University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Drop 4-3 Decision to Fresno State in NCAAs
5/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The University of Minnesota fell 4-3 to No. 38 Fresno State on Friday afternoon in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Hellman Tennis Complex in Berkeley, Calif. The loss ends the 19th-ranked Gophers' season and snaps a two-year streak of advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Minnesota, which advanced to the Big Ten tournament final two weeks ago, finishes the season with a 19-6 record.
"It was a very good season," said coach Geoff Young. "The goal the whole year was to make the sweet 16. It is difficult to put yourself in a position where you really have a legitimate shot in not having to play a top-five team. We did that, but ran into another team that was tough."
The match against the Bulldogs, who Minnesota beat 4-2 on Jan. 29 in a neutral-site match, could not have started off much better as the Gophers controlled all three doubles matches.
Phillip Arndt and Sebastian Gallego raced to a 4-0 lead against the 15th-ranked tandem of Rikus de Villiers and Remi Boutillier before winning 8-4. It was the second time this season that the Gopher duo defeated the talented twosome from Fresno State, as Gallego and Ardnt also prevailed 8-6 in January.
Tobias Wernet and Juan Pablo Ramirez clinched the doubles point for Minnesota with an 8-4 win at third doubles against Nick Papac and Siddharth Alapati. Rok Bonin and Julian Dehn had their match abandoned up 6-4 against Jean-Charles Diame and Francis Alcantara.
"Doubles was really good," said Young. "We got up fairly early on all three courts and basically ran away with the doubles point."
There would be no running away in singles for either team. The wind kicked up and the points seemed to get longer and longer as Minnesota and Fresno State battled for every advantage.
Papac tied the match 1-1 with a 6-2, 6-4 win against Ruddock and then Diame put the Bulldogs up 2-2 with a 6-4, 6-4 win versus Gallego.
Minnesota bounced back to level the match 2-2 when Bonin dismissed No. 108 Boutillier at second singles 7-6 (4), 6-3.
The final three matches all went to three sets and by that time the wind had become a concern for Minnesota.
"We did not start well in singles," said Young. "There were some tough conditions with the wind, but I think Fresno State just outplayed us. It was very difficult to hurt the opponent by hitting the ball hard. A lot of our guys have games that rely on hitting the ball fairly hard and when you are not rewarded from that it makes it tough.
"It was not until we were well into singles where really maybe half of our guys were having to work much, much harder (because of the wind). Now, again, our opponent has to work much harder as well but the style of game they played was more of a counter-attack style. But Fresno State competed well and they deserved it."
Arndt, playing at fourth singles, lost a three-set match in which he displayed a large amount of grit with a second-set comeback. However, it was not enough as Alcantara won 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to give Fresno State a 3-2 lead.
Wernet's match at first singles featured numerous breaks in serve and some long rallies, but the two-time Big Ten player of the week prevailed 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-4 to level the match at 3-3.
"(Tobias) was playing a tricky player," said Young. "He takes the ball really early and is really good at the net. He does not give you a lot of rhythm. It was a tricky match for Tobias, but he was able to get it done."
The deciding match was between Dehn and David Ayoun, who did not play doubles for the Bulldogs. Dehn won the first set 7-5, but lost the second and third 6-3, 7-5.
"It was tough to finish points," said Young. "Fresno State was playing smart tennis and really making us earn everything we got. We earned a lot of points, but not quite enough at the end. A deciding match like that at number six that ends 7-5 can go either way."
Entering today, the Gophers were a combined 42-22 at positions four, five and six. They lost all three matches at positions four through six for only the third time all season, and it was the first time all season when the Gophers were not shutout in the overall match.
Today's match was only the second time all year that Minnesota won the doubles point, but lost the overall match. The Gophers took the doubles point against Indiana on April 8, but lost singles matches at one, three, five and six.
It is also the first time all season that the Gophers lost back-to-back contests. No. 3 Ohio State topped Minnesota 4-0 in the Big Ten tournament final on May 1 before the Gophers lost to Fresno State.
No. 38 Fresno State 4, No. 19 Minnesota 3
Hellman Tennis Complex | Berkeley, Calif.
2011 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships | First Round
Friday, May 13, 2011
Doubles
1. No. 71 Arndt/Gallego (MINN) def. No. 15 Boutillier/de Villiers (FSU) 8-4
2. No. 76 Bonin/Dehn (MINN) vs. Alcantara/Diame (FSU) DNF
3. Ramirez/Wernet (MINN) def. Alapati/Papac (FSU) 8-4
Order of finish: 1, 3* (Minnesota wins doubles point)
Singles
1. No. 73 Tobias Wernet (MINN) def. Rikus de Villiers (FSU) 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-4
2. Rok Bonin (MINN) def. No. 108 Remi Boutillier (FSU) 7-6(4), 6-3
3. Jean-Charles Diame (FSU) def. Sebastian Gallego (MINN) 6-4, 6-4
4. Francis Alcantara (FSU) def. Phillip Arndt (MINN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
5. Nick Papac (FSU) def. Brendan Ruddock (MINN) 6-2, 6-4
6. David Ayoun (FSU) def. Julian Dehn (MINN) 5-7, 6-3, 7-5
Order of finish: 5, 3, 2, 4, 1, 6*
Records: Minnesota (19-6), Fresno State (17-8)
Players Mentioned
