TULSA, Okla. – Sixth-ranked Mackenzie McDonald secured his spot in the 2016 Division I Men's Tennis Singles Championship when he defeated No. 14 Joao Monteiro of Virginia Tech on Sunday afternoon.  The semifinal match went to three sets after Monteiro rallied in the second to force a third.  The Bruin then erased a 2-0 deficit in the final set to take the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. 

McDonald cruised in the first set, breaking Monteiro to get things started.  The opponents then traded two holds apiece.  At 3-2, McDonald battled back from a 40-15 deficit to hold and go ahead 4-2.  The Bruin then broke Monteiro at deuce to inch closer to victory.  At 5-2 deuce, McDonald held to take the opening set.

After a short suspension due to weather, the match was moved inside.  Despite a late surge by McDonald in the third game, Monteiro held at deuce to go ahead 2-1.  The Hokie broke McDonald and then held to extend his lead to 4-1 in the second set.  The UCLA junior held and broke right back after rallying from a 40-15 deficit to cut Monteiro's lead to 4-3.  Monteiro then rattled off two straight wins to send the match into a third set.

Monteiro carried this momentum into the final set, quickly going up 2-0.  McDonald found his groove when he held and then broke his opponent to even the score at 2-2.  At 40-15 in the fifth game of the set, McDonald sent an ace right down the middle to take his first lead since the opening set.  At 3-2 deuce, the Bruin broke Monteiro to extend the margin to 4-2.  At 40-30 in game seven, McDonald hit a backhand winner up the line to hold and inch closer to victory.  Unable to break his opponent, McDonald would have the opportunity to serve for the match.  The Bruin then held at 40-30 to secure his spot in Monday's final.            

???? TICKET PUNCHED!

Mackenzie McDonald (@uclatennis) is advancing to the men's singles championship! pic.twitter.com/S7Tj4z5c71

— NCAA Tennis (@NCAATennis) May 29, 2016

McDonald faces top-ranked Mikael Torpegaard of Ohio State in the championship match at 10 a.m. PDT on Monday.  Torpegaard punched his ticket to the final with a straight-set win over fifth-ranked Cameron Norrie of TCU.  Live streaming/scoring is available here.

2016 NCAA Singles Championship
May 25-30 
Tulsa, Oklahoma (Michael D. Case Tennis Center)

Singles 
Round of 64
No. 6 Mackenzie McDonald (UCLA) def. No. 42 Ryotaro Matasamura (Kentucky) 6-0, 6-2
No. 38 Martin Redlicki (UCLA) def. No. 50 Gergely Madarasz (Purdue), 6-2, 7-6(3)
Round of 32
No. 6 McDonald (UCLA) def. No. 35 Quentin Monaghan (Notre Dame), 6-4, 6-1
No. 3 Dominik Koepfer (Tulane) def. No. 38 Redlicki (UCLA), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
Round of 16
No. 6 McDonald (UCLA) def. No. 13 Skander Mansouri (Wake Forest), 6-1, 6-2 
Quarterfinals
No. 6 McDonald (UCLA) def. No. 2 Roberto Cid (South Florida), 6-3, 6-2
Semifinals
No. 6 McDonald (UCLA) def. No. 14 Joao Monteiro (Virginia Tech), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3