What a crazy day it was on Sunday with not one, not two, but three regional hosts going down. The day started off in College Station with the resumption of Saturday’s match between Texas A&M and Texas and it finished in Lubbock with SMU kicking the door down and stunning Texas Tech.
When the season started if you told me that Texas would be in Tulsa for the NCAA Round of 16 I would have told you to go see a doctor. Well Texas made a believer of me and many today after going into enemy territory and knocking off Texas A&M in a 4-3 thriller.
The match originally began on Saturday but after Texas A&M took the doubles point the match was stopped early in singles due to rain. Play resumed Sunday morning at 11am central and within a matter of minutes Texas had five first sets in the bag after Rodrigo Banzer, Adrian Ortiz, and George Goldhoff closed out sets on 4, 2, and 1.
Texas senior Michael Riechmann put the first point on the board for the Longhorns after he defeated Jackson Withrow at No. 5. Riechmann took the opening set on Saturday but it looked like Withrow was going to get an early break in the second. Withrow had three break points on Riechmann’s 1-2 service game but Riechmann fought all of them off to hold for 2-2. Riechmann would then break Withrow on the deciding point to go up 4-3 and then three games later he’d close it out with an ace down the T from 40-15 to win it 6-4, 6-4.
Texas sophomore Adrian Ortiz would make it 2-1 after he pulled away from A&M senior Shane Vinsant at No. 2. When play began Vinsant was serving at 4-5 and he’d fight off a set point on the deciding point to even it at 5-5. Ortiz held for 6-5 and then broke Vinsant at love to take the opening set 7-5. Ortiz put the hammer down in the second set and raced out to a 5-0 lead and would hit a service winner on match point to take it 7-5, 6-1.
Texas freshman Harrison Scott would make it 3-1 Horns after he defeated A&M sophomore Jordi Arconada at No. 3. Scott took the opening set 6-3 and then he broke Arconada to go up 2-1 in the second. Arconada would reel off five in a row to take the second set 6-2 but he’d get broke to start the third set. Scott would add a second break to go up 5-2 and then he’d serve it out to win it 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
So Texas had a 3-1 lead but things were getting tense elsewhere. A&M’s Arthur Rinderknech was serving 3-3, 40-40 in the third at 1, A&M’s Harrison Adams was serving 4-1 in the third at 4, and A&M’s Max Lunkin was serving for the match up 5-4 in the third at 6. It looked like A&M might come back and steal it and they would come oh so close.
Harrison Adams would hold serve two more times from 4-1 to close out Rodrigo Banzer at No. 4 to make it 3-2. Banzer looked like he might get off the court in straight sets when he led 6-2, 2-0 but Adams won four straight games to go up 4-2 and would end up getting the split by taking the set 6-4. Adams broke Banzer to start the third set but Banzer would break back to even it at 1-1. Adams broke again, this time on the deciding point, to go up 2-1 and then he’d break again to go up 4-1
Max Lunkin was serving 5-4, 40-30 in the third against Julian Zlobinsky at No. 6 but the Texas sophomore managed to break to knot it at 5-5. Lunkin quickly broke back and then he’d finally close the door on Zlobinsky to win it 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.
As Lunkin was closing out Zlobinsky, Texas junior George Goldhoff was serving for the match at No. 1. Just 25 minutes earlier Goldhoff trailed Arthur Rinderknech 3-0 in the final set but Goldhoff managed to win five straight to go up 5-3. On the pivotal 3-3, 40-40 point that I mentioned above Rinderknech double faulted to put Goldhoff up 4-3. Rinderknech stopped the bleeding and held for 4-5 but Goldhoff quickly went up 30-0 on his next service game. Rinderknech was able to push it to the deciding point and then he’d get the break after Goldhoff couldn’t handle a second overhead. Rinderknech would hold from 40-30 to go up 6-5 but Goldhoff would hold at love to send it to a match deciding tiebreak.
Goldhoff went up a mini-break at 1-0 but Rinderknech took the next four to go up 4-1. Goldhoff would then take the next five to go up 6-4 but a loose forehand error put it back on serve at 6-5. I’ll let the video clip show you how it finish:
“It was a rollercoaster ride, it looked like after we won the doubles point yesterday like we had some momentum and then the rain delay. After the delay they came out and hit us in the mouth and got way ahead and we were able to battle our way back into the match today. They just came up with the shots at the end, I thought George [Goldhoff] was a little bit more aggressive, certainly at the end of the tiebreaker than Arthur was and that was the difference.”
