University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
Cleveland Open
Cressy Wins First ATP Challenger Singles Title
February 03, 2019 | Men's Tennis
CLEVELAND – UCLA men's tennis senior Maxime Cressy played the role of underdog on the way to his first singles title on the ATP Challenger Tour, taking the top spot at the Cleveland Open Sunday.
Play from the Cleveland Racquet Club began Monday, Jan. 28 when Cressy earned a qualifier spot in the main draw. He completed his improbable run to the title when he topped Ohio State alumnus Mikael Torpegaard in a dramatic three-set final match Sunday.
Representing the United States, Cressy played come-from-behind tennis on multiple occasions throughout the tournament. In the first round, the Hermosa Beach, Calif. native by way of Paris, France dropped the opening set against Kaichi Uchida of Japan. The Bruin answered, though, sending matters to what would be a tight third set. In the end, Cressy pulled through with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
The second and third rounds went decidedly smoother for Cressy. A 6-3, 6-3 win over Ecuadorian Gonzalo Escobar was next. He truly made his presence felt against sixth-seeded American Tim Smyczek, though, dispatching the 31-year-old 6-4, 6-3 to move into the quarterfinal round.
Cressy met another current college tennis player in Wake Forest's Borna Gojo in the final eight. A 2018 NCAA Singles Championships finalist, the Croatian proved no match for Cressy, who recorded a 6-4, 6-2 win to set up a semifinal-round date with a familiar face.
Former UCLA men's tennis standout Marcos Giron won his first ATP Challenger singles tiltle at the Orlando Open in January. In the quest for his second, the 15th-seeded Giron ran into the Cressy and gave him all he could handle. Cressy kept it going, however, notching a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win to move into the final round.
There, Cressy and Torpegaard went shot for shot. Torpegaard took the first set with a 7-4 tiebreaker and looked primed to take the second, holding match points at 5-4 and 6-5. Cressy answered the call on both occasions, though, eventually forcing yet another tiebreaker. He took that one, 8-6, to send the match to a deciding third set. Cressy took control of that one, doubling up the Dane to take the title.
The 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-3 victory elevated Cressy to a career-best ranking of No. 313 among singles players on the ATP World Tour. He has also shined in doubles play, tallying nine ITF Futures titles since Oct. 2017 and picking up his first ATP Challenger title with partner Bernardo Saraiva last month in Columbus, Ohio.
