Minnesota bounced back from losing on Friday and split the weekend in its next dual.
On Friday night, the Gophers (3-3) lost to undefeated Dartmouth 5-2. They followed that loss by beating Rice (3-3) the next day 6-1.
In the first meeting between Minnesota and Rice since 2007, the Gophers won the doubles point and only dropped one match in the singles competition. Eli Ogilvy picked up a straight set win to go undefeated on the weekend.
“I thought Ogilvy did a good job,” head coach Geoff Young said. “You can see he is finding his way and gaining some confidence.”
The No. 26 ranked doubles pairing in the country — Matic Spec and Felix Corwin — defeated their opponents in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-4) to clinch the doubles point for Minnesota. Each team claimed a victory in the first two matches. Initially, the pairing of Josip Krstanovic and Justyn Levin won 6-0 and then Rice came back to earn a victory over Ogilvy and Allen.
The Gophers went out to a quick lead in the singles competition to extend their lead further. The two early victories by Spec and Krstanovic, each by the same score of 6-1, 6-0, pulled Minnesota just one point away from the dual-clinching point. That point came from No. 34 ranked Stefan Milicevic after he defeated Sumit Sarkar 6-4, 7-5.
Gophers fall to Dartmouth
The Gophers lost the doubles point for the second time this season on the way to a defeat.
The undefeated Dartmouth team clinched the point with a victory over Minnesota’s No. 1 doubles team in Spec and Corwin. No. 19 David Hornefferand Charlie Broom outlasted Spec and Corwin to win 6-3. Levin and Krstanovic dropped their match 6-2.
“You have to have a short memory sometimes to get back to the things that you do well and be ready for another battle,” Young said.
Minnesota managed only two victories in singles competition. Corwin defeated Broom 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the No. 1 singles spot. Olgilvy beat his opponent in straight sets 6-4, 6-2. Milicevic played in the No. 2 spot and lost in a close three-set match 6-2, 4-6, 7-6. The senior Spec wasn’t able to find his game as he lost 7-6, 6-2.
“They were a very good team, we still have our best tennis ahead of us,” Young said. “We need to get back to things we do well and get a little confidence in ourselves.”
