Men’s Tennis: Virginia wins 4-2 nailbiter over Arizona, advances to Waco

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: UVA Athletics

Late in Saturday’s NCAA Round of 16 match between No. 7 seeded Virginia and visiting No. 10 Arizona, the outcome was up in the air as the Wildcats tightened the match to 3-2 with two close singles matches up for grabs.

A confident Andres Pedroso must have figured he had Arizona exactly where he wanted them.

UVA’s Dylan Dietrich was trailing Jay Friend, 5-2, in the final set on Court 2, while teammate Mans Dahlberg was battling Casper Christensen tooth-and-nail in a third set on Court 6. All the pressure of advancing to next week’s NCAA quarterfinals in Waco, Texas, had come down to these pair of nailbiters.

If Dietrich felt that pressure, he kept it well disguised as he mounted the biggest comeback of his career and stormed back to upset Friend, 1-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5, to give Virginia a 4-2 victory over the Big 12 champions.

Pedroso’s 23-7 Wahoos advance to Waco, where they will face No. 2 seed TCU (25-3) in the quarterfinals next Friday.

For the Virginia coach, Saturday’s win validated everything that he believed about his young team, which at times has started five freshmen this season.

“We’ve heard it all year that we’re young, we’re inexperienced, that these guys don’t really know what college tennis is,” Pedroso said. “Heard all of it on social media and in articles, and I’ve heard coaches say it.”

Pedroso, who has built a championship culture at Virginia, piggy-backing on what Brian Boland established years ago, knew this team could overcome the inexperience and rise to the cream of the crop.

“As soon as you step foot on grounds at UVA and you’re a member of this program, being the mentally toughest player you can possibly be becomes your DNA,” Pedroso said after Saturday’s win. “So many players in this program have done that and it’s tradition, so I try and ingrain that in their minds as often as I possibly can because it’s the truth.”

Dietrich (sophomore) and Dahlberg (junior) defeated Friend and Eric Padgham on the top doubles court, while freshmen Rafael Jódar and Roy Horovitz saved two break points while serving for the match for a 6-4 victory that gave Virginia the all-important doubles point and a 1-0 lead before singles play.

Keegan Rice (freshman) defeated Arizona’s Zoran Ludoski, 6-4, 6-2, for an early 2-0 UVA lead, which soon grew to 3-0 when grad student James Hopper broke Alexander Rozin for a 6-4 first set and sent on to win, 7-5, to close out the match.

Fifth-seeded Colton Smith of the Wildcats delivered on a fourth match point to beat Jódar, 6-3, 7-6 (7), on the top singles court to give Arizona its first point of the match, trailing 3-1. Then Filip Gustafsson downed UVA freshman Jangjun Kim, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5, taking the final two games of the match to narrow the gap to 3-2, leaving things up to the remaining two tight singles matches.

Dietrich and Dahlberg both lost their opening sets, but fought back admirably. As previously mentioned, Dietrich was down 5-2 in the third set, held serve, then broke Friend and evened the set at 5-5. He broke Friend again and served for the win, winning the last five games for the triumph that iced the match.

Meanwhile, Dahlberg led Christensen, 5-3, in the final set as Dietrich wrapped up the win.

“We knew that the doubles point was important and I really emphasized to the guys in the locker room to come out the right way, that we might surprise them a little bit,” Pedroso said. “Because (Arizona) is known for being loud, and are known for playing with a lot of emotion, and I don’t think we are, so I said, ‘Guys, let’s show them that we can be a little bit like that, too.’ And I think that helped us.”

A packed house watched Virginia celebrate yet another milestone in its storied tennis history, advancing to another championship weekend.

Now, it’s on to Waco and TCU’s Horned Frogs, and Virginia will be considered underdogs, but with a very dangerous bite.

“We just start over,” Pedroso said. “Every single match of this tournament you have to start over. It’s almost like a new season once you get to Waco. Every match is 50-50, everyone is going to be well prepared.

“I’ve learned not to underestimate the dysfunction in the locker room — the other team’s locker room, that is. So this is what we play for, and we’ve been pretty good at it over the years.”

