WACO, Texas – Michigan State men’s tennis junior Ozan Baris was topped in a hard-fought three-set match by Columbia’s Michael Zheng, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in the singles final of the NCAA Individual Championships Sunday afternoon at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center.
Baris continues to make Spartan men’s tennis program history, as he was the first MSU player to play in a national singles final. He was also the first Spartan to reach two national semifinals, as he reached the last four of the singles championships in back-to-back years, after losing to eventual national champion Filip Planinsek of Alabama last spring.
The NCAA Individual Championships were making their debut as the tournament moved from the spring to the fall for the first time.
In the first set on Sunday, Zheng controlled the match with a long back-and-forth first set, winning 6-2. After neither Baris nor Zheng had been broken on serve on their respective paths to the final, there were three breaks in the first five games of the set.
Baris came back fighting hard to try to earn a chance at the national title, winning 6-4. Going into a tie-breaking and deciding third set, both Baris and Zheng were looking to win to earn their school’s first-ever national title. After a great effort by Baris in the third set, Zheng pulled out the win 6-2.
“I was just playing to win a National Championship not just for myself but mostly for Michigan State, so that’s kind of more of a heartbreak,” Baris said. “I’m not going to beat myself up any more then losing already does. It’s tough and it’s not the most fun part of the sport but playing out there was fun. I know that I’m not going to shy away, there are times where in the tight moments, if I lose or I fall a little short, but I come back stronger. I don’t think I was playing anything wrong tactically, I just wasn’t making shots. Kudos to Zheng, he’s playing smart where I’m missing those balls, but I felt like I was in control.”
The Spartan junior made his third NCAA Championships appearance, reaching the national semifinals last spring. Baris is currently ranked No. 1 in the ITA Individual Rankings, and finishes his fall season with a 13-4 record.
Baris will head home and prepare with the team for the…
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