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Prager knocks off top-seeded Wilson to reach semifinals By DON HUNT ASHLAND - As two of the top amateur players in Northern California, it seemed logical that Chad Wilson and Josh Prager would meet at some point during the 26th annual Big Al's Tennis Tournament. In a perfect world, they would have squared off in today's 10 a.m. championship match of the men's open division. Instead, they met in Saturday's quarterfinal round, with Prager registering a 6-4, 6-0 victory over the top-seeded and defending champion Wilson. In other quarterfinal matches Saturday at Hunter Park, No. 4 seed Gerald Breymann of Medford beat Lowell Crook of Chico, Calif., 6-3, 6-2; four-time champion Andy Oas of Medford downed Todd Hammons of Eugene, 6-0, 6-1; and Jeff Cauffman of Calistoga, Calif., defeated Ashland's Aaron Harris, 6-3, 6-4. Prager meets Breymann and Oas takes on Cauffman in today's semifinal matches beginning at 8 a.m. Prager's victory over Wilson may have seemed like a huge upset, but in reality it wasn't. Prager, 27, played No. 2 singles for the University of Oregon in the early 1990s and much of his life revolves around tennis. He teaches it at the Racquet and Fitness Club in Davis, Calif., he coaches it at Yuba City Junior College; and he plays it throughout the year. Prager already has one tournament title to his credit this summer - the Grass Valley (Calif.) Open - and he reached the semifinals at the Yuba City Open earlier this month. The only reason he came into Big Al's unseeded was simply because tournament officials didn't know his background. What was surprising about Saturday's match against Wilson was the ease in which Prager triumphed. After a competitive first set, the slender Prager dominated, depositing slicing, looping shots from the baseline. "I was attacking him early-on and it was working, but then he started returning everything and my game fell apart," the 20-year-old Wilson said. "I really played bad in the second set." Prager said the Hunter Park courts were slower than those he plays on in California and that worked to his advantage. "Chad's a very aggressive player and anything to slow him down was a plus for me," Prager said. "I tried to hit everything to his backhand and just prayed that he'd miss." Oas, meanwhile, looked spry and nimble for a 41-year-old as he coasted to victory over Hammons. Oas hasn't won a Big Al's title since 1992 but he's in his best shape in years. Oas also caught a break by being in the bottom half of the bracket, where No. 2 seed Beau Toy and No. 3 seed Aaron Spencer were no-shows. "I'm a longshot these days but it's fun to match up against these young guys and see how you stack up," said Oas, an Ashland native who won titles in 1981, '84, '91 and '92. "I've been playing a lot more tennis lately and that obviously helps. "We'll see how much gas I've got left in my tank." In women's singles open play, No. 1 seed Gail Patton received a bye into the semifinals. In quarterfinal matches contested Saturday, Alison Tetrick of Millville, Calif., defeated Ashland's Jessica Baker, 7-5, 6-0; Medford's Annie Chaney topped Ashland's Justine Bowen-Jones; and Amy Brown of Palo Cedro, Calif., conquered Medford's Shannon Leever, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4. Medford's Dan Perone, meanwhile, stayed alive in his quest for seven straight titles in the men's 40-and-over singles division Saturday. The top-seeded Perone rallied for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over San Francisco's David Wolfe. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.