Michigan
NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships
Fliegner Takes First Set but Falls in NCAA Semis
11/23/2024 1:41:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Site: Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center)
Event: NCAA Singles Championship (Day 5 of 6)
Result: No Team Scoring
Next U-M Event: Fri-Sun., Jan. 10-12 -- host, Michigan Invitational (Varsity Tennis Center)
WACO, Texas -- Julia Fliegner of the University of Michigan women's tennis team took the first set but eventually fell in three sets (4-6, 6-2, 6-2) to No. 2 seed Dasha Vidmanova of Georgia in the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship on Saturday (Nov. 23) at the Hurd Tennis Center.
Flieger, the No. 7 seed, struck first for a 6-4 first-set win. She fell in an early 3-0 hole before getting on the board at 3-1. She was broken in the following game, going down two breaks at 4-1. Fliegner went to work from there, ripping off five straight games to record a 6-4 win. After breaking back to get within 4-2, Fliegner rallied from a 0-40 deficit on her serve to eventually hold at 3-4. That jumpstarted her run to take the first set.
The two exchanged breaks of serve to start the second, with Fliegner back to serve in the third game. Vidmanova grabbed two break points, converting the second on a double fault from Fliegner. Vidmanova used that game to start a four-game run of her own for a 5-1 lead. Fliegner fought off one set point to get within 5-2 but could not get closer in a 6-2 loss.
In the deciding set, Vidmanova got the break on the deuce point in Fliegner's second service game for a 2-1 lead. Fliegner was poised to break right back, going up 40-0 in the next game but Vidmanova fought off all four break points to hold at 3-1. That was all the space she needed, winning three of the final four games for a 6-2 win.
Fliegner was the second Wolverine to advance to the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship. She earned All-America honors for the first time in her career.
Michigan will wrap up tournament action in January, hosting the Michigan Invitational from Jan. 10-12.
Players Mentioned
