Styler Cruises to National Championship Match

Styler Cruises to National Championship Match

Site: Lake Nona, Fla. (USTA National Campus)

Event: NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships (Day 5 of 6)

Score: No Team Scoring

Next U-M Event: Saturday, May 27 — at NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships (Lake Nona, Fla.), TBA

LAKE NONA, Fla. — Ondrej Styler of the University of Michigan men’s tennis team cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 win over No. 42-ranked Murphy Cassone in the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship on Friday (May 26) at the USTA National Campus, becoming the first Wolverine since 1987 to reach the national championship match.

Styler joins Dan Goldberg (NCAA runner-up, 1987) and Michael Leach (NCAA champion, 1982) as Wolverines to make the final match since the NCAA switched to this current format of a separate singles championship in 1977.

Styler took the first set, 6-1, after grabbing control early. Styler held to start and cashed in on the first of three break points in the ensuing game for the 2-0 lead. Cassone answered by breaking Styler at love, but Styler responded in kind for a 3-1 advantage. It was all Maize and Blue from there as Styler won the next three games to wrap up the win.

In the second, Styler broke Cassone in the first game by winning the final four points. A double fault with Cassone serving gave Styler a break point on the deuce point, which he won when Cassone sailed a forehand wide. Styler ripped off three more games for a 4-0 lead before Cassone got on the board at 4-1. Both players held serve over the next three games, with Styler closing the door on his serve for a 6-2 win.

Styler will face off against No. 2 Ethan Quinn of Georgia in tomorrow’s (Saturday, May 27) championship match.

NCAA Singles Championship Quarterfinals

No. 8 Ondrej Styler (U-M) d. No. 1 Eliot Spizzirri (Texas), 6-4, 6-3

No. 2 Ethan Quinn (Georgia) d. No. 20 Andrew Fenty (U-M), 6-2, 6-4

NCAA Singles Championship Semifinals

No. 8 Ondrej Styler (U-M) d. No. 42 Murphy Cassone (Arizona State), 6-1, 6-2

NCAA Doubles Championship Second Round

No. 7 Gavin Young/Andrew Fenty (U-M) d. No. 35 Lleyton Cronje/Bogdan Pavel (UCF), 7-5, 7-6 (1)

NCAA Doubles Championship Quarterfinals

No. 30 Andres Martin/Marcus McDaniel (Georgia Tech) d. No. 7 Gavin Young/Andrew…