Okemos native Ozan Baris advances to NCAA Singles Championships semifinals
STILLWATER, Mich. (WLNS) – This season the Michigan State men’s tennis team reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history and won their first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament.
On Thursday, the Spartans made more history.
In Stillwater, Oklahoma, MSU sophomore and Okemos native Ozan Baris defeated Ohio State’s Jack Anthrop 6-4, 6-1 to become the first Spartan to ever advance to the NCAA Singles Championship semifinals.
Per MSU, Baris, the No. 8 seed in the 64-player championships, took control of the match early, earning the first two breaks in the first set and bouncing out to a 3-1 lead. Anthrop would claim a few games back, but the national No. 30 never led in the match.
“I feel like from the start I had the hunger that I needed to and I started of really well. I got the break the first game and just carried that through,” Baris said in a press release. “From my end, I was in the mindset from the start. I thought I played well and I converted the way that I wanted to. I brought a lot of fight, I thought that was a separating factor for me today.”
Baris will now take on Alabama junior Filip Planinsek for a shot at the finals.
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