The best season in Arizona Wildcats men's tennis history came to an end Monday morning in Orlando, after the UA fell to SEC champion Tennessee, 4-3, in the Sweet 16.Β
An amazing run. Thank you to the Wildcat fans who supported us throughout the seasonβ€οΈ#SaguaroSoldiers | #BearDown pic.twitter.com/2CNoOxyfDy
— Arizona Men's Tennis (@ArizonaMTennis) May 17, 2021
Senior captain Alejandro Reguant gave Arizona the lead, 3-2, after a straight set win, but the Volunteers outlasted the UA to advance to the Elite Eight and putting a stop the Wildcats' historic year, which advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.Β
Under the direction of 2019 Pac-12 Coach of the Year Clancy Shields, the Wildcats accomplished more than just a deep postseason run. Earlier in the season, Arizona upset a USC program that had a 102-2 all-time record against the UA prior to 2021, and the Wildcats upset the Trojans for the first time since 2006. Arizona followed it up with a win over UCLA, a program that went 72-1 against the Wildcats before this season.Β
The University of Arizona menβs tennis team cheers on Gustaf Strom during his singles match against the University of Tennessee at the 2021 NCAA D1 Tennis Championships on Monday, May 17, 2021 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Florida. (Manuela Davies/USTA)
"I’m incredibly proud of our team, we made a big statement on a national level," Shields said to NCAA.com. "The guys endured one of the toughest regionals in the country, and backed it up today coming within a few points of making the Elite Eight. The bar has definitely been raised for our program, and we will look to come back even stronger next year."
Arizona finished the season with a 21-8 (5-2 Pac-12) record and all of its losses were against ranked opponents.Β
Despite the team season concluding, UA star freshman Gustaf Strom will compete in the NCAA singles championships on Sunday.Β
