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TICKET PUNCHED! #20 Sun Devils to Open NCAA Tournament vs. #32 Wichita State

by thesundevils.com
May 3, 2021

TEMPE - They're going dancing!
 
For the third time in the Matt Hill era, Arizona State men's tennis is set to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The No. 20 Sun Devils will travel to the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center on the campus of Texas Christian in Fort Worth, Texas, and open the  tournament at 11 a.m. (9 a.m. MST) Saturday against Wichita State. A victory would see the Maroon and Gold take on the winner of TCU/Arkansas Sunday at 1 p.m. (11 a.m. MST).
 
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ASU is 1-0 all-time against the Shockers, the lone match a 7-0 shutout victory from 2004. TCU leads the all-time series 5-0, while the all-time series against Arkansas is tied at 1-1.

 

Coach Hill has steered the Sun Devils to the NCAA postseason in two of the previous three years. In the program's first season since reinstatement, ASU played to a 4-0 loss against No. 18 Baylor  in the first round. Year two featured ASU earning a 4-0 shutout victory over No. 33 Miami in the first round before the team lost to TCU the following match. The NCAA tournament was canceled last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Arizona State (16-8, 3-4 Pac-12) is coming off a magical run in the Pac-12 Tournament where the Sun Devils toppled four-seed UCLA before taking down one-seed Stanford, the deciding points coming thanks to clutch performances from No. 95 Nathan Ponwith and Max McKennon.
 
Wichita State (15-8, 3-2 American) lost 4-0 to No. 22 UCF in the second round of the American Championships after a 4-3 victory over No. 32 Memphis in match one. The Shockers' lineup features No. 35 Murkel Dellien who shifted from the three spot to the top court midway through the season. Dellien is 13-2 on the year and riding a 12-match winning streak. Dellien's doubles partner is Marius Frosa. The pair are 9-5 and rank 43rd in the nation.

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