Griz fall to Idaho in Big Sky Championship

Saturday, April 29

Phoenix, Ariz

11 AM (MT)

Montana

Idaho

4/29/2017 2:57:00 PM | Men's Tennis

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana men's tennis dream run at the Big Sky Championship came to an end on Saturday with a 4-0 loss to the No. 2 Idaho Vandals in the tournament final at the Phoenix Tennis Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Grizzlies season now comes to a close with a 14-9 overall record and a 7-4 Big Sky record after an improbable run to the semi-final, playing three matches in three days.

The Vandals jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a win in the doubles round. They followed that up with a trio of straight-sets wins on courts four, three and six to seal the win over a gassed Grizzly squad.

"Our guys showed up and gave it all they had, but Idaho played really well. They deserved the win," said Montana head coach Kris Nord.

"I think moving outdoors really benefited the majority of that team. Idaho hits a heavy ball, and make you work hard. We've worked hard physically and emotionally over the last couple days, and put a lot out on the court yesterday."

The Kovacs/Neto pair started it off for Idaho with a 6-2 win over UM's court one pairing of Max Korkh and Peter Mimnagh-Fleming.

The Vandals clinched the doubles point on court two when UI's Santibanez/Coutinho pair handed Yannick Schmidl and Alexander Canellopoulos just their third loss of the year on court two, 6-2.

In the singles round, Idaho took a quick win on court four with Esteban Santibanez defeating Alex Canellopoulos 6-0, 6-1 for a 2-0 lead.

Mimnagh-Fleming, Montana's only senior, played his final match in maroon and silver on court three, falling to Carlos Neto 6-3, 6-2, putting the Vandals up 3-0.

Idaho then sealed the match on court six, with Guilherme Scarpelli beating UM's Ignacio Tejerina 6-4, 6-3, just his second loss in the last sixteen outings.

After an early-season loss to Norther Colorado, the Big Sky tournament was seemingly a long shot for the Grizzlies. But after a spring break trip that pitted UM against some of the nation's best competition, the Griz rebounded and strung together four-straight wins to earn a trip to the tourney. Once they arrived in Phoenix, they defeated Idaho State in the quarterfinal (4-0) and upset the NAU Lumberjacks (4-3) in the semifinal to advance to the championship.

"We've been in a sudden death position for five weeks, and the guys have responded well," Nord added. "I'm proud as heck of our guys getting here, and how they fought and prepared. It just wasn't to be today."

Tennis Match Results
Montana vs Idaho
Apr 29, 2017 at Phoenix, Ariz.
(Phoenix Tennis Center)

Idaho 4, Montana 0

Singles competition
1. Kovacs, Mark (UI) vs. CASADEVALL, Victor (UM) 7-6 (7-5), 4-2, unfinished
2. Fonseca, Felipe (UI) vs. SCHMIDL, Yannick (UM) 7-6 (8-6), 3-2, unfinished
3. Longhi Neto, Carlos (UI) def. MIMNAGH-FLEMING, P. (UM) 6-3, 6-2
4. Santibanez, Esteban (UI) def. CANELLOPOULOS, Alex (UM) 6-0, 6-1
5. Coutinho,Lucas (UI) vs. KORKH, Max (UM) 7-5, 3-4, unfinished
6. Scarpelli, Guilherme (UI) def. TEJERINA, Ignacio (UM) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles competition
1. Kovacs, Mark/Longhi Neto, Carlos (UI) def. MIMNAGH-FLEMING, P./KORKH, Max (UM) 6-2
2. Santibanez, Esteban/Coutinho,Lucas (UI) def. SCHMIDL, Yannick/CANELLOPOULOS, Alex (UM) 6-2
3. Fonseca, Felipe/Scarpelli, Guilherme (UI) vs. CASADEVALL, Victor/HALLGREN, Ludvig (UM) 4-3, unfinished

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (4,3,6)