Michigan
Purdue
Steiglehner Delivers in Deciding Match at Purdue
3/21/2025 8:30:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Site: West Lafayette, Ind. (Schwartz Tennis Center)
Score: #22 Michigan 4, Purdue 3
Records: U-M (10-7, 4-1), PU (9-5, 1-4)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, March 23 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), Noon
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Junior Nicholas Steiglehner won a three-set thriller at No. 5 singles to lift the No. 22-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team to a 4-3 win over Purdue on Friday (March 21) at the Schwartz Tennis Center.
Steiglehner has been clutch all season, with Friday's win marking his third match-clinching victory for the Maize and Blue.
With the team score tied at 3-3, it was also tied on court five as Steiglehner and Maj Premzl were knotted at 2-2 in the third set. Premzl won a 7-6 (3) first set before Steiglehner responded with a 6-0 second. Both players held serve until the final game, when Steiglehner ripped a forehand to the opposite corner on deuce point, forcing an error to seal the win.
Purdue took the early lead with the doubles point, but Michigan overtook the lead with wins in the first two singles matches. The first came from Will Cooksey at No. 2, who secured a straight-set win for his team-leading 17th singles victory of the season.
Gavin Young, playing in his first singles match since Feb. 14, delivered a big win at No. 1. The No. 85-ranked Wolverine defeated No. 104-ranked Aleksa Krivokapic in straight sets for his 78th career singles win. Young dominated the first-set tiebreaker, winning six straight points in a 7-6 (1) decision, then closed the second set 6-2 with a 4-0 run.
The Boilermakers responded with a win at No. 3, but Bjorn Swenson regained the lead for Michigan at No. 4. After taking the first set 6-3 and grabbing a 3-0 lead in the second, his opponent rallied to force a tiebreak. Tied at 4-4, Swenson won three straight points to clinch the set 7-6 (4).
After Purdue took a three-set match at No. 6, the outcome rested on Steiglehner, who sealed the win for Michigan.
In doubles, Young and Swenson remained unbeaten in dual matches with a 6-2 win at No. 1. Cooksey and Patorn Hanchaikul forced a tiebreak at No. 2 but fell 7-6 (3), and Purdue won the point with another 7-6 (3) tiebreak at No. 3.
Michigan wraps up its four-match road trip Sunday (March 23) against Indiana in Bloomington.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 -- Gavin Young (U-M) d. Aleksa Krivokapic (PU) 7-6 (2), 6-2
No. 2 -- Will Cooksey (U-M) d. JD Velasquez (PU) 7-5, 6-2
No. 3 -- Henrik Villanger (PU) d. Patorn Hanchaikul (U-M) 7-5, 6-0
No. 4 -- Bjorn Swenson (U-M) d. Stefan Simeunovic (PU) 6-3, 7-6 (4)
No. 5 -- Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) d. Maj Premzl (PU) 6-7 (3), 6-0, 6-4
No. 6 -- Nour Fathalla (PU) d. Mert Oral (U-M) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 -- Gavin Young/Bjorn Swenson (U-M) d. Aleksa Krivokapic/JD Velasquez (PU) 6-2
No. 2 -- Daniel Labrador/Nour Fathalla (PU) d. Will Cooksey/Patorn Hanchaikul (U-M) 7-6 (3)
No. 3 -- Maj Premzl/Henrik Villanger (PU) d. Mert Oral/Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) 7-6 (3)
Order of Completion: Doubles 1-2-3; Singles 2-1-3-4-6-5
Players Mentioned
