Saturday, September 30
Tulsa, Okla.
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Ohio State
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ITA All-American Championship
Cash and Tracy Win ITA All-American Doubles Title
10/8/2023 8:09:00 PM | General, Men's Tennis
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State has dominated the doubles tournament at the season-opening ITA All-American Championship as of late and this week was another example. Robert Cash and JJ Tracy didn't drop a set en route to winning the doubles title, the fourth in program history.
The Buckeyes beat the No. 1-ranked team of Eliot Spizzirri and Cleve Harper of Texas in what turned out to be a great match. Cash and Tracy won the first set 6-3 and then had a chance to win the second, serving up 5-3. But Texas broke and the set would eventually go into a tiebreaker. The breaker was back and forth as both teams had numerous chances to win. Tracy finally stepped to the service line leading 14-13 and after a return, Cash hit a volley at the net that was returned wide, and the Buckeyes would win 15-13.
This was the third time in the past five seasons Ohio State was represented in the doubles final. Overall, this was the seventh finals appearance for a Buckeye doubles team in the event. Scott Green and Ross Wilson won in 2004, Chase Buchanan and Blaz Rola won in 2011 after finishing runner-up in 2010, Alex Kobelt and Kyle Seelig finished runner-up in 2018, Cash and Matej Vocel beat James Trotter and Justin Boulais in an all-Buckeye final in 2021.
The fourth title ties Tennessee for the most ITA All-American doubles titles and Cash becomes the first Buckeye to win the ITA All-American doubles title twice. The Buckeye tandem of Andrew Lutschaunig and James Trotter also took down Spizzirri and Harper in the finals of the NCAA Championship last May in Orlando.
Cash and Tracy opened their tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Tadeas Paroulek and Zsombor Velcz on Wednesday and then rolled past Columbia's Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal 6-4, 6-1 in the round of 16.
In a battle of OSU's on Friday, the Buckeyes showed their form in dispatching of Oklahoma State's Tyler Zink and Isaac Becroft 6-4, 7-5 to reach Saturday's semifinals. In the semis, they faced Virginia's Inaki Montes de la Torre and James Hopper. Cash and Tracy came out aggressive early and set the tone with a 6-1 win in the opening set and cruised to a 6-3 win in the second. That earned them a spot in the finals where they would claim another win over a ranked opponent.
Robert Cash and JJ Tracy
In addition to their doubles run, Cash and Tracy also competed in the singles draw. Cash lost his first-round qualifying match to Braden Shick 7-6(4), 6-4 but then finished strong with a consolation win over Virginia James Hopper 6-2, 6-2. Tracy opened with a solid win over Arizona's Colton Smith 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday. He was upended on Thursday in the second round by Michigan's Gavin Young 6-3, 6-3.
Jack Anthrop
His singles run started in qualifying where he beat Princeton's Paul Inchauspe 6-4, 6-2 on Monday morning. On Tuesday morning in the second round, he cruised past No. 115 Arda Azkara 6-3, 6-2 and then he earned a main draw spot with a win over Michigan's Jacob Bickersteth. Bickersteth won the first set in a tiebreak, but Anthrop then turned it on and rolled to a 6-3 win in the second and a 6-1 win in the third.
In the opening round, Anthrop took the opening set from Utah's No. 21-ranked Geronimo Busleiman 6-3 and then broke Busleiman in the first game of the second set, literally. Busleiman slammed his racquet three times following that game and defaulted. In the second round, he had little trouble with dispatching Indiana's Sam Landau 7-5, 6-2.
In Friday's round of 16 match against Arizona State's Murphey Cassone, Anthrop dropped the first set 6-2 and battled his way into a tiebreaker in the second before losing 7-4 and bowing out.
Alexander Bernard
Bernard had a tough start to his tournament, falling to Ole Miss's Nikola Slavic in the opening round of the main draw, 6-4, 6-3. He then bounced back by beating Texas' No. 28-ranked Siem Woldeab in three sets 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(4) in the consolation backet.
