BAKER FALLS IN ROUND OF 32 AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
TULSA, Okla. ? University of South Alabama tennis player Jack Baker finally met his match, after getting knocked out in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Championship by Justin Kronauge of Ohio State 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4, Thursday. The 34th ranked player in the nation, Baker finishes the year with an impressive 18-5 record and an 11-5 mark against ranked opponents.
“It was a very close match and we didn’t know who was going to win because both
players were playing so hard,” head coach Nick Brochu said. “Jack made a great comeback in the second match and in the third set he broke a break point, but Kronauge came out on top.”
Kronauge broke Baker’s eight game winning streak with a 7-6 first-set victory and 7-5 tiebreaker winner. The Jaguar senior stuck back in the second set winning 6-7 (7-4), but could not hold on off the Buckeye losing in the third set, 6-4.
“We were talking after the match about how consistent he has been this year and how he made tournaments he had never made before this season,” Brochu added. “He played every match like his last and I don’t think he has any regrets.”
On the year, Baker was named to the Sun Belt Conference All-Conference Team in singles and with two separate players in doubles. He also made the quarterfinals of the 2007 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Tennis Championship and the 2007 Polo Ralph Lauren All-American Tennis Championships.
