News Release Date:
Friday, October 16

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Whitman College senior Matt Solomon ended his stay at the ITA's National Small College Championships on a winning note Friday afternoon, beating Vassar College senior Mike Mattelson 6-3, 6-4 at the Copeland-Cox Tennis Center in Mobile, Ala.

The match, for seventh and eighth places at the tournament, was scheduled for Saturday but was moved up a day to accomodate travel plans.

Earlier on Friday, Solomon dropped a tough 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 decision to Kenyon's Mike Greenberg, the NCAA Division III national singles champion from two years ago.

Matt Solomon

"Matt played very well in beating the player from Vassar," Whitman coach Jeff Northam said.

Solomon took charge in the first set, rolling to leads of 4-1 and 5-2 before closing out the set at 6-3.

In the second set, Solomon held serve on a long deuce game to even the score at 3-3, broke Mattelson for a 5-4 lead and then served out the set and match. 

Against Greenberg in the earlier match, Solomon jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first set but failed to convert three break points that would have extended his lead to 4-0. Solomon staved off a break point on his next service game and held again for a 5-2 lead.

"Matt couldn't quite close out that first set," Northam noted, as Greenberg stormed back to win four of the next five games to force a tie-breaker. With the breaker even at 3-3, Greenberg captured four of the next five points to win the set.

With the second set all square at 2-2, Greenberg pulled ahead 5-3 before Solomon broke back to trail 5-4. Greenberg won the next game to wrap up the win.

Solomon, who was making his fourth appearance at the ITA's national fall tournament, finished with two wins and two losses. His first setback came on Thursday against Middlebury's Andy Peters, who plays Washington University's top-ranked John Watts on Saturday for the tournament title.

Players qualify for the national tournament by winning the singles or doubles titles in their ITA regional tournaments.

Players at the Small College Championships also receive ITA All-American honors.

CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu