WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Senior Tom Fawcett dropped a three-set thriller in the opening round of the NCAA Singles Championship Wednesday at the Wake Forest Sports Complex.
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The Cardinal senior, ranked No. 9 in the most recent ITA poll, fell in three sets to No. 23 Giovanni Oradini of Mississippi State, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Fawcett came back from a 3-2 deficit to win the next four games and take the opening set. The Cardinal senior and Mississippi State sophomore were tied at 4-4 in the second set, before Oradini jumped ahead, 5-4 and broke Fawcett to take the second set. Down 5-1 in the third set, Fawcett tried to climb back and got within 5-3 before Oradini clinched it to advance. Â
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With the defeat, Fawcett concluded his singles career on The Farm with a 90-36 record. He is No. 27 on the Stanford career dual wins list with 53 career dual victories. He finished his senior season 20-6 overall with an 11-4 mark in dual play. Fawcett defeated 10 nationally-ranked opponents this season. Â
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The senior has participated in the NCAA Singles Championship all four years. He reached the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championship last season, earning All-America honors.
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Fawcett turns his focus to the NCAA Doubles Championship, where he will team with freshman Axel Geller in the 32-team field that begins Thursday. The pair, ranked No. 32 in the ITA poll, will face the ITA's No. 5 ranked team of Johannes Ingildsen and Alfredo Perez from Florida in the first round at 2 p.m. PT. Ingildsen and Perez are the No. 4 overall seed in the doubles tournament.
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Live scoring and live video will be available on the NCAA Championships Central page.
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The NCAA Doubles Championship continues throughout the week, with round of 16 matches Friday, the quarterfinals slated for Saturday, semifinals Sunday and the Championship match contested Monday.
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Fawcett Defeated at NCAA's
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