Louisville Falls To Arizona State at NCAA Men's Tennis Regionals

No. 36 Louisville fell to No. 34 Arizona State, 4-3, during regional action at the NCAA Men's Tennis Championship at the University of Illinois Atkins Tennis Center in Urbana, Ill.

Arizona State took the doubles points with wins coming at No. 3 and No. 2. ASU's Daniel Davies and Clint Letcher nipped Louisville's duo of Jakob Gustafsson and Damar Johnson, 9-8 (4) at No. 2 for the clinching victory in doubles. At No. 3, the Sun Devil duo of Chris Biro and Ryan McBride got past UL's Mark Kennedy and Octavian Nicodim, 8-6. The lone Cardinal doubles win came at No. 1, where 45th-ranked Jeremy Clark and Matt Mayer beat the 40th-ranked tandem of Jonathan Kinsella and Chris Stewart in another tight one, 9-8 (4).

Arizona State won the first singles match to go up, 2-0, but then dropped three in a row. With their backs to the wall, down, 3-2, ASU's Stewart tied the match when he came from behind to defeat Mayer, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, at the No. 1 spot. The deciding match came at No. 4. Louisville's Jhonny Berrido double-faulted at game point when down, 5-4, allowing Kinsella to rally back and win the third set, 6-4, and take the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.

The Cardinals compiled a 19-9 record on the season, making their third trip to the NCAA Championship.

NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships
Round 1 action at Urbana, Illinois
No. 34 Arizona State 4, No. 36 Louisville 3

Doubles:
1 Jeremy Clark/Matt Mayer (LOU) def. Jonathan Kinsella/Chris Stewart (ASU) 9-8 (3)
2 Daniel Davies/Clint Letcher (ASU) def. Jakob Gustafsson/Damar Johnson (LOU) 9-8 (4)
3 Chris Biro/Ryan McBride (ASU) def. Mark Kennedy/Octavian Nicodim (LOU) 8-6

Singles:
1 Chris Stewart (ASU) def. Matt Mayer (LOU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
2 Clint Letcher (ASU) def. Octavian Nicodim (LOU) 6-0, 6-1
3 Damar Johnson (LOU) def. Chris Biro (ASU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1
4 Jonathan Kinsella (ASU) def. Jhonny Berrido (LOU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
5 Jakob Gustafsson (LOU) def. Ryan McBride (ASU) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
6 Jeremy Clark (LOU) def. Daniel Davies (ASU) 7-6 (4), 6-3