The #NCAATennis men’s quarterfinals are set 🎾

🎩 @WakeMTennis
🐸 @TCUMensTennis
🤘 @TexasMTN
🌲 @StanfordTennis
🐶 @HailStateMT
🔵 @uclatennis
⚔️ @UVAMensTennis
🦁 @CULionsMTEN pic.twitter.com/06MrZRNnwf

— NCAA Tennis (@NCAATennis) May 10, 2025

ADDITIONAL NOTES
Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Dietrich dug down deep, trailing 5-2, to clinch match

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photos: UVA Athletics

Down 5 games to 2 in the third set of the NCAA’s Round of 16, a trip to Waco’s quarterfinals on the line, there was not enough pressure to cause Virginia’s Dylan Dietrich to fold on Saturday afternoon at the Boar’s Head courts.

Arizona’s Jay Friend was up 1-6, 7-6 (7-1), 5-2 over Dietrich, and for a moment, the situation looked dire for the Cavaliers. UVA was up 3-2 in the overall match, but the final two singles matches were extremely tight.

Dietrich displayed phenomenal mental toughness, digging down deep to battle back and reeled off five straight game wins to take the third set, 7-5, and send Virginia to next week’s quarters in Texas.

It was a comeback for the ages.

“I kind of told myself I was also down in the second set, 6-5, and [Friend] was serving for the match, and I felt like he got a little tight,” Dietrich said after the inspiring rally. “Closing out, it’s not easy.

“Basically I told myself that, okay, he failed in the second set of closing me out, so let’s just make it as tough as possible for him. Let’s try to make as many balls as possible and let’s see if we can close him out. I thought [Friend] needs to hit four winners and I’m not going to miss, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Dietrich detected at that point of the match that he might be fitter than Friend, a result of UVA’s conditioning, and that he was a little more patient than his opponent, which helped as well.

Studying Friend throughout the match, Dietrich made some strategic decisions that helped him not only stay in the match, but to survive and advance.

“The more I started moving the ball a little bit more, not taking risks, but tried to make [Friend] move a little bit more, switching from cross to line, without taking full risk, just putting the ball in the middle of the court,” Dietrich explained. “I think that kind of helped me in the end, especially when it got more physical toward the third set.

“Just make him move, make him uncomfortable, make him go for a lot of risks. I mean, in the end, he was swinging at every ball in the foreign corner and going for everything or nothing. I think that was the most important thing.”

Dietrich also felt that as the balls got older it was an advantage for him because of his long arms, his ability to accelerate the ball heavily, making it tougher on his opponent.

Later, he would call this match the biggest comeback of his career.

“There were other comebacks I had, but I mean, in the Round of 16, NCAA, comes down to me and Mans. To pull off such a comeback is huge, especially with such a great crowd watching. It was just special. I couldn’t ask for a better time to do it than at home in this situation,” Dietrich said.

“He’s a competitor,” said Virginia coach Andres Pedroso. “That kid wants to win and he’s gonna scrap and claw and just find ways. He did it all of last year. He played sick, he played hurt, and he’s done it this year. I feel really confident when it comes down to him.”

With a packed house at Virginia’s courts at Boar’s Head, the pressure quickly refocused on Dietrich’s match after Arizona had tightened the match to 3-2, with the two remaining singles matches in play. Dietrich was down and teammate Dahlberg was battling in a third set just a couple of courts over.

All eyes were on the two matches as the pressure mounted.

As Pedroso pointed out, matches can flip quickly, and so both team’s seasons were on the line.

All that stuff Pedroso constantly preaches to his team about a winning DNA, never giving up, fighting to the end, evolved into reality on Court No. 2 as Dietrich’s resolve was fully on display.

“I mean, ultimately, when you put on the UVA uniform, like coach said, it’s like a part of us, it’s really tough to beat Virginia, especially in May and wearing all white (uniforms, a tradition). It’s just something special,” Dietrich said. “This match, this day reminded me of the older guys that graduated last year and even the years before that, what they all have worked for, is just all coming together.”

The Hoos are Waco bound!!! #NCAATennis #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/75A61KgeAM

— Virginia Men’s Tennis (@UVAMensTennis) May 10, 2025

Men’s tennis wishing for a raucous crowd this afternoon

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: UVA Athletics

Big moment this afternoon for Virginia’s men’s tennis team when the No. 7 seed Cavaliers host Big 12 champion and 10th-seeded Arizona at Boar’s Head (1 p.m., free admission).

