STILLWATER, Okla.- No. 22
Colton Smith defeated No. 16 Nishesh Basavareddy [9-16] 7-6(2), 6-2 on Wednesday in the third round of the NCAA Singles Championships, securing a spot in the elite eight quarterfinal round.
With Smith and Basavareddy having been matched up in Arizona v. Stanford's Pac-12 Championship Tournament face-off, the pair had unfinished business on the court that would ultimately come to a head in Stillwater. Smith and Basavareddy battled point for point during set one until the score was 6-6, forcing a tiebreaker. Smith dominated the breaker 6-2, taking the first set and pulling ahead.Â
The second set was a different story, with Smith gaining an early 5-1 lead. Basavareddy took one more game before Smith finalized his elite eight spot with a 7-2 second set win.Â
Smith will go on to face No. 11 Murphy Cassone [9-16] of Arizona State in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, May 22.Â
