Michigan
B1G/SEC Challenge
Bickersteth Wins Three Matches to Pace Wolverines at B1G/SEC Challenge
9/17/2023 2:25:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Site: Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Alabama Tennis Stadium)
Event: Big Ten/SEC Challenge
Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sun., Sept. 22-24 -- at Malibu Showdown (Malibu, Calif.)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The University of Michigan men's tennis team opened the fall season at the University of Alabama for the Big Ten/SEC Challenge from Friday throught Sunday (Sept. 15-17) at thE Alabama Tennis Center. The Wolverines were joined by Purdue and Wisconsin on the Big Ten side, while Auburn and Ole Miss joined Alabama for the SEC, which proved victorious, winning 39 of 52 matches.
Jacob Bickersteth won two of three singles matches to start his senior season. He earned a win over John Hallquist Lithen (Ole Miss) on Friday (Sept. 15) and a win over Raul Dobai (Auburn) on Sunday (Sept. 17).
Sophomore Nicholas Steiglehner had a great day on Saturday (Sept. 16) when he paired up with Bickersteth for a 6-4 doubles victory over Alabama's Filip Planinsek and Matias Ponce De Leon. Later in the afternoon, Steiglehner won a 7-6 (6) tiebreaker over Ponce De Leon and sealed the match with a 6-3 second set.
Second-year Mert Oral won his first singles match of the season, topping Ole Miss' Lukas Engelhardt 6-2, 6-7 (3), 7-5 on Friday. He and freshman Alex Cairo played a marathon doubles match on Friday, ultimately falling in a 12-10 tiebreaker for the 7-6 final against the Ole Miss duo of John Hallquist Lithen/Noah Schlagenhauf. Cairo missed Saturday and Sunday's action.
The Wolverines will be back in action Friday through Sunday (Sept. 22-24) at The Malibu Showdown hosted by Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.
Sunday, Sept. 17
Nikola Slavic (Ole Miss) d. Mert Oral (U-M) 6-2, 6-1
Isac Stromberg (Ole Miss) d. Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) 6-2, 6-1
Jacob Bickersteth (U-M) d. Raul Dobai (Auburn) 5-2, retired
Saturday, Sept. 16
Michigan vs. Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss
Doubles
Isac Stromberg/Gordon Whitwell (Ole Miss) d. Nicholas Steiglehner/Mert Oral (U-M), 6-1
Raul Dobai/Will Nolan (Auburn) d. Alex Cairo/Jacob Bickersteth (U-M), default
Jacob Bickersteth/Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) d. Filip Planinsek/Matias Ponce De Leon (Alabama), 6-4
Yair Sarouk/Andrii Zimnokh (Alabama) d. Alex Cairo/Mert Oral (U-M), default
Singles
Filip Planinsek (Alabama) d. Jacob Bickersteth (U-M), 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) d. Matias Ponce De Leon (Alabama), 7-6 (6), 6-3
Yair Sarouk (Alabama) d. Alex Cairo (U-M), default
Andrii Zimnokh (Alabama) d. Mert Oral (U-M), 7-6 (2), 6-2
Friday, Sept. 15
Michigan vs. Ole Miss
Doubles
Lukas Engelhardt/Nikola Slavic (Ole Miss) d. Jacob Bickersteth/Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M), 6-4
John Hallquist Lithen/Noah Schlagenhauf (Ole Miss) d. Alex Cairo/Mert Oral (U-M), 7-6 (10)
Singles
Jacob Bickersteth (U-M) d. John Hallquist Lithen (Ole Miss), 1-6, 6-1, 3-1 retired
Mert Oral (U-M) d. Lukas Engelhardt (Ole Miss), 6-2, 6-7 (3), 7-5
Nikola Slavic (Ole Miss) d. Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M), 6-4, 6-3
Noah Schlagenhauf (Ole Miss) d, Alex Cairo (U-M), 7-5, 7-6 (4)
Players Mentioned