If you’re looking for great entertainment and a great sports storylines, this is your (free) ticket. Your support is meaningful, just as much as it has been at JPJ, Scott, Disharoon.

One thing this writer has noticed while covering numerous national college tennis championships around the country — and particularly with trips to Georgia, where the Bulldogs used to rule over the sport — is how crowds, especially in Athens, could make a huge difference. Several times, the raucous crowds at UGA’s tennis center helped the Dawgs upset more-talented teams.

Virginia coach Andres Pedroso would love to see that kind of crowd show up at Boar’s Head today.

You’ll see a talented Virginia team, a team that at times this season has started five — yes, count ‘em, five — freshmen and still made it to the Round of 16 with a trip to Waco awaiting today’s winner for the NCAA quarterfinals. You’ll see a solid Arizona team and contrasting program styles between the Wildcats and the Cavaliers, a different culture, a different style.

“[Arizona] competes really well,” said Pedroso. “They’re a pretty loud team from what I hear. When you think of how electric college tennis can be and how different it is from pro tennis, I think Arizona does a good job of putting that on display.”

Loud? Unusual for tennis, right? Not so with the Wildcats. Pedroso explains:

“Everyone’s got their own identity,” the UVA coach said. “Some teams are quieter than others. From what I hear, this team likes to scream and yell and they like to make their presence felt. It’s going to be two different identities out there battling it out.”

Pedroso’s team is a lot more reserved, lets its racquets do the talking, and will leave the noise up to the fans.

“There’s nothing like playing a home match against a top-10 team here in Charlottesville,” Pedroso said. “The tentacles of that support is not just the matches, it’s also the reaching out to helping our kids find jobs, prepare for interviews and helping them become more comfortable when they first arrive in Charlottesville. The support we get from the community is absolutely incredible and a huge reason why this program has done so well and been so consistent.

“I would tell every fan out there, every supporter that has a pocket of time to dedicate to our program today, that their presence definitely moves the needle and inspires our guys. It helps us not only in the match, but also to continue to grow our tradition and that mystique that’s made this program so special.”

Pedroso travels the world in search of the best talent to bring to Virginia’s program, and he always makes a point to talk to recruits and their families about what makes UVA tennis so special. It’s his secret weapon when it comes to attracting great players.

“All these guys played in the biggest events on the international junior tour, so I knew they could play tennis,” Pedroso said in explaining what makes Virginia’s culture different. “First of all, they had to get used to UVA academics, getting used to the routines that it takes to make this experience super productive.

“Then, the season comes along in January and dealing with the travel and missing classes and managing both sides, but also just the culture and the things that come with our culture in how we train, how we compete, how we speak to each other, how we treat each other, how we greet people at the Boar’s Head, all the things that I think make our culture special.”

Pedroso said that tennis is a very selfish sport, in junior tennis and in the pros, and players easily get self absorbed. Then they walk into a program like his where thinking about the team comes first, thinking about others and that they are required to live by the motto of the more they give, the more they’re going to get back.

“That’s a new reality for a lot of kids,” the coach said. “Our guys have bought in and that’s why we’re here right now, ranked No. 4 in the country and we’ve got a shot at it.”

That is how all that talent, all that culture has come together this season, inspired by the youth, cultivated by the leadership of the veterans on the team, to get the Cavaliers to Boar’s Head today.

It’s how this team is likely the only team in America that has claimed victories over not one, but two No. 1-ranked opponents (Wake Forest and Texas) this season.

“When we play a complete match, when we prepare, which we are, and we show up with the right energy and we play a complete match for two, three, four hours, however long it takes, it’s a big reason why we were able to beat two Number Ones,” Pedroso said. “That shows we can beat anyone, but we have to be there the entire match. We can’t get spooked or surprised when things don’t go our way or when the other team is just too good at times. We have to stay together and fight until the end. Then we’re tough to beat.”

One of the great stories in college tennis, or in the sports world this season, will be on display in freshman Jangjun Kim, who came to UVA from South Korea.

“He came here with a language barrier, but when I recruited this kid, I saw that he was such a hard worker,” Pedroso said. “He’s had a really tough life and he’s always had to go through the harder path to get to No. 10 in the world (juniors).”

Pedroso said Kim’s first couple of months at UVA were challenging academically — imagine arriving in another country with a language barrier and having to study and train and travel and compete, missing class — a daunting task for anyone.

