Men's Tennis Rallies for 4-3 Win Over UCLA
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CHICAGO The No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team used a comeback in singles to score a 4-3 win over No. 4 UCLA in the quarterfinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships at the Midtown Tennis Club. The Cavaliers lost the doubles point and four of six first sets in singles, but rallied for a win that sent them into the tournament’s semifinals for the fourth time in the past five years.
“This match says a lot about the character of the guys on this team,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “To lose the doubles point for the first time this year and then to get down in four singles matches was a big obstacle. But the guys kept their focus throughout, worked hard and found a way to win against a great UCLA team.”
Virginia, the reigning ITA National Indoor Champions, fell behind 1-0 as it lost the doubles point for the first time this season. Nick Meister and Michael Look defeated Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) and Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) 8-5 at No. 3 doubles and Matt Brooklyn and Harel Srugo topped Dominic Inglot (London, England) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) 8-4 at No. 2 doubles.
In singles, UCLA continued its strong play by winning four of the six first sets. However the Cavaliers won in straight sets the first two matches off the courts to begin the comeback. They tied the dual match at 1-1 as Inglot scored a 6-2, 7-5 win over Haythem Abid at the No. 1 spot. Virginia took a 2-1 lead as Courtney downed Amit Inbar 6-3, 6-4 at No. 6 singles. The Bruins answered to tie the match with Meister’s 6-2, 7-5 win over Steven Eelkman Rooda (Amersfoort, The Netherlands) at No. 5 singles. Virginia retook the lead, 3-2, when Shabaz rallied from losing the first set to post a 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Srugo at No. 3 singles. UCLA tied the match once again, at 3-3, as Look defeated Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) 7-5, 6-3 at No. 4 singles. The match came down to the battle at No. 2 singles, where Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) lost the first set 6-2 against Brooklyn, but rallied to take the second set 6-4. In the third set, Singh continued his momentum and took the set 6-1 to record the win for Virginia.
“We never backed down and kept fighting in every match,” said Boland. “I am so proud of this team. We now have to get ready for a tough Tennessee team tomorrow afternoon.”
The Cavaliers will meet No. 8 Tennessee in the semifinals at 3 p.m. (CT). The Volunteers upset top-ranked Ohio State 4-3 in the quarterfinals. No. 3 Georgia and No. 11 Stanford will meet in the other semifinal.
No. 5 Virginia 4, No. 4 UCLA 3
Doubles
1. #3 Singh/Barrick (UVa) vs. Abid/Inbar (UCLA) 7-7 DNF
2. Brooklyn/Srugo (UCLA) def. #27 Inglot/Shabaz (UVa) 8-4
3. Meister/Look (UCLA) def. Courtney/Singer (UVa) 8-5
Singles
1. #43 Dominic Inglot (UVa) def. Haythem Abid (UCLA) 6-2, 7-5
2. #24 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. #67 Matt Brooklyn (UCLA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
3. #11 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. Harel Srugo (UCLA) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
4. Michael Look (UCLA) def. #68 Houston Barrick (UVa) 7-5, 6-3
5. #78 Nick Meister (UCLA) def. Steven Eelkman Rooda (UVa) 6-2, 7-5
6. #108 Drew Courtney (UVa) def. Amit Inbar (UCLA) 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish
Doubles: 3,2
Singles: 1,6,5,3,4,2