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NCAA men’s tennis: Arizona rallies to beat Oklahoma, advance to first Elite Eight
TL;DR
Arizona men's tennis rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Oklahoma 4-3, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. The Wildcats will face top-seeded Wake Forest in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
Key points
- Arizona rallied from down 3-1 to win 4-3
- The match took place at LaNelle Robson Tennis Center
- This is Arizona's first Elite Eight appearance
- Arizona will face top-seeded Wake Forest next
- The Wildcats have a season record of 24-4
Arizona WildcatsOklahoma SoonersWake ForestNCAA Men's Tennis
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The most-anticipated college tennis match ever in Tucson was a hot ticket, so much so they had to print out more just to accommodate all the people who wanted to watch Arizona try and make history on Saturday afternoon.
And after more than three hours, the Wildcats finally broke through.
Arizona rallied from down 3-1 to beat Oklahoma 4-3 in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Sweet 16 at LaNelle Robson Tennis Center, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. The 8th-seeded Wildcats (24-4) will face top-seeded Wake Forest, the defending NCAA champions, in the quarterfinals Thursday in Athens, Ga.
Arizona had lost in its previous four Sweet 16 appearances, including three in a row, but this was the first time it got to host.
But with temperatures nearing triple digits, the UA found itself in a position where it needed to win every remaining singles match. No. 9 Oklahoma (20-7) had taken the doubles point and won in straight sets at No. 2 and No. 4 singles, with Arizona’s lone win to that point by sophomore Glib Sekachov (6-2, 6-2) at No. 5 singles.
“We got down 3-1 and I think the guys just said, you know what? This is destiny,” UA coach Clancy Shields said. “It’s supposed to happen this year. We’ve been to the Sweet 16, but we haven’t gotten any further. You saw how the guys buckled down to make it.”
Arizona began to turn a corner when it won first-set tiebreakers in two of three matches, including senior Jay Friend 8-6 at No. 1 singles after being down a break to Oklahoma’s Luis Alvarez. Junior Sasha Rozin started the comeback at No. 3 singles, winning 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4).
Friend lost his second set 7-5, and freshman Alejandro Arcilo did the same 6-4 at No. 6 singles after winning the first 6-4. Arcilo then fell down a break before going on a tear, winning the last three games to take the third set 6-4 and even the match at 3.
After a brief celebration, the entire UA team—and the crowd of 500-plus—migrated around Court 1 for the deciding set between Friends and Alvarez.
Q&A
How did Arizona men's tennis defeat Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament?
Arizona overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the match 4-3 against Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.
When will Arizona face Wake Forest in the NCAA men's tennis tournament?
Arizona will play against Wake Forest in the quarterfinals on Thursday.
What is the significance of Arizona advancing to the Elite Eight?
This marks the first time in school history that Arizona's men's tennis team has reached the Elite Eight.
What was the final score of the Arizona vs. Oklahoma match?
The final score was Arizona 4, Oklahoma 3.