Austin – No. 3 Texas Men's Tennis (6-2) came up just short in its comeback attempt against No. 14 Arizona (6-1) and fell, 4-2, in the ITA National Indoor Championships Round of 16 at the USTA King National Tennis Center in New York on Friday. The Longhorns will now move to the consolation bracket and face 11 seed No. 13 Michigan on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. CT.
The Wildcats claimed the doubles point with wins at Nos. 2 and 3. Then despite singles victories from senior No. 1 Eliot Spizzirri at No. 1, and senior No. 2 Micah Braswell at No. 2, Arizona was able to secure singles wins at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 to clinch. The Longhorns had evened the overall match at 2-2, but after the Wildcats regained a 3-2 lead, the match No. 5 went in Arizona's favor in a third-set tiebreaker, and the match at No. 6 went unfinished in its third set, preventing Texas from completing the comeback.
In doubles, the No. 5 pair of Eliot Spizzirri and Cleeve Harper were the first to finish. They defeated No. 6 Jay Friend and Colton Smith, 6-3, on No. 1. The match stayed on serve until the Longhorns finally picked up a deuce-point break for 4-2 in what would be the only break of the match on the way to a 6-3 Texas win.
Next, junior Pierre-Yves Bailly and senior Eshan Talluri fell to Eric Padgham and Herman Hoeyeraal, 6-4, at No. 2. After both teams held to open the match, Arizona broke and held for a 3-1 lead. Following that, both teams held the rest of the way. Trailing 5-3, Texas got a big deuce-point hold to get back to within one game, but Arizona was able to serve out the match.
After splitting the first two matches, the doubles point came down to No. 3 between Micah and Jonah Braswell and Arizona's Sasha Rozin and Gustaf Strom. Early in the match, Arizona earned a deuce-point hold to make it 1-1 before Texas held on a deuce point in the next game for 2-1. However, Arizona responded by going on a 3-0 run with a hold, a deuce-point break and another hold to take a 4-2 lead. Both teams held from there, with Texas earning a deuce-point hold to make it 5-4 before Arizona held its final serve to secure the doubles point.
In singles play, Pierre-Yves Bailly fell to Nick Lagaev, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 4 to give Arizona their second point of the match. Lagaev earn what would be the only break of the first set for a 3-1 lead on the way to the 6-3 win. In the second set, Bailly opened with a deuce-point hold before Lagaev answered with a hold and a break for 2-1. Bailly broke right back to knot things up, 2-2, before Lagaev broke again for a 3-2 lead. After the sequence of breaks, both players held for the remainder of the match. Bailly nearly broke again while down 4-3, but Lagaev held on a deuce point and eventually took the second set, 6-4. It was the only singles contest that was decided in straight sets and put Arizona ahead, 2-0.
At No. 2, Micah Braswell came back to defeat No. 43 Jay Friend 5-7, 6-3, 6-1, to give Texas its first point of the match. In the first set, neither player allowed a break through the first 10 games, a streak that was punctuated with a deuce-point hold from Friend. After that, Friend managed to win two consecutive deuce point games on a break and a hold to win the first set, 7-5. The second set began with three of the first four games going to deuce, all of which resulted in holds. Friend earned the first break of the set for a 3-2 lead, but Braswell responded by going on a 4-0 run that included a deuce-point hold on the last game to close, 6-3. Braswell's momentum only got stronger in the decisive third set as he opened with a break and a hold for 2-0. Friend managed a deuce-point hold for 2-1, however it was all Braswell from there en route to the 6-1 finish, which cut the overall lead for Arizona to 2-1.
A few minutes later, Spizzirri equalized the match with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over No. 5 Smith at No. 1. In the first set, neither player allowed a break through the first eight games. After a deuce-point hold by Spizzirri to go up, 4-3, Smith went on a 3-0 run to take the first set, 6-4. In the second set, both players held on their first two service games before Smith broke and held for a 4-2 lead. With his back against the well, Spizzirri held, broke and held again with a deuce-point win to go on a 3-0 run and take a 5-4 lead. Trailing 6-5, Smith had the opportunity to serve to force a tiebreaker, but Spizzirri came up with a huge deuce-point set-deciding break for the 7-5 win. In the third, after a deuce-point hold to go up 2-1, Spizzirri broke and consolidated for a 4-1 lead. The set stayed on serve from there, and Spizzirri retained his three-game lead to win the match.
