Alvarez Advances in NCAA Singles Championship

Wednesday, May 20

Waco, Texas

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Duke University

Day One at NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships

Alvarez Advances in NCAA Singles Championship

5/20/2015 5:26:00 PM | Men's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

NCAA Individual Championships Central

WACO, Texas – Duke had one player advance and two singles careers come to an end Wednesday at the NCAA Singles Championship at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. Freshman Nicolas Alvarez moved on to the second round while seniors Raphael Hemmeler and Jason Tahir suffered three-set defeats to cap their singles careers.

Alvarez, who is a seeded player for the draw and ranked 13th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings, topped Drake's 40th-ranked Alen Salibasic, 6-4, 6-2. In the first set, Alvarez jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead before Salibasic came back with three straight wins to cut the deficit to 4-3. Alvarez won two of the next three games to close out the set. The second set had Alvarez take a commanding 5-1 lead before ending the match. Alvarez now owns a 31-10 overall record with a 13-10 mark against nationally ranked opponents. Alvarez's 31 victories are tied for the eighth most by a freshman in program history. Alvarez continues action at the NCAA Singles Championship at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday against Columbia's Winston Lin.

"I'm glad because of the way I played, especially compared to the way I played in the Sweet 16 against USC," Alvarez said. "I felt a lot better today. I still don't think I am playing my best, though. Mentally, I was very good. I really like the facilities and the logistics of the tournament. I just hope to stay in it as long as I can."

Tahir opened against the draw's No. 2 seed, Julian Lenz of Baylor, with Lenz winning 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2. With the opening set tied 2-2, Tahir, ranked 41st, broke to take a 3-2 lead and then won the next three games to end the set. Tahir had a chance to end the match in the second set as he broke at 3-3 to take a 4-3 lead. He pushed the advantage 5-4 and was serving for the match but was broken. Lenz, ranked No. 2, and Tahir held in their final service games and went to the tiebreaker. There, Lenz opened a 5-0 lead. Tahir got three points before Lenz recorded the final tally to close out the set. Lenz broke early in the second set and won 6-2. Tahir finishes the year with a 25-19 record. For his career, Tahir finished with 105 singles victories, tied for the 10th most by a Duke player.

Hemmeler took on No. 23 Jared Hiltzik of Illinois and fell 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2. In the first set, neither player was broken as Hiltzik fought off a match point and forced a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Hemmeler, ranked 57th, turned a 1-1 tie into a 5-1 advantage and held on to take the tiebreaker, 7-3. In the second set, Hiltzik recorded an early break to take a 3-0 lead. Hemmeler cut the deficit to 4-2, but Hiltzik held on his serve to go up 5-2 and again to close out the 6-3 set victory and force a third set. Hemmeler was broken to start the final set and fell behind 2-0. Hemmeler cut the deficit down to 3-2, but Hiltzik won the final three games to close out the match. Hemmeler finished his year with a 35-10 record in singles. He ended his career with 116 career singles victories, the fourth most in program history.

Hemmeler will continue his career Thursday as he will play doubles with Alvarez. The two are ranked No. 20 and begin action against the South Carolina duo of Kyle Koch and Thiago Pinheiro, ranked No. 29, around 3:30 p.m.

2015 NCAA Div. I Men's Singles Championship
May 20-25, 2015 at Waco, Texas (Hurd Tennis Center)

Singles – First Round
#13 [9-16] Nicolas Alvarez (Duke) def. #40 Alen Salibasic (Drake) 6-4, 6-2
#2 [2] Julian Lenz (Baylor) def. #41 Jason Tahir (Duke) 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-2
#23 Jared Hiltzik (Illinois) def. #57 Raphael Hemmeler (Duke) 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-2

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