Michigan
UCLA
U-M Falls to No. 2 UCLA in NCAA Round of 16
5/18/2018 2:02:00 PM | Men's Tennis
» The Wolverines earned two points with singles victories by senior Runhao Hua and freshman Mattias Siimar.
» U-M concludes its season with a 22-6 record, its third consecutive 20-win season and seventh overall.
» Michigan competed in the Round of 16 for the first time since 2008 and the fifth time in program history.
Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Round of 16)
Score: #2 UCLA 4, #15 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (22-6), UCLA (29-2)
Next U-M Event: Wed-Mon., May 23-28 -- at NCAA Individual Championships (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team saw its season come to a close after a 4-2 loss to No. 2 UCLA in the NCAA Round of 16 on Friday (May 18) at Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. U-M was unable to grab the doubles point, while earning two wins in singles play. The match, originally scheduled to be played in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was moved to the University of North Carolina campus and played indoors due to weather.
The doubles portion of the match was tightly contested from the start; however, Michigan fell on the short end. UCLA edged its way to its first win at No. 3 doubles, earning a 6-4 victory. Junior Myles Schalet and sophomore Connor Johnston battled back but fell short at No. 1 doubles, 6-4, giving the Bruins an early 1-0 advantage heading into singles. Senior Runhao Hua and freshman Mattias Siimar had earned a break to even their score at five apiece in the No. 2 spot just before the doubles point was clinched.
Singles play was equally as intense, with Michigan battling to two first-set wins. Senior Alex Knight, going against the top-ranked singles player in the country at the one spot, fought back from a 2-5 deficit in the first set to bring the square within one, but he ultimately dropped the opening set, 4-6. UCLA went on to earn its second point of the day at No. 1 (6-4, 6-2), then added to its lead with a 6-3, 6-4 win at the five spot.
With their backs against the wall, the Wolverines earned two consecutive wins to cut the deficit to one. Siimar, playing at No. 3, defeated the No. 103-ranked player in the country in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, to give U-M its first point of the day. At the two spot, Hua made quick work in the first set with a 6-1 win before dropping the second, 2-6. The senior got his groove back in the third set to earn a 6-2 triumph and cut the match within one point at 3-2.
Schalet fought back from a first-set deficit to take the second set but ultimately fell short in the third, giving the Bruins their fourth and final point.
Michigan concludes the 2017-18 season with a 22-6 record, earning its third consecutive 20-win season and seventh overall. The Wolverines qualified for the NCAA Tournament for a third consecutive season and 29th overall, and they advanced to the Round of 16 for the fifth time in program history.
Knight and Hua will stay in North Carolina and represent U-M in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships (May 23-28).
Following are match-by-match results:
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 1 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) def. No. 17 Alex Knight (U-M), 6-4, 6-2
No. 2 -- No. 47 Runhao Hua (U-M) def. No. 81 Evan Zhu (UCLA), 6-1, 2-6, 6-1
No. 3 -- No. 56 Keegan Smith (UCLA) def. Myles Schalet (U-M), 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
No. 4 -- Mattias Siimar (U-M) def. No. 103 Logan Staggs (UCLA), 6-2, 6-4
No. 5 -- Maxime Cressy (UCLA) def. Carter Lin (U-M), 6-3, 6-4
No. 6 -- Connor Hance (UCLA) vs. Davis Crocker (U-M), 6-1, 4-6, 2-3 unfinished
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 29 Martin Redlicki/Evan Zhu (UCLA) def. Myles Schalet/Connor Johnston (U-M), 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 16 Austin Rapp/Keegan Smith (UCLA) vs. No. 73 Runhao Hua/Mattias Siimar (U-M), 5-5 unfinished
No. 3 -- Maxime Cressy/Bryce Pereira (UCLA) def. Alex Knight/Harrison Brown (U-M), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3, Singles 1-5-4-2-3
Players Mentioned
