Advik Mareedu Falls in Round of 16 After Tiebreaker Win in First Round

ORLANDO, Fla. - Advik Mareedu fought off three match points to win his first match of the NCAA Division III Individual Singles Championship in a third-set tiebreaker, but fell in the afternoon in the Round of 16 to conclude the 2022-23 season for Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's tennis.

Mareedu was the No. 5 seed and opened up with a tough match against Matthew Michibata of the College of New Jersey. Michibata took the first set 6-3, and then went up a break late in the second for a 5-3 lead. 

Michibata had a chance to hold for the match and led 40-30, but Mareedu came up with back-to-back big returns to fight off the first two match points.

Then trailing 5-4, Mareedu had to hold to get it to a tiebreaker, and Michibata got it to deuce, but Mareedu was able to fight off yet another match point and level the match at 5-5. 

After each player held serve, the third set went to a tiebreaker, and Mareedu was able to string together some key points late to win it 7-4 and advance through to the second round. 

The Round of 16, though, saw Mareedu never get into a rhythm against Matthew Kandel of Williams, who was able to take the first three games of the first set and then finish it off 6-1. Mareedu had two late holds to try to stay in it in the second, but Kandel finished off the set 6-2. 

Mareedu concludes a spectacular rookie season that saw him earn 30 singles wins, capture the ITA Cup singles national title in the fall and earn SCIAC Athlete of the Year honors.