Northern Illinois
Bulls Upset Top-Seeded Huskies to Earn Championship Game Appearance
4/25/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
MUNCIE, IN – Exactly a week to the day that the team lost a tough 5-2 decision in DeKalb, the UB men's tennis team rallied in a big way Friday morning, upsetting the top-ranked Northern Illinois squad in the first round of the Mid-American Conference tournament, hosted by Ball State. The win moves UB to 12-7 and into the MAC championship match, while the Huskies finish the 2014 Spring season with an 18-6 overall record.
This will be the third trip to the championship round since 2010, with the team in search of the crown.
The Huskies took a commanding 2-0 lead in the match, starting with the doubles point after taking the first and second flight. In singles play, a win at third singles for NIU put UB in the early hole, but as it had done so many times this season, the Bulls would rally.
Sebastian Ionescu quickly countered the NIU win at #3 with a sweep of his match at second singles. He would cruise to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Dor Amir to put Buffalo on the board. As the regular season champions, the Huskies put the Bulls on their heels early with first-set wins in the first, fourth, fifth and sixth flights.
The rally would surge up from the lower matches for UB, with Jonathan Hannestad and Akhil Mehta winning their three-set matches to turn the 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 advantage. Hannestad won 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 to complete the comeback win over Matt Lynch in sixth singles, and Mehta beat Simon Formont 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 at fifth singles to swing the momentum to the side of the fourth-seeded Bulls.
With just two matches remaining, both Damien David and Sergio Arevalillo were in the thick of their third sets. David ran out to a quick 4-1 lead in his set, but it would be the sophomore Spaniard Arevalillo who would clinch it after coming from behind to win the third set over Jovan Zeljkovic at fourth singles, 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.
The team hopes that the third time is the charm for title match appearances under coach Nickell. After losing in 2010 and 2012, the team will face either Ball State or Toledo for the MAC championship tomorrow at 2 pm EST. Live stats will be available through MAC-Sport.com.
Singles
1. Axel Lagerlof (NIU) vs. Damien David (UB) 3-6, 6-4, 1-4, unfinished
2. Sebastian Ionescu (UB) def. Dor Amir (NIU) 6-4, 6-3
3. Frederic Cadieux (NIU) def. Pablo Alvarez (UB) 6-1, 6-4
4. Sergio Arevalillo (UB) def. Jovan Zeljkovic (NIU) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4
5. Akhil Mehta (UB) def. Simon Formont (NIU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
6. Jonathan Hannestad (UB) def. Matt Lynch (NIU) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4
Doubles
1. Dor Amir/Axel Lagerlof (NIU) def. Damien David/Akhil Mehta (UB) 8-5
2. Simon Formont/Frederic Cadieux (NIU) def. Jonathan Hannestad/Sergio Arevalillo (UB) 8-6
3. Matt Lynch/Jovan Zeljkovic (NIU) vs. Sebastian Ionescu/Pablo Alvarez (UB) 6-7, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (3,2,6,5,4,1)
