Zhang’s heroics lifts Griz over North Dakota in season opener

Saturday, January 25

Missoula, Mont.

10:30 AM

Montana

North Dakota

Zhang’s heroics lifts Griz over North Dakota in season opener

1/25/2025 7:36:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Montana Sports Information

If you haven't coached, you might not know the feeling. It's the feeling that keeps them all coming back for more after tough losses, early morning lifts, and late-night travel.

It's the feeling when one of your players, who has done all the off-court work, practiced the way you're supposed to, been a stellar teammate and worked hard to improve, finally has a breakthrough.

For Montana men's tennis head coach Jason Brown, there is none better.

"It's legitimately one of my proudest moments as a coach," he said, after Grizzly senior Chris Zhang clinched a thrilling 4-3 win for Montana over North Dakota at the Peak Racquet Club on Saturday in Missoula.

Zhang had been in this position before. The last man standing with the team score tied 3-3 and a win for the Grizzlies resting squarely on his shoulders, with all eyes on you. It's a pressure cooker, and the chips just haven't fallen his way. Until today.

"In all caps, I cannot tell you how ecstatic I am for Chris Zhang. He has worked so hard, he's such a good guy and a great player, and he had so many bad breaks last season – just with things not going his way in tight spots. So, for him to get over the hump here, it's legitimately one of my proudest moments as a coach," said Brown.

"Sports definitely aren't fair, but he has earned it. He stayed here over break, worked really, really hard, and got to pull it off in the crunchiest of crunch times."

Gallery: (1-25-2025) MTEN: vs North Dakota (01.25.25)

Zhang's clincher was one of just many highlights in Montana's rollercoaster marathon of a win over North Dakota that saw four lead changes and lasted five and a half hours.

The Griz improved to 1-0 after a win in the season opener and are now 2-1 over UND in the last three seasons with this being the first win at home for either team in the series. The Fighting Hawks, picked to finish second in the Summit League, drop to 2-1 with road wins over Big Sky opponents Idaho and Eastern Washington on their resume.

With three Grizzlies playing their first dual in maroon and silver including two freshmen, Montana started slow against North Dakota, dropping two of the opening doubles matches to fall behind 0-1 to the visitors in the early going.

The top of Montana's singles lineup then put the Griz in front 2-1 with regional No. 10-ranked Tom Bittner picking-up where he left off last year on court one with a straight set win, and Baltazar Wiger-Nordas losing just three games in the final two sets for a win on court two.

North Dakota then climbed back in front when Fernando Perez, who was battling an illness, ran out of gas in a long three-set loss on court three and freshman Duncan McCall dropped a narrow one on court four to put the Fighting Hawks back up 3-2.

Junior Eivind Tandberg then tied the match up with a straight set win on court six over Jayho Hong, his first dual victory as a Grizzly. That tied the overall match at three and left the result with Zhang on court five.

The senior from New Zealand used a big return game in the first set to grind out a 7-5 win and looked as though he'd cruise to a win in second set, up 4-0 early over Ethan Terry. Terry would battle back, however, winning five of the next six games to tie the set 5-5 before eventually winning in a tiebreaker 7-6 (5).

In the third and deciding set Zhang once again got out to an early lead up 4-1 after Terry gave up several unforced errors. The visitor would take the next two games however to close the lead at 4-3 and fend-off a total of seven match points from Zhang, but it wasn't enough as the Grizzly veteran eventually pulled away for the 6-4 win in the third, and the celebration ensued.

"That feels pretty bloody good," said Zhang.

"I had a few moments last year where I didn't pull it out, so I just had to stay mentally strong. That was the difference. I was too tired to be nervous, so I was just going for everything and leaving it all on the court. If I would have lost, I wouldn't have been mad because I just did my best and he played great."

Montana now prepares to hit the road next week for a doubleheader at Whitworth and a nonconference tune-up at Eastern Washington on Feb. 1-2 before heading south for a pair of matches at Air Force.

"In the first match of the season, especially one in January, there are a lot of unknown factors. We had three players who had never played a dual for the Griz, never played on the D-1 level. You're gonna get some ups, you're gonna get some downs. It felt like a roller coaster today, but it was a good win," Brown added.

"I think it builds this a ton of momentum. The guys who didn't win their matches are pumped to get back to work already, so I think it builds a lot."