ATHENS, Ga. “”mdash; There was only so long that defending NCAA singles champion Benjamin Kohlloeffel could fight off the nation’s top collegiate player.
After successfully saving nine match points in the second set of his 7-5. 7-6(2) loss, Kohlloeffel was unable to hold off John Isner any longer, as the Georgia senior clinched a 4-0 victory for the No. 1 Bulldogs.
“It was my first NCAA loss in my three years, and that it happens here in my senior year in my last match playing for the team, it’s obviously disappointing,” Kohlloeffel said.
Though the shutout score suggested a dominant performance on the behalf of the Bulldogs, each match was decided after several momentum shifts, and with the Bruins leading in some of the remaining matches that were stopped.
Having to deal with a capacity crowd of nearly 2,000, the Bruins were unable to get off to the start that they had hoped for in doubles play, dropping the point with a pair of 8-5 losses at the second and third positions.
From there, the chants only got louder and the environment became one that favored the Bulldogs tremendously.
Senior Chris Surapol was the first Bruin to suffer a loss in singles as he was defeated by No. 35 Matic Omerzel 6-1, 7-6(3). After being down 6-1, 3-1, Surapol fought back to win four straight games and was able to hold two set points before finally falling to Omerzel, making the score 2-0.
“I didn’t want that to be the way I went out from college tennis,” Surapol said. “That was the only thing I was thinking.
“Going up against a team of this caliber, unfortunately you can’t just fight hard, you have to fight hard and play your best tennis.”
Sophomore Michael Look was the next Bruin off the court after he lost to No. 104 Jamie Hunt 6-2, 7-5. It appeared as though Look would be able to capture the second set after falling behind 3-0 when he captured five straight games and was serving for the set at 5-4. After being broken by Hunt, Look wasn’t able to get himself back into a favorable position, and the Bulldogs took a 3-0 lead, setting the stage for the dramatic win on court No. 1, where the 6-foot-9-inch Isner was able to utilize his serve in the second set tiebreaker to defeat Kohlloeffel in front of a loud cheering section.
However, UCLA coach Billy Martin didn’t blame the loss on external factors, but also gave the 2006 national runner-ups credit where he felt it was deserved.
“Georgia is an outstanding team, and we can’t blame our loss on the crowd,” Martin said. “We had a solid team this year, but playing Georgia is tough.”
Kohlloeffel, along with some of his teammates, felt the 4-0 loss in the quarterfinals doesn’t do justice to the caliber of this year’s Bruin squad, as the seeding they received pitted them up against Georgia in a much earlier round than if they had been on the opposite side of the bracket.
“Georgia is an outstanding team, and being seeded 8 or 9, having to play them in the quarters, it’s really tough,” Kohlloeffel said. “I think we have a really good chance against any other team here because then it’s a neutral crowd. It’s tough luck with the draw and maybe if we’re on the other side of the draw we would still be playing in the later rounds.”