No. 2 UChicago Upsets Defending National Champion No. 1 Denison in ITA Nationals Semifinals
The second-ranked University of Chicago men's tennis team upset the #1 team in the country, Denison University, on its second day at the ITA Indoor National Championships. The Maroons fought off the defending national champs to take the 4-3 statement win.
UChicago opened the match, falling in their three doubles matches, as Denison took the early 1-0 lead. Though struggling early on, the Maroons found their groove in singles.
Shrikeshav Murugesan took the first of the day for UChicago, taking down Denison's #1 singles in a 7-5, 6-1 win. Alexander Ekstrand and Emil Grantcharov followed behind to pick the next two wins for UChicago. Ekstrand took down his opponent in two sets, while Grantcharov grabbed the comeback win in three after losing set one.
At the Maroons #4 and #5 spots, they each fell in three sets against the Big Red. Michael Choi would seal the match with his win at #5. Defeating his opponent in a gritty win, Choi won 7-6, 6-0.
With the win, the Maroons improve to 5-1 on the season and reach the final round of the ITA Indoor Nationals.