Michigan
Arizona State
ASU Battles Back to Top Michigan at ITA Indoor Championship
2/18/2024 1:18:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Site: New York, N.Y. (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center)
Score: #20 Arizona State 4, #13 Michigan 2
Records: U-M (5-6), ASU (6-4)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Feb. 26 -- vs. USC (Los Angeles, Calif.), 2 p.m. PST
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The University of Michigan men's tennis team took the lead but was not able to hang on as Arizona State battled back to take a 4-2 match on Sunday (Feb. 18) at the Indoor National Tennis Championship.
The Wolverines won the doubles point and Bjorn Swenson gave the squad a 2-0 lead with a straight set win at No. 4 singles. The Sun Devils won the next four singles matches in the comeback-from-behind win.
In doubles it was Gavin Young and Jacob Bickersteth that cliched the team point as they defeated Murphy Cassone and Martin Vergara Del Puerto 7-6 (4) at No. 1. At 2-2 in the tiebreaker, Young/Bickersteth won three straight to lead 5-2. The Sun Devils responded with a two-point run but the Wolverines closed with the final two points for the 7-6 (7-4) decision.
Will Cooksey and Patorn Hanchaikul earned a 6-4 win at No. 2 doubles, while Alex Cairo and Nicholas Steiglehner fell 6-3 at No. 3.
Swenson quickly pushed Michigan's lead to 2-0 with 6-4, 6-2 wins over Nicola Cigna at No. 4 singles.
Daniel Phillips put ASU on the board at No. 6 as he took matching 6-4 sets from Steiglehner. Jacob Bullard's three-set win over Hanchaikul 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 at No. 3 tied the team score at 2-2.
No. 48 ranked Bickersteth won his first set against Max McKennon at No. 2 but fell 6-3, 7-5 in the next two sets as ASU grabbed its first lead.
Both Young and Cooksey were in third sets, with ASU holding a slim advantage in each.
Roi Ginat secured the final point for ASU defeating Cooksey at No. 5, 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3. Cassone led Young 5-4 in the third before the match was halted.
Michigan visits ASU for the ASU Invitational March 1-3, but first a dual match at University of Southern California on Monday (Feb. 26) at 5 p.m. PST.
Following are match-by-match results
Singles
No. 1 – No. 10 Murphy Cassone (ASU) vs. No. 17 Gavin Young (U-M), 7-5, 1-6, 5-4 abandoned
No. 2 – Max McKennon (ASU) d. No. 48 Jacob Bickersteth (U-M), 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
No. 3 – Jacob Bullard (ASU) d. No. 125 Patorn Hanchaikul (U-M), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
No. 4 – Bjorn Swenson (U-M) d. Nicola Cigna (ASU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 – Roi Ginat (ASU) d. Will Cooksey (U-M), 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3
No. 6 – Daniel Phillips (ASU) d. Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M), 6-4, 6-4
Doubles
No. 1 – Gavin Young/Jacob Bickersteth (U-M) d. Murphy Cassone/Martin Vergara Del Puerto (ASU), 7-6 (4)
No. 2 – Will Cooksey/Patorn Hanchaikul (U-M) d. Roi Ginat/Jacob Bullard (ASU), 6-4
No. 3 – Nicola Cigna/Max McKennon (ASU) d. Alex Cairo/Nicholas Steiglehner (U-M) 6-3
Order of Completion: Doubles 3-2-1, Singles 4-6-3-2-5
Players Mentioned
