Ozan Baris Finishes Third at USTA Boys’ 18-Under National Championships

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Incoming Michigan State freshman Ozan Baris finished third at the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Boys’ 18-under National Championships, which concluded Monday at Stowe Stadium in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Baris, an 11-seed representing the Midwest region, reached the semifinals of the prestigious tournament after recording five victories against the nation’s best competition. He opened action last Saturday, Aug. 6 with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Alexander Ekstrand in the round of 128, then followed with another straight set win against Grant Lothinger in the round of 64, 6-3, 6-2, on Tuesday, Aug. 9.

In the round of 32 on Wednesday, Aug. 10, Baris beat No. 25 seed Adit Sinha, 6-2, 6-4, then reached the quarterfinals after downing No. 33 Alexander Chang, 6-2, 6-0, in the round of 16 on Thursday, Aug. 11.

Baris, who is from Okemos, Michigan, advanced to the semifinals following a dramatic three-set win over No. 4 seed Kyle Kang in the quarterfinals on Friday, Aug. 12, 6-1, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4.

In the semifinals on Sunday, Baris fell to second-seeded Ethan Quinn, a member of the Georgia Bulldogs, 6-3, 6-4. Baris won the third-place match by default on Monday to claim third place.

One of the top recruits in the nation, Baris signed a National Letter of Intent with the Spartans in June. He reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 Australian Junior Open and also competed in the junior tournaments at the French Open and Wimbledon. He is scheduled to play at the U.S. Junior Open next month in New York.