Men’s Tennis Prepares For NCAA Quarterfinal Match

The No. 21-ranked Gustavus men’s tennis team is set for a National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterfinal matchup on Monday afternoon against the No. 1-ranked Middlebury College in Chattanooga, Tenn. at the NCAA Championships.

TOURNAMENT WEBPAGEBRACKET

NCAA Quarterfinal:
Date: Monday, May 22
Time: 6:30 p.m. (EST) [PUSHED BACK FROM 4:30 DUE TO WEATHER]
Opponent: Middlebury
Location: Chattanooga, Tenn. | The Champions Club Tennis Complex
Live Coverage: Live Scoring | Video

ST. PETER, Minn. – The No. 21-ranked Gustavus men’s tennis team is set for a National Collegiate Athletic Association quarterfinal matchup on Monday afternoon against the No. 1-ranked Middlebury College in Chattanooga, Tenn. at the NCAA Championships.
The other six teams in the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament include Emory University, Bowdoin College, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Williams College, Washington University in St. Louis, and Wesleyan University. The event is hosted by both the University of the South and the Chattanooga Sports Commission at The Champions Club Tennis Complex at Rivermont Park. 
About the Gusties: 
  • Gustavus upset the No. 6-ranked University of Chicago 5-4 Sunday afternoon in a NCAA Regional Final, advancing into the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009.
  • The Gusties finished the regular season with a 22-8 overall record and went 9-0 during conference play to clinch their 51st Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship in program history.
  • The Gusties own an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 51-34 and have compiled two national championships in 1980 and ’82, three runner-up finishes, three third place finishes, and five fourth place finishes. In quarterfinals matchups, the Gusties have gone 14-9.
  • Mohanad Alhouni (Jr., Tripoli, Libya) leads Gustavus with a 34-5 singles record at the No. 1 position while also owning a 21-8 record with Patrick Whaling (So., Manikob Sabot, Va.) in the No. 1 doubles spot.
  • Alhouni is ranked as the No. 1 player in the ITA Division III Central Region. Alhouni/Whaling rank No. 5 in the region for doubles.
  • Alhouni and Whaling were recently selected to represent Gustavus at the NCAA Individual Championships, May 25-27. Alhouni will compete in the 32-individual singles draw, while the duo of Alhouni and Whaling will pair up in the 16-team doubles draw.

The Series:

  • Gustavus previously faced Middlebury on March 27 during its spring trip in Austin, Texas. The Gusties fell 7-2, its wins coming in the No. 2 and 3 doubles positions.
  • Middlebury owns a 6-1 advantage in the all-time series. They also own a 3-1 advantage when the two teams have met in the NCAA Tournament. The Gusties defeated the Panthers 4-1 to claim the 2003 third-place title, led by former three-time All-American Eric Butorac. Middlebury then defeated the Gustavus 5-1 in the 2007 third-place match.

Sibling Rivalry:

  • Yassine Derbani’s older brother, Hamid, is a senior on the Middlebury Men’s Tennis squad. READ

GUSTAVUS MEN’S TENNIS PAGE

About Middlebury:

  • The Panthers are making their 14th NCAA Quarterfinal appearance in the last 15 years and their 16th-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament appearance.
  • Top-ranked Middlebury owns a 20-3 overall record, most recently advancing to the elite eight by defeating Skidmore College 5-1 in a regional final.
  • During New England Small College Athletic Conference play, the Panthers went 7-1 and fell 5-4 vs. Bowdoin in the NESCAC Championship.
  • Middlebury is led by sophomore Lubomir Cuba, who is 24-2 overall in singles play and is also undefeated at 14-0 in the No. 1 spot.

MIDDLEBURY MEN’S TENNIS PAGE

2017 NCAA Men’s Tennis Tournament
Quarterfinals – Monday, May 22
No. 1 Middlebury (20-3) vs. No. 21 Gustavus (26-8)
No. 2 Emory (19-4) vs. No. 10 Williams (15-7)
No. 3 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (30-3) vs. No. 5 Wesleyan (15-3)
No. 4 Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) (18-4) vs. No. 7 Bowdoin (21-4)

Semifinals – Tuesday, May 23
Champions Club Tennis Complex at Rivermont Park
Middlebury/Gustavus Adolphus winner vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps/Wesleyan winner
Emory/Williams winner vs. Bowdoin/Washington-St. Louis (Mo.) winner

Wednesday, May 24
Champions Club Tennis Complex at Rivermont Park
Championship Match – 10:00 a.m.