Arizona regained the lead just a few minutes later when freshman Gilles-Arnaud Bailly fell to No. 46 Strom, 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, at No. 3. Bailly opened the first set with a deuce-point hold, and both players held serve through the first five games. Bailly then earned a deuce-point break to take a 4-2 lead, but Strom answered with back-to-back deuce-point wins for a break and a hold to begin a 4-0 run for the set. After a 1-1 start to the second set, Bailly went on a 3-0 run to take a 4-1 lead. Although Strom held and broke for 4-3, Bailly maintained his lead this time, earning a big deuce-point break on the next game for 5-3 before holding for set. Both players broke the other starting with Bailly to open the third set and then held their ensuing service games for 2-2. However, Strom proceeded to go on a 4-0 run to take the match and give Arizona a 3-2 lead.
That left the matches at Nos. 5 and 6 on the court. At No. 5, Harper had been the only Longhorn to a first set, however that match also went to a third set where he was edged by No. 116 Hoeyeraal in a tiebreaker, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5), to clinch for Arizona. In the first set, Harper earned a deuce-point hold for 2-2 before picking up the only break of the first set for a 3-2 lead. Despite three deuce points, the set stayed on serve the rest of the way, including a deuce-point hold by Harper to win, 6-4. In the second set, Harper broke first on a deuce point for 2-1 and extended to 3-1 on serve. However, Hoeyeraal broke back on a deuce point two games later for 3-3 and then held to retake the lead, 4-3. Both players held the rest of the way, including Hoeyeraal holding on a deuce point to take the set, 6-4, and force a third set. There, Harper broke and then held to jump out to a 2-0 lead. After a deuce-point hold from Harper for a 4-2 lead, Hoeyeraal responded with a 3-0 run capped by a deuce-point hold to go up, 5-4. Both players held from that point to send it to a tiebreaker, which would be back-and forth, with neither player able to take a commanding lead. Hoeyraal managed the first two-point lead at 5-3, but Harper broke and held to get back to 5-5. Hoeyraal broke on the next point for 6-5 and capitalized on his chance to serve for the match and give Arizona the win.
With the overall match clinched, the match at No. 6 between freshman Lucas Brown and Casper Christensen was stopped with the score, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 3-2 in favor of Christensen. After things opened at 1-1 in the first set, Christensen held, broke and held again to go up, 4-1. Brown got one game back, but Christensen earned a deuce-point break to win the first set. In the second, Brown got out to a 2-0 lead after a break and a hold, but Christensen answered with a 3-0 run to get back on serve with a 3-2 lead. The set stayed on serve the rest of the way, resulting in a tiebreaker. After finding himself down 3-2 in the tiebreaker, Brown went on a 4-0 run to take a 6-3 lead before closing it out a few points later, 7-5, to force a third set. Four of the five games in the third were decided on deuce points, including the first two for Christensen. After Brown got the break back on his deuce point for 2-2, Christensen claimed the other for 3-2 just before play stopped.
#14 Arizona 4, #3 Texas 2
Singles – Order of Finish (4,2,1,3,5)
1. #1 Eliot Spizzirri (UT) def. #5 Colton Smith (ARIZ) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
2. #2 Micah Braswell (UT) def. #43 Jay Friend (ARIZ) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
3. #46 Gustaf Strom (ARIZ) def. Gilles-Arnaud Bailly (UT) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
4. Nick Lagaev (ARIZ) def. #53 Pierre-Yves Bailly (UT) 6-3, 6-4
5. #116 Herman Hoeyeraal (ARIZ) def. Cleeve Harper (UT) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
6. Lucas Brown (UT) vs. Casper Christensen (ARIZ) 2-6, 7-6 (5), 2-3, unf.
Doubles – Order of Finish (1,2,3)
1. #5 Eliot Spizzirri/Cleeve Harper (UT) def. #6 Jay Friend/Colton Smith (ARIZ) 6-3
2. Eric Padgham/Herman Hoeyeraal (ARIZ) def. Pierre-Yves Bailly/Eshan Talluri (UT) 6-4
3. #53 Sasha Rozin/Gustaf Strom (ARIZ) def. Micah Braswell/Jonah Braswell (UT) 6-3