On coming back to tie the match at three-all
“We got down 3-1 and Harry came through for us. He got on top and started winning some off the key points in second and third sets. He won some three-all points which he was not doing in the first set and then Max hung in there and stayed the course. I knew it was going to be a close match it didn’t shock me it was a 7-6 in the third last match on. That seems to be how we play these matches against a lot of teams especially when so much is on the line and the fact that we are playing to go to Tulsa. Everything was heightened and our guys gave their best effort, Texas just played a little bit better today.”
We beat a very good Texas A&M team who had an outstanding season on its home courts today. I’m so proud of how our guys stuck together and fought so hard. All we have talked about throughout this season has been ‘Let’s be a great team.’ We repeated that phrase again in our preparation for today’s match, and we really kept our focus on competing hard and being resilient. We didn’t focus on winning certain matches and having to get results from certain people in our lineup. We kept our mindset on competing during every point, and we’re obviously very excited for this victory.
On George Goldhoff’s play to seal the victory
You have to give George a ton of credit for hanging in there when there were so many momentum swings in his match. He actually got down 3-0 to start the third set and battled back to win five straight to go up 5-3. He served for the match at 5-4 and was up 30-love, and he also had a match point in that game. Even when it was 5-5 and he was receiving serve, he was in control of some points. All of a sudden he’s down 6-5, and I was so proud of the way he came back and served out the next game to force the tiebreak. Then you go to the tiebreak and he gets down 4-1 and it doesn’t look good. But again, George fights back to go up 6-4. He played a little tentative on the next point, but to see him come back and hit the winner at 6-5 was a great moment.
On the play of the entire lineup today
We first have to give credit to Michael Riechmann and his win (at 5 singles) that got us off to a great start in singles. He was able to get a victory against probably the best player in the A&M lineup at his position and a sixth-year senior (Jackson Withrow) who held a 17-3 record entering the match. To see that score go up early today gave us a much-needed spark. Adrian Ortiz (at 2 singles) and Harrison Scott (at 3 singles) also gave us huge wins, and both Rodrigo (Banzer) and Julian (Zlobinsky) really fought hard in their three-set matches. We did not give A&M anything easy. I also want to give a shout-out to the Texas women’s tennis team and their win at Duke on Saturday. We definitely discussed their win in getting ready for today and how we needed to join them in Tulsa, so they provided our group with some great inspiration.
On watching the team celebrate on the court after the win
That celebration is the culmination of an entire season of hard work by our players and staff. We lost five guys from our lineup after last year, and this young team has grown up so much over the course of the season. We’ve learned a lot from some of the close losses that we had, and we’ve grown from our wins as well. To know where we started this year and to see the emotion of our players here today after this win, it’s a great feeling.
George Goldhoff on the final points of the tiebreaker
That might have been the craziest moment of my life. I was down 4-1 and my opponent (Rinderknech) had a pretty big serve, so there was only so much I could do. I just had to fight for every point. That’s all you can do. I took it one point at a time and just tried to execute the best I could. He double-faulted at four-all, and it all happened really fast after that. I was up 5-4 and then 6-4, and it hit me all at once that the next point was for the entire match. On that point, I had a pretty easy forehand at mid court but I netted it. On the last point, he got his serve in, and I got the return back. I mishit a ball and hit it a little deep, but he hit it back short. I had a backhand and I put it away. It was just surreal.
George Goldhoff on reaching the Round of 16
Everybody was counting us out. We had lost five of six (singles) starters and people didn’t think we were even going to make the NCAAs. This group of guys took that personally. We worked really hard to come back and prove everyone wrong. I just can’t put it into words what this group of guys has done. The team stepped up, and we weren’t going to rebuild. We wanted to get back to where we were last year. We’re keeping it one match at a time, but it’s huge to beat one of your biggest rivals on their courts. It’s an incredible feeling. I can’t put it into words how much this means to me.
Stanford had been knocking on the door all year only to be turned away time after time but on Sunday afternoon they finally got someone to answer and pulled off a surprising 4-3 win over Northwestern.
Stanford dropped the doubles point for only the sixth time this year after Northwestern picked up a 7-5 win at No. 1 and a 6-2 win at No. 2. Each team picked up three first sets in singles and all but one of them would finish in straight sets.
Stanford took a 2-1 lead after wins from Sameer Kumar and Maciek Romanowicz at No. 5 and No. 6 but Northwestern went ahead 3-2 after both Sam Shropshire and Strong Kirchheimer won at No. 2 and No. 3.
