#2 Tennessee Earns Hard-Fought, 4-3 Victory Over Columbia

Sunday, February 13

Knoxville, TN

1 PM

University of Tennessee

Columbia

KNOXVILLE, TN - 2022.02.12 - Tennessee vs. Charlotte

#2 Tennessee Earns Hard-Fought, 4-3 Victory Over Columbia

February 13, 2022 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A clinching fourth point by junior Angel Diaz gave the No. 2 Tennessee men's tennis team a 4-3 victory over the Lions of Columbia Sunday afternoon, extending the Vols' home win streak to 29 matches.

The Vols (8-1) remain undefeated in home matches this season, while Columbia (4-2) is now 0-2 in road contests.

Diaz (#122) clinched match point for the Big Orange, taking a three-set battle over Columbia's Max Westphal, 7-6(8), 6-7(4), 6-2. In the opening set, Diaz trailed 4-5 and won deuce point of that tenth game to tie it at 5 apiece, eventually winning set one, 7-6 by taking the tiebreaker 10-8. In the deciding third set, Diaz jumped out to a 4-1 lead, before taking the set 6-2 as he held serve in the set's eighth game.

Prior to singles action, Columbia took the doubles point and an early 1-0 advantage. The 13^th-ranked UT pairing of Emile Hudd and Shunsuke Mitsui breezed past Austen Huang and Roko Horvat of Columbia, 6-1, before the Lions took a pair of 7-5 decisions on courts one and three.

Tennessee's #10 Johannus Monday tied the match at 1-1, using some timely breaks to earn a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over Columbia's #77 Hugo Hashimoto on court two of singles. Monday has been the first Vol to finish in singles in seven of his eight completed dual matches this season. Five of those wins came at the No. 2 singles slot, with two coming at the top of the lineup.

Freshman #114 Mitsui battled in the opening set at the No. 5 singles position and defeated Henry Ruger, 7-5, 6-2. Mitsui blanked Ruger in game seven of the first set, en route to a straight-sets victory.

Following Columbia victories on courts one and six, over #21 Adam Walton and #78 Mark Wallner at the No. 6 singles slot, Tennessee trailed 3-2, needing to win each of the remaining two singles matches.

Hudd, a senior holding the No. 100 national singles ranking, fought back from dropping his opening set, 3-6, by winning the second-set tiebreaker 7-2 to take the set 7-6. In the final set, Hudd held serve on deuce point in the sixth game to go up 5-1 before breaking Roko Horvat once more and win, 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.

With the match tied at 3-3 and approaching four hours in duration, Diaz rolled in set three at No. 3 singles, 6-2 after each of the first two sets required a tiebreak.

WIN STREAK INTACT
With a pair of victories at the Goodfriend Tennis Center this weekend, Tennessee improves its home match win streak to 29 matches. The streak dates to January 2020 and the Vols are a perfect 7-0 at home to begin the dual slate this season.

UP NEXT
Tennessee travels to the Pacific Northwest this week, ahead of its second consecutive appearance at the ITA Indoor National Championships, which are set to begin Friday in Seattle, Wash. The 16-team event is scheduled to run Feb. 18-21.

RESULTS
Doubles

1. Max Westphal/Theo Winegar (COL) def. Adam Walton/Pat Harper (UT) 7-5
2. #13 Shunsuke Mitsui/Emile Hudd (UT) def. Austen Huang/Roko Horvat (COL) 6-1
3. Henry Ruger/Jayden Templeman (COL) def. Johannus Monday/Conor Gannon (UT) 7-5

Order of Finish: (2,1,3)

Singles

1. #8 Alex Kotzen (COL) def. #21 Adam Walton (UT) 6-4, 6-4
2. #10 Johannus Monday (UT) def. #77 Hugo Hashimoto (COL) 6-2, 6-2
3. #122 Angel Diaz (UT) def. Max Westphal (COL) 7-6 (10-8), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2
4. #100 Emile Hudd (UT) def. Roko Horvat (COL) 3-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
5. #114 Shunsuke Mitsui (UT) def. Henry Ruger (COL) 7-5, 6-2
6. Austen Huang (COL) def. #78 Mark Wallner (UT) 7-5, 5-7, 6-2

Order of Finish: (2,5,1,6,4,3)