Dietrich Downs Top-Ranked Singles Player in UVA Victory Against SMU

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 2 Virginia men’s tennis team (10-2, 2-0 ACC) defeated SMU (9-6, 1-1 ACC) by a 4-2 score on Sunday (March 1) at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head Resort in Charlottesville, Va.

SMU won the doubles point, but the Cavaliers picked up singles victories on courts 1, 2, 4 and 6 to take the victory.

The top singles court featured a showdown between the No. 1 and No. 2 singles players in the nation. SMU’s Trevor Svajda came into the week as the top player in the ITA singles rankings and had not lost a match since falling in the NCAA Singles Championship final in November. Dietrich was ranked No. 2 in the singles rankings.

Svajda took the first set 6-3, but Dietrich took the second 6-1 to force a third, which Dietrich won 6-3 to secure the victory.

It was the highest-ranked victory of Dietrich’s career.

SMU took No. 2 doubles 6-1 to get an early advantage. Both doubles courts one and three went to tiebreakers, with the Mustangs winning the breaker 8-6 on three to clinch the point.

Freshman Andres Santamarta Roig tied the match with a straight-set victory on court four. Sophomore Keegan Rice won a three-setter on court two to put UVA up 2-1. SMU took court five before Dietrich picked up his victory on the top court. Senior Måns Dahlberg clinched the victory with a three-set win on court six.

ON THE HORIZON

Virginia travels to play at Cal and No. 12 Stanford next weekend (March 6 and 8)

#2 Virginia 4, #38 SMU 2

Singles competition

#2 Dylan Dietrich (VA) def. #1 Trevor Svajda (SMU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3

#12 Keegan Rice (VA) def. #96 Alex Finkelstein (SMU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1

#80 Jangjun Kim (VA) vs. Georgi Georgiev (SMU) 7-6 (7-4), 5-4, unfinished

#24 AndresSantamartaRoig (VA) def. Jerry Barton (SMU) 6-3, 6-2

Krish Arora (SMU) def. Stiles Brockett (VA) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4

Mans Dahlberg (VA) def. Meethre Barot (SMU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-1

Doubles competition

#3 Dylan Dietrich/Mans Dahlberg (VA) vs. Alex Finkelstein/Krish Arora (SMU) 6-6, unfinished

Trevor Svajda/Jerry Barton (SMU) def. AndresSantamartaRoig/Jangjun Kim (VA) 6-1

Georgi Georgiev/Vikas Deo (SMU) def. Keegan Rice/Stiles Brockett (VA) 7-6 (7-4)

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (4,2,5,1,6)

T-2:50 A-344

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