Stanford’s Nolan Paige tied the match at 3-3 with a win at No. 4 so it’d all come down to No. 1 to decide it.
Stanford’s Tom Fawcett appeared to have the opening set in control when he led Konrad Zieba 5-1 but Zieba reeled off six straight games to steal the set 7-5. Fawcett dominated the second set and took it 6-0 and then went ahead 2-0 in the third. Zieba held for 1-2 then Fawcett held and broke to go up a double break at 4-1. Zieba broke back and then came back from 0-40 down to hold for 3-4. It’d be all holds from there as Fawcett held to win it 5-7, 6-0, 6-4.
Stanford will be making its first Round of 16 appearance since 2012 and will face UCLA for the fourth time this season on Friday night at 8pm eastern.
Jonathan Kelley was in Evanston and will most likely have a report on his site On The Rise so make sure you keep an eye out for it. #29 Stanford 4, #14 Northwestern 3
May 15, 2016 at Evanston, Ill. (Vandy Christie Tennis Center)
Singles Competition
1. #15 Tom Fawcett (STAN) def. #20 Konrad Zieba (NU) 5-7, 6-0, 6-4
2. #40 Sam Shropshire (NU) def. Michael Genender (STAN) 6-3, 6-4
SMU pulled off the biggest surprise of the day when the 30th ranked Mustangs went to Lubbock and beat No. 8 Texas Tech 4-2. SMU took the doubles point for the 22nd time in 30 tries with a 6-3 win at No. 1 and a 7-5 win at No. 3.
SMU took four opening sets in singles and Hunter Johnson and Samm Butler would win in straight sets to make it 3-0. Texas Tech got a straight set win from Bjorn Thomson at No. 6 and Jolan Cailleau would win in three sets at No. 4 to cut the deficit to 3-2.
SMU redshirt senior Nate Lammons shook off a rough second set and pulled away from Hugo Dojas in the third set to clinch the match with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-2 win.
The Mustangs are back in the Round of 16 for the first time since 2001 and will face Florida on Friday at 1 p.m. eastern.
“This was a tremendous all-around team win for us,” said Head Coach Carl Neufeld. “It’s only fitting that our 5th-year senior Nate Lammons sealed the win for us. There is too much to say about him, having graduated with his undergrad and master’s in Engineering, missing his commencement because of the tournament and advancing us to the Sweet 16 is fantastic.”
“This match had all the drama, including a four and a half hour rain delay, them being the co-Big 12 champions and only have lost one home match in two years coming into today,” said Neufeld. In singles, to beat a team like this at the top three spots and two of those players being ranked is an incredible feat and I couldn’t be happier and proud for guys.”
“Definitely not the way we wanted to end our season, Texas Tech head coach Brett Masi said. “It’s very disappointing. I’m at a loss for words right now. We didn’t play at the level we’ve played at all year. We broke down mentally in a lot of ways and weren’t there for the fight that SMU gave us. Give credit to them they stepped up and took it to us. We just weren’t ready to counter them in a few spots. Credit to SMU and congratulations to them.
“When you’re getting beat down, I hope you can show some toughness, Masi said. “Bjorn and Jolan have been tough all year. They’ve stayed out there the whole time and given us their all. Bjorn has had a great first season. You’re going to see a lot of great things from this kid for years to come. The future is bright which is a huge positive for our program.
“Today obviously wasn’t our best, Thomson said. “I just want to say thank you to the whole team for making me part of the family, and a thank you to my coaches. My first season was so much better than I expected it to be. We lost today, but we’ve made some memories this season. We’ve got to push forward from here.
Florida’s hot streak continued as the Gators rode the momentum from the doubles point to pick up three straight set wins to defeat South Florida 4-0.
Florida’s Diego Hidalgo and Gordon Watson picked up a 6-4 win at No. 1 but USF’s Dominic Cotrone and Peter Bertran won 6-4 at No. 2. USF’s Ignacio Gonzalez-Muniz served for the match at No. 3 up 5-4, 40-30 but Florida’s Alfredo Perez and Chase Perez-Blanco broke for 5-5 and then held to go up 6-5. Florida would break Roberto Cid’s serve to win it 7-5.
