Fenty, Young Punch Ticket to ITA Fall Nationals in Singles and Doubles

Fenty, Young Punch Ticket to ITA Fall Nationals in Singles and Doubles

Sites: Champaign, Ill. (Atkins Tennis Center, Dodds Tennis Center), Friday-Monday, Oct. 21-24; Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center), Thursday, Oct. 27

Event: 2022 ITA Midwest Regional

Result: No Team Scoring

Next U-M Event: Thu-Sun., Nov. 3-6 — at ITA National Fall Championships (San Diego, Calif.)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. // ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan men’s tennis program dominated at the ITA Midwest Regional Championship this past week. The event spanned across one full week, beginning with four days of action in Champaign, Ill. (Oct. 21-24), before ultimately culminating in a singles final on Thursday (Oct. 27) between Wolverines Andrew Fenty and Gavin Young at the Varsity Tennis Center in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Fenty outlasted No. 75-ranked Young 6-4, 7-6 (8-6) to claim the title of ITA Midwest Regional Singles Champion. As the two finalists from the region, both automatically qualify for the ITA Fall Nationals taking place next weekend in San Diego (Nov. 3-6). After both won their respective semifinal matches on Sunday at Illinois, the decision to play the final match at home in Ann Arbor was made. Both went 5-0 en route to the final with Young taking down No. 8 ranked JJ Tracy (Ohio State) 6-3, 6-0 in the quarterfinals and following with a three-set win over No. 49 Hunter Heck (Illinois) in the semifinal.

At the Varsity Tennis Center on Thursday (Oct. 27), Fenty jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first set, but Young settled in to take the next two and make it a one-game set, 3-2. The two continued to hold serve for the remainder of the set as Fenty took the 6-4 win. Trading wins continued in the second set as Young held a 5-4 edge. Down 40-love in the next game, Fenty rallied to win four straight points to take the set and even things up at 5-5. The pivotal moment sparked a tiebreaker in the second set, with the same story, as the pair traded points. Knotted at 6-6, Fenty won the final two games to secure the tiebreaker, the set and the match.

Fenty/Young also reached the doubles championship on Monday at Illinois. The pair took out pairs from DePaul, Notre Dame, Illinois and Ohio State before facing Gabriel Huber/Michael…