Patzanovsky Powers Memphis to 4-3 Win at Dartmouth

Friday, February 24

Hanover, NH

5:30 pm ET

University of Memphis

Dartmouth College

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Feb 24, 2017 | Men's Tennis

Memphis wins fourth straight match.

By: Tammy DeGroff

MEMPHIS – It came down to sophomore Chris Patzanovsky's match at three singles. Up a set, but down 30-40 in the second set with a 6-5 lead, Patzanovsky won back-to-back points to seal a 4-3 road win at Dartmouth (3-7), Friday. The win pushes Memphis to 6-2 on the year.

Memphis opened the match with a 6-3 win at two doubles, but had to fight to get the doubles point as Dartmouth jumped out to an early 5-0 lead at one doubles before the Tigers clawed back in an eventual 6-3 loss. That, again, made the match at three the decider and Memphis prevailed there, 6-3 for the 1-0 lead.

The Tiger coaching staff juggled the lineup before singles play started, removing Kai Lemke from the road match, which slid the rest of the lineup up a spot. Dartmouth tried to quickly take advantage, grabbing a 6-2 win at five to even the match at one.

The top of the Tiger lineup answered, grabbing a 6-0, 6-4 win at one and a 6-2, 6-3 win at two to push to a 3-1 lead. But the home team battled back with a 6-4, 6-3 win at four and a 6-1, 6-2 win at six to even the match at three all.

That left Patzanovsky, playing up a spot now at three singles, on the court. Patzanovsky, who has played three-set matches in five of the first seven duals of the spring season, found himself possibly looking at three-setter number six. After winning 6-1 in the first set, he was up 6-5, but trailing 30-40 with the match score tied at 3-all. A loss and he would be heading to a third set. But he strung together two points to seal the road win 4-3.

Memphis will play its final road match of this three-game swing on Sunday at Harvard. That match begins at 1 p.m. (ET).

#44 Memphis 4, Dartmouth 3
Singles
No. 1 – Ryan Peniston (Memphis) def. Ciro Riccardi, 6-0, 6-4
No. 2 – Andrew Watson (Memphis) def. Max Fliegner, 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 – Chris Patzanovsky (Memphis) def. David Horneffer, 6-1, 7-5
No. 4 – Charlie Broom def. Jan Pallares (Memphis), 6-4, 6-3
No. 5 – George Wall def. Felix Rauch (Memphis), 6-2, 6-0
No. 6 – Max Scmidt def. Matt Story (Memphis), 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 – Wall/Roko Glasnovic Roko def. Watson/Lemke (Memphis), 6-3
No. 2 – Peniston/Rauch (Memphis) def. Horneffer/Fliegner, 6-3
No. 3 – Pallares/Story (Memphis) def. Diego Pedraza/Schmidt, 6-3