NCAA Mens Tennis

NCAA Quarterfinals Bound: Ozan Baris Wins Top-15 Matchup in Straight Sets

NCAA Quarterfinals Bound: Ozan Baris Wins Top-15 Matchup in Straight Sets


STILLWATER, Okla. – Michigan State sophomore Ozan Baris clinched a spot in the NCAA Singles Championships Quarterfinals with a win over No. 13 Jack Pinnington, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Baris, a native of Okemos, Mich., is the second Spartan to ever advance to the quarterfinals, first since Mashiska Washington in 1994.
 
Prior to the tilt, Pinnington had won 12 straight, 10 against ranked opponents, including key wins at the No. 1 singles spot for the sixth-ranked Horned Frogs NCAA Team Championship title run that just concluded in Stillwater on Sunday. The English sophomore hadn’t lost since March 28, having beaten the likes of the nation’s No. 2 player Elliot Spizzirri in the National Championship match Sunday.
 
The Big Ten Player of the Year is on a win streak of his own, he’s now won seven straight, three against top-20 opponents, and hasn’t dropped a match in singles since March 10. He’s now 31-6 on the season and secured All-American status for the second time in as many seasons in collegiate tennis yesterday.
 
Baris has stacked dominant wins in three straight days, after coming back strong from dropping the first set, 4-6 to dominate Stanford’s 55th-ranked Samir Banerjee and win the match with 6-0, 6-2 set victories in his first round of 32 appearance on Tuesday. In the first round Monday the No. 8 overall seed knocked off Auburn’s 31st-ranked Tyler Stice, 6-2, 6-4.
 
The Big Ten Player of the Year advances to meet Ohio State’s 30th-ranked Jack Anthrop for a shot at the NCAA Championships final four. Anthrop was in the No. 4 singles for the Buckeye team that sat atop the national rankings during the entire regular season and has a season record of 41-4. The redshirt-sophomore beat No. 14 Radu Papoe, Baris’ last loss, No. 67 Quinn Vandecasteele and No. 52 Dylan Dietrich on his way to the elite eight.
 
A match time is to be determined while it will be streamed on ESPN+ with a subscription and on Track Tennis for free without commentary.
 
Results
#8 Ozan Baris (Michigan State) def. #13 Jack Pinnington (TCU), 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)

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