Tennis Roundup : Stanford Clicks in Doubles for 2nd Straight NCAA Title
Top-seeded Stanford overcame season-long uncertainty in doubles here Tuesday and won its second consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Assn. men’s tennis title. The title was also the eighth for Stanford since the dual-match format began in 1977.
Stanford assumed control quickly and put away Georgia, 5-3, before a Henry Feild Stadium crowd of 5,227.
“We’ve had some problems in doubles,” said Coach Dick Gould, referring to illnesses and injuries that forced lineup shuffling. “We’ve been changing up quite a bit.”
Stanford (22-4) went 5-0 in doubles over four NCAA matches. Georgia (21-6) had closed out three previous opponents in singles before meeting Stanford. A quick 6-2, 6-2 victory by junior Jeff Tarango and freshman Alex O’Brien at No. 1 set the tone. Sophomore Martin Blackman and junior Jeff Cathrall then clinched the championship, 6-4, 6-4, over Stephen Enochs and Al Parker at No. 2.
The NCAA meet will move to Indian Wells next May, for at least one year.
“I really do hate to leave,” said Gould, who is 39-3 in Athens.
The individual portion of the tournament begins here today with singles play. UC Irvine’s Mark Kaplan is seeded No. 4.
Doubles play begins Thursday. Brian Garrow and Pat Galbraith of UCLA are seeded No. 1.
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