Florida took four opening sets in singles and Gordon Watson, Alfredo Perez, and McClain Kessler each won in straight sets with Kessler clinching the match at No. 6. Below are some video highlights from Florida (if you don’t see anything change my site address from https to http)
Florida will now face SMU in the Round of 16 in Tulsa on Friday afternoon at 1pm eastern. This will be Florida’s fifth NCAA Round of 16 appearance in the last seven years.
#9 Florida 4, #17 South Florida 0
May 15, 2016 at Ring Tennis Complex (Linder Stadium)
Singles Competition
1. #10 Diego Hidalgo (FLA) vs. #2 Roberto Cid (USF) 6-4, 3-3, unfinished
“I saw a confident group. First off, I would just like to say that South Florida came out and played some really good tennis and had a great season. It was a tough draw to face them in the second round. We knew that it was going to be a tough test. Our guys just came in with a lot of confidence. I think throughout these past five or six weeks we have gathered some momentum. It is definitely showing in our doubles play. Our guys are having fun playing and if we get down a little bit, our guys don’t flinch. We just keep playing. I think that is the belief and the trust between these guys and in one another.
Our seniors at one are just leading the way in doubles and in singles as well. I think Diego and Gordon are playing about as well as you can in your senior campaign. That is really special. Our freshman core, McClain and Alfredo, they just keep producing for us. They compete and they work and they do all the little things out there that give us a change to be successful. Elliott and Chase, as well, were just out there battling today. So, it was a team win and victory.
I am really proud of our guys and really happy for all those that have been supporting us all year and our support staff. I am fortunate to be working with great coaches in Scott Perelman and Mark Merklein, just really thankful for the opportunity and to be able to move on.”
“We knew it was going to be a tough match today, have to give it to Florida for hanging around when their backs were against the wall in doubles and it paid off big, said head coach Matt Hill. “We had two match points in doubles at three, right after winning at two and they saved those two points, that was really the turning point in doubles.
“We were up in some of the matches but Florida was too good today, said Hill. “We know they are a good team, they are SEC champions and we have a lot of respect for them.
“They (senior class of Cid, Cotrone, Gonzalez-Muniz, Dzib) changed the image and the brand of this program in college tennis, said Hill. “Now people have a lot of respect for our program, especially now that we have been in the mix. We’ve done some really good things over the last few years because of these guys, so all the credit goes to them. __________________________________________________________
Virginia advanced to the Round of 16 for the 13th consecutive year with a tough 4-1 win over No. 37 Penn State. The Hoos took the doubles point for the 26th time in 30 tries with 6-3 wins at No. 1 and No. 3 while the match at No. 2 was on serve at the time of the clinch.
Virginia won all six first sets in singles and Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, Alexander Ritschard, and J.C. Aragone would each win in straight sets with Aragone clinching at No. 5.
Penn State’s Leo Stakhovsky, brother of ATP professional Sergiy, defeated the reigning NCAA Champion Ryan Shane 7-5, 7-6(6).
Both of the other matches were abandoned with each in a second set tiebreak. Below are some video highlights from NBC29 in Cville (if you don’t see anything change my site address from https to http)
“I am happy for the guys to advance as I think this is certainly an exciting team,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “When we go to Tulsa, we are going to need to play a little better than we did today and make sure we finish matches. We made it a little bit harder for ourselves today than I thought we needed to, but at the same time, I like how we played the first half of the match. For whatever reason, we struggled to finish and were out there a little bit longer. Credit to Penn State for the great job they did, the great season they had and how hard they fought. They kept battling and made it hard for us. We are going to have to continue to get better over the next five days and play at a more-intense, focused level, but I know we will be ready come Friday.”
“I am really proud of our team today, said Head Coach Jeff Zinn. “We played hard against the defending National Champions in Virginia. Ending the season is never easy but I end it being proud in Penn State and these men.
“This match was crazy close, you really had to be here to see it, said Coach Zinn. “There were multiple courts that went to close tiebreaks. The last three courts went to second-set tiebreaks that could have easily gone our way to push into a third set. A lot of it came down to the matches in doubles. We were close but couldn’t hold on.
“Leo had the best win of his career today and what a way to end it, said Coach Zinn. “He beat the reigning National Champion in Ryan Shane. Overall, our singles players played well against a stacked Virginia team.”
“Congratulations to Virginia on a well played match, said Assistant Coach Paul Tobin. “We had chances in singles but the defending National Champs were there to fight us the entire way. It has been an incredible year with this team. We were fortunate enough to have four incredible seniors who will leave a legacy with this team. The 2016 Penn State men’s tennis team will be missed as a group.
