The 2023 ITA Men’s National Indoors has arrived. Taking place at the XS Tennis Center in Chicago, 16 of the country’s top programs battled it out for the coveted title. And though the ending was a bit of a repeat, the action throughout the weekend was as fresh and exciting as ever. So, today we’ll cover what went down in the “Windy City” and see just how TCU was able to navigate it all, and earn their second straight National Indoor Title.
Day One:
There is one word that can be used to describe day one of the Indoors, and that’s a “mix bag”.With numerous blow out victores, multiple down to the wire matches, and even an upset, the first day of play was already brimming with nonstop “must-watch” action. For seeded teams such as no. 2 TCU, no 1. Ohio State and no 8. Texas, they would soar into the quarterfinals with 4-0 victories over their respective opponents Baylor, Illinois and Wake Forest. Now for the matches between Kentucky and Florida and USC and North Carolina, they would possess a little more flair, but ultimately go the way of the Wildcats and Trojans, as they would both earn a pair of 4-1 victories.
While these seeded teams were thriving, others however, severely struggled. Playing on courts 1-12 simultaneously, UVA and Michigan would both be on the verge of upsets. For the University of Virginia they would take on a feisty Tennessee team in their first round. After dropping the double point, the Cavalier would immediately recover and storm back in the lead by picking up wins on courts #2, #3 and #5. But it wouldn’t be long before the Volunteers would once again even the match as they were victorious on courts #1 and #6.With the deciding point now in the hands of court #4, the match would come down to a three set battle between UVA’s Ryan Goetz and Tennessee’s Emile Huud. Rattling off a 6-3 win in the third it would be Goetz who would ultimately protect UVA from an upset and propel them into the quarterfinals.
Now battling just a few courts down would be another highly seeded team on potential upset alert, as No 4. Michigan was locked up in tight match with Stanford. Though the Wolverines were able to muscle through with a 4-2 victory, given the circumstance of the match it should have never been this close. With Michigan playing a majority of their matches indoors and with Stanford rarely playing on covered courts, momentum should have been in favor of the Wolverines from the very beginning. However, to much of everyone’s surprise, Michigan would begin the match by immediately dropping the doubles point. Now playing from behind they were a able to take a quick 2-1 lead after picking up wins on courts #3 and #2, yet this was short lived as Stanfords #1 Arthur Fery was able to once again level the match. Coming down to the wire, Michigan’s Gavin Young and Will Cookseky were finally able to cross the finish line and secure the win for their team.
The lone upset of the day would occur between No.8 South Carolina and No.11 Georgia. Surprisingly the Bulldogs would get the best of the Gamecocks, as they would narrowly defeat them 4-3. For a team that had a shaky start to their season, it was beyond crucial for Georgia to win this match, not only for ranking points, but for overall team morale. And said morale was clearly high on this day because even after the dropping the doubles point, the Bulldogs were able to quickly regroups as courts #2 through #6 would all go the way of Georgia. In the end it would be Georgia’s Trend Bryde who would push them over the edge with a three set victory over South Carolina’s Raphael Lambling.
Day Two
Four matches with only two score lines, the second day of play saw teams either breezing through or barely squeaking by. TCU would once again start their day with a fairly uncontested 4-0 victory over Georgia. Also winning their match by the same fashion would be Michigan, who unlike their opponent, UVA, was able to shake off their slow start from the previous day and cruise to the semifinals.
Now unfortunately for the remaining teams their day in the office was not as simple. The first 4-3 match of the day would go the way of Kentucky as they took on USC. After snatching the doubles point and a win on court #4 , Kentucky would proceed to lose the next three points as courts #1, #2 and #6 would all be captured by USC. Now trailing 3-2 it would be Kentucky’s Charlelie Cosnet and Jousha Lapadat, whose three set victories would secure their team a spot in the semifinals. An overall great match from start to finish from both teams, this match not only exemplified Kentucky grit but also USC overall improvements because the last time these two faced off, the Wildcats handed them an abysmal 4-0 beat down. So today’s match shows tremendous form from the Trojans.
Closing out the night would be a thriller between Texas and Ohio State. With the tremendous fire power of the Buckeyes they came into the match and this tournament as the favorite to win. However, to their and everyone else’s surprise, the Longhorns were able to shock them with a 4-3 victory. Three setters would be the defining characteristic of the match as the team went tit for tat during singles play. Thus it it would ultimately come down to court #2, with Pierre-Yves Bailly clinching the win for the Longhorns.
Day Three
For the third day of action, one thing was clear, every team in the building was more than ready to fight. The morning session saw TCU take on Kentucky and in what would be the Horned Frogs closest match as they would win it by a score of 4-2. After capturing the doubles point TCU would pick up necessary wins on courts #2, #5 and #6, making the finals for the second year in a row.
The afternoon session would be yet another “lights-out” match as the Texas Longhorns took on the Michigan Wolverines. After capturing the doubles point Texas would have to come back from behind as they went into an immediate 1-3 deficit in singles play. Picking up wins on courts #4 and #5, Texas would in the end seal the deal with a win by Elliot Spirriz. A clear breakout star of tournaments, it was his valiant effort during his three set battle with Andrew Fenty that gave his team the edge they needed to secure their spot in the finals.
Day Four
Compared to the previous three days of play, finals day was fairly uneventful. With TCU rallying of a 4-0 victory, the much anticipated blockbuster match against Texas unfortunately did not live up to expectations. It seemed like Texas was simply too tired to put up much of a fight against the Frogs and understandably so, because after two straight days of 4-3 three matches there just wasn’t enough gas in the Longhorns tank to go the distance yet again. This however should not come across as a knock to TCU performance as they played solid tennis throughout the tournament and clearly saved their best for last.
Final Thoughts
It is hard to say after the weekend’s performance, where we can expect to see these teams come May. Though programs such as Texas, TCU, Kentucky and Michigan currently possess the skills and roster depth necessary to win a NCAA title, do they on the other hand have the longevity? Especially for a team like Texas who has struggled to keep players consistently healthy throughout the season. Thus going the distance here at Indoors inevitability will hurt them more than help their success in the future.
And then in the case of teams that did not meet expectation, such as Ohio State or UVA, how much weight can be placed on their performance here. Because at least in the case of UVA, based upon last year’s results, their poor showing played absolutely no role in their monumental run to the title. So I guess ultimately the only thing college tennis fans can do is wait and see.
