University of Washington
Wilson/ITA Regionals
Stanford Sweeps Titles at Wilson/ITA Northwest Regionals
October 16, 2007 | Men's Tennis
Oct. 16, 2007
SEATTLE - The Stanford Cardinal put their stamp on the 2007 Wilson/ITA Northwest Regional Championships, capturing both singles and doubles titles on the final day at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. Stanford's Richard Wire defeated Husky senior Andy Kuharszky in a third-set tiebreaker to claim the singles crown. Blake Muller and Ted Kelly then won the doubles final, defeating teammates Wire and Greg Hirshman.
Neither Wire nor Kuharszky had lost a set in their five wins to reach the final, and it was Kuharszky who first had to deal with trailing in a match as Wire took the first set, 6-3. In the second set, Kuharszky went up a break at 3-2, but Wire came right back with a break of his own, held serve, then broke again for a 5-3 lead. Kuharszky then rallied back with a service break, and the set eventually went to a tiebreak. Wire took the first point, but from there Kuharszky held his serves, went up a mini-break and clinched the set with a volley out wide.
After each holding their first serves in the third set, Wire broke Kuharszky after a long game to take a 2-1 edge. He would maintain the one break lead until 5-4, when he was broken when serving for the match. Both players then held to force another tiebreaker. Kuharszky served first, and missed a backhand volley into the top of the net that could have won the point. After that first point, neither player lost another point on serve, and Wire closed out the match, 7-4, when a Kuharszky groundstroke found the net.
It was déjà vu for the Huskies, who had a player fall in the final in a third-set tiebreak for the second straight year. Last year, former Husky Alex Slovic fell to Jakub Cech of Fresno State in the West Region final, also 7-4 in the deciding tiebreak. Slovic also lost in the final in 2005.
The Cardinal have swept the titles now on both occasions that the Regional was held in Seattle. In 1999, Cardinal Alex Kim won singles and David Martin and K.J. Hippensteel won the doubles title. Stanford was also the last team to win both titles at any location, doing so in 2001.
Also wrapping up play on Tuesday was the consolation singles draw. Husky junior David Chu was defeated in straight sets by Xavier Barajas-Smith of Sacramento State in the final.
Wire and the duo of Muller and Kelly earn the Region's automatic bids into the ITA National Indoor Championships coming up in November in Columbus, Ohio. Kuharszky will have to hope for an automatic bid, as the Northwest Regional is one of two that only award automatic bids to the singles champion, rather than both finalists. This is a recent change, as the West Region was split due to the overall strength of west coast tennis.
2007 Wilson/ITA Northwest Regional Championships
Friday, Oct. 12-Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007
Seattle, Wash. - Nordstrom Tennis Center
Singles
Final - Tuesday, Oct. 16
(2) Richard Wire (Stan) def. (4) Andy Kuharszky (Wash), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4)
Doubles
Semifinals - Tuesday, Oct. 16
(1) Kelly/Muller (Stan) def. (3) Dahan/Mouillon (Cal), 8-0
(5-8) Hirshman/Wire (Stan) def. (2) Chivezer/Zerbini (Cal), 8-4
Final - Tuesday - Oct. 16
(1) Kelly/Muller (Stan) def. (5-8) Hirshman/Wire (Stan), 8-2
Consolation Singles
Final - Tuesday, Oct. 16
Xavier Barajas-Smith (Sac St) def. David Chu (Wash), 6-2, 6-3
