2018-19 Emory Men's Tennis Recap

The 2018-19 Emory men's tennis team left an indelible mark in the history of the program, highlighted by many accomplishments on team and individual levels.  The golden moment of the campaign took place when the Eagles battled their way to the school's fifth-ever national title.  Guided by Head Coach John Browning, Emory closed out the year with a flourish, winning its last 18 matches en route to chalking up a final won-lost slate of 22-2, and joining the 2017, 2012, 2006 and 2003 squads in the exclusive club of bringing the national title to Atlanta.  The Eagles compiled a 19-1 mark against D-III opponents.

In addition to the national championship, Emory landed its fourth University Athletic Association title in five seasons and 27th overall spanning 32 years.  After blanking New York University in the quarterfinals, the Eagles rallied from a 2-1 deficit following doubles to claim a 5-3 verdict over No. 7 Washington University in the semifinals. Squaring off against No. 10 Brandeis for top spot in the league, the Eagles prevailed by a 5-1 margin with freshman Andrew Esses sealing the outcome at No. 5 singles. 

Emory opened the spring portion of the schedule by winning two of three contests against non D-III opponents. The Eagles then ventured to Cleveland, Ohio, where they looked to lock down their fourth straight ITA National Indoor Championships.  After dispatching No. 13 Whitman and No. 12 Pomona-Pitzer by 9-0 counts, the Eagles fell short against No. 3 Chicago in the finals, coming out on the wrong end of a 5-3 decision.  While the setback to Chicago was disappointing, it would end up being the team's final loss of the year. 

Upon its return from the Indoor Championships, Emory hosted and defeated No. 17 Trinity University (8-1) and Cumberlands (9-0).  That gave the team a momentum boost as it packed its bags for a trip to California where it notched 7-2 and 6-3 victories over UC-Santa Cruz and No. 5 Williams, respectively. After rattling off wins at home against Kalamazoo College, DePauw and No. 25 Johns Hopkins, dropping just two of 27 matches in that stretch, a 6-3 victory at No. 3 Middlebury furthered the Eagles' confidence level as the postseason loomed on the horizon.  Prior to UAAs, Emory topped Atlantic-South opponents Sewanee, 7-2, and Washington and Lee, 8-1. 

After its first-place effort at UAAs, Emory was selected to host the second- and third-rounds of the NCAA D-III Tournament. The Eagles made the most of the opportunity by defeating Washington & Lee (5-0) for the second time in three weeks, and No. 23 North Carolina Wesleyan (5-1), sending Emory to its 22nd consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships.  On the docket were three formidable foes who stood in the way of Emory's quest for glory.  In the quarterfinals, the Eagles matched-up against No. 7 Wash U for the second time during the season and emerged with a 5-2 victory over the Bears that was keyed by a sweep of doubles play.  In the semifinals, the Eagles topped the Panthers of Middlebury for the second time in '18-19, earning a 5-3 decision with Adrien Bouchet closing out that match with a win at No. 3 singles.

If Emory was to win the national championship, it would have better No. 1-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, the owners of a 32-1 record. After dropping the first doubles outcome, the Eagles bounced back to claim the next two matches, with Hayden Cassone and Antonio Mora snapping the 1-1 deadlock following their win at No. 3.  The Stags gained the upper hand for a brief spell with victories at Nos. 6 and 2 singles that boosted them to a 3-2 advantage.  However, those would be the final points CMS would post as the Eagles came out on top in the next three matches.  After a Mora triumph at No. 4 deadlocked the score, Bouchet put Emory one point shy of clinching after dispatching Julian Gordy at third singles, 6-4, 6-1.  With senior Jonathan Jemison and Andrew Esses both competing in three-set matches, it was Jemison who fittingly registered national championship point for the Eagles at the No. 1 post with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 outcome over Nikolai Parodi.

After the team portion of the Championships wrapped up, Emory sent three players to compete in the Singles and Doubles portion of the event.  Jemison shined in  singles, becoming the fourth player in program history to win the title.  Named the ITA National Senior Player of the Year prior to the Championships, Jemison posted five wins en route to the crown, topping Carleton College's Leo Vithoontien in the final, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. His performance in the Singles Championship allowed him to close out his season ledger at 26-5 with his victory total tops on the team.  Hayden Cassone won his opening-round singles encounter, propelling him to All-America status, while Adrien Bouchet also competed in singles.  In doubles, Jemison and Bouchet joined forces to emerge victorious in their first match before coming up short in the quarterfinals. 

Jemison's singles title was a well-deserved conclusion to a memorable career.   He finished the campaign as the No. 1-ranked singles player in Division III while teaming with Bouchet for a No. 6 national ranking in doubles.  He began the season by defending his ITA South Regional singles title and his appearance at the NCAA Singles Championship marked his fourth berth in that event.  In addition, Jemison and Bouchet garnered All-America kudos after winning the ITA South Region Doubles Championship, with the pair amassing a final record of 28-7 (19-5 at No. 1).  A multiple All-American, Jonathan compiled a career singles effort of 99-28, tying for second place on the school's all-time ladder in wins.  In doubles play, he finished in the No. 1 spot all-time at Emory with 106 victories in 131 decisions. 

Adrien Bouchet was a model of consistency, hammering out a singles performance of 23-4, 16-2 at the No. 3 post. Along with Jemison, he was a all-UAA first-team honoree in both singles (#3) and first doubles.  The No. 38-ranked singles player in D-III, and seventh in the Atlantic-South Region, he tied for 14th place on the Eagles' all-time chart with 79 singles triumphs while his .774 winning percentage slotted him 13th. 

Hayden Cassone landed All-America recognition in singles for the second straight year by virtue of his opening-round victory in the NCAA Singles Championship. Cassone, the No. 14-ranked player nationally in D-III and second in the Atlantic-South Region, turned in a final singles mark of 16-8. Cassone was a valuable contributor in doubles, racking up 24 victories including a 20-4 slate with freshman Antonio Mora.  The Cassone/Mora tandem rolled to an 18-3 effort at the No. 3 post and went 5-0 in the Eagles' five NCAA matches.  Through two years in the program Cassone stands 42-18 in singles and 51-9 in doubles.  He was selected by the ITA as the Atlantic-South Region Player To Watch. 

The arrival of freshmen Antonio Mora and Andrew Esses certainly bolstered the fortunes of the team.  Mora was a key contributor in both singles and doubles, fashioning a record of 20-3 in the former and 26-5 in the latter.  Selected as the Atlantic-South Region Rookie of the Year by the ITA, Mora, a second-team all-UAA pick at No. 4 singles, closed out the year victorious in his last nine decisions including a 6-3, 6-3 verdict Robert Liu of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps that knotted the match at 3-3 in the NCAA Championships final.  Esses manufactured an impressive 22-4 effort in singles, including a 9-1 mark at the No. 5 slot.  He won his last 13 outings that were played to decision, which outcomes over opponents from Wash U and Middlebury in the quarters and semis, respectively, at the NCAA Championships.

2018-19 closed out the career of senior James Spaulding.  A four-year veteran of the program, Spaulding made his mark as a solid doubles performer with his 88 wins ranking fourth on the school's all-time ladder.  A three-time All-American in doubles, his final season saw him notch 26 victories, 18-6 when joining forces with Will Wanner at the No. 2 position. The Spaulding/Wanner duo were the 15th-ranked team in the Atlantic-South Region.  Spaulding was a fixture in the singles lineup as well, winning 11 of 19 decisions while finishing his Emory tenure with 39 successful results.

Also in his final go-around with the Eagles was senior George Congdon (Darien, CT), who turned in a singles mark of 10-2.  

Honors and Awards