WACO, Texas – The NCAA Championships run for Cesar Bouchelaghem ended in the second round today at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center. Facing one of the top-16 seeds, Bouchelaghem was up to the challenge, but the Husky senior fell just short of reaching the round of 16. Bouchelaghem sent it to three sets, but bowed out 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 to Shunsuke Mitsui of Tennessee.
Bouchelaghem already became the first Husky to win a match at NCAAs since 2013 with his victory on Tuesday. He was looking to become the first Dawg in the round of 16 since that same 2013 run by Kyle McMorrow.
Taking on Mitsui, who is ranked 10th in the ITA national rankings, Bouchelaghem fell behind 1-3 in the first set but then got back on serve, and came up with a big break in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead. He served for the first set but couldn’t close the door, and Mitsui broke back and then got another break to win the opener, 7-5.
Bouchelaghem responded, breaking a 3-3 tie in the second set with a break of serve, which he consolidated for 5-3, and then broke one more time in the next game to force a third set.
He held serve to start the third, and had a 0-30 look at Mitsui’s first service game, but Mitsui came back to hold and then broke Bouchelaghem for the early lead. From there each player continued to hold serve back and forth until Bouchelaghem held to make it 4-5. He had one more look at Mitsui’s serve, but couldn’t find the break, as the Volunteer closed it out, 6-4.
But Bouchelaghem’s season is far from over as the Dawgs will start dual play in just a few weeks. UW opens against Seattle U. on Jan. 18 in the Nordstrom Tennis Center.
NCAA Singles Championship
Waco, Texas | Nov. 20, 2024
Hurd Tennis Center
Second Round (32)
[9-16] (#10) Shunsuke Mitsui (Tenn) def. (#108) Cesar Bouchelaghem (UW) – 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Washington Athletics…