The finals are set at the 2017 Men’s ITA National Team Indoor Championships and it’ll be the host and top seed Virginia going up against the third seed Ohio State. The opening match of the day between Ohio State and the second seed Wake Forest was just plain wild. There were so many swings back and forth and just when you thought one team was going to pull it out the other came swooping in. 

Ohio State came into the match with a perfect 12-0 record during the doubles point but Wake Forest was set on giving them their first L. Ohio State’s No. 2 team of Martin Joyce and Hugo Di Feo came out with guns blazin’ as they broke Alan Gadjiev on the no-ad point to start the match and then after Joyce held from 40/30 they broke Borna Gojo’s serve on the no-ad point to make it 3-0. Gojo and Gadjiev took one of the breaks back when they broke Di Feo from 30/40 however Joyce and Di Feo would break Gadjiev on the no-ad point to make it 4-1. Joyce would hold and then the Buckeye duo would break Gojo to close it out 6-1. 

The match at No. 1 doubles was all holds until Wake’s Skander Mansouri and Christian Seraphim broke the Herkko Pollanen serve from 15/40 to go ahead 5-3. Seraphim was serving for the match but after falling behind 0/30 but he and Mansouri rallied to win four straight points to close it out 6-3.

The doubles point would be decided at No. 3 between Wake’s Petros Chrysochos and Dennis Uspensky and Ohio State’s Matt Mendez and Hunter Tubert. For the most part Chrysochos and Uspensky were breezing through their service games while Mendez and Tubert were struggling although they did in fact hold each time. Mendez held on the no-ad point for 2-2, Tubert came back from 0/40 down to hold for 3-3, and then Mendez came back from 0/40 down to hold for 6-6. In the tiebreak Wake led 4-2 at the changeover but Ohio State got it back on serve at 4-5 after a Chrysochos double fault and an Uspensky error at the net. Wake went back up a mini-break at 6-4, after Chrysochos drilled a backhand that Mendez couldn’t handle at the net, but then Tubert hit a second serve service winner to make it 5-6. Uspensky would hit a service winner on the next point to close out the tiebreak 7-5 which gave Wake Forest a 1-0 lead. 

Ohio State would bounce back in singles and take four opening sets and they’d eventually close three of those matches out in straight sets. The matchup at No. 3 was a dual between a pair of first-semester freshmen with Ohio State’s JJ Wolf taking on Wake’s Borna Gojo. The match stayed on serve through the first six service games before Wolf would go up a break at 4-3. Wolf held at love for 5-3 and then he broke Gojo again this time from 30/40 to take the opening set 6-3. Gojo would start off the second set by breaking Wolf on the no-ad point but Wolf broke back from 15/40 and then held from 40/15 to go up 2-1. Wolf broke again and held for 4-1 and then he had two match points on Gojo’s 2-5 service game but a Wolf forehand error and a Gojo service winner made it 3-5. Wolf would serve it out from 40/30 with an ace down the T to win it 6-3, 6-3. 

The next match to finish was at No. 2 as Ohio State junior Hugo Di Feo would put the Buckeyes in front 2-1 with a straight set win over Wake junior Skander Mansouri. The opening set stayed on serve through the first eight games though Di Feo had to dig himself out of a 15/40 hole to hold for 4-4. Di Feo broke on the no-ad point for 5-4 and then he held from 40/30 to take the set 6-4. Di Feo broke from 15/40 to start the second set but Mansouri would break back from 30/40 to even it at 2-2. Di Feo broke from 15/40 to go up 4-3 and then after holding he’d break Mansouri on the no-ad point, via a Mansouri double fault, to win it 6-4, 6-3.

