Heinrich & Foran Advance At Doubles At NCAAs
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (May 26, 2016) – Stevens Institute of Technology men's tennis seniors
Matthew Heinrich and
Ben Foran topped Jack Gray and Eric Roddy of Sewanee Thursday, 7-6, 7-6 in the first round of the NCAA Individual Tournament at doubles.
The win is the first of its kind for the program as the Stevens duo knocked-off the No. 2 ranked doubles team in the country. With the win, the pair advances to tomorrow's quarterfinal against Pomona-Pitzer's Graham Maassen and Spencer Simonides.
Earlier in the day at singles, Heinrich dropped his opening round match to Branden Metzler of Kalamazoo College, 6-4, 6-4. Metzler entered the match ranked No. 18 nationally at singles, and No. 2 in the central region.
Heinrich/Foran jumped out to the early 5-0 lead, before holding on after a Sewanee rally to take the first 7-6. The Sewanee team broke a 2-2 deadlock in the second to build a 5-4 lead, but Stevens answered to tie the set at five before doing it again at six.
Stevens battled back again in the tiebreaker from 2-3 to tie the set at three, before taking it 6-4 to seal the straight-set victory.
At singles, Metzler took the first set before grabbing the early advantage in the second by taking the first three games to go up 3-0. Heinrich battled back by taking four of the next six to pull to within 5-4, but Metzler captured the next game to take the set 6-4.
Tomorrow's doubles quarterfinal will begin at 3 p.m.