ARKADELPHIA – In a match that lasted nearly four hours and featured four three-set singles matchups, the Ouachita men's tennis team came away with a 4-3 victory over Harding on Friday to send the Tigers to the NCAA Division II Round of 16.
The victory was Ouachita's second over Harding this season. The first also ended in a 4-3 score in favor of the Tigers back on April 15 in Searcy in the regular season finale.
In doubles, the Tigers (15-9) and Bisons (15-7) each earned wins at nearly the same time on courts one and three, respectively, setting up the decisive matchup on court two. Moritz Buss and Elias Lagger rallied for a 7-5 win to put the Tigers up by one heading into singles.
That 1-0 lead for the Tigers proved to be key for what was about to unfold in singles. Harding started with a two-set winner on court six to even the match 1-1. Lagger responded with a two-set win of his own on court three to put the Tigers up 2-1.
Harding then rallied for three-set wins on courts one and four to go up 3-2. With his back against the wall on court two multiple times, Ramon Strassmann rallied to stay alive and eventually win a tiebreaker on court two in extra points.
Strassmann's win evened the match at 3-3, shifting all eyes to court five for a three-set thriller ultimately clinched by Ouachita's Yarin Aebi.
Ouachita is now set to travel to Altamonte Springs, Florida May 20-24 to compete for a national championship. This is the Tigers' 17th all-time appearance in the NCAA Division II Round of 16. Seeding and first round matchups will be announced soon.
NO. 36 OUACHITA 4, NO. 21 HARDING 3
DOUBLES
- No. 17 Cas de Ruiter & Adrian Solorzano (HU) def. No. 10 Phil Exner & Strassmann (OUA) 6-3
- Buss & Lagger (OUA) def. Florian Gayme & Cian Mikkelsen (HU) 7-5
- Aebi & Aaron Osmond (OUA) def. Edoardo D'Arrigo & Caleb Folse (HU) 6-3
SINGLES
- No. 10 de Ruiter (HU) def. No. 1 Exner (OUA) 5-7, 6-1, 6-2
- No. 45 Strassmann (OUA) def. No. 22 Solorzano (HU) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
- Lagger (OUA) def. Mikkelsen (HU) 6-3, 7-5
- Folse (HU) def. Buss (OUA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
- Aebi (OUA) def. Agullo Diaz Munio (HU) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
- D'Arrigo (HU) def. Osmond (OUA) 6-2, 6-2
