BETHLEHEM, Pa. – After mounting a furious rally with victories in the top three singles matches, the No. 6-seeded Boston University men's tennis team ultimately came up just short at No. 3 Lehigh, 4-3, in the Patriot League quarterfinals.
The tournament host Mountain Hawks (5-2) clinched the doubles point by a combined score of 12-1 and added two singles points in straight sets before capturing the final point in a three-set tiebreaker, 10-8, at line 6 against the Terriers (3-6).
Senior
Pete Siozios helped start the rally with a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the No. 3 singles slot after his No. 3 doubles match was halted with him and junior
Max Hartenstein leading, 4-3. Senior
Owen Lu dropped his first set at line 2 but rallied back to defeat 2019 All-PL Second Team honoree Harry Wang, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Fellow senior
David Bogatin also dropped his first set by an identical score of 6-3 and dug deep to defeat 2019 All-PL Second Team member Zack Elliott, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the hostile environment.
The decisive point was decided at line 6, as Lehigh's Gary Fishkin mounted his own rally to force a third set against freshman
Jose Maria Robalino. In the tiebreaker, Fishkin was up 6-3 when Robalino stormed back to tie the match. The Mountain Hawks though eventually prevailed with the break point to advance to the semifinals.
2021 Patriot League Quarterfinals
No. 3 Lehigh - 4, No. 6 Boston University - 3
Singles
1.
David Bogatin (BU) def. Zack Elliott (Lehigh): 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
2.
Owen Lu (BU) def. Harry Wang (Lehigh): 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
3.
Pete Siozios (BU) def. Matt Kleiman (Lehigh): 6-4, 6-3
4. Jacob Edelchik (Lehigh) def.
Max Hartenstein (BU): 6-1, 6-4
5. Jordan Paul (Lehigh) def.
Johann Sajonz (BU): 6-2, 6-3
6. Gary Fishkin (Lehigh) def.
Jose Maria Robalino (BU): 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7)
Doubles
1. Elliott/Steven Nazaroff (Lehigh) def. Lu/Robalino (BU): 6-0
2. Wang/Edelchik (Lehigh) def. Bogatin/Sajonz (BU): 6-1
3. Siozios/Hartenstein (BU) led Kleiman/Jeremy Learner (Lehigh): 4-3, unfinished