Michigan State men's tennis falls to No. 12 Harvard in NCAA Tournament

Michigan State’s NCAA Tournament run has ended in the Regional Final against No. 12 overall seed Harvard. The Crimson defeated the Spartans 4-0 to advance to the Super Regional Round.

The Spartans got to the Regional Final by beating Denver on Friday. Harvard beat in-state opponent Boston University to match up with Michigan State.

The doubles matches were all tight. The pair of Taym Al-Azmeh and Ronald Hohmann were the first to finish their match. They defeated Melchior Delloye and Ronan Jachuck 6-4. All Michigan State had to do to get the doubles point was win just one more doubles match.

The other two matches came right down to the wire almost simultaneously. Graydon Lair and Max Sheldon were all square at five games a piece with Harvard’s pair of Masato Perera and Alan Yim. However, Perera and Yim won the next two games to take it 7-5.

As a result, the doubles point would be decided in the No. 1 doubles match between the two top doubles pairs – Michigan State’s Ozan Baris and Aristotelis Thanos against Harvard’s Danny Milavsky and Cooper Williams. The match was tied at six, which meant a tiebreaker, up to seven points, would decide which team would get the doubles point.

The pair of Milavsky and Williams rallied in the tiebreaker for Harvard. They won five consecutive points to take the tiebreaker 7-4. That gave the doubles point to the Crimson.

Michigan State had to win four of the six singles matches in order to advance in the NCAA Tournament.

However, Harvard made quick work of the Spartans.

Milavsky beat Thanos in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. Jachuck beat Sebastien Collard in straight sets as well – 6-3, 6-2. Harvard sealed the team victory as Perera defeated David Saye 6-3, 6-4. Three singles matches went unfinished because Harvard already sealed the victory.

It was still a very successful season for the Spartans, finishing the campaign with a 23-7 record. They also made history. Michigan State advanced in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever with a 4-0 victory over Denver on Friday.

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