North Carolina won the doubles point for the 12th time in its last 13 matches with a 6-4 win at No. 1 and a 6-3 win at No. 2. The Tar Heels rode the momentum from the doubles point and took five opening sets in singles.
Wake Forest freshman Dennis Uspensky earned the only first set for the Demon Deacons and he was also the first to finish with a 6-0, 6-3 rout over UNC freshman Anu Kodali. It was Uspensky’s 10th win in his last 11 matches.
North Carolina junior Brayden Schnur put the Tar Heels back on top with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Skander Mansouri at No. 1. Schnur has now won his last two after dropping his three prior.
UNC 2 WFU 0 Schnur d. Mansouri 4,4 pic.twitter.com/j9N3CbmENyUNC Men’s Tennis (@carolinatennis) April 3, 2016
North Carolina senior Brett Clark made it 3-1 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Jon Ho at No. 3. Clark came back from 15-40 on his 5-4 service game to close it out.
UNC 3, WFU 1 Clark overcomes 3 break pts to serve out match over Jon Ho 6-2, 6-4 pic.twitter.com/doegUFkFNZUNC Men’s Tennis (@carolinatennis) April 3, 2016
It looked like North Carolina had the match in the bag because Jack Murray was serving for the match at No. 5 against Christian Seraphim. Murray took the opening set 6-3 and then he jumped out to a 5-3 lead in the second. Murray had two match points on his 5-3 service game but Seraphim got the break and then Seraphim fought off another match point on the deciding point to hold for 5-5. Seraphim broke again on the deciding point and then held to take the set 7-5 and send the match to a third set.
Wake Forest freshman Petros Chrysochos put the Deacs second point on the board with a come from behind 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Ronnie Schneider at No. 2. Chrysochos broke Schneider to go up 3-2 in the third and then broke again to go up 5-2. Schneider would break back and hold for 4-5 but Chrysochos closed it out on his next service game for the win.
Both of the remaining matches were into a third set and Wake would go up early breaks on both courts. An ailing Jack Murray would get broke to start the third set and then Seraphim held on the deciding point to make it 2-0. Murray would finally get a hold to make it 1-2 and then a couple of Seraphim double faults put it back on serve at 2-2.
Over at No. 4, Wake Forest senior Romain Bogaerts went up an early break on UNC sophomore Robert Kelly but Kelly broke right back to even it at 2-2. Bogaerts broke again to go up 3-2 but Kelly broke back for 3-3. Kelly held on the deciding point to go up 4-3 but Bogaerts held on the deciding point as well to make it 4-4.
Back at No. 5, Seraphim broke Murray to go up 3-2 and then held for 4-2. Murray held for 3-4 but Seraphim quickly held for 5-3. Seraphim would break Murray to close out the 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 win and tie the match at 3-3.
Wake was now seemingly in the driver’s seat because Bogaerts had broken Kelly to go 5-4 plus he had two match points up 40-30. Bogaerts double faulted to bring up the deciding point then a hobbling Kelly finished the next point with a volley at the net to make it 5-5. Bogaerts would break again to go up 6-5 and once again he’d be staring at some match points after going up 40-15 on his serve. Kelly erased all three to break and send the match to a deciding tiebreak.
Kelly took the first point on his serve but Bogaerts took the next five to go up 5-1 at the changeover. Kelly won the next point on the Bogaerts serve and then two more on his own serve to make it *5-4. Bogaerts went up 6-4 but Kelly put it back on serve at 6-5*. Bogaerts was able to win the next point, which was his seventh match point, to seal the 6-7(4), 6-2, 7-6(5) win.
Big win for the Deacs in Chapel Hill! pic.twitter.com/AYsjxtWI9pWake Men’s Tennis (@WakeMTennis) April 3, 2016
_____________________________________________________________________
Mississippi State, ranked No. 25, was coming off a tough 4-3 loss to state rival Ole Miss on Friday but the Bulldogs came into Fayetteville and upset No. 14 Arkansas 4-3.
MSU took the doubles point after Mate Cutura and Vaughn Hunter came back from an early 1-3 deficit to win the deciding match at No. 1 by a 7-5 score.
Arkansas took four first sets in singles and while they were able to finish three in straight sets it’d be that fourth one that would come back to get them.
MSU’s Strahinja Rakic put the Bulldogs up 2-0 with a 6-3, 6-0 win over David Herrerias at No. 5 but moments later Arkansas got on the board with a 6-3, 6-2 win by Adam Sanjurjo over Luka Sucevic at No. 6.
