No. 40 Miami Blanks UNF in First Round of NCAA Championship
By Teodor Handarov
HurricaneSports.com
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Miami men’s tennis team swept North Florida at Alfred A. Ring Saturday morning, 4-0, in the opening round of the NCAA Team Championship.
The Hurricanes (15-12) dominated singles play and recorded three straight-set victories to pick up their largest championship victory since 2009 and improve to 5-2 all-time against the Ospreys (13-10). The triumph was Miami’s first on the national stage since 2011, when the Canes defeated Nebraska and Florida, respectively, on their way to the Round of 16.
Seniors Christian Langmo and Nile Clark earned their first career NCAA Championship wins simultaneously, wrapping up Miami’s eighth shutout of the year. Langmo, ranked No. 125 nationally, closed out Lasse Muscheites, 6-2, 6-4, in the No. 2 spot before Clark picked up his first singles win of the spring against Joe Ellis at the No. 6 position by an identical scoreline.
Miami saw the most resistance from UNF in doubles play, with the opening point being decided by a tiebreaker at the top of the lineup. In it, No. 30 Langmo and freshman Adria Soriano came back from a 4-1 deficit to give the Canes a lead with a 7-6 (7-5) triumph over Muscheites and Jefta Kecic.
Redshirt sophomore Dane Dunlap and freshman Bojan Jankulovski got the Hurricanes going on the day with a win in the No. 2 position, 6-3 against Till Von Winning and Sahil Deshmukh.
The Ospreys’ only win of the match came at No. 3, where Alberto De Meo and Nilo Duarte defeated Clark and freshman Pablo Aycart, 7-5.
Jankulovski then picked up his 20th dual win of the season by giving up only five games to Deshmukh in a 6-4, 6-1 win in the No. 3 spot.
Two spots above him, No. 77 Soriano was also close to a victory over Kecic, leading 7-5, 4-5 before play was halted.
UNF’s Von Winning had an edge in the No. 4 matchup against Dunlap, 6-3, 5-4.
Senior Niclas Genovese was on his way of forcing his ninth three-set contest of the spring, 2-6, 6-5 against Duarte at No. 5.
Miami will be in second-round action at 1 p.m. Sunday to face No. 10 Florida, seeded No. 13 in the championship.
For all of the latest news around Miami’s men’s tennis team, follow @CanesMensTennis on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram,or go to HurricaneSports.com.
RESULTS
Doubles Competition
1. No. 30 Christian Langmo/Adria Soriano (UM) def. Lasse Muscheites/Jefta Kecic (UNF), 7-6 (7-5)
2. Bojan Jankulovski/Dane Dunlap (UM) def. Till Von Winning/Sahil Deshmukh (UNF), 6-3
3. Alberto De Meo/Nilo Duarte (UNF) def. Nile Clark/Pablo Aycart (UM), 7-5
Singles Competition
1. No. 77 Adria Soriano (UM) vs. Jefta Kecic (UNF), 7-5, 4-5, unfinished
2. No. 125 Christian Langmo (UM) def. Lasse Muscheites (UNF), 6-2, 6-4
3. Bojan Jankulovski (UM) def. Sahil Deshmukh (UNF), 6-4, 6-1
4. Till Von Winning (UNF) def. Dane Dunlap (UM), 6-3, 5-4, unfinished
5. Nilo Duarte (UNF) vs. Niclas Genovese (UM), 6-2, 5-6, unfinished
6. Nile Clark (UM) def. Joe Ellis (UNF), 6-2, 6-4