On Friday in the second round of the consolation draw, he battled No. 13 Jeffrey von der Schulenburg into a third-set tiebreaker before falling 7-5 in the breaker.
Bryce Nakashima
Began the tournament with a nice three-set win over No. 103 Wally Thayne of BYU 6-1, 6-7(1), 6-4 in the opening round of qualifying. He then took on No. 79 Magnus Johnson of Florida in the second round and the two had a great battle. They split the first two sets and then the third set went to a tiebreak. In the breaker, Johnson would prevail 8-6.
In doubles, he joined Jack Anthrop and the two beat Billy Suarez and Luka Petrovic of Tulane i6-3, 5-7, 10-1 in the first round of qualifying. But they would then fall to Alex Martinez and Kholo Montsi of Oklahoma 7-5, 7-6(5).
Preston Stearns
Started pre-qualifying on Sept. 30 and dropped a tough three-set match against Columbia's Ishaan Ravichander 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. He then played a consolation match on Sunday, Oct. 1, against Kentucky's Matthew Rankin. After losing the opening set, he rallied to win the second set in a tiebreaker before falling 6-3 in the third.
Reece Yakubov
Lost a pair of matches in the pre-qualifier and in the consolation round, falling 6-4, 6-3 to Connor Krug of Duke and then dropping a 6-4, 7-5 decision to David Mamalat of Presbyterian.
Singles
September 30, 2023
PQ1 Ishaan Ravichander (Columbia) def. Preston Stearns (Ohio State) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
PQ1 Connor Krug (Duke) def. Reece Yakubov (Ohio State) 6-4, 6-3
October 1, 2023
PQC Matthew Rankin (Kentucky) def. Preston Stearns (Ohio State) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3
PQC David Mamalat (Presbyterian) def. Reece Yakubov (Ohio State) 6-4, 7-5
October 2, 2023
Q1 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. Paul Inchauspe (Princeton) 6-4, 6-2
Q1 Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) def. #103 Wally Thayne (BYU) 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4
Q1 Braden Shick (NC State) def. #71 Robert Cash (Ohio State) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
October 3, 2023
Q2 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. #115 Arda Azkara (New Mexico) 6-3, 6-2
Q2 #79 Magnus Johnson (Florida) def. Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6)
CQ1 #71 Robert Cash (Ohio State) def. James Hopper (Virginia) 6-2, 6-2
Q3 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. Jacob Bickersteth (Michigan) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-1
October 4, 2023
64 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. #21 Geronimo Busleiman (Utah) 6-3, 1-0
64 #34 Nikola Slavic (Ole Miss) def. #10 Alexander Bernard (Ohio State) 6-4, 6-3
64 #12 JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #23 Colton Smith (Arizona) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
October 5, 2023
32 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. Sam Landau (Indiana) 7-5, 6-2
32 #31 Gavin Young (Michigan) def. #12 JJ Tracy (Ohio State) 6-3, 6-3
C32 #10 Alexander Bernard (Ohio State) def. #28 Siem Woldeab (Texas) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4)
October 6, 2023
16 #4 Murphy Cassone (Arizona State) def. #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
C16 #13 J vd Schulenburg (Virginia) def. #10 Alexander Bernard (Ohio State) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5)
Doubles
October 2, 2023
Q1 Jack Anthrop/Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) def. Billy Suarez/Luka Petrovic (Tulane) 6-3, 5-7, 10-1
Q2 Alex Martinez/Khololwam Montsi (Oklahoma) def. Jack Anthrop/Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
October 4, 2023
32 #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #3 Tadeas Paroulek/Zsombor Velcz (Baylor) 6-4, 6-4
October 5, 2023
16 #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #53 Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (Columbia) 6-4, 6-1
October 6, 2023
QF #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. Tyler Zink/Isaac Becroft (Oklahoma State) 6-4, 7-5
October 7, 2023
SF #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #31 James Hopper/Inaki Montes (Virginia) 6-1, 6-3
October 8, 2023
F #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #1 Eliot Spizzirri/Cleeve Harper (Texas) 6-3, 7-6 (15-13)
The Buckeyes beat the No. 1-ranked team of Eliot Spizzirri and Cleve Harper of Texas in what turned out to be a great match. Cash and Tracy won the first set 6-3 and then had a chance to win the second, serving up 5-3. But Texas broke and the set would eventually go into a tiebreaker. The breaker was back and forth as both teams had numerous chances to win. Tracy finally stepped to the service line leading 14-13 and after a return, Cash hit a volley at the net that was returned wide, and the Buckeyes would win 15-13.