The next domino to fall came at No. 6 as Ohio State redshirt freshman Kyle Seelig would play from ahead almost the entire match against Wake redshirt freshman Alan Gadjiev. Seelig broke Gadjiev to go up 2-1 in the first and he’d make that break lead hold up and take the first set 6-4. The only game in that opening set where Seelig was in trouble was at 4-3 but he managed to come back from 0/40 down to hold. In the second set, Seelig would fight off two break points to hold for 2-2 and then he’d break from 30/40 to go up 3-2. Seelig was serving up 4-3 (40/15) but Gadjiev would come back to break for 4-4 but Seelig broke right back from 30/40 to go up 5-4. Seelig served out the match at love to win it 6-4, 6-4 which put Ohio State in front 3-1. 

Wake Forest was down but they weren’t out because they had leads on each of the three remaining courts. Wake sophomore Dennis Uspensky would start the comeback with a straight set win over Martin Joyce at No. 5. Joyce had a break lead at two different times in the first set but both times Uspensky broke back on the next game. The opening set would end up in a tiebreak and it was all Uspensky as he ran away with it taking it 7-1. Uspensky went up an early break in the second set at 2-1 and he’d make it stick and would eventually serve the match out from 40/30 to win 7-6(1), 6-4. 

Wake Forest redshirt junior Christian Seraphim would tie the match at 3-3 with a three set win over Herkko Pollanen at No. 4. Seraphim took the first set 6-3 but Pollanen grabbed the second by the same score. Seraphim jumped out to a single break 3-0 in the third but Pollanen would have a chance to get it back on serve when Seraphim served 3-1 (30/40). Seraphim fought off both break points to hold for 4-1 and then in his final service game he’d come back from 15/40 down to hit an ace on the no-ad point to close it out 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. 

The match was tied at 3-3 and the decider would come at No. 1 between the the top ranked Petros Chrysochos and the second ranked Mikael Torpegaard. Chrysochos got off to quick starts in each of the three sets but Torpegaard kept coming back and wouldn’t go away. In the opening set, Chrysochos jumped out to a 3-0 lead but Torpegaard held, broke at love, and held again to even it at 3-3. Each player held the rest of the set and then in the tiebreak Chrysochos would go in front 6-2 but Torpegaard fought off all four set points to tie it at 6-6. Chrysochos went back in front 7-6 but Torpegaard won both points on his serve to go up 8-7 and then he’d close out the tiebreak 9-7 when Chrysochos netted a backhand. 

The second set was almost a carbon copy of the first except this time Chrysochos would take a double break 3-0 lead but Torpegaard broke, held, and broke again to even it at 3-all. Chrysochos broke back on the no-ad point to go up 4-3 but Torpegaard did the same to even it at 4-all. Torpegaard held for 5-4 and then he’d have a match point on the no-ad point but Chrysochos stayed alive with a service winner to even it at 5-all. Chrysochos broke on the no-ad point for 6-5 and then he held at love to take the second set 7-5. 

By this time all the other matches had wrapped up so everyone was gathered around to watch the full third set. Once again Chrysochos came out strong as he broke on the no-ad point to take a 1-0 lead and then he held from 40/15 to go up 2-0. Chrysochos never actually served the ball on the 40/15 point because on the previous point Torpegaard came down on his wrist while stretching to hit a forehand and once he took a medical timeout that resulted in an automatic point penalty which gave Chrysochos the hold. After getting his left wrist wrapped (Torp is right-handed), Torpegaard went up 40/30 but Chrysochos came back and broke on the no-ad point for 3-0. Chrysochos went up 40/30 on his next service game but Torpegaard came back to break after Chrysochos netted a forehand on the no-ad point. Torpegaard held from 40/15 to make it 2-3 but Chrysochos held from 40/30 to make it 4-2. Torpegaard would hold on the no-ad point for 3-4 and then he broke on the no-ad point to even it at 4-all. Torpegaard would come back from 30/40 down to hold for 5-4 after Chrysochos missed wide on a forehand down the line. Chrysochos would get another abbreviated hold to make it 5-all because on the 30/15 point he hit a backhand down the line that Torpegaard called out but when the chair overruled the call that also resulted in a subsequent point penalty since it was Torpegaard’s third overrule. Torpegaard argued with the chair that he changed his call immediately after calling it out but the chair said he didn’t see the motion or hear him say anything. 

