University of Minnesota Athletics
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Indiana
Gophers Finish Regular Season With a Victory
4/23/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Minneapolis, Minn.- The No. 33-ranked University of Minnesota men's tennis team completed their regular season this afternoon with a 4-3 win over Indiana. In comeback fashion, the Gophers ended conference play on a high note going into postseason play.
Doubles
The afternoon began with the doubles point going to the Hoosiers. Minnesota secured a set victory at No. 3 doubles as sophomores Justyn Levin and Marino Alpeza took down Bennett Crane and Alfonso Salgado by a score of 6-4.
The Hoosiers would go on to win the next two sets. First it was No. 1 doubles, where No. 76-ranked Keivon Tabrizi and Raheel Manji took down the junior pair of Matic Spec and Felix Corwin 6-4. The No. 2 doubles match went into tiebreaker, and the freshman pair of Stefan Milicevic and Eli Ogilvy were on the wrong end of a 7-6(3) final against Stefan Lugonjic and Antonio Cambellin.
Singles
Indiana earned the first singles point of the day at No. 5 singles, as Alpeza fell to Crane 6-3, 6-2 to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead on the day. Minnesota battled back with a win at No. 3 singles, as Milicevic defeated Matthew McCoy 6-3, 6-2.
The Gophers added another point when No. 68-ranked Spec defeated Cambellin 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2 singles. The junior won six of the last seven games in the second set after falling behind 3-0. With the match tied at two, it was Justyn Levin to give the Maroon & Gold the third point as he defeated Oliver Sec 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 at No. 6 singles. The Maroon & Gold needed one point between Ogilvy and Corwin to secure a match victory.
Corwin put up a fight in the second set after dropping his first set. Down 5-4, Corwin broke Manji's serve twice to force a tiebreaker for the set. Corwin came out victorious as he won a 7-5 battle in front of packed bleachers at the outdoor courts at Baseline. In the third set, the score was on serve before Corwin won three straight games including two breaks, giving him a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 victory in the top singles slot. With the win at No. 1, the Gophers clinched the match victory with their fourth point.
"I was just trying to play my game and not overthink it. We know there was a lot at stake, but I was able to stay within myself and today it worked out in my favor," Corwin said on his comeback victory. "It was very satisfying, and we are relieved we got the win going into the Big Ten Tournament because any momentum we can get right now is huge for us."
Ogilvy was the last to wrap up his match, as he could not pull out a victory and fell to Tabrizi 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 at No. 4 singles. This was the third point for the Hoosiers, ending the match at a score of 4-3 in favor of Minnesota.
Senior Day
On Sunday afternoon, senior Jeremy Lynn was honored for his commitment to the Gopher men's tennis program. From Joplin, Mo., Lynn collected 19 singles wins and 20 doubles wins over his four-year tenure, and has been a consistent academic Big Ten honoree. Jeremy has also earned Minnesota's Team Spirit Award for two straight seasons.
Coming Up
The Maroon & Gold finish the season with an overall record of 16-9 and are now 5-6 in conference play heading into the postseason. The Gophers will travel to West Lafayette, Ind. later this week to battle for a Big Ten Tournament championship. Seeding and scheduling will be released in the upcoming days, as the tournament will run April 27 through April 30.
You can follow all the postseason action on the Gophers' Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
#33 Minnesota 4, #49 Indiana 3
Apr. 23, 2017 at Minneapolis, Minn. (Baseline Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. Felix Corwin (MINN) def. Raheel Manji (IU) 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3
2. #68 Matic Spec (MINN) def. Antonio Cambellin (IU) 6-2, 6-4
3. Stefan Milicevic (MINN) def. Matthew McCoy (IU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Keivon Tabrizi (IU) def. Eli Ogilvy (MINN) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
5. Bennett Crane (IU) def. Marino Alpeza (MINN) 6-3, 6-2
6. Justyn Levin (MINN) def. Oliver Sec (IU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #76 Keivon Tabrizi/Raheel Manji (IU) def. Matic Spec/Felix Corwin (MINN) 6-4
2. Stefan Lugonjic/Antonio Cambellin (IU) def. Stefan Milicevic/Eli Ogilvy (MINN) 7-6(3)
3. Justyn Levin/Marino Alpeza (MINN) def. Bennett Crane/Alfonso Salgado (IU) 6-3
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,3,2,6,1,4)
Attendance: 160
Felix's serve can't be handled and he forces a third set with a 7-5 win in the tiebreaker! #Gophers 〽️🎾 pic.twitter.com/VNE9mVEoE2
- Minnesota M Tennis (@GopherMTennis) April 23, 2017