MSU would go up 3-1 with a 6-3, 7-5 win by Nuno Borges over Jose Salazar at No. 2 but Arkansas countered with a 7-6, 6-1 win from Mike Redlicki over Mate Cutura at No. 1.
Arkansas’s Giammarco Micolani was closing in on the finish line at No. 4 but MSU’s Rishab Agarwal would seal the Bulldogs win with a come from behind 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over Santiago Munoz at No. 3. Micolani did close out Niclas Bruan 6-4, 6-4 at No. 4 but the team outcome had already been decided.
Tulsa continued its drive to host a NCAA regional by going on the road to New Orleans and knocking off No. 23 Tulane 4-3.
Tulsa won the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 and then the teams split first sets in singles.
Tulane’s Mr. Automatic, Dominik Koepfer, was first off the court after rolling over Or Ram-Harel 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1. Tulane freshman Tyler Schick put the Green Wave ahead 2-1 with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Daniel Santos at No. 6 but Tulsa countered with a 6-3, 7-5 win by Majed Kilani at No. 4.
Juan Matias Gonzalez put Tulsa ahead 3-2 with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Constantin Schmitz at No. 2 then Okkie Kellerman clinched the win with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 win over Alex Van Cott at No. 5.
Tulane’s Sebastian Rey won the final match at No. 3 over Carlos Bautista 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(4) to make the final score 4-3.
The Sooners took the early momentum when they won the doubles point fairly easily with 6-2 win at No. 1 and No. 2. Each team claimed three first sets in singles but Oklahoma would take all completed second sets.
OU freshman Andre Biro was the first off the court with a 6-4, 6-3 win over FSU sophomore Terrance Whitehurst at No. 6. Biro has now won five in a row and seven of his last eight.
OU sophomore Spencer Papa made it 3-0 Boomer Sooner with a come from behind 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 win over FSU senior Marco Nunez. Papa has now won four in a row after dropping six of his first nine.
OU junior Alex Ghilea would provide the clincher at No. 3 with a 7-5, 6-4 win over FSU senior Michael Rinaldi. The other three matches were abandoned with OU leading at No. 1 and No. 5 and FSU up at No. 4.
Both FSU and ESPN3 have highlights so give those videos a watch to find out more about this match.
__________________________________________________________
Columbia and Harvard have been two of the Ivy’s elite for years and they gave those in attendance and watching on the Ivy Digital Network a great show that most won’t soon forget.
Columbia had won the doubles point 16 times in a row against Ivy League competition going into this week but it’s now dropped the point 2 times in a row after falling at No. 1 and No. 2. Harvard’s No. 1 team of Nicky Hu and Brien Young broke serve to go up 3-1 and then held the rest of the way to win it 6-3. Harvard took the doubles point when Sebastian Beltrame and Jean Thirouin defeated Mike Vermeer and Michal Rolski 7-5 at No. 2. Vermeer and Rolski broke to go up 2-1 and then held for 3-1. Beltrame and Thirouin broke Columbia’s 3-4 service game to tie it at 4-4 and then broke again from 5-6 to clinch it. The match at No. 3 was abandoned with Columbia serving at 5-6
Columbia rebounded in singles and took first sets at 3, 4, 5, and 6 while Harvard took sets at the top two spots.
Harvard senior Nick Hu put the Crimson ahead 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-1 whipping of Shawn Hadavi at No. 1. Hu broke Hadavi to go up 4-2 and broke again to take the opening set 6-2. Hu broke Hadavi to go up 2-0 in the second and never looked back.
Columbia senior Eric Rubin put the Lions on the board with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Kenny Tao at No. 3. Rubin broke Tao’s 3-4 service game and then held to take the opening set 6-3. Rubin broke Tao to start the second set and then broke him again to go up 4-1. Rubin held for 5-1, Tao held for 2-5, and then Tao erased multiple match points to break for 3-5. Rubin broke Tao on the deciding point to close it out 6-3, 6-3.
Fellow CU senior Mike Vermeer tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Andy Zhou at No. 4. Vermeer broke Zhou to go up 2-1 in the first but Zhou broke back a few games later to even it at 4-4. Vermeer would break back on the next game and then hold to take the set 6-4. Vermeer broke Zhou to start the second set then broke two more times to take it 6-4, 6-1.
The hero of Saturday’s match against Dartmouth would put the Lions up 3-2 as CU freshman Timmy Wang defeated Christopher Morrow 7-5, 6-4 at No. 6. The first set stayed on serve until Wang broke Morrow’s 5-6 service game on the deciding point to take the set 7-5. The second set was pretty similar with a slew of holds to start and a break to finish. Wang held on the deciding point to go up 5-4 and then after going up 0-40 broke Morrow to close it out.
