MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Freshman Calum MacGeoch (Edinburgh, Scotland) rallied from being down 5-1 to win in a tiebreaker to complete the 4-3 comeback for the 24th-ranked Drake men's tennis team over No. 54 Washington at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis on Saturday (March 7).
With the match tied at three, MacGeoch fought off three match points down 5-1 in the third set, to win 7-3 in a tiebreaker to give the Bulldogs the comeback victory.
“It once again came down to Calum, and once again Calum fought back from a third set deficit to lift us to victory. I don't know what is about him but he plays his absolute best when the match is riding on his shoulders. He loves and thrives in the pressure,” noted Drake head coach Davidson Kozlowski about MacGeoch ability to handle pressure.
Washington managed to take the doubles point with victories from Nos. 1 and 2.
The Huskies gained a 2-0 lead with a victory at No. 1 singles, but the Bulldogs fought back to tie it up at two. Senior Alen Salibasic (Tuzla, Bosnia & Herzegovina), who is ranked 55th, gave Drake its first point with a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 2, followed by Drake's most consistent player, senior Ravi Patel (London, England). Patel earned a team-best 12th dual match victory with a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 3.
“Ravi once again was a rock for us, moving up to court No. 3, and pulled off a straight set win over Egger, who has played much of his career at Washington at court No. 1,” said Kozlowski.
The Bulldogs took a 3-2 lead by a 6-4, 6-3 win by senior Matt Frost (Cambridge, England) at No. 5, but needed MacGeogh's late heroic comeback to secure Drake's seventh victory over a ranked team and 14th on the season.
The Bulldogs will play their 10th ranked team on Sunday (March 8) against No. 34 Minnesota at 12 p.m.
“The team so pumped right now, and I am hoping we can carry that feeling into our match with Minnesota tomorrow,” said Kozlowski.
#24 Drake 4, #54 Washington 3
March 07, 2015 at Minneapolis, Minn. (Baseline Tennis Center)
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Singles
1. Stewart, Mitch (UW) def. #34 Lott, Ben (DU) 6-3, 6-3
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2. Salibasic, Alen (DU) def. Douglas, Jake (UW) 6-4, 6-3
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3. Patel, Ravi (DU) def. Egger, Emmett (UW) 6-3, 6-2
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4. Hakak, Gal (UW) def. Stride, Ben (DU) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
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5. Frost, Matt (DU) def. Barra, Joao (UW) 6-4, 6-3
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6. MacGeoch, Calum (DU) def. Hawke, Jeff (UW) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3)
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Doubles
1. Egger, Emmett/Hawke, Jeff (UW) def. Lott, Ben/Philips, Bayo (DU) 6-2
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2. Farkas, Viktor/Barra, Joao (UW) def. Frost, Matt/Patel, Ravi (DU) 6-3
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3. Salibasic, Alen/Mullis, Ben (DU) def. Douglas, Jake/Raman, Rishabh (UW) 6-3
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Match Notes
Washington 8-3; National ranking #54
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Drake 14-3; National ranking #24
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Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (1,2,3,5,4,6)
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