Virginia Reaches NTI Final with 4-1 Win Over Ohio State
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SEATTLE – The top-ranked Virginia men’s tennis team reached the ITA National Team Indoor final with a 4-1 win over No. 4 Ohio State Sunday in a semifinal match at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. The Cavaliers (13-0) will look for an unprecedented fourth consecutive National Team Indoors Championship on Monday as they meet No. 2 Tennessee in a rematch of last year’s final.
In doubles, the Cavaliers’ new doubles combinations once again worked well to give them a 1-0 lead. Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) and Steven Rooda (Amersfoort, The Netherlands) topped Matt Allare and Ille Van Engelen 8-5 at No. 3. At the top spot, Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) and Alex Domijan (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) downed sixth-ranked Chase Buchanan and Blaz Rola 9-7 to clinch the first point of the match.
In singles, the top of the lineup delivered the Cavaliers’ ticket to the final. Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) quickly doubled the advantage with his 6-1, 6-2 win over Van Engelen at No. 3. After Ohio State cut the lead in half as Devin McCarthy defeated Courtney at No. 5, Domijan made the score 3-1 with his 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2 over Chase Buchanan. Shabaz closed out the match as he completed a 6-4, 7-5 win at the top spot over Rola.
Virginia is looking to become the first school to win four consecutive National Team Indoor titles. Stanford is the only other school to win three straight championships, winning the first three events in the mid-1970s.
Monday’s championship final will begin at noon PT (3 p.m. ET).
#1 Virginia 4, #4 Ohio State 1
Doubles
1. Shabaz/Domijan (UVa) def. #6 Buchanan/Rola (OSU) 9-7
2. Singh/Jenkins (UVa) vs. #66 McCarthy/Novak (OSU) 7-7 DNF
3. Courtney/Rooda (UVa) def. Allare/Van Engelen (OSU) 8-5
Singles
1. #15 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. #5 Blaz Rola (OSU) 6-4, 7-5
2. #2 Alex Domijan (UVa) def. #21 Chase Buchanan (OSU) 6-4, 6-3
3. #13 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. #103 Ille Van Engelen (OSU) 6-1, 6-2
4. #25 Jarmere Jenkins (UVa) led #45 Matt Allare (OSU) 7-6(1), 6-5 DNF
5. #55 Devin McCarthy (OSU) def. #23 Drew Courtney (UVa) 6-4, 7-5
6. Balazs Novak (OSU) led #78 Julen Uriguen (UVa) 6-2, 2-2 DNF
Order of Finish
Doubles: 3,1
Singles: 3,5,2,1