Columbia was just a point away from the win and had both of the Pham brothers on the two remaining courts at No. 2 and No. 5.
The older Pham, Richard, would be unable to get that fourth point after Harvard senior Kelvin Lam closed it out for a 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 5. Pham was able to take the first set despite getting broken early on to go down 2-1. Pham broke back on the next game and broke again to take the opening set 7-5. Lam broke Pham’s 1-1 service game for the second set in a row but this time he consolidated the break for 3-1 and then broke again to go up 4-1. After an exchange of holds, Lam was broke serving for the set up 5-2 but he did manage to hold the second time around at 5-4 to take the set 6-4. Pham broke Lam to go up 2-0 in the third but Lam would rattle off the next six games to take it 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 and tie the match at 3-3.
The match would be decided in a third set at No. 2 between Columbia freshman Victor Pham and Harvard junior Sebastian Beltrame. There was only one break of serve in the first set and it came when Beltrame broke to go up 4-2. The only break of the second set came when Pham broke Beltrame to take the set 6-4. Beltrame broke Pham to start the third set and held for 2-0 but Pham would hold, break, and hold to go up 3-2. The next big point would come with Beltrame serving at 3-4, deciding point. Beltrame would hit an ace to hold for 4-4 and then it would be all holds until the tiebreak.
 |
| Victor Pham (Columbia) |
Pham got the early mini-break to go up 2-1 and then won both points on his serve to extend the lead to 4-1. Beltrame won the next two on his serve and then a backhand error from Pham tied it at 4-4. Pham took the next one to go up 5-4 then Beltrame won both on his serve to up 6-5. Pham fought off his first match point when Beltrame missed a forehand wide to make it 6-6. Beltrame went up *7-6 after he got a hold of Pham’s second serve but he’d miss a backhand long on the next point to make it 7-7. Pham would earn his first match point at *8-7 after Beltrame missed a backhand volley long but Beltrame evened it at 8-8 with a nice backhand while coming forward. Beltrame thought he had won the next point to up 9-8 but Pham said the shot just missed long and the chair agreed so Pham would have another match point at 9-8*. I’ll let Columbia’s video show you how it finished:
Freshman Victor Pham with his second 3-3, 7-6 in the third clinch of the season pic.twitter.com/XjsiECVwQxColumbia Mens Tennis (@ColumbiaMTennis) April 3, 2016
_____________________________________________________________
I ventured down to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this past weekend and was treated to a good one on Sunday as VCU held off a late charging Middle Tennessee State to win 4-3.
VCU took the early 1-0 lead after claiming the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3. VCU’s Catalin Fifea and Michal Voscek didn’t have any trouble at No. 3 as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held from 5-1 to take it 6-1. VCU’s Arvid Noren and Louis Ishizaka faced more resistance at No. 2 and in fact trailed 2-0 before holding and then breaking on the deciding point to even it at 2-2. VCU broke again and would serve for the match up 5-3 but MTSU broke from 15-40 to put it back on serve at 5-4*. VCU would return the favor and break on a double fault to win it 6-4. The clip on the left is match point at No. 3 and the one on the right is the point before the clinch at No. 2 (not much to see on the double fault that ended it).
MTSU turned up the heat in singles and took five opening sets and would get a pair of quick straight set wins at No. 1 and No. 3.
MTSU freshman and recent Davis Cup participant, Ayed Zatar Cordero, needed just 51 minutes to dispatch VCU’s Daryl Monfils 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles. For those wondering Daryl is the younger brother of ATP pro Gael Monfils.
Fellow freshman Gonzalo Morell made it 2-1 Blue Raiders after he defeated Michal Voscek 6-2, 6-1 at No. 1. Morell actually served for the first set up 5-0 but got broke. He served it out at love the second time around to take it 6-2. The second set wasn’t much closer with Morell breaking early and often before finishing the match by breaking to take it 6-2, 6-1.
VCU junior Catalin Fifea tied the match at 2-2 with a 7-6(2), 6-4 win over Gian Issa at No. 4. Fifea served for the match up 7-6, 5-3 but got broke on the deciding point however he would break Issa on the deciding point to close it out. I wasn’t able to get a good angle on match point but Fifea came to the net and got lobbed by Issa and then Fifea got the tip of his frame on the ball and his shot landed just on the other side for a winner. The clip below is Fifea serving 7-6, 5-3, deciding point.