Chrysochos would break from 30/40 to go up 6-5 and then he quickly went up 30/0. Chrysochos just missed a forehand wide for 30/15, Torpegaard hit a big backhand into the corner that Chrysochos couldn’t reach for 30-all, Chrysochos missed a looping forehand wide for 30/40, and then Torpegaard pushed a backhand lob just long to bring up the no-ad point. On the no-ad point Torpegaard would break after hitting a laser backhand winner into the corner and off to a tiebreak they went. 

Torpegaard went up a mini-break at 2-1 but Chrysochos would get it back on serve at 3-2 after a Torpegaard backhand found the net. Chrysochos hit a service winner for 3-all and then Torpegaard went up 4-3 after he stepped in on a second serve and hit a backhand winner. Torpegaard went up 5-3 when Chrysochos hit a lob that hit off the roof and then he extended the lead to 6-3 with a sensational get on a Chrysochos drop shot. Chrysochos fought off the first match point with a service winner but then on the next point he’d net a forehand to fall 7-6(7), 5-7, 7-6(4).  

Ohio State will be playing in its fifth NTI Championship match while seeking its second title with it’s only other title coming back in 2014 when it beat USC 4-1. 

Below are some videos courtesy of the ITA – first is match point in Torpegaard’s match the second is a full match recap. Below that is a post-match interview that FloTennis had with Torpegaard and head coach Ty Tucker. 

MIKAEL TORPEGAARD CLINCHES! @OhioState_MTEN is headed to the #ITAIndoors finals!

?: Match Point @OhioStAthletics pic.twitter.com/TrIeYr1y3E

— ITA Tennis (@ITA_Tennis) February 19, 2017

?: In an instant classic, No. 3 @OhioState_MTEN defeats No. 2 Wake Forest 4-3 to advance to the #ITAIndoors Championship! @OhioStAthletics pic.twitter.com/sfrmf7POmn

— ITA Tennis (@ITA_Tennis) February 20, 2017

Congrats to Mikael & @OhioState_MTEN that was absolutely unreal #ITAIndoors #FloTennisTopMoments pic.twitter.com/Dd8EJUl6Yp

— FloTennis (@FloTennis_) February 19, 2017

The second match of the day between Virginia and North Carolina was a rematch of last year’s NTI Championship, which was an epic match itself, but this year’s rendition wouldn’t quite pack the same sizzle. The doubles point took all of 20 minutes with Virginia blowing North Carolina off the court with 6-1 wins at No. 2 and No. 3 while Virginia led 5-2 at No. 1.

Virginia kept the momentum going during singles play and took all six first sets. Virginia freshman Carl Soderlund was first off the court with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Simon Soendergaard at No. 3 and junior Collin Altamirano wasn’t far behind after he defeated Ronnie Schneider 6-0, 6-3 at No. 1. Virginia led 3-0 but then North Carolina finally found some life and started mounting a comeback on each of the four remaining courts. 

North Carolina first-semester freshman William Blumberg got a split at No. 2, junior Robert Kelly got a split at No. 4, sophomore Blaine Boyden was up 5-2 in the second set at No. 6, plus senior Jack Murray was serving for the second set at No. 5. 

Murray and Virginia’s Alexander Ritschard exchanged breaks throughout the second set so when Murray went up 5-3 it shouldn’t have been a surprise to see Ritschard break back from 15/40 to put it back on serve at 4-5. Each held comfortably over the next several games to send the set to a tiebreak and then Ritschard jumped out to a 3-0 lead and cruised 7-4 to clinch the Virginia victory. 

Virginia will be playing in its eight NTI Championship final and will be seeking its sixth title with its last coming in 2013 when it beat USC 4-2. 

