Title Run Comes to end for All-Americans Cassone and Bullard in NCAA Quarterfinals
STILLWATER– On Thursday afternoon at Greenwood Tennis Center, Arizona State men's tennis dropped two heartbreakers in third-set tiebreaks in the quarterfinal rounds of the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championship. The title run ended for Murphy Cassone as he fell in his singles match, which was followed by a nail-biter alongside Jacob Bullard in their doubles match.
The pair, who was 13-3, on the year together had not played from the first position until mid-April but earned the Pac-12's automatic NCAA doubles bid and stunned the competition, advancing all the way to the quarterfinal round and earning doubles All-American Status– the first Sun Devils to do so since Jeff Williams and Ed Carter in 1999.
WHAT A RUN FOR THIS DUO??
Dare we call them the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year? Asking for a friend. ?? pic.twitter.com/VUlnl8xBDi
— Sun Devil Men's Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) May 23, 2024
Cassone earned a spot in the quarterfinals for the second straight season, but fell just short of reaching the semifinals two years in a row. He fell 4-6, 6-2, 6-7(3), to Arizona's #22 Colton Smith, a player who he had beaten in straight sets during the regular season.
Murph made his mark ??
Murphy Cassone adds two more All-American nods to his resume after advancing in singles AND doubles this season ?? pic.twitter.com/9MEoTuMsZy
— Sun Devil Men's Tennis (@SunDevilMTennis) May 23, 2024
For the third match in the NCAA Doubles tournament, Bullard and Cassone went to a third set tiebreak in their doubles match, but could not pull out a third win. The pair fell 4-6, 6-2, 0-1(6) to Florida State's #12-ranked doubles team.
The team's best season since reinstatement officially comes to an end. Fans can follow @SunDevilMTennis on Instagram, X (Twitter), and Facebook for match coverage and updates during the 2024 offseason.