Alabama
NCAA Championships - Singles
Edson Ortiz Closes Alabama Career with Three Set Battle at NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships
5/23/2021 8:55:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The graduate student split the first two sets, winning the first 7-6, and losing the second set by the same score before falling 6-1 in the third
ORLANDO, Fla. – Edson Ortiz finished his storied Alabama men's tennis career with a back-and-forth battle against Andres Martin from Georgia Tech, before falling 6-7(2), 7-6(6), 6-1 Sunday afternoon at the USTA National Campus.
The match see-sawed back and forth from the word go, with Ortiz closing out the first set with a 7-2 score in the tiebreaker. The second set was more of the same with both players taking the lead at different points, before it ended up knotted six-all. The second-set tiebreaker continued the battle, before Martin eked out an 8-6 win, to force a third and deciding set.
Head Coach George Husack Said
"A tremendous college career for one of the best competitors I've coached. Edson gave his heart and soul to our program from the first day he stepped foot on campus. His tireless work and commitment to improving as a student-athlete set a new standard for his teammates and future Alabama players. As the saying goes, he took the bull by the horns, and I'm grateful for his contribution and impact to Alabama tennis."
The Crimson Tide opens play in the NCAA Championships doubles draw on Monday. Patrick Kaukovalta and Riccardo Roberto take on the hometown duo of UCF's Trey Hilderbrand and Bogdan Pavel at 3 p.m. CT. Kaukovalta is making his second appearance in the NCAA doubles draw after advancing to the NCAA finals with Mazen Osama in 2018. The NCAA finals appearance was a program first. It is Roberto's first trip to the national championships.
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