Michigan
Ohio State
Michigan Takes Down No. 8 Ohio State to Top B1G Standings
3/14/2021 3:35:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Varsity Tennis Center)
Result: #13 Michigan 4, #8 Ohio State 3
Records: U-M (6-1, 6-0 B1G), OSU (9-2, 6-1 BIG)
Next U-M Event: Friday, March 19 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), Noon CDT
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked Michigan men's tennis team handed No. 8 Ohio State its first Big Ten loss with a 4-3 win on Sunday (March 14) at the Varsity Tennis Center. The Wolverines now sit atop the conference standings with a perfect 6-0 record. The win also marks the first U-M win over Ohio State since 2001.
Michigan handed the Buckeyes just its second doubles loss of the season and first in Big Ten play. At No. 1 doubles, the second-ranked team of Andrew Fenty and Mattias Siimar recovered from a 3-2 deficit to win the next three points to take a 5-3 lead. Ohio State's No. 4-ranked duo of John McNally and Robert Cash took the next game to get within one. Up 40-30 in the final set, Fenty served up an ace to clinch the match, 6-4.
At the same time, No. 3 doubles was finishing up with Justin Boulias and JJ Tracy evening things up with a 6-4 win over Nick Beaty and Harrison Brown. The series was tied four times and at 4-4 before Boulais and Tracy grabbed the last two games for the victory.
All eyes were on Connor Johnston and Ondrej Styler at No. 2 doubles as they were battling No. 51-ranked Cannon Kingsley and Kyle Seelig. Johnston and Styler had a 4-1 lead that OSU slowly chipped away at, winning three straight to make it a 4-4 match. Up 5-4 and at deuce point, Johnston used a forehand shot to beat Seelig and secure the doubles point for Michigan.
The Buckeyes evened the team match at 1 as Jacob Bickersteth fell at No. 6 singles, 6-1, 6-3.
No. 28 Styler never trailed in his first set versus No. 11 McNally at No. 2 singles. Tied 5-5, Styler used an overhead slam to take the point and go up, 6-5. McNally matched the win to force a tiebreak. Styler took a 5-1 edge before McNally put the next two points to close to 5-3. Styler took the final two points for the first set win, 7-6 (3). Tied at 3-3 in the second set, Syler went on a 3-1 run and claimed the game, the set, 6-4, and match on a drop shot.
At No. 3, Patrick Maloney fell behind 3-0 in the first set before taking one off of No. 25 Seelig, who then finished out the set, 6-1. Maloney came out on top in the second set, winning 6-3, and cruised to a 6-1 third-set win to take down the ranked Buckeye and put Michigan within one point of the team win at 3-1.
No. 14 Fenty and No. 5 Kingsley traded points in the first set at No. 1 singles, with neither leading by more than one. Tied at 5-5, Fenty broke serve at deuce to take the lead, 6-5. Kingsley came back to win the next game on a deuce, forcing a tiebreak and claimed the win 7-6 (1). Kinsley took the second set, 6-4, pushing Ohio State within one in the team score (3-2).
As the focus bounced between Courts 4 and 5, the match came down to No. 4 singles featuring Siimar at Court 5.
Siimar and Boulais traded 6-3 wins to force a third set. Siimar went up, 2-1, before Boulais tilted the score in his favor, 4-3. Siimar won the next game to even things at 4-4 and won on a deuce point to push himself ahead, 5-4, and took a final bow as he won the final game to secure the Wolverine victory.
At No. 5 singles, Beaty dropped the first set, 6-3, to Robert Cash but came back with a 6-4 win in the second set. In the deciding set with Beaty leading 4-3, Cash won the next three straight to take the win 6-4, but it was too little, too late and Michigan came out on top in the team score, 4-3.
Michigan will hit the road for the next two weekends for four matches, beginning with a trip to Iowa on Friday (March 19) at noon CDT.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- No. 5 Cannon Kingsley (OSU) d. No. 14 Andrew Fenty (U-M), 7-6 (1), 6-4
No. 2 -- No. 28 Ondrej Styler (U-M) d. No. 11 John McNally (OSU), 7-6 (3), 6-4
No. 3 -- Patrick Maloney (U-M) d. Â No. 25 Kyle Seelig (OSU), 1-6, 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 -- Mattias Siimar (U-M) d. Justin Boulais (OSU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
No. 5 -- Robert Cash (OSU) d. Nick Beaty (U-M), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
No. 6 -- JJ Tracy (OSU) d. Jacob Bickersteth (U-M), 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- No. 2 Andrew Fenty/Mattias Siimar (U-M) d. No. 4 John McNally/Robert Cash (OSU), 6-4
No. 2 -- Ondrej Styler/Connor Johnston (U-M) d. No. 51 Cannon Kingsley/Kyle Seelig (OSU), 6-4
No. 3 -- Justin Boulais/JJ Tracy (OSU) d. Nick Beaty/Harrison Brown (U-M), 6-4
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-3-2, Singles 6-2-3-1-4-5
Players Mentioned
