EMORY, MIDDLEBURY ADVANCE TO NCAA SEMIFINALS IN ST. LOUIS

ST. LOUIS (May 15) – Emory University and Middlebury College moved one step closer to achieving the dream of winning a national championship, as each picked up quarterfinal wins Tuesday in the morning session at the 2007 NCAA Division III Men's Tennis Championship in St. Louis, Mo. Emory defeated Trinity University (Texas), 5-0, and Middlebury defeated DePauw University, 5-2, to advance to the NCAA semifinals, which will be played at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 16.

No. 3 Emory (21-8) took a commanding 3-0 lead against No. 7 Trinity (16-4) after doubles play. Michael Goodwin and Yoji Masuoka held on to defeat the Tigers' Oliver Gaines and Ryan DeSantis, 8-6, at No. 1 for the first point of the match. Hardy Ehlers and Christopher Jordan picked up an 8-5 win at No. 3, and Michael Kaufman and Oliver Lopp prevailed, 8-3, at No. 2 to give Emory the doubles sweep.

Goodwin maintained the momentum from doubles play for Emory, taking the first set from Gaines at No. 1 singles, 6-0. In the second frame, Goodwin won 6-2 to give EU a 4-0 advantage. The Eagles then clinched the match when Lopp notched a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 3.

In the other morning quarterfinal, Middlebury (21-1), ranked third in the nation, staved off a strong doubles effort by eighth-ranked DePauw (22-5) for a 2-1 lead. At No. 1 doubles, DePauw's Evan Webeler and Scott Swanson upended George Mayer and Alex Scott, 8-5, in a battle of top-10 doubles teams. Kevin Bergesen and Andrew Thompson of Middlebury cruised to an 8-2 win at second doubles, and Filip Marinkovic and Conrad Olson edged DePauw's Bryan Heck and Scott Sandager, 9-7, at No. 3.

Middlebury moved ahead 3-1 in singles play when Marinkovic won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 6. Thompson added another point for MC, winning in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) at No. 5. DePauw's No.1 player, Webeler, helped lead his team back with a 7-5, 6-2 win to cut the Tigers' deficit to 4-2, but Conrad Olson gave Middlebury a 5-2 match win with a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 2.

Emory and Middlebury will square off in the semis Wednesday at Dwight Davis Tennis Center in Forest Park, where Washington University in St. Louis is serving as host of the Championships.