Sunday, April 27
Columbus, Ohio
9:00 AM
UCLA
4
at
3
Ohio State
(Photo: Kirk Irwin)
Men's Tennis Outlasts Ohio State to Claim First Big Ten Championship
April 27, 2025 | Men's Tennis
COLUMBUS, Ohio โ The second-seeded UCLA men's tennis team outlasted host and top seed Ohio State 4-3 Sunday, claiming the first Big Ten championship in program history. Winners of three tournament matches at Auer Tennis Complex and the Ty Tucker Tennis Center, the Bruins extended their winning streak to eight.
Most Outstanding Player Emon van Loben Sels provided the heroics, prevailing in three sets for the deciding point after three hours and 32 minutes. The entirety of his third set was played after the other five singles contests were completed. Alexander Hoogmartens, who joined van Loben Sels on the All-Tournament Team, posted a three-set triumph of his own to tie the score at 3-3.
Also victorious for the Bruins (16-8) in singles play was Kaylan Bigun, who came out on top of all three of his matches played in the tournament. UCLA set the tone by claiming the doubles point, but the Buckeyes (26-3) bounced back behind wins by Aidan Kim, Bryce Nakashima and Preston Stearns.
The Bruins snapped Ohio State's 76-match home winning streak, which dated back to 2021. The Buckeyes, who went 13-0 in Big Ten play during the regular season and beat visiting UCLA 4-0 on April 4, were playing in their program's 21st consecutive Big Ten tournament final. UCLA is in its first season as a member of the conference.
The Bruins have seized six of its past seven doubles points since Spencer Johnson rejoined the lineup. Johnson and Aadarsh Tripathi improved to 5-0 as a pair, beating Brandon Carpico/Nikita Filin 6-2 on Court 2. The team of van Loben Sels and Gianluca Ballotta also stayed hot, winning its fifth straight contest and 13th in 15 decisions and clinching the doubles point for the second time in as many days. The duo downed Alexander Bernard/Bryce Nakashima 6-4 on Court 3.
Nakashima handed No. 32 Johnson a 6-2, 6-4 defeat on the fifth singles court, tying the score. Ohio State then took its first lead behind No. 12 Kim, who bested No. 21 Quan by a 7-6(3), 6-2 count.
Bigun would not let his match on Court 3 reach a third set, holding off Will Jansen in a 6-2, 7-5 result. The freshman Bigun has won six straight singles decisions, stretching the streak with a trio of victories in his first career conference tournament.
Each of the remaining matches made it to a third set. The Buckeyes retook the lead thanks to Stearns' 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 showing against No. 108 Tripathi on Court 6. No. 101 Jack Anthrop of Ohio State nearly dug himself out of a 1-4 third-set hole on Court 4, but Hoogmartens' deuce-point win for 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 shifted momentum back toward UCLA.
Unable to close out his match in straight sets, No. 110 van Loben Sels took four of the first six third-set games versus No. 62 Bernard. Bernard picked up a break for 3-4, but van Loben Sels returned the favor before holding to win.
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The 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Selection Show will air Monday, April 28 at 2:30 p.m. PT on NCAA.com.
Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs Ohio State
4/27/2025 at Columbus, OH
(Auer Tennis Complex)
#22 UCLA 4, #6 Ohio State 3
Singles competition
1. #12 Aidan Kim (OSU) def. #21 Rudy Quan (UCLA) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
2. #110 Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. #62 Alexander Bernard (OSU) 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3
3. Kaylan Bigun (UCLA) def. Will Jansen (OSU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Alexander Hoogmartens (UCLA) def. #101 Jack Anthrop (OSU) 7-5, 0-6, 6-4
5. Bryce Nakashima (OSU) def. #32 Spencer Johnson (UCLA) 6-2, 6-4
6. Preston Stearns (OSU) def. #108 Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Will Jansen/Aidan Kim (OSU) vs. Alexander Hoogmartens/Giacomo Revelli (UCLA) 4-5, unfinished
2. Spencer Johnson/Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA) def. Brandon Carpico/Nikita Filin (OSU) 6-2
3. Gianluca Ballotta/Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. Alexander Bernard/Bryce Nakashima (OSU) 6-4
Match Notes:
UCLA 16-8; National ranking #22
Ohio State 26-3; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,1,3,6,4,2)
Most Outstanding Player Emon