This was the third time in the past five seasons Ohio State was represented in the doubles final. Overall, this was the seventh finals appearance for a Buckeye doubles team in the event. Scott Green and Ross Wilson won in 2004, Chase Buchanan and Blaz Rola won in 2011 after finishing runner-up in 2010, Alex Kobelt and Kyle Seelig finished runner-up in 2018, Cash and Matej Vocel beat James Trotter and Justin Boulais in an all-Buckeye final in 2021.
The fourth title ties Tennessee for the most ITA All-American doubles titles and Cash becomes the first Buckeye to win the ITA All-American doubles title twice. The Buckeye tandem of Andrew Lutschaunig and James Trotter also took down Spizzirri and Harper in the finals of the NCAA Championship last May in Orlando.
Cash and Tracy opened their tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Tadeas Paroulek and Zsombor Velcz on Wednesday and then rolled past Columbia's Nicolas Kotzen and Max Westphal 6-4, 6-1 in the round of 16.
In a battle of OSU's on Friday, the Buckeyes showed their form in dispatching of Oklahoma State's Tyler Zink and Isaac Becroft 6-4, 7-5 to reach Saturday's semifinals. In the semis, they faced Virginia's Inaki Montes de la Torre and James Hopper. Cash and Tracy came out aggressive early and set the tone with a 6-1 win in the opening set and cruised to a 6-3 win in the second. That earned them a spot in the finals where they would claim another win over a ranked opponent.
Robert Cash and JJ Tracy
In addition to their doubles run, Cash and Tracy also competed in the singles draw. Cash lost his first-round qualifying match to Braden Shick 7-6(4), 6-4 but then finished strong with a consolation win over Virginia James Hopper 6-2, 6-2. Tracy opened with a solid win over Arizona's Colton Smith 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Wednesday. He was upended on Thursday in the second round by Michigan's Gavin Young 6-3, 6-3.
Jack Anthrop
His singles run started in qualifying where he beat Princeton's Paul Inchauspe 6-4, 6-2 on Monday morning. On Tuesday morning in the second round, he cruised past No. 115 Arda Azkara 6-3, 6-2 and then he earned a main draw spot with a win over Michigan's Jacob Bickersteth. Bickersteth won the first set in a tiebreak, but Anthrop then turned it on and rolled to a 6-3 win in the second and a 6-1 win in the third.
In the opening round, Anthrop took the opening set from Utah's No. 21-ranked Geronimo Busleiman 6-3 and then broke Busleiman in the first game of the second set, literally. Busleiman slammed his racquet three times following that game and defaulted. In the second round, he had little trouble with dispatching Indiana's Sam Landau 7-5, 6-2.
In Friday's round of 16 match against Arizona State's Murphey Cassone, Anthrop dropped the first set 6-2 and battled his way into a tiebreaker in the second before losing 7-4 and bowing out.
Alexander Bernard
Bernard had a tough start to his tournament, falling to Ole Miss's Nikola Slavic in the opening round of the main draw, 6-4, 6-3. He then bounced back by beating Texas' No. 28-ranked Siem Woldeab in three sets 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(4) in the consolation backet.
On Friday in the second round of the consolation draw, he battled No. 13 Jeffrey von der Schulenburg into a third-set tiebreaker before falling 7-5 in the breaker.
