Spiders Advance To A-10 Semifinals With 4-2 Thriller Against Fordham

Friday, April 30

Orlando, Fla. (USTA National Campus)

12PM

University of Richmond

#6 Fordham (A-10 Quarterfinal)

Spiders Advance To A-10 Semifinals With 4-2 Thriller Against Fordham

04/30/2021 | Men's Tennis

MT Box score Fordham Photo Gallery

ORLANDO, Fla. – The University of Richmond men's tennis team won the doubles point and split in singles to outlast Fordham, 4-2, Friday afternoon at the USTA National Campus.

With Richmond leading 3-2, junior Josh Keitelman (Chevy Chase, Md.) clinched the match with a comeback victory against Tom Russwurm, 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 at No. 6 singles. Keitelman was trailing 2-5 in the third set before mounting a furious comeback winning five-straight games to send UR into the semifinals.

The Spiders (7-8, 3-1 A-10) started the match winning a thrilling doubles point in a tiebreaker at No. 1 doubles, 7-6 (10).

Freshman Daniel Kliebhan (Newtown, Pa.) and Keitelman were down 5-6 and 40-0 before winning four-straight points to send the deciding match into a tiebreaker. Keitelman and Kliebhan went ahead 5-3 but Fordham battled back to take the lead 6-5. Richmond's duo kept fighting down 9-10 and won three-straight points to win a nail bitter, 12-10.

Matt Fernandez (Richmond, Va.) and Alex Wernink (Glen Cove, N.Y.) earned a 6-1 win against Tom Russwurm and Jofre Segarra at No. 3 doubles. Junior John Walsh (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) and junior Campbell Erwin (San Antonio, Texas) fell 6-2 against Max Green and Alex Makatsaria at No. 2 doubles.

In singles, Kliebhan won in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 against Nicholas Kanazirev at No. 2 singles. Fordham cut the lead to 2-1 after De Macar won against Erwin, 6-4, 6-3 at No. 5 singles.

Walsh gave Richmond a 3-1 lead after taking down Makatsaria, 6-2, 6-4 at No. 4 singles. Fordham got within 3-2 after Mauritzson won against Fernandez, 7-6 (5), 6-2 at No. 1 singles.

With two matches remaining, both went the distance in three sets. At No. 3 singles, Wernink went unfinished in a third set tiebreaker, 6-6. Wernink won the second set, 6-2 and was playing a tiebreaker in the final set.

The Spiders will face second-seeded Dayton in the A-10 semifinals on Saturday, May 1 at 10:30 a.m. at the USTA National Campus.

For more information about the Richmond men's tennis team visit RichmondSpiders.com or follow us on twitter at spidermten.

Richmond 4, Fordham 2
Singles competition
1. Fabian Mauritzson (Fordham) def. Matt Fernandez (UR) 7-6 (5), 6-2
2. Daniel Kliebhan (UR) def. Nicholas Kanazirev (Fordham), 6-2, 6-3
3. Alex Wernink (UR) vs. Max Green (Fordham), 3-6, 6-2, 6-6 unfinished
4. John Walsh (UR) def. Alex Makatsaria (Fordham), 6-2, 6-4
5. Lutwin De Macar (Fordham) def. Campbell Erwin (UR), 6-4, 6-3
6. Josh Keitelman (UR) def. Tom Russwurm (Fordham), 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
Order of finish: 2,5,4, 1,6

Doubles competition
1. Daniel Kliebhan/Josh Keitelman (UR) def. Fabian Mauritzson/Lutwin De Macar (Fordham), 7-6 (12-10)
2. Max Green/Alex Makatsaria (Fordham) def. Campbell Erwin/John Walsh (UR), 6-2
3. Alex Wernink/Matt Fernandez (UR) def. Tom Russwurm/Jofre Segarra (Fordham), 6-1
Order of finish: 1,3,2

-UR-