Michigan Falls to No. 2 TCU in NCAA Quarterfinals

Michigan Falls to No. 2 TCU in NCAA Quarterfinals

Site: Lake Nona, Fla. (USTA National Campus)

Event: NCAA Tournament (Quarterfinals)

Score: #2 TCU 4, #7 Michigan 1

Records: U-M (27-5), TCU (26-2)

Next U-M Event: Monday, May 22 — at NCAA Individual Championships (Lake Nona, Fla.), TBD

LAKE NONA, Fla. — The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan men’s tennis team could not maintain its lead amid the scorching temperatures, falling 4-1 to No. 2 7CU in the NCAA quarterfinals on Friday (May 19) at the USTA National Campus.

With severe weather on Thursday (May 18) when the quarterfinal matches were scheduled to be played, the NCAA committee decided to postpone the matches for the night and elected to play them on Friday, beginning at 10 a.m. With temperatures at 90 degrees, Michigan and TCU opened serve at 12:30 p.m.

The Wolverines took the all-important doubles point to gain a 1-0 lead. Ondrej Styler and Jacob Bickersteth cruised to a 6-2 win over No. 22 ranked Lui Maxted and Sander Jong, going on a four-game run after being tied 2-2. Patrick Maloney and Nino Ehrenschneider won in a tiebreaker at No. 2 doubles, 7-6 (5) over Sebastian Gorzny and Pedro Vives.

As singles play began, Styler looked to be in complete control at No. 1, as he dominated the first set over Jake Fearnley, 6-3. Four first sets were pushed to the brink with the Wolverines coming up empty handed, as Maloney lost his first set 7-5 to Luc Fomba in Fomba’s first match back from injury. Andrew Fenty, Gavin Young and Ehrenschneider all lost tiebreakers, as the heat of the match started to take its toll.

Bickersteth lost his first set after leading 4-2 but rallied to take a 6-4 second set to force a third.

Fomba put the Horned Frogs on the board with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Maloney at No. 2. TCU took over the lead when Ehrenschneider fell 7-6 (6), 6-1 at No. 4 and grabbed a 3-0 edge with Fenty falling 7-6 (4), 6-1 at No. 3.

On Court 1, Styler and Fearnley headed into a third set after Fearnley battled back from two games down to win 7-6 (5).

However, TCU clinched the team match with a win at No. 5 with Young falling 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Styler, Fenty and Maloney will each compete at the NCAA Singles Championships, Monday through Saturday (May 22-27), while Fenty…