STILLWATER, Okla. – No. 22 Colton Smith fell 6-1, 3-6, 5-7 to No. 23 Michael Zheng of Columbia Friday morning in the NCAA Singles Championships semifinals.
Smith came out strong in the first set of the final four match, only letting one game go in a swift 6-1 set.
The second set proved to be a closer competition, with the score going 1-1, 2-2, 3-3, before Zheng pulled ahead in the last three games, taking the set 6-3.
With the match coming down to the third, the two fiercely battled for a spot in the championship match. Similar to the second, the third set had the two players going game-for-game until the score was knotted up at five apiece. Zheng went on to take the set 7-5 and secure the 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
The defeat ends a remarkable run for Smith, who earned All-American status during the tournament. He is the program’s first All-American since the 2006 season and concludes his year with 19 ranked singles victories. His 34 singles wins during his junior campaign are the most by a player in a single season in program history.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Arizona Athletics…