ORLANDO, FL (May 16, 2023) -- Playing in the program's first-ever NCAA Division III Men's Tennis National Championship match, the Tufts University men's tennis team couldn't rally from a 3-0 deficit after doubles in a 5-2 loss to No. 1 Case Western Reserve University in action from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Campus Tuesday.
The Jumbos finish their historic season as the national runners-up for the first time in program history, setting a record for victories in a season with 24. It was a difficult challenge for a squad that was in its first appearance on the brightest stage, taking on Case Western (33-4) which had finished as national runners-up the previous two seasons.
The difference in the match was the Spartans effectiveness in doubles Tuesday evening, sweeping the three points to force the Jumbos (24-2) to have to win five of the singles' matches to record the historic comeback.
CWRU opened the match with an 8-3 win at No. 2 as Chris Provenzano and Diego Maza topped
Rishabh Sharda and
Josh Belandres to take the early 1-0 lead.
Vuk Vuksanovic and
Derin Acaroglu played better than the scoreline would indicate, but suffered some bad luck in falling to James Hopper and Vishwa Aduru 8-3.
The No. 3 doubles match was back-and forth the entire match, but the Spartans earned the final two games after being deadlocked at six to clinch the sweep of doubles.
The singles play actually looked to favor Tufts in the early onset, as the Jumbos had clinched a set at No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 singles as it tried to claw back into the match. Acaroglu played some of his best singles tennis of the season at No. 4, as he controlled the match over Ansh Shah in a 6-2, 6-2 win. Acaroglu finished the campaign 15-2 in singles.
First-year Andrey Djokic, who stepped into a huge roll in the NCAA Tournament in just his seventh match of the season, moved to 6-1 on the year with a 6-3, 7-6 (3) win at No. 6 to make the score 3-2.
Right after the finish of that match, Ajay Mahenthiran was able to earn Case Western another point with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 5 singles to put the Spartans on the brink of the national championship.
Tufts refused to go away though, as Ganchev led 6-4, 5-4 at No. 3 singles and Vuksanovic shook off a first set loss to force a third set at No. 2 singles. The Jumbos would have needed to win the remaining three contests to rally, but the final win came at No. 1 as Hopper outlasted Sharda to earn the program's first-ever national crown for CWRU.
Despite the loss on Tuesday, the season will go down as the best in program history as the Jumbos were the first New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) team in the championship match since 2018.
Tufts will graduate four seniors in Belandres, Sharda, Moldenhauer and
Matthew Cashin, as the group finishes as the winningest senior class in program history.
--JUMBOS--
