Rome, GA - Junior
Matt Kandel played his first round match against Case Western Reserve's Ajay Mahenthiran, in extremely windy conditions. Mahenthiran started the match strong, reeling off three winners in the first game. Kandel came back with five straight games of his own, combining some good serving, drop shots, and scrappy tennis. Kandel served out the set with an ace at 5-2, leaving him one set away from All-American status.
The second set would be tighter, as the wind picked up and Mahenthiran raised his level. The two players traded holds until 3-3, when Kandel pounced and found the break. He followed that up with some solid serving, and at 4-3, 40-30, pounded a forehand past his opponent, to go up 5-3. A couple errors from the Case player resulted in match points for Kandel. He would only need one as he threw up a high ball that the wind took for a ride, and his opponent misjudged it, firing a backhand into the net.
Eph assistant coach
Andrew Dorr commented on the win, "Matt competed well, and used the conditions to his advantage. It was very hard to get a rhythm today, and Matt found a way to throw his opponent off. We are looking forward to the quarters tomorrow." With this win, Kandel earns All-American honors, and will play in the quarterfinals tomorrow.
Singles
Kandel (WIL) def. Mahenthiran (CWRU) 6-2, 6-3
