The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
NCAA Regionals - Brown
Middle Tennessee Upsets Alabama In NCAA First Round Action
5/11/2002 | Men's Tennis
May 11, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - Middle Tennessee, ranked No. 41 in the nation, knocked off 18th-ranked Alabama in an exciting 4-3 match at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center Saturday afternoon. The Blue Raiders will now take on Ole Miss in the championship match Sunday at Noon.
With the score knotted at 3-3, 14th-ranked Blue Raider Daniel Klemetz broke Crimson Tide player Max Belski (ranked No. 53) at 5-5 in the second set and served out for the win. He won the first set 7-5. This is Middle Tennessee's first win over Alabama in NCAA Tournament play, and only their third win ever against the Crimson Tide. All three NCAA matches have been 4-3 scores.
"Alabama has a very good team," Middle Tennessee head coach Dale Short said. " The breaks went our way today. The doubles point was very important because we knew both teams were evenly matched and it would be difficult to win four singles matches. On No. doubles, I didn't see what happened, but I don't think it would have changed the outcome, because we had won one match and were ahead on the other one. Daniel is solid as a rock. I felt confident with the match coming down to him."
"I have lost a few like this before," Klemetz said. "Obviously this match had a lot of pressure, but I tried to focus on each point and nothing else."
Middle Tennessee struck first winning the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead. Alabama led the No. 3 doubles match 5-4, when they were defaulted for excessive unsportsmanslike conduct, awarding Middle Tennessee that match. The Blue Raiders would win the No. 1 position 8-4 to clinch the point.
The Blue Raider's Michael Staniak defeated Alabama's Nick Beuque 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 singles to give MT a 2-0 lead Alabama answered when Christian Brodersen finished off Trevor Short 6-3, 6-2 on court six to get within 2-1.
Alabama gained straight set victories at Nos. 2 and 3 singles to put the Crimson Tide ahead 3-2. Chris Gostek bested MT's Robert Gustafsson 6-3, 6-4 at the No. 3 spot and then Stephen Mitchell beat Blue Raider Oliver Foreman 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2 singles.
Middle Tennessee's Kirk Jackson tied the match at 3-3, rallying to defeat Alabama's Chris McRae 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 at No. 5 singles, before Klemetz clinched.
NCAA MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS - OXFORD, Miss.
FIRST ROUND
#2 Alabama 3 (15-8)
#3 Middle Tennessee 4 (17-7)
SINGLES
#1 Daniel Klemetz (MT) def. Max Belski (UA) 7-5, 7-5
#2 Stephen Mitchell (UA) def. Oliver Foreman (MT) 6-3, 6-4
#3 Chris Gostek (UA) def. Robert Gustafsson (UA) 6-3, 6-4
#4 Michael Staniak (MT) def. Nick Beuque (UA) 6-2, 6-2
#5 Kirk Jackson (MT) def. Chris McRae (UA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
#6 Christian Brodersen (UA) def. Trevor Short (MT) 6-3, 6-2
DOUBLES
#1 Gustafsson-Foreman (MT) def. Belski-Mitchell (UA) 8-4
#2 Beuque-William Boyles (UA) vs. Klemetz-Jackson (MT) 5-4 sus.
#3 Short-Staniak (MT) def. Gostek-McRae (UA) 4-5 default