#1 Virginia 4, #5 North Carolina 0
Feb 19, 2017 at Charlottesville, VA. (Boar’s Head Sports Club)
Singles competition
1. Collin Altamirano (VA) def. #16 Ronnie Schneider (NC) 6-0, 6-3
2. #28 Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (VA) vs. William Blumberg (NC) 6-3, 3-6, 2-4, unfinished
3. Carl Soderlund (VA) def. Simon Soendergaard (NC) 6-2, 6-1
4. #64 J.C. Aragone (VA) vs. Robert Kelly (NC) 6-2, 4-6, 4-3, unfinished
5. Alexander Ritschard (VA) def. Jack Murray (NC) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
6. Henrik Wiersholm (VA) vs. #79 Blaine Boyden (NC) 7-6 (7-5), 2-5, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. #55 Luca Corinteli/Carl Soderlund (VA) vs. #21 William Blumberg/Robert Kelly (NC) 5-2, unfinished
2. Thai-Son Kwiatkowski/Alexander Ritschard (VA) def. Jack Murray/Ronnie Schneider (NC) 6-1
3. Collin Altamirano/J.C. Aragone (VA) def. Blaine Boyden/Simon Soendergaard (NC) 6-1
Match Notes:
North Carolina 11-1; National ranking #5
Virginia 8-0; National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (3); Singles (3,1,5)
ITA National Team Indoor Championship Semifinals
T-2:10 A-811 

A couple consolation tidbits from Sunday: 

• Oklahoma played without Andrew Harris and dropped the doubles point but they swept the top four spots in singles to defeat Florida 4-2
• California played without Filip Bergevi and Billy Griffith (No. 3/No. 4) but still managed to defeat UCLA 4-3 with JT Nishimura clinching 6-4 in the third at No. 4 (usually plays 6)
• Mississippi State dropped the doubles point but came back to defeat Northwestern 4-3
• USC beat Baylor 4-2 with the Trojans taking the doubles point and sweeping the bottom three spots in singles. 
• Texas dropped the doubles point but came back to beat Oklahoma State 4-2
• Georgia fought off two match points in the tiebreak at No. 3 to win the doubles point and then won all but two sets in singles in a 4-0 win over Utah State. 

Box scores from all matches are available on the ITA’s site. 

• vs. Jack Swindells (USU) 6-1, 4-3, unfinished
• vs. #73 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) 3-6, 2-4, unfinished
• def. #16 Ronnie Schneider (NC) 6-0, 6-3

• def. Kai Wehnelt (USU) 6-0, 6-4
• def. #19 Gage Brymer (UCLA) 6-1, 6-2
• vs. William Blumberg (NC) 6-3, 3-6, 2-4, unfinished

• vs. Jaime Barajas (USU) 6-3, 4-1, unfinished
• vs. Evan Zhu (UCLA) 6-2, 5-3, unfinished
• def. Simon Soendergaard (NC) 6-2, 6-1

• def. Sergiu Bucur (USU) 6-1, 7-5
• def. Austin Rapp (UCLA) 6-3, 6-2
• vs. Robert Kelly (NC) 6-2, 4-6, 4-3, unfinished

• def. Samuel Serrano (USU) 6-2, 6-1
• vs. Logan Staggs (UCLA) 7-5, 1-1, unfinished
• def. Jack Murray (NC) 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)

• vs. Jonas Maier (USU) 6-0, 4-6, 0-1 unfinished
• def. #112 Maxime Cressy (UCLA) 6-4, 6-1
• vs. #79 Blaine Boyden (NC) 7-6 (7-5), 2-5, unfinished

• vs. Samuel Serrano/Kai Wehnelt (USU) 6-6, unfinished
• vs. #16 Martin Redlicki/Evan Zhu (UCLA) 4-4, unfinished
• vs. #21 William Blumberg/Robert Kelly (NC) 5-2, unfinished

• def. Jonas Maier/Jack Swindells (USU) 7-5
• def. Gage Brymer/Maxime Cressy (UCLA) 6-3
• def. Jack Murray/Ronnie Schneider (NC) 6-1

• def. Andrew Nakajima/Jaime Barajas (USU) 6-4
• def. Austin Rapp/Ben Goldberg (UCLA) 6-1
• def. Blaine Boyden/Simon Soendergaard (NC) 6-1

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