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Hiltzik and Shane Advance to Waco Finals, Gosea/Hach Take Dubs, Master’U BNP Paribas, C.J. Krimbill Wins NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award

by | Dec 3, 2016 | Blog

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The singles final is all set in Waco and it’ll be a pair of recent college graduates meeting as Jared Hiltzik squares off against Ryan Shane. Hiltzik (14.57) dropped the opening set 6-1 to recent Tulane graduate Dominik Koepfe (14.31) but the recent Illinois graduate was able to turn the tide in the second and third sets. Hiltzik came back from 0/40 down to hold for 2-1 in the second and fought off another break point to hold for 4-3. Hiltzik then converted his only break point opportunity of the set when he broke Koepfer from 30/40 to go ahead 5-3 and then he served out the set from 40/15 to take it 6-3. In the third set Hiltzik got a huge hold for 3-3 after he went down 0/40 and then a few games later he broke Koepfer from 15/40 to go ahead 5-4. Hiltzik served it out from 40/30 to get the win 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours and 14 minutes. 

 
Shane (14.27) booked his spot in the finals with a tough straight set win over the fifth seed Luke Bambridge (14.29). Bambridge served for first set up 5-3, after getting a break from 30/40, but Shane broke back in a one-deuce game and then held from 40/30 to even it at 5-5. Each held again from 40/30 to send the set to a tiebreak then Shane won the first three points and cruised 7-3.
 
Shane started off the second set by coming back from 15/40 down to hold for 1-0 but he wouldn’t face another break point the rest of the way. It looked like Shane would close it out on Bambridge’s 4-5 service game but Bambridge fought off five match points to hold in a six-deuce game. However Shane would close it out on Bambridge’s next service game when he broke him from 15/40 to take it 7-6(3), 7-5 in 1 hour and 49 minutes. 
 
 
This will be the third career pro singles final for both with Shane looking for his second title while Hiltzik seeks his first. Shane won the last meeting (may have been the only meeting) in the opening round of the 2014 National Indoor Intercollegiates 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3. 
 
Semifinals
Jared Hiltzik (USA/Illinois ’16) def. [8] Dominik Koepfer (GER/Tulane ’16) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
[7] Ryan Shane (USA/Virginia ’16) def. [5] Luke Bambridge (GBR) 7-6(3), 7-5
 
Hans Hach (Abilene Christian ’13) won his seventh doubles title of the year, 17th career, and Farris Gosea (Illinois ’15) won his third of the year, fourth career, after the duo won in straight sets over Juan Benitez (Baylor Soph) and Julian Lenz (Baylor ’16). Benitez and Lenz led 4-2 in the first set and they had four break points to go up 5-2 but Hach and Gosea came back from 0/40 down to hold on the no-ad point. Hach and Gosea broke on the no-ad point to even it at 4-4 and a few games later they broke from 15/40 to take the opening set 7-5. 
 
Hach and Gosea broke on the no-ad point to take a 3-1 lead in the second set and would eventually serve it out at love to win it 7-5, 6-3
 
 
  
Finals
[2] Farris Gosea (Illinois ’15)/Hans Hach (Abilene Christian ’13) def. Juan Benitez (Baylor Soph)/Julian Lenz (Baylor ’16) 7-5, 6-3
 
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Team USA opened up its defense of the 11th Annual Master’U BNP Paribas in Marcq En Baroeul, France, with a pretty routine 6-1 win over Ireland. Hayley Carter, Strong Kirchheimer, Francesca Di Lorenzo, and Tom Fawcett each rolled in singles while Carter and Ena Shibahara and Di Lorenzo and Kirchheimer won in doubles. 
 
USA def. Ireland 6-1
#2 women’s singles: Hayley Carter (USA/UNC Sr) defeated Jane Fennelly (Ireland) 6-0, 6-1
#2 men’s singles: Strong Kirchheimer (USA/Northwestern Sr) defeated Bjorn Thomson (Ireland/Texas Tech Soph) 6-3, 6-2
#1 women’s singles:  Francesca Di Lorenzo (USA/Ohio State Soph) defeated Amy Bowtell (Ireland) 6-1, 6-2
#1 men’s singles: Tom Fawcett (USA/Stanford Jr) defeated Simon Carr (Ireland) 6-3, 6-3
Women’s doubles: Carter/ Ena Shibahara (USA/UCLA Fr) defeated Fennelly/Curran (Ireland) 8-1
Men’s doubles: Carr/Thompson (Ireland) defeated Chris Eubanks (GT Jr)/Fawcett (USA) 8-2
Mixed doubles: Di Lorenzo/Kirchheimer (USA) defeated Curran/OSullivan (Ireland) 8-3
 
Team USA will meet Germany in the semifinals with live scoring available at this link. Boise State men’s head coach Greg Patton has a daily blog on the day’s events at this link. 
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Recent Case Western Reserve graduate C.J. Krimbill became the first-ever men’s tennis player to be selected for the coveted NCAA Today’s Top 10 Award which recognizes former student-athletes for their successes on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Krimbill was a four-time Division III Singles All-American and a three-time Doubles All-American at Case Western Reserve while also carrying a 3.94 GPA as a Chemical Engineer Major. Below are a full quotes from Case Western Reserve’s write-up:
 
“I am honored to have been chosen to represent the University and student athletes across the country,” said Krimbill. “This means a great deal to all those who have supported me throughout my time at Case Western Reserve and my upbringing beforehand, including my parents, Coach Todd, teammates, friends, and the athletic department. All of the effort and passion from those who supported both the team and I is being recognized by this award. I will cherish this, along with many wonderful memories from my four years.”
 

“C.J. is an outstanding young man, who represents the ideal of everything we would like to see from the student-athletes in the program, both on and off the court,” said CWRU Head Men’s Tennis Coach Todd Wojtkowski. “Not only was he the most accomplished player in the history of the men’s tennis program at Case Western Reserve, but his leadership helped to elevate the play of those around him. When you combine that with his success in the classroom and his work in the community, you get a truly special individual. I cannot think of a more deserving candidate for this prestigious honor than C.J.”