SEATTLE – Stanford made it a perfect 7-0 in securing the doubles point and graduate student Eric Fomba provided the clincher in singles action as the No. 5 Cardinal men's tennis team defeated No. 12 Baylor 4-2 Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the ITA National Indoor Championships.
Stanford (7-0) moves on to face No. 4 Georgia in the quarterfinal round Saturday at noon PT at Washington's Nordstrom Tennis Center.
Tom Fawcett and Axel Geller, ranked No. 32, improved to 6-0 on the season with a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles. Baylor's top doubles team of Johannes Schretter/Will Little, ranked No. 12, pulled out the win at the No. 1 spot and it the doubles point would be decided at No. 3. Timothy Sah and David Wilczynski went to a tiebreaker with Baylor's Roy Smith and Matias Soto. Down, 5-0, in the tiebreaker, the Cardinal duo stormed back to pull out the victory, 7-6 (6), and secure the important doubles point.
Fawcett, ranked No. 33, made quick work of No. 64 Bjoern Petersen at No. 1 singles, dropping just three games in the match.
Geller, ranked No. 75, improved to 7-0 in dual action on the year, as the freshman inched the Cardinal closer to the team win with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 24 Johannes Schretter at No. 2.
The Bears rebounded with wins at No. 5 and No. 3 to pull within a point.
Fomba, playing his first career match at the No. 4 spot, sealed it for the Cardinal. Baylor's Will Little, ranked No. 104, captured the first set, but Fomba would not be denied from there. The freshman posted a pair of 6-2 sets for the clincher.
Stanford turns its focus to No. 4 Georgia in the quarterfinals. While the Cardinal leads the all-time series, 14-6, the two teams have not played since the 2014 season in Athens, Georgia.
No. 5 Stanford 4, No. 12 Baylor 2
DOUBLES
1) No. 12 Johannes Schretter/Will Little (BAY) d. No. 55 Michael Genender/Sameer Kumar (STAN) 6-4
2) No. 32 Tom Fawcett/Axel Geller (STAN) d. No. 45 Jimmy Bendeck/Bjoern Petersen 6-3
3) Timothy Sah/David Wilczynski (STAN) d. Roy Smith/Matias Soto 7-6 (6)
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
SINGLES
1) No. 33 Tom Fawcett (STAN) d. No. 64 Bjoern Petersen (BAY) 6-2, 6-1
2) No. 75 Axel Geller (STAN) d. No. 24 Johannes Schretter (BAY) 6-4, 6-3
3) Matias Soto (BAY) d. Sameer Kumar (STAN) 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
4) Eric Fomba (STAN) d. No. 104 Will Little (BAY) 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
5) Roy Smith (BAY) d. No. 117 David Wilczynski (STAN) 6-2, 6-4
6) William Genesen (STAN) vs. Constantin Frantzen (BAY) 6-5, 4-6, 6-6 (unfinished)
