TopFrog
Lifelong Frog
Rybakov Moves On to NCAA Singles Round of 16
ORLANDO, Fla. – Third-seeded Alex Rybakov bounced back after dropping his opening set on Tuesday to clinch a spot in the Round of 16 at the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Singles Championship with a gritty 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, victory over No. 41 Aleksandre Bakshi of Oklahoma at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
The TCU senior becomes the first Horned Frog to reach the Round of 16 in the NCAA Singles Championship since Cameron Norrie advanced to the tournament's semifinal round in 2016. It marks the furthest he has advanced in his career after reaching the Round of 32 twice before.
Bakshi actually had control of the match in the early goings, using the only service break of the frame to claim it by a 6-3 score. Rybakov came roaring back, however, getting an early break of his own in the second set to take a 4-2 advantage. Bakshi had a quick answer, tying the stanza back up at 5-5 but Rybakov responded with a break and a hold to even things back up at one set each with a 7-5 triumph.
In the third and final frame the TCU senior continued to control the court, taking a quick 2-0 lead before trading the next three games to make it a 3-2 contest. That would be as close as Bakshi would get though, as Rybakov rattled off the next four frames to seal the victory and his spot in the Round of 16.
Rybakov moves on to face No. 58 Hady Habib of Texas A&M on Wednesday. Habib defeated Alex Brown from Illinois, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in his Round of 32 matchup.
The No. 22-ranked TCU tandem of Bertus Kruger and Reese Stalder also teamed up on Tuesday afternoon to open the doubles portion of the tournament, falling to the No. 38-ranked pair of Brandon Laubser and Tad Maclean from Auburn in a match tiebreaker, 6-3, 3-6, [13-11].
The duo of Rybakov and Alastair Gray competed in the doubles championship as well, but Mississippi State's No. 3-seeded team of Strahinja Rakic and Nuno Borges proved too much to overcome as they dropped a 6-4, 6-2 decision.
NCAA Individual Championship Results (Tuesday, May 21)
Singles
R32: #3 Alex Rybakov (TCU) def. #41 Aleksandre Bakshi (Oklahoma): 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
Doubles
R32: #3 Strahinja Rakic/Nuno Borges (Mississippi State) def. #15 Alex Rybakov/Alastair Gray (TCU): 6-4, 6-2
R32: #38 Brandon Laubser/Tad Maclean (Auburn) def. #22 Bertus Kruger/Reese Stalder (TCU): 6-3, 3-6, [13-11]
NCAA Individual Championship Schedule (Wednesday, May 22)
Singles
R16: #3 Alex Rybakov (TCU) vs. #58 Hady Habib (Texas A&M)
ORLANDO, Fla. – Third-seeded Alex Rybakov bounced back after dropping his opening set on Tuesday to clinch a spot in the Round of 16 at the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Singles Championship with a gritty 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, victory over No. 41 Aleksandre Bakshi of Oklahoma at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
The TCU senior becomes the first Horned Frog to reach the Round of 16 in the NCAA Singles Championship since Cameron Norrie advanced to the tournament's semifinal round in 2016. It marks the furthest he has advanced in his career after reaching the Round of 32 twice before.
Bakshi actually had control of the match in the early goings, using the only service break of the frame to claim it by a 6-3 score. Rybakov came roaring back, however, getting an early break of his own in the second set to take a 4-2 advantage. Bakshi had a quick answer, tying the stanza back up at 5-5 but Rybakov responded with a break and a hold to even things back up at one set each with a 7-5 triumph.
In the third and final frame the TCU senior continued to control the court, taking a quick 2-0 lead before trading the next three games to make it a 3-2 contest. That would be as close as Bakshi would get though, as Rybakov rattled off the next four frames to seal the victory and his spot in the Round of 16.
Rybakov moves on to face No. 58 Hady Habib of Texas A&M on Wednesday. Habib defeated Alex Brown from Illinois, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 in his Round of 32 matchup.
The No. 22-ranked TCU tandem of Bertus Kruger and Reese Stalder also teamed up on Tuesday afternoon to open the doubles portion of the tournament, falling to the No. 38-ranked pair of Brandon Laubser and Tad Maclean from Auburn in a match tiebreaker, 6-3, 3-6, [13-11].
The duo of Rybakov and Alastair Gray competed in the doubles championship as well, but Mississippi State's No. 3-seeded team of Strahinja Rakic and Nuno Borges proved too much to overcome as they dropped a 6-4, 6-2 decision.
NCAA Individual Championship Results (Tuesday, May 21)
Singles
R32: #3 Alex Rybakov (TCU) def. #41 Aleksandre Bakshi (Oklahoma): 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
Doubles
R32: #3 Strahinja Rakic/Nuno Borges (Mississippi State) def. #15 Alex Rybakov/Alastair Gray (TCU): 6-4, 6-2
R32: #38 Brandon Laubser/Tad Maclean (Auburn) def. #22 Bertus Kruger/Reese Stalder (TCU): 6-3, 3-6, [13-11]
NCAA Individual Championship Schedule (Wednesday, May 22)
Singles
R16: #3 Alex Rybakov (TCU) vs. #58 Hady Habib (Texas A&M)
