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Wayne State University Athletics

4
Winner Wayne State WSUM (5-1)
3
Flagler FLG (1-1)
Winner
Wayne State WSUM
(5-1)
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Final
3
Flagler FLG
(1-1)
Men's Tennis Team Photo 2022-23
It was another team effort for the men's tennis squad, as they defeated a top five ranked team on Friday.

Match Recap: Men's Tennis | | Matthew Jurek, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Men's Tennis Squeezes By No. 4 Flagler 4-3 at the ITA National Indoor Championship

The Warriors advance to the semifinals on Saturday.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- The Wayne State University men's tennis team (5-1 overall) continues to prove why they are a top five ranked team in Division II, as they narrowly defeated No. 4 ranked Flagler College (1-1 overall) 4-3 on the first day of action at the ITA National Indoor Championship inside the UIndy Tennis Center in Indianapolis.

DOUBLES
The Warriors trailed after doubles action for the first time this spring season, as Flagler claimed the point to move ahead, 1-0.

The pairing of Cedric Drenth (Sulzbach, Germany) and Daniel Grey (Wiesbaden, Germany) fell at the No. 1 doubles spot, 6-4, to Jagger Ong-Patzwald and Nikita Tatyanin. 

No. 3 doubles of Niklas Karcz (Bottrop, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) and Denali Kitayama (West Bloomfield Township, Mich.) similarly fell by a 6-4 decision.

With the point decided, the No. 2 pairing of Luke Laws (Sunderland, England) and Dom Spicer (London, England) were unable to finish. The score was even at 5-5 at the time of the match being called.

SINGLES
The Green and Gold put in a heroic effort in singles action, claiming four of the six matches to win the match outright. This started with a strong and energetic beginning and became a battle as the matches wore on. 

Drenth posted a victory at the No. 2 spot, winning in straight sets by scores of 6-1, 6-3 over Jacopo Denitto. 

Grey looked strong once again, moving to 6-0 in singles this spring season by handling Pavlos Parson, 6-4, 6-2. 

The Warriors at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots stepped up and helped the Warriors finish off the come-from-behind victory. Laws and Ong-Patzwald needed a tiebreaker in both sets, but Laws won the first 7-6 (5) and the second 7-6 (2) to emerge victorious. 

At No. 6, Kitayama won the first set, 6-3, and lost the second set by the same margin. In the third set, the junior finished off Philipp Lemken 6-3 to clinch the win for the Warriors.

Back at the No. 1 singles spot for the first time in the spring, Spicer claimed the first set but eventually lost in three (6-3, 4-6, 1-6) to Tatyanin. 

Karcz fell to Petr Cervinka at the No. 4 spot, 7-6 (4), 6-3, in straight sets. 

FROM COACH MORROW
"Unbelievable match tonight, one of the best college tennis matches I've ever been involved in. Could not be prouder of these guys. Flagler ranks fourth in the nation for a reason and that is because they are a really good team. We pulled out a really gutsy victory with tons of heart. These guys played like Warriors tonight!"

UP NEXT
Wayne State will play in the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Championship on Saturday against the hosts of the tournament, Indianapolis. The match is slated for another 5:30 p.m. start from the UIndy Tennis Center.


 
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