INDIAN WELLS, CA — No. 6 Baylor men’s tennis (16-2) clinched the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge championship title with a 4-2 victory over No. 16 USC (10-6) Sunday at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells, Calif.
Baylor finishes 3-0 in Indian Wells for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 2014 and won its second title in the last three seasons.
In doubles, second-ranked Jimmy Bendeck and Sven Lah won their eighth match against a ranked opponent when the duo blew past No. 28 Brandon Holt and Riley Smith on court one, 6-2.
Then, Johannes Schretter and Constantin Frantzen clinched the opening point with a 6-3 victory over Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith on court three.
No. 77 Matias Soto won his third singles match in three days when he upset sixth-ranked Daniel Cukierman at the No. 2 spot with a 6-4, 6-2 victory. He improves to 5-1 against ranked opponents this season with the biggest ranked win of his career.
Sven Lah made it a 3-0 lead when he scored a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Mor Bulis on court five, but USC got on the board after Adrian Boitan fell to Riley Smith, 6-3, 7-6(3), at the No. 4 spot.
The Trojans collected its second-straight point when No. 42 Johannes Schretter dropped a 6-3, 6-4 decision to No. 16 Brandon Holt at the top of the lineup. Then, the Bears clinched the match when Bendeck posted a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory over Jake Sands at the No. 6 spot.
To keep up with things all season long, follow the team on social media: @BaylorMTennis.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Baylor ties the all-time series against USC at 8-8.
• Baylor is on a seven-match win streak and improves to 5-2 against ranked opponents this season.
• Baylor is now 15-3 in the doubles point and 15-0 when winning the opening point this season.
• No. 77 Matias Soto clinched a singles point for the third-straight day and improves to 5-1 against ranked opponents.
• Baylor went 10-2 in singles points and 3-0 in doubles points during its tournament run in Indian Wells.
• No. 77 Matias Soto is now 13-2 in spring singles play.
• Jimmy Bendeck improves to 9-3 in dual-match singles action.
• Sven Lah is 14-1 in spring singles play and has won six straight matches.
• Jimmy Bendeck and Sven Lah are now 20-2 this season in doubles play and are 8-0 against ranked opponents.
• Baylor won the tournament for the second time in three seasons and second time overall.
• Baylor is now 12-5 all-time at the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge.
• Baylor went 3-0 in the bracket for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 2014.
• Baylor is now 8-1 in its last nine matches at the BNP Paribas Open Collegiate Tennis Challenge.
STAT OF THE MATCH
6 – sophomore Matias Soto's opponent ranking in his career-best upset.
TOP QUOTE #1
Head coach Brian Boland
On the win…
“I am proud of the week we had as a program as we continue to show signs of improvement with each match. This is a special group of young people who love competing for the green and gold. We are looking forward to getting back to work this week as we prepare for an excellent Arizona State team in Waco Friday night.”
TOP QUOTE #2
Head coach Brian Boland
On the tournament…
“We are grateful to everyone at Oracle for providing such an incredible experience to the student-athletes this past week. The organization, the staff and the venue are the best in the world. This is such an invaluable experience for these student-athletes as so many of them are preparing to compete at the next level. A big thank you to Larry Ellison, Mark Hurd and their incredible staff at Oracle for hosting a first-class event. What Oracle has done for college tennis and tennis in general is incredible and the entire tennis community is grateful.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Riding its seven-match win streak, Baylor heads home to face Arizona State Friday at 6 p.m. CT at the Hurd Tennis Center. Free flashlights will be given out (while supplies last) as part of the Baylor Lights promotion.