“He’s handled it so well and he’s going to finish the semester with, I think, a 3.0,” the coach said. “That’s an incredible accomplishment for this kid and one of the best stories that we’ve ever been able to manifest in this program. And, he’s a really good player, has all the shots and is a killer on the court.”

Women’s Tennis: No. 7 UVA eliminated with 4-0 loss to No. 10 Tennessee in Round of 16

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo: UVA Athletics

The Virginia women’s tennis team‘s season came to an end on Friday, falling to the 10-seed Tennessee, 4-0, in the Round of 16 of the NCAA Championship at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head Resort.

Tennessee (20-7) won the doubles point and picked up singles wins on courts one, two, and four to clinch the victory over the Cavaliers (22-6) and advance to the quarterfinals.

The Lady Vols opened the match with a 6-3 win on doubles court two. Senior Melodie Collard and freshman Karolina Kozakova saved two match points on the top doubles court but ultimately suffered a 7-5 defeat.

Tennessee extended its lead to 2-0 with a straight set victory on court four.

The Lady Volunteers picked up a 6-3, 6-0 win on court two to take a 3-0 lead over the Cavaliers.

Just seconds after, No. 7 Elza Tomase clinched the victory for Tennessee on the top singles court with a 6-1, 6-3 win.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Virginia was the No. 7 seed in the tournament and ranked No. 7 in the ITA Team Rankings
• This was the fifth straight NCAA Round of 16 appearance for the Cavaliers and the 11th overall
• Tennessee won the second matchup of the season with the Cavaliers. UVA won the first meeting on February 7 in the round of 16 of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship
• Tennessee is the No. 10 seed in the championship and ranked No. 10 in the ITA Team Rankings
• The Lady Vols snapped a five-match losing streak to the Cavaliers
• Senior Elaine Chervinsky was unavailable for Virginia
• Sara Ziodato finishes her Cavalier career with a 102-43 singles record. Her 102 singles wins ranks tied for 7th in program history (tied with Emily Fraser)
• Chervinsky finishes her Cavalier career with an 82-40 singles record and a 92-33 doubles record. She won the first NCAA Doubles title in program history with Melodie Collard. Her 92 career doubles wins ranks tied for 10th in program history
• This is the fourth straight season that Virginia has reached at least 20 wins
• The Cavaliers reached their first number one ranking in program history this season and made their first ever appearance in the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship

FROM HEAD COACH SARA O’LEARY

“I think that you got to give credit to Tennessee. I think that they fought really well out there. They came out ready to go in doubles, and we just didn’t play our best. I think they put us on our heels a little bit, and it was tough for us to just dig our heels in and get back in that match really at any point. So again, just credit to them. I think that they played well. I think we’re going to learn a lot from this and reflect on this and obviously have some time now going into the summer. But right now, it’s just about thinking about our seniors who have given so much to this program. And it’s tough that Elaine has to end her career not being able to be out there because she’s meant so much to this program. So, I feel for our seniors right now, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

TENNESSEE 4, VIRGINIA 0

Singles
1. #7 Elza Tomase (TENN) def. #27 Sara Ziodato (VA) 6-1, 6-3
2. #41 Catherine Aulia (TENN) def. #34 Annabelle Xu (VA) 6-3, 6-0
3. Martina Genis Salas (VA) vs. #66 Leyla Britez Risso (TENN) 7-6 (7-4), 2-0, unfinished
4. Vanesa Suarez (TENN) def. Karolina Kozakova (VA) 6-1, 6-0
5. Melodie Collard (VA) vs. Francesca Mattioli (TENN) 1-6, 4-5, unfinished
6. Blanca Pico Navarro (VA) vs. Saray Yli-Piipari (TENN) 4-6, 0-4, unfinished

Doubles
1. #30 Catherine Aulia/Leyla Britez Risso (TENN) def. Karolina Kozakova/Melodie Collard (VA) 7-5
2. #72 Elza Tomase/Saray Yli-Piipari (TENN) def. #41 Martina Genis Salas/Annabelle Xu (VA) 6-3
3. Sara Ziodato/Meggie Navarro (VA) vs. Maeve Thornton/Vanesa Suarez (TENN) 5-4, unfinished
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,2,1)