Sunday, February 16
Madison, Wis.
10:00 AM
USC
4
vs
3
Michigan
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
Photo by: Jacob Dye
No. 1 USC Men Stage Semifinal Comeback Win To Earn Spot In ITA Indoors Championship Match
February 16, 2020 | Men's Tennis, Features
The Trojans recover from a 3-1 deficit to beat No. 13 Michigan in today’s semifinals in Madison, Wisc.
MADISON, WISC. — The No. 1 USC men's tennis team will compete for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship for the fifth time in the past nine years after an impressive 4-3 comeback win over No. 13 Michigan in today's semifinals. Down 3-1 to the Wolverines, the Trojans gutted out three three-set comebacks, capped by a tiebreak clincher from No. 1 Daniel Cukierman on court two. The win sets up a championship bout between the top-ranked Trojans and No. 5 North Carolina tomorrow (Feb. 17) in Madison, Wisc.
The Trojans reached four consecutive ITA National Team Indoor finals from 2012-15, and last won it all in 2012. USC also won titles in 1987 and 1988 at the event.
In today's semifinal, USC's #58 Daniel Cukierman and Riley Smith opened the day with a 6-4 upset of the nation's #4 doubles duo in Fenty/Siimar on court one. Michigan answered back with a 6-4 win by #42 Johnston/Styler on court two over USC's Mor Bulis and Ryder Jackson to knot it up. The battle on court three raged into a tiebreaker, and the Wolverines captured the doubles point in edging out USC's Stefan Dostanic and Bradley Frye 7-6 (4).
USC's #33 Riley Smith snarled the score up 1-1 with his 6-3, 6-4 win over Mattias Silmar on court three, but Michigan stole back ahead 3-1 with straight-set wins on courts four and one, upending #15 Mor Bulis and #24 Brandon Holt along the way. Down 3-1, USC had a serious gut check in order as the Trojans tried to train their focus back on that ticket to the title match.
It was two USC freshmen who turned the tide, as #65 Stefan Dostanic powered back from a first-set deficit to beat Nick Beaty 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 on court five. Over on court six, meanwhile, fellow freshman #69 Ryder Jackson was working on a comeback of his own. He'd have to pull out a second-set tiebreaker to force the issue, and once that was done and a third set was underway, Jackson pressed on to victory with a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over #96 Patrick Maloney to knot the score at 3-3. Moments later, #1 Daniel Cukierman stood his ground in a third-set breaker, clinching a USC victory for the fifth time this season. Cukierman captured a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2) victory over #43 Ondrej Styler to make it a third straight comeback three-setter for the Trojans and punch that ticket to tomorrow's title match against the Tar Heels.
2020 ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP
SEMIFINALS
#1 USC 4, #13 Michigan 3
Feb. 16, 2020 | Madison, Wisc.
DOUBLES
(1) #58 Cukierman/R. Smith (USC) def. #4 Fenty/Siimar (MICH) - 6-4
(2) #42 Johnston/Styler (MICH) def. Bulis/Jackson (USC) - 6-3
(3) Brown/Maloney (MICH) def. Dostanic/Frye (USC) - 7-6 (4)
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Michigan wins doubles point.
SINGLES
(1) #48 Andrew Fenty (MICH) def. #24 24 Brandon Holt (USC) - 6-4, 6-1
(2) #1 Daniel Cukierman (USC) def. #43 Ondrej Styler (MICH) - 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2)*
(3) #33 Riley Smith (USC) def. Mattias Silmar (MICH) - 6-3, 6-4
(4) Connor Johnston (MICH) def. #15 Mor Bulis (USC) - 6-3, 6-4
(5) #65 Stefan Dostanic (USC) def. Nick Beaty (MICH) - 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
(6) #69 Ryder Jackson (USC) def. #96 Patrick Maloney (MICH) - 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 4, 1, 5, 6, 2*
The Trojans reached four consecutive ITA National Team Indoor finals from 2012-15, and last won it all in 2012. USC also won titles in 1987 and 1988 at the event.
In today's semifinal, USC's #58 Daniel Cukierman and Riley Smith opened the day with a 6-4 upset of the nation's #4 doubles duo in Fenty/Siimar on court one. Michigan answered back with a 6-4 win by #42 Johnston/Styler on court two over USC's Mor Bulis and Ryder Jackson to knot it up. The battle on court three raged into a tiebreaker, and the Wolverines captured the doubles point in edging out USC's Stefan Dostanic and Bradley Frye 7-6 (4).
USC's #33 Riley Smith snarled the score up 1-1 with his 6-3, 6-4 win over Mattias Silmar on court three, but Michigan stole back ahead 3-1 with straight-set wins on courts four and one, upending #15 Mor Bulis and #24 Brandon Holt along the way. Down 3-1, USC had a serious gut check in order as the Trojans tried to train their focus back on that ticket to the title match.
It was two USC freshmen who turned the tide, as #65 Stefan Dostanic powered back from a first-set deficit to beat Nick Beaty 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 on court five. Over on court six, meanwhile, fellow freshman #69 Ryder Jackson was working on a comeback of his own. He'd have to pull out a second-set tiebreaker to force the issue, and once that was done and a third set was underway, Jackson pressed on to victory with a 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3 win over #96 Patrick Maloney to knot the score at 3-3. Moments later, #1 Daniel Cukierman stood his ground in a third-set breaker, clinching a USC victory for the fifth time this season. Cukierman captured a 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2) victory over #43 Ondrej Styler to make it a third straight comeback three-setter for the Trojans and punch that ticket to tomorrow's title match against the Tar Heels.
2020 ITA NATIONAL TEAM INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP
SEMIFINALS
#1 USC 4, #13 Michigan 3
Feb. 16, 2020 | Madison, Wisc.
DOUBLES
(1) #58 Cukierman/R. Smith (USC) def. #4 Fenty/Siimar (MICH) - 6-4
(2) #42 Johnston/Styler (MICH) def. Bulis/Jackson (USC) - 6-3
(3) Brown/Maloney (MICH) def. Dostanic/Frye (USC) - 7-6 (4)
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Michigan wins doubles point.
SINGLES
(1) #48 Andrew Fenty (MICH) def. #24 24 Brandon Holt (USC) - 6-4, 6-1
(2) #1 Daniel Cukierman (USC) def. #43 Ondrej Styler (MICH) - 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2)*
(3) #33 Riley Smith (USC) def. Mattias Silmar (MICH) - 6-3, 6-4
(4) Connor Johnston (MICH) def. #15 Mor Bulis (USC) - 6-3, 6-4
(5) #65 Stefan Dostanic (USC) def. Nick Beaty (MICH) - 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
(6) #69 Ryder Jackson (USC) def. #96 Patrick Maloney (MICH) - 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 4, 1, 5, 6, 2*
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