TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Kentucky Men’s Tennis freshman Oscar Lien claimed the singles title at the ITF M15 Trois-Rivières in Quebec, Canada, Sunday after defeating Nikola Slavic in two straight sets.
Today’s victory is Oscar Lien’s first singles title of his career. The freshman took down 26-year-old Ole Miss alum Nikola Slavic, 6-4, 6-3.
In the round of 32, Lien dominated Matthew Michibata, 6-2, 6-1. Lien went to three sets in the round of 16 against Cornell junior Rodrigo Fernandes. The Wildcat freshman took the first set with ease, 6-1, but Fernandes fought back and nabbed the 6-4 win in the second set. However, Lien was unshaken, winning the third set 6-2 and punching his ticket to the quarterfinals. Facing Daniel De Jonge in the quarterfinals, the Norway native proceeded to command his match, claiming the 6-3, 6-4 victory. In the semifinals, Lien took another two-set win, going 7-6, 6-4 against Cornell senior Eric Verdes.
Next up for the Wildcats, Eli Stephenson and Nicolas Arseneault will travel to Athens, Ga., to compete at the NCAA Singles Championships on Nov. 17-22. The draw will be announced by the NCAA on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. ET.
