University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Princeton
Gophers Rally for First Round Win Over Princeton
5/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The 25th-ranked Minnesota men's tennis team defeated 36th-ranked Princeton, 4-1, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday morning at the Snyder Tennis Center in Charlottesville, Va. The victory gave the Gophers their first 21-win season since 2003, upping their record on the year to 21-7. They have reached the second round of the national tournament for the fourth time in the last seven years.
Minnesota, which is now 12-7 in 2015 against ranked opponents, will play No. 3 overall seed and regional host Virginia Saturday in the Round of 32 at 2 p.m. CT.
Princeton started fast in the match, becoming the sixth team this season to defeat the Gophers in doubles when Alexander Day and Luke Gamble followed a Kial Kaiser and Diego Vives win at No. 3 with an 8-5 victory at No. 2.
Down by one, the Maroon and Gold saved its season with a strong performance in singles.
Jack Hamburg knotted the match with a 6-1, 6-2 triumph over Dan Richardson at No. 5. No. 60-ranked Matic Spec then gave Minnesota a lead it would not relinquish by dispatching Thomas Colautti at the second spot. Spec, a First Team All-Big Ten selection, improved to 22-2 on the spring and won his 14th-consecutive singles match.
Ruben Weber followed Spec's win by taking down Joshua Yablon at No. 4 to make it 3-1. The Gophers clinched the win when 22nd-ranked Leandro Toledo defeated No. 75 Zack McCourt at the top position.
Toledo is now 26-11 on the season and has a 19-7 mark at No. 1 singles in the spring season. His 19 victories at No. 1 are the most for a Minnesota player since 1994. He is now tied with Matt Grace for ninth on the school's all-time singles victories list with 97.
Felix Corwin and Mathieu Froment did not complete their singles matches at the third and sixth positions, respectively, with the team result no longer in question.
No. 25 Minnesota 4, No. 36 Princeton 1
Snyder Tennis Center (Charlottesville, Va.)
Singles competition
1. No. 22 Leandro Toledo (MINN) def. No. 75 Zack McCourt (PRIN) 6-3, 6-4
2. No. 60 Matic Spec (MINN) def. Thomas Colautti (PRIN) 7-5, 6-1
3. Felix Corwin (MINN) vs. Alexander Day (PRIN) 6-4, 5-6, unfinished
4. Ruben Weber (MINN) def. Joshua Yablon (PRIN) 6-3, 6-4
5. Jack Hamburg (MINN) def. Dan Richardson (PRIN) 6-1, 6-2
6. Mathieu Froment (MINN) vs. Kial Kaiser (PRIN) 3-6, 6-3, 0-0, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. No. 37 Jack Hamburg/Mathieu Froment (MINN) vs. No. 53 Zack McCourt/Thomas Colautti (PRIN) 6-6, unfinished
2. Alexander Day/Luke Gamble (PRIN) def. Leandro Toledo/Felix Corwin (MINN) 8-5
3. Kial Kaiser/Diego Vives (PRIN) def. Eric Frueh/Matic Spec (MINN) 8-4
Match Notes
Princeton 19-8
Minnesota 21-7
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (5,2,4,1)
NCAA Round of 64
Players Mentioned