Ohio State ran its record to 32-2 and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the 11th consecutive year with a tough 4-2 win over No. 33 Virginia Tech. The Buckeyes won the doubles point for the 30th time in 34 tries with 6-3 win at No. 1 and No. 3.
Each team took three first sets in singles and Ohio State’s Herkko Pollanen would be the first off the court with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Mitch Harper at No. 5. VT’s Edoardo Tessaro countered with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Ralf Steinbach at No. 4 and then Andreas Bjerrehus tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Chris Diaz at No. 2.
Ohio State freshman Martin Joyce ran his dual-match record to 19-0 with a 6-4, 7-6(2) when over Jai Corbett at No. 6 in a match that finished within seconds of the Bjerrehus/Diaz match at No. 2.
Ohio State redshirt freshman Hugo Di Feo would get the clincher at No. 3 with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 win over Amerigo Contini. The match at No. 1 was abandoned with Mikael Torpegaard and Joao Monteiro just splitting sets though in the video below Ty Tucker said that Torp was cramping late in the second set.
Ohio State will face Texas for the second time this season on Friday morning at 10 a.m eastern. The Buckeyes blanked Texas 4-0 back on January 31 though Texas got the best of Ohio State the last time they met in Tulsa which came in the quarterfinals of the 2008 NCAA Championships.
Georgia advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 for the 13th consecutive year with a 4-1 win over Baylor. The Bulldogs won the doubles point for the 18th time in 25 matches with at 6-2 win at No. 1 and a 6-4 win at No. 2.
Georgia took four of six first sets though the first match to finish was at No. 1 where Baylor’s Julian Lenz defeated Austin Smith 6-2, 1-0 ret. (right shoulder).
Georgia quickly finished the match off with Jan Zielinski, Nick Wood, and Paul Oosterbaan each only dropping three games in route to straight sets wins with Oosterbaan getting the clinch.
Georgia will now face USC on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. eastern. The teams were supposed to meet earlier this season in LA at the Pac-12/SEC Challenge but the match was cancelled due to rain.
Below are some video highlights from Georgia and Baylor (if you don’t see anything change my site address from https to http).
#7 Georgia 4, #35 Baylor 1
May 15, 2016 at Athens, Ga. (Dan Magill Tennis complex)
“I thought we were a little tight in doubles at the beginning,” head coach Manuel Diaz said. “Our guys competed well and were able to get through some things there early on, but what a tremendous performance overall. I remember myself as a player here your last home match is a little overwhelming, but I thought we were terrific in singles and played very well today.”
“Losing is awful. That’s my overall thought. There’s a finality when you lose in the NCAAs. You’re always thinking about what’s next as a coach. Now, there’s nothing next for us for a while and that’s tough. I thought our guys fought like little dogs and overcame a ton of adversity this year. It put us in the position to finish strong. We just didn’t have enough today. I’m proud of the guys today. They fought hard.” –head coach Matt Knoll on the season-ending loss
Oklahoma State is heading back to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2008, which coincidentally was the last time Tulsa hosted, after the Cowboys rolled over Arkansas 4-0. The Pokes won the doubles point for the 18th time in 26 tries. OSU’s Lukas Finzelberg and Tristan Meraut trailed 4-2 but won the final four games to win 6-4 at No. 3. OSU’s Lucas Gerch and Jurence Mendoza clinched the point with a 6-4 win at No. 2 in a match they lead the whole way.
While Arkansas had the upper hand at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, Oklahoma State had comfortable leads everywhere else. Lucas Gerch, Tristan Meraut, and Jurence Mendoza each won in straight sets with Meraut clinching the match at No. 4.
Oklahoma State will now face the top seed Virginia on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. eastern.
#16 Oklahoma State 4, #19 Arkansas 0
May 15, 2016 at Stillwater, Okla.(Greenwood Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #21 Mike Redlicki (AR) vs. #56 Julian Cash (OSU) 7-5, 4-2, unfinished
2. #62 Jose Salazar (AR) vs Arjun Kadhe (OSU) 6-4, 5-4, unfinished
3. Lucas Gerch (OSU) def. Santiago Munoz (AR) 6-4, 6-0
“We’ve got a special group of guys,” coach Jay Udwadia said. “Every team is going though ups and down every season and this team has been through a lot. The sweet isn’t as sweet without the bitter and to make the Sweet 16 is a great accomplishment for our team.”