Bryce Nakashima
Began the tournament with a nice three-set win over No. 103 Wally Thayne of BYU 6-1, 6-7(1), 6-4 in the opening round of qualifying. He then took on No. 79 Magnus Johnson of Florida in the second round and the two had a great battle. They split the first two sets and then the third set went to a tiebreak. In the breaker, Johnson would prevail 8-6.
In doubles, he joined Jack Anthrop and the two beat Billy Suarez and Luka Petrovic of Tulane i6-3, 5-7, 10-1 in the first round of qualifying. But they would then fall to Alex Martinez and Kholo Montsi of Oklahoma 7-5, 7-6(5).
Preston Stearns
Started pre-qualifying on Sept. 30 and dropped a tough three-set match against Columbia's Ishaan Ravichander 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. He then played a consolation match on Sunday, Oct. 1, against Kentucky's Matthew Rankin. After losing the opening set, he rallied to win the second set in a tiebreaker before falling 6-3 in the third.
Reece Yakubov
Lost a pair of matches in the pre-qualifier and in the consolation round, falling 6-4, 6-3 to Connor Krug of Duke and then dropping a 6-4, 7-5 decision to David Mamalat of Presbyterian.
Singles
September 30, 2023
PQ1 Ishaan Ravichander (Columbia) def. Preston Stearns (Ohio State) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
PQ1 Connor Krug (Duke) def. Reece Yakubov (Ohio State) 6-4, 6-3
October 1, 2023
PQC Matthew Rankin (Kentucky) def. Preston Stearns (Ohio State) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3
PQC David Mamalat (Presbyterian) def. Reece Yakubov (Ohio State) 6-4, 7-5
October 2, 2023
Q1 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. Paul Inchauspe (Princeton) 6-4, 6-2
Q1 Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) def. #103 Wally Thayne (BYU) 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-4
Q1 Braden Shick (NC State) def. #71 Robert Cash (Ohio State) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
October 3, 2023
Q2 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. #115 Arda Azkara (New Mexico) 6-3, 6-2
Q2 #79 Magnus Johnson (Florida) def. Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6)
CQ1 #71 Robert Cash (Ohio State) def. James Hopper (Virginia) 6-2, 6-2
Q3 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. Jacob Bickersteth (Michigan) 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-1
October 4, 2023
64 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. #21 Geronimo Busleiman (Utah) 6-3, 1-0
64 #34 Nikola Slavic (Ole Miss) def. #10 Alexander Bernard (Ohio State) 6-4, 6-3
64 #12 JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #23 Colton Smith (Arizona) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
October 5, 2023
32 #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) def. Sam Landau (Indiana) 7-5, 6-2
32 #31 Gavin Young (Michigan) def. #12 JJ Tracy (Ohio State) 6-3, 6-3
C32 #10 Alexander Bernard (Ohio State) def. #28 Siem Woldeab (Texas) 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4)
October 6, 2023
16 #4 Murphy Cassone (Arizona State) def. #81 Jack Anthrop (Ohio State) 6-2, 7-6 (7-2)
C16 #13 J vd Schulenburg (Virginia) def. #10 Alexander Bernard (Ohio State) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5)
Doubles
October 2, 2023
Q1 Jack Anthrop/Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) def. Billy Suarez/Luka Petrovic (Tulane) 6-3, 5-7, 10-1
Q2 Alex Martinez/Khololwam Montsi (Oklahoma) def. Jack Anthrop/Bryce Nakashima (Ohio State) 7-5, 7-6 (7-5)
October 4, 2023
32 #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #3 Tadeas Paroulek/Zsombor Velcz (Baylor) 6-4, 6-4
October 5, 2023
16 #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #53 Nicolas Kotzen/Max Westphal (Columbia) 6-4, 6-1
October 6, 2023
QF #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. Tyler Zink/Isaac Becroft (Oklahoma State) 6-4, 7-5
October 7, 2023
SF #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #31 James Hopper/Inaki Montes (Virginia) 6-1, 6-3
October 8, 2023
F #19 Robert Cash/JJ Tracy (Ohio State) def. #1 Eliot Spizzirri/Cleeve Harper (Texas) 6-3, 7-6 (15-13)
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