WACO, Texas — Michigan State tennis player Ozan Baris had to settle for being the national runner-up.
Baris, an Okemos native, fell short in a hard-fought, three-set match with Columbia’s Michael Zheng, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in the singles final of the NCAA Individual Championships on Sunday afternoon at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center.
Baris, a junior, continues to make MSU men’s tennis program history, as he was the first Spartan to play in a national singles final. He was also the first MSU player to reach two national semifinals, as he reached the last four of the singles championships in back-to-back years, after losing to eventual national champion Filip Planinsek of Alabama last spring.
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The NCAA Individual Championships were making their debut as the tournament moved from the spring to the fall for the first time.
In the first set on Sunday, Zheng controlled the match with a long back-and-forth first set, winning 6-2. After neither Baris nor Zheng had been broken on serve on their respective paths to the final, there were three breaks in the first five games of the set.
Baris rebounded to win the second set, 6-4, to set up a deciding third set for the national title. Zheng proved too much, winning the set and the championship, 6-2.
“I was just playing to win a national championship not just for myself but mostly for Michigan State, so that’s kind of more of a heartbreak,” Baris said. “I’m not going to beat myself up any more then losing already does. It’s tough and it’s not the most fun part of the sport, but playing out there was fun.
“I know that I’m not going to shy away, there are times where in the tight moments, if I lose or I fall a little short, but I come back stronger. I don’t think I was playing anything wrong tactically, I just wasn’t making shots. Kudos to Zheng, he’s playing smart where I’m missing those balls, but I felt like I was in control.”
It was the third NCAA Championships appearance for Baris after he reached the national semifinals last spring. Baris is currently ranked No. 1 in the ITA Individual Rankings, and finishes his fall season with a 13-4 record.
Baris will head home and prepare with the team for the Spartans’ upcoming 2025 spring season.
“I’m excited to compete with the team in the spring and try to win a Big Ten Championship with them and not just make, but win NCAAs,” Baris said. “So if we were to do that, none of this (today’s loss) would even matter to me, and I have next year (for individual title). It really is something special trying to make it happen for Michigan State, and I’m not going to take that for granted anymore.”
Baris and the Spartans open the spring season on Jan. 17, at the MSU Tennis Center vs. Kentucky.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU tennis player Ozan Baris finishes 2nd at NCAA Championships