“I knew they were going to come out strong after losing the doubles point and we just needed to stay the course,” Udwadia said. “I told the guys to relax and I think playing in the second round for the third-straight year really helped us too.”
“It was great, I feel awesome,” Gerch said. “There was such a great crowd and I think everyone played well, especially in doubles.”
“When you’re in the Sweet 16 everyone can play,” Udwadia said. “We respect all opponents, but our job is to go out there and win matches and we are going to be prepared to battle.”
“Congratulations to Oklahoma State, they were better than us today and that was the biggest factor in the match, head coach Andy Jackson said. “We weren’t able to physically match what they had on the second day and that was another factor.
Arkansas finished the 2016 season with a 20-9 overall record, including a 7-5 mark in Southeastern Conference play. The Razorbacks reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 1986, and for only the third time in program history. Their NCAA first round victory over Wichita State was the Hogs’ first since 2006.
“On the season, we came from No. 69 to finish top 20 and win a round in the NCAA Tournament, Jackson said. “We feel really good about the direction we’re going in. But I know what it takes to go further and we’ll try to do that next year.
Cal advanced to the Round of 16 for the fifth time in the last six years with a 4-0 shutout over Ole Miss. The Bears won the doubles point for the 17th time in 23 matches with wins at No. 1 and No. 3.
Cal took five of six first sets and picked up wins from Andre Goransson and Filip Bergevi at No. 2 and No. 4 and J.T. Nishimura provided the clincher at No. 6 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Zvonimir Babic.
Cal will now face TCU on Friday morning at 7 a.m. pacific time. Cal defeated TCU 4-2 back in February in a neutral site match in Austin.
#13 California 4, #27 Ole Miss 0
May 15, 2016 at Berkeley, California (Hellman Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #30 Florian Lakat (CAL) vs. #39 Gustav Hansson (OM) 6-2, 4-4, unfinished
2. #31 Andre Goransson (CAL) def. #59 Stefan Lindmark (OM) 6-3, 6-1
3. #85 Billy Griffith (CAL) vs. Ricardo Jorge (OM) 6-3, 3-4, unfinished
“We came up against a very solid Mississippi team today, and I’m pleased with how we handled ourselves, Cal head coach Peter Wright said. “The doubles point was a battle, and it ended up being critical for setting the tone for the match. When our guys faced adversity, they stayed calm and stuck to their game plans. It was a physical match today, and we were ready.
“This past week our team did an amazing job of balancing their academic lives and their athletic lives. We finished finals on Friday and started the NCAA championships on Saturday, so it’s great to see the resiliency this group brings every day. We’re looking forward to playing in Tulsa on Friday, and we know our next opponent, TCU, will be tough. We’ve played them once already this year, and we know they’re a talented team.
“It’s a great win, Nishimura added. “We’re all excited and ready to go to Tulsa.
“We had a rough one in the first match of the year at Tulsa, Nishimura said. “But we bounced back and had a pretty good season, so we’re excited to go back.
“We are proud of the guys’ effort, but give Cal credit. They played better than we did today. Doubles was close again, but we just couldn’t seem to get in the match in singles. We have a great group of young guys who kept battling throughout the season to get us to this point, and we are looking forward to helping them get better next year. The future looks bright.
North Carolina booked its third straight trip to the Round of 16 with a 4-0 win over No. 31 Tulane. The Tar Heels won the doubles point for the 24th time this season with wins at No. 1 and No. 3.
UNC took five of six first sets in singles and would get straight set wins from Brett Clark, Robert Kelly, and Anu Kodali with Kelly clinching at No. 5.
North Carolina will now face Mississippi State on Friday at 5 p.m. eastern. North Carolina defeated Mississippi State in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament though State’s roster is vastly different this year.
Below are some video highlights from North Carolina (if you don’t see anything change my site address from https to http).
“Tulane’s got a heck of a team, UNC coach Sam Paul said. “This round is always tough across the country this is a tough match to play. Congratulations to my team. We don’t take this for granted.
Kodali, playing at No. 6, was the first to wrap up his singles match, beating Tyler Schick 6-1, 6-2 in less than an hour. “Anu played well today in singles and doubles, Paul said. “I think that’s the best match he’s played.
“This is a special group third year in the sweet 16, Paul said. “I thought we played really well today I was really pleased with how we played in doubles and some starts we got singles. We still could get better we always say that. We’re looking forward to the next round.
“It’s been a fun year. Any time you’re sitting at 20-plus wins, it’s been a heck of a year. It’s a very special group, but we’ve got more to do.
