Alabama
NCAA Singles Round of 16
No. 29 Filip Planinsek Becomes Second Alabama Player to Reach Men’s NCAA Singles Quarterfinals, Upsets No. 5 Micah Braswell in Round of 16
5/22/2024 1:46:00 PM | Men's Tennis
Planinsek is the first UA player since 2018 and just the second in program history to reach the quarterfinal round at the NCAA Singles Championships
STILLWATER, Okla. –– With mirroring 6-4, 6-4 set scores, No. 29-ranked Filip Planinsek became the second person in Alabama men's tennis history to reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Singles Championships as the junior upset No. 5 Micah Braswell (Texas) in the Round of 16 Wednesday.
Quarterfinals Bound??????
— Alabama Men's Tennis (@AlabamaMTN) May 22, 2024
Filip Planinsek upsets No. 5 Micah Braswell (Texas) to advance to the Quarterfinals?#RollTide pic.twitter.com/oD9nZMKflx
The performance was Planinsek's second-best all-time collegiate win with only his victory over No. 1 Ben Shelton (Florida) in 2022 surpassing the feat. Planinsek was just the third player this season to defeat Braswell, who finished the tournament with a 40-3 season record. The Texas senior was on a 37-match winning streak heading into the quarterfinals, with his last loss occurring Oct. 6, 2023, in the Round of 16 at the ITA All-American Championships.
Planinsek is just the second player in program history to reach the quarterfinals in the singles draw, joining Mazen Osama's top-eight finish in 2018. He also became the program's eighth player to earn All-America honors in singles, securing the Tide's 10th overall national singles accolade with his advancement into the Round of 16.
The Match
- After an evenly matched start to set one, Planinsek jumped out of a 4-4 tie to take the next two games, winning the set off a break for a 6-4 score
- The momentum continued as Planinsek built a 3-0 lead in the second set before Braswell won his first game
- The UA All-American continued to hold the advantage, taking a 5-2 lead, but Braswell would find back-to-back wins to close the gap to 5-4
- Once again, Planinsek would win the final game while receiving the serve to capture the overall victory with his 6-4 win in the second set
Next
- Planinsek will go head-to-head with Harvard's Cooper Williams, who enters the quarterfinals ranked 15th-nationally in singles
- First serve between Planinsek and Williams will be announced late Wednesday
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Team Stats
# Singles Match
Players Mentioned
