Filip Planinsek of Alabama, Alexa Noel of Miami win NCAA singles titles in tennis
Planinsek made history as the first member of the Crimson Tide to win the college title, while Noel is the third Hurricane to win individually.
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Filip Planinsek of Alabama and Alexa Noel of Miami rallied to win singles titles and the Ohio State men and Georgia women won thrilling doubles crowns at the NCAA Tennis Tournament on Saturday.
Both individual champions dropped the first set before bouncing back to claim the title at Oklahoma State's Michael and Anne Greenwood Tennis Center.
The team of Robert Cash and JJ Tracy gave Ohio State its second straight men's doubles championship. Aysegul Mert and Dasha Vidmanova gave Georgia its first for the women. The Buckeyes won the third set 10-6 while the Bulldogs prevailed 11-9 in the third set.
Planinsek rallied to defeat Columbia's Michael Zheng 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-2. He is the fifth consecutive champion from the SEC and the first from Alabama, which had never won an NCAA men's title in tennis.
Noel, the eighth seed, defeated Anastasiia Lopata of Georgia 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 to become the Hurricanes' third individual champion. Noel, who beat top seed Mary Stoiana of Texas A&M in straight sets in the semifinal, trailed 3-1 in the second set before coming back.
Cash and Tracy beat Antoine Cornut-Chauvinc and Joshua Dous Karpenschif of Florida State 5-7, 6-0, 10-6. Andrew Lutschaunig and James Trotter gave the Buckeyes a title last year, while Cash lost in the finals with Matej Vocel in 2022.
Mert and Vidmanova defeated top-seeded Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen of Pepperdine 7-6, 2-6, 11-9. Broadus and Tien are the first Waves' duo to reach the championship match.
For the first time in school history, the Georgia women had a finalist in team, singles and doubles competition, although only the doubles team won. The Bulldogs lost to Texas A&M for the team title on Sunday.