owns a 2-5 record ... 7-2 in doubles with Robert Stineman ...
2010-11: Posted a 7-7 overall record ... competed in only one dual match on the year, defeating Utah's Matt Cowley 6-4, 6-1 at the No. 5 spot on Feb. 8 ... won six of his final seven matches overall ... earned a runner-up finish in the Pac-10 Championships Invitational division, winning three consecutive matches before falling to UCLA's Warren Hardie 6-4, 6-2 in the final.
Senior Bradley Klahn
2011-12: Has yet to take the court due to injury ... Expected back in early February ...
2010-11: All-American in singles and doubles for the second straight season ... advanced to quarterfinals of NCAA Singles Championship one year after winning it all in 2010 ... earned a final national singles ranking of No. 6 ... led team with a 36-11 overall record ... 19-7 in duals, playing all of his matches at the No. 1 spot ... 24-9 against nationally-ranked opponents ... 6-2 in three-set matches ... highest-ranked victory was a 6-4, 6-2 rout of No. 5 Michael Shabaz from Virginia in the NCAA Tournament team portion ... Sherwood Cup singles champion ... in doubles, partnered exclusively with Ryan Thacher for team-best records overall (43-8) and in duals (19-3), while finishing 16-7 against nationally-ranked foes ... Klahn and Thacher booked runner-up finish at NCAA Doubles Championships, falling in the title match to Texas A&M's Jeff Dadamo and Austin Krajicek 7-6 (4), 6-3 ... pocketed three tournament doubles titles during the year (Pacific Coast Doubles, Sherwood Cup and ITA National Indoor Championships consolation).
Junior Denis Lin
2011-12: Owns a 3-3 ledger in six matches to date ...
2010-11: Pac-10 All-Academic First Team selection ... notched a 22-14 overall record ... 16-8 in duals, compiling a 14-8 ledger at the No. 4 position ... 5-3 in three-set matches ... won a season-best eight consecutive matches from Jan. 25-Feb. 19 ... highest-ranked opponent defeated was No. 43 Daniel Nguyen of USC, winning 7-6 (3),7-5 on Apr. 28 at the Pac-10 Championships ... partnered primarily with Matt Kandath in doubles, finishing 23-10 overall and 14-6 in duals at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots of the lineup.
Freshman John Morrissey
2011-12: 4-5 through nine matches ... reached round of 16 at ITA Northwest Regional Championships ...
Prior to Stanford: 2011 graduate of Gonzaga College ... team captain as a senior ... member of Junior and Senior Conference championship teams ...posted an undefeated record in high school conference matches during all four seasons ... participated in all four Junior Grand Slams twice ... ITF Junior World ranking of No. 30 ... reached quarterfinals of Youth Olympics ... ranked No. 1 nationally in under 12's, 14's, 16's and 18's.
Freshman Robert Stineman
2011-12: 8-5 ledger through 13 matches, with his eight wins ranking second to Ryan Thacher's nine ... won consolation singles title at ITA Northwest Regional Championships ... advanced to consolation semifinals of Battle in the Bay Classic ...
Prior to Stanford: 2011 graduate of New Trier High School ... member of two state championship teams (2010, 2011) ... led team to 2011 Deco Turf National High School championship, earning MVP honors in the process ... two-time All-American ... two-time state singles champion ... four-time team MVP ... 2011 Chicago Tribune Scholar-Athlete Team ... singles and doubles champion at 18's National Open in Cincinnati ... two-time member of 18's National Team Championships Midwest team.
Senior Ryan Thacher
2011-12: Compiled a 9-4 record and collected first career singles title at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships ...
2010-11: All-American in doubles for the second consecutive season ... Pac-10 All-Academic First Team selection ... earned a final national singles ranking of No. 38 ... chalked up an overall record of 26-15 ... 15-10 in duals, compiling a 14-10 ledger at the No. 2 position ... 11-5 in tournament matches ... in doubles, partnered exclusively with Bradley Klahn for team-best records overall (43-8) and in duals (19-3), while finishing 16-7 against nationally-ranked foes ... Klahn and Thacher booked runner-up finish at NCAA Doubles Championships, falling in the title match to Texas A&M's Jeff Dadamo and Austin Krajicek 7-6 (4), 6-3 ... pocketed three tournament doubles titles during the year (Pacific Coast Doubles, Sherwood Cup and ITA National Indoor Championships consolation).
