CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Senior captain Axel Nefve opened up play in the NCAA Individual Singles Championships today in Champaign, Illinois. Nefve took on on #41 ranked Eduardo Graziani of the University of Pennsylvania who entered the day with a 23-8 record on the year.
The match would begin with both players holding serve each of the first five service games, each fighting off a handful of break points. Nefve would be the first to strike and break Graziani to go up 6-5 and have a chance to serve for the first set. With a routine hold, Nefve would capture the first set by a 7-5 score.
Graziani responded by holding the opening game and then breaking the Irish senior to go up 2-0. But Nefve immediately broke back to get back on serve and then even things up at 2-2. After each player held again, Nefve would get another break 4-3 and after his next hold of serve to put himself within a game of the match win at 5-3.
Nefve had match points in the 5-3 and 5-4 games but ultimately, the nationally ranked Quaker would manage to bring it back to 5 all in the second set. A few games later, a second set tiebreak would be needed and Nefve would find himself in a 1-5 hole at the first change of ends. But showing great grit and determination, he would win six straight points to clinch the set and match with a 7-5, 7-6(5) win to advance to the second round.
Up Next:
Axel Nefve will take on top-seeded Ben Shelton from the University of Florida. The second round match will be played on Tuesday with the time still to be determined, schedule to be released later today.