Box Score MATCH POINT VIDEO
PHOTOS

CLAREMONT, Calif. -- The University of Chicago men's tennis team doubles team of Andrei Leonov and Pat Otero brought home the first Individual National Championship in program history on Monday with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7-5) win over the #4 team in NCAA Division III from Tufts.

In the opening set, both teams held serve through the first two serve rotations for a 4-4 scoreline, but the Maroons came up with a big break of serve at four-all and held on for a 6-4 win in the opening set. Then, in the second set, UChicago broke serve again at 1-1 and took a 3-1 lead after holding serve. However, the Jumbos battled back to win the next three games to retake the lead at 4-3. After a pair of held service games, Tufts needed a break of serve to take the set and had four opportunities. The UChicago duo held on for three of those points to send the game to a deciding deuce point before Tufts was able to take advantage for the 6-4 win in the set.

In the final set, UChicago had the first chance to make some noise with a pair of break points at 1-1, but the Jumbos saved both to take the 2-1 lead. Both teams held serve easily over the next five games with the Maroons losing just one total point in their three service games to level the score at 4-4. After the Jumbos held serve to take a 5-4 advantage, the Maroons had to hold serve to keep their National Championship hopes alive, and Otero continued the serving domination with another 40-0 hold to tie the match at 5-5 in the final set. 

After a tough volley between both Jumbos players by Leonov, the Maroons had three break points with a 40-15 lead, and they were able to break serve for the first time in the final set on the third and final opportunity. Leonov stepped up to the service line with UChicago having won 16 of their last 17 points on serve with a chance to clinch the first-ever Individual National Championship in program history, but the Jumbos answered with a broken serve of their own to send the National Championship to a third-set tiebreak.

In the deciding tiebreak, UChicago jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after a pair of winners by Otero, and they extended their advantage to 4-1 and a double-mini break after winning two of the first three points on Tufts' serve. However, the Jumbos were able to fight right back to win both points on the UChicago serve, and they took their first lead after holding both of their serves for a 5-4 advantage. Otero stepped up to the service line for the biggest points of his life and delivered with two outstanding serves to give the Maroons their first match point of the match, and the Maroons would only need one as a winner from Otero clinched the first Individual National Championship in program history for the doubles duo.
 

INDIVIDUALS SCHEDULE:

Friday, May 23
* 9 AM PT - Noah Laber (Middlebury) d. Alexander Ekstrand (6-2, 3-6, 6-2)
* 9 AM PT - #6 Jordan Theron (Sewanee) d. Emil Grantcharov (6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7-5))
* 3 PM PT - #1 Andrei Leonov / Pat Otero d. #10 Gage Gohl / Tyler Haddorf (Gustavus Adolphus) (4-6, 6-1, 6-4)

Saturday, May 24
* 2 PM PT - #1 Andrei Leonov / Pat Otero d. #14 Caleb Settles / Brandon Vu (Claremont-Mudd-Scripps) (6-3, 6-3)

Sunday, May 25
* 2 PM PT - #1 Andrei Leonov / Pat Otero d. #5 Michael Melnikov / Utham Koduri (Swarthmore) (7-6(7-4), 6-2)

Monday, May 26
* 12 PM PT - #1 Andrei Leonov / Pat Otero d. #4 Vuk Vuksanovic / Javier Gonzalez (Tufts) (6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7-5)