WACO, Texas – LSU sophomore Jordan Daigle and junior Boris Arias advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA Doubles Championship on Thursday with their come-from-behind 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory over UCLA’s No. 12 Mackenzie McDonald and Martin Redlicki.
The Tiger duo dropped the first set and fell behind in the second set before forcing a tiebreaker and eventually forcing a third and final set.
“Forcing a tiebreaker in the second set built just enough momentum for us to get the win,” said head coach Jeff Brown. “No nerves were involved, it was more a matter of getting settled in that second set.”
Daigle said the early hole was a combination of a strong wind factor and a flat start for the Tigers. After sustaining the initial push, Daigle and Arias drew on their consistent success all season to turn the match around.
The big turning point was a strong showing in the second-set tiebreaker, Arias said.
“We knew it would be a close match. [McDonald and Redlicki] are a good team,” Arias said. “We played really well in the tiebreaker and that carried us through the rest of the match.”
With the win, Daigle and Arias advance to the round of 16 to face the No. 15 Notre Dame team of Alex Lawson and Billy Pecor on Friday, May 22. Lawson and Pecor defeated the No. 7 Ohio State team on Thursday to advance.
Daigle said at this stage rankings are meaningless and every match comes down to whichever team is playing better that day.
“We do not look at ranks,” Daigle said. “If we play well we can beat anybody and everyone here has the same mentality.”
Despite their come-from-behind victory, Brown said the Tigers would like to have a stronger start in Friday’s match.
Should Daigle and Arias fall behind early though, Thursday’s experience will be a source of confidence for the team moving forward.
“Hopefully we can start stronger in the next match,” Brown said. “We will feel confident no matter what the situation is.”
For up-to-date information and behind-the-scenes access on the Tigers, fans can follow the LSU men’s tennis team on Twitter and Instagram at @lsutennis and on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/lsutennis.
NCAA Doubles Championships
May 21, 2015 at Waco, Texas
(Hurd Tennis Center)
#14 Jordan Daigle/Boris Arias (LSU) def. #12 Mackenzie McDonald/Martin Redlicki (UCLA), 4-6, 7-6, 6-4