VCU went ahead 3-2 when freshman Vitor Lima came from behind to defeat Miguel Negre 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 at No. 2. Negre broke Lima to take the opening set 6-4 but Lima broke Negre three times in the second set to take it 6-1. Lima held, broke, and held to go up 3-0 in the third before Negre got on the board to make it 3-1. It was all holds down the stretch and Lima would hold from 40-30 to close it out. The clip on the left is Lima serving up 4-2 in the third and on the right is match point.
MTSU freshman Luis Morillo Diaz tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(3) win over Louis Ishizaka at No. 5. Ishizaka broke Morillo Diaz to go up 3-1 in the third but Morillo Diaz won the next four to go up 5-3. Ishizaka held for 4-5, broke for 5-5, and held to go up 6-5. Morillo Diaz held to send it to a tiebreak but and then after falling behind 0-3 he’s win the next seven to take it 7-3. The video clip picks up with VCU leading 3-1 – as you can see the big scoreboard wasn’t working due to technical issues.
Everyone hustled back over to court No. 6 to see the conclusion of the match between VCU freshman Philip Mobius and MTSU senior Robin Riethmueller. Mobius actually served for the match up 5-1 in the third but Riethmueller took four straight to even it at 5-5. Mobius held for 6-5 and after going 15-40 would break Riethmueller from 30-40 to clinch it.
It was a great, hard-fought match by both teams that had plenty of swings but VCU was just a little strong down the stretch. Thanks again to MTSU head coach Jimmy Borendame and assistant coach Daniel Leitner for the invite – the facilities were nice especially the brand new indoor facility. I also enjoyed my Artful Doughnuts – may have had more than one 🙂
VCU 4, #64 Middle Tennessee 3
Other Notable Sunday Results:
#3 Virginia def. #75 Duke 6-1 – UVA recap – closer than the score (four 3rd sets)
#42 NC State def. Louisville 4-3 – NCST recap – Horton clinched at 2 to make it 4-2
#45 Virginia Tech def. #51 Notre Dame 6-1 – VT recap
#31 Georgia Tech def. Boston College 6-1 – GT recap
Clemson def. #67 Miami FL 4-3 – CU recap
#4 Ohio State def. Nebraska 4-0 – OSU recap
#15 Illinois def. #30 Wisconsin 4-0 – UI recap (w highlights)
#20 Michigan def. #53 Purdue 4-1 – UM recap (w highlights)
#33 Penn State def. #60 Iowa 4-0 – PSU recap
Indiana at Michigan State 6-1 – IU recap
#7 Georgia def. #44 LSU 4-3 – UGA recap – Smith clinched at 1 to make it 4-2
#10 Texas A&M def. #59 South Carolina 6-1 – aTm recap – closer than the score (five 3rd sets)
#41 Alabama def. #37 Ole Miss 4-3 – Bama recap – Rossouw clinched at 5 to make it 4-2
#43 Vanderbilt def. #55 Auburn 4-3 – VU recap– Valent won decider in 3rd
#39 Oregon def. Utah 4-0 – UO recap
#34 Princeton def. Yale 4-1 – PU recap
#40 Dartmouth def. #56 Cornell 4-2 – Dart recap
Penn def. Brown 4-3 – Penn recap
#17 South Florida def. Central Florida 4-0 – USF recap
#49 UC Santa Barbara def. UC Irvine 6-1 – UCSB recap
#50 Old Dominion def. South Alabama 4-0 – ODU recap
#52 Georgia State def. College of Charleston 4-1 – GSU recap
#57 East Tennessee State def. #63 UNC Wilmington 4-1 – ETSU recap
#58 Utah State def. Air Force 6-1 – USU recap
Elon def. #62 William & Mary 5-2 – Elon recap
#69 Boise State def. #70 New Mexico 4-1 – BSU recap
#73 Cal Poly def. Hawaii 7-0 – CP recap
if Rubin doesn't turn pro, Wake doe snot get Chrysochos or Uspensky
While you are at it with the what if game…Noah Rubin doesn't turn pro… Wake waltzes to a reasonable easy title
Georgia would have been a top 3 team with Tommy Paul while Texas honestly would have been about the same. This article says Caruana wasn't happy there so if he stuck around his results probably wouldn't have been like they have been recently – <br /><br />https://www.usta.com/Youth-Tennis/Junior-Competition/nefve_muljat_capture_16s_titles_in_carson_18s_finals_set/
If "ifs" and "buts" were candy and nuts, we'd all have a merry Christmas. <br />
how good would texas have been if Liam Caruana had honored his commitment? Same thing for Tommy Paul and Georgia.