“UNC really brought it and showed why they were No. 1 for most of the year, Tulane head coach Mark Booras stated. “Our guys performed well but we got a slow start and probably respected them too much in the beginning. Once we got our feet in the water and got used to the temperature, we started to play well in doubles and had chances to come back. Same thing happened in singles. Our guys fought for Tulane and what they’ve done for the whole year is a great body of work.
[5] Ohio State vs. [17-32] Texas – 10am ET [4] TCU vs. [13] Cal – 10am ET [1] Virginia vs. [16] Oklahoma State – 1pm ET [9] Florida vs. [17-32] SMU – 1pm ET [7] Georgia vs. [10] USC – 5pm ET [2] North Carolina vs. [17-32] Mississippi State – 5pm ET [3] UCLA vs. [17-32] Stanford – 8pm ET [6] Wake Forest vs. [11] Oklahoma – 8pm ET
17 Comments
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
I'd be shocked if Okie Lite wins that.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
I just am not impressed by Virginia this year. Even with Ritschard coming back they did not look great vs Penn State. Do not be shocked if the Pokes knock them off with the home crowd support
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
Why does every team that wins a first or second round team match celebrate like they just won the tournament? Show some respect to your opponents FIRST. College coaches totally SKIP on teaching players how to win and how to lose. Congratulations you won! Shake hands BEFORE the mob scene. I saw a first round match where the guy who wins a second set breaker is pumping his chest while his team is one point from being eliminated. It's not the Wimbledon final and you aren't that good anyway. Lots of guys on both teams are seniors who won't ever see competition like this again. Some modesty and humility would go a long way to making these matches more enjoyable, for everybody. <br /><br />No look hand shakes were far too common. Coaches appealing line calls is ridiculous. College tennis lacks class. Biggest change they need to make isn't getting rid of no ad or playing a let on serve like everyone else, it's showing respect to your opponent.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
You have five years after finishing high school, not after entering college, to play four years in NCAA Division I.<br /><br />Ritschard's family moved from Switzerland to Florida when he was a kid, and he might have repeated a year of school for language reasons. Combined with the redshirt year when he first arrived, it would make two years age difference. I don't know for sure.<br />
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
I'm not 100% but I don't think there is a NCAA age requirement on tennis – I know when a student-athlete starts college full time they have 5 years to use up 4 years of eligibility. It may not matter what your age is as long as you didn't make more than $10K a year in prize money that was above and beyond expenses and most guys that are going to college aren't making anywhere close to that. <br /><br />I think he has been school for three years but he didn't play his first year so he's probably an academic junior but an athletic sophomore.<br /><br />So in theory I suppose you could have a 25 year old sophomore and it wouldn't matter as long as they didn't exceed prize money and as long as they didn't start school full time until they were older. <br /><br />If someone else has the definitive answer they can post it here.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
You're right – I guess 4 times in one season isn't as rare as we thought.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
UCLA and USC played each other 4 times in one season, back in 2012, 2013, and 2014
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
Any clue how Ritschard is a sophomore when he is 22?
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
SMU is the Florida Gulf Coast of tennis!!
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
Last season he got in a really good rhythm but I know injuries have derailed him some this season. It sounds like he's back to 100% but he has to find that rhythm again. He's still one of those guys that no one wants to face because if his serve is on he's not going to lose much if at all. Plus when you are the defending champ you know you're going to get everyone's A+ game every time out.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
In terms of talent no – but he's one of the guys that can play anywhere in the lineup and put up about the same record. Di Feo is OSU's second best player and then after that everyone else is pretty interchangeable.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
You're right it was 4 times last year – I knew they met regular season, ITA Indoors, and conference tourney – I left out the Indian Wells match. It was almost a fifth meeting in the NCAAs that I was thinking of.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
I think Oklahoma/Baylor did it last year. Conference, Big XII Tourney, ITA Indoor and Oracle Challenge in Indian Wells.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
Is Chris Diaz really OSU's two guy Bobby?
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
I'll have to do some digging but I can't recall two teams meeting four times in the same season – Oklahoma and Baylor were a match away from doing it last year but Baylor went down to Virginia in the semis. <br /><br />I don't think Ritschard's addition will hurt – it stinks some for Luca Corinteli but he is still playing #1 doubles so he'll have his chance to contribute in that way. Now if Luca had clinched the ACC Championship by beating Uspensky on that final court it probably would have stung to go from that high to being the first man out.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:23 pm
What on earth is going on with Ryan Shane? Overall this season has been disappointing for him but these last 2 months have been absolutely awful! At this rate I don't see him getting past the 2nd round of the singles NCAA's.
181
on Thu March 19, 2020 at 6:24 pm
Is the Stanford v Ucla match the first time two teams have met four times in one year?<br />Does putting Ritschard in the lineup for UVa risk upsetting team chemistry when you consider he did not play a dual match until today? If I played at 6 and was bumped it would definitely be unpleasant and I'm sure my face would show it<br />
I'd be shocked if Okie Lite wins that.
I just am not impressed by Virginia this year. Even with Ritschard coming back they did not look great vs Penn State. Do not be shocked if the Pokes knock them off with the home crowd support
Why does every team that wins a first or second round team match celebrate like they just won the tournament? Show some respect to your opponents FIRST. College coaches totally SKIP on teaching players how to win and how to lose. Congratulations you won! Shake hands BEFORE the mob scene. I saw a first round match where the guy who wins a second set breaker is pumping his chest while his team is one point from being eliminated. It's not the Wimbledon final and you aren't that good anyway. Lots of guys on both teams are seniors who won't ever see competition like this again. Some modesty and humility would go a long way to making these matches more enjoyable, for everybody. <br /><br />No look hand shakes were far too common. Coaches appealing line calls is ridiculous. College tennis lacks class. Biggest change they need to make isn't getting rid of no ad or playing a let on serve like everyone else, it's showing respect to your opponent.
You have five years after finishing high school, not after entering college, to play four years in NCAA Division I.<br /><br />Ritschard's family moved from Switzerland to Florida when he was a kid, and he might have repeated a year of school for language reasons. Combined with the redshirt year when he first arrived, it would make two years age difference. I don't know for sure.<br />
I'm not 100% but I don't think there is a NCAA age requirement on tennis – I know when a student-athlete starts college full time they have 5 years to use up 4 years of eligibility. It may not matter what your age is as long as you didn't make more than $10K a year in prize money that was above and beyond expenses and most guys that are going to college aren't making anywhere close to that. <br /><br />I think he has been school for three years but he didn't play his first year so he's probably an academic junior but an athletic sophomore.<br /><br />So in theory I suppose you could have a 25 year old sophomore and it wouldn't matter as long as they didn't exceed prize money and as long as they didn't start school full time until they were older. <br /><br />If someone else has the definitive answer they can post it here.
You're right – I guess 4 times in one season isn't as rare as we thought.
UCLA and USC played each other 4 times in one season, back in 2012, 2013, and 2014
Any clue how Ritschard is a sophomore when he is 22?
SMU is the Florida Gulf Coast of tennis!!
Last season he got in a really good rhythm but I know injuries have derailed him some this season. It sounds like he's back to 100% but he has to find that rhythm again. He's still one of those guys that no one wants to face because if his serve is on he's not going to lose much if at all. Plus when you are the defending champ you know you're going to get everyone's A+ game every time out.
In terms of talent no – but he's one of the guys that can play anywhere in the lineup and put up about the same record. Di Feo is OSU's second best player and then after that everyone else is pretty interchangeable.
You're right it was 4 times last year – I knew they met regular season, ITA Indoors, and conference tourney – I left out the Indian Wells match. It was almost a fifth meeting in the NCAAs that I was thinking of.
I think Oklahoma/Baylor did it last year. Conference, Big XII Tourney, ITA Indoor and Oracle Challenge in Indian Wells.
Is Chris Diaz really OSU's two guy Bobby?
I'll have to do some digging but I can't recall two teams meeting four times in the same season – Oklahoma and Baylor were a match away from doing it last year but Baylor went down to Virginia in the semis. <br /><br />I don't think Ritschard's addition will hurt – it stinks some for Luca Corinteli but he is still playing #1 doubles so he'll have his chance to contribute in that way. Now if Luca had clinched the ACC Championship by beating Uspensky on that final court it probably would have stung to go from that high to being the first man out.
What on earth is going on with Ryan Shane? Overall this season has been disappointing for him but these last 2 months have been absolutely awful! At this rate I don't see him getting past the 2nd round of the singles NCAA's.
Is the Stanford v Ucla match the first time two teams have met four times in one year?<br />Does putting Ritschard in the lineup for UVa risk upsetting team chemistry when you consider he did not play a dual match until today? If I played at 6 and was bumped it would definitely be unpleasant and I'm sure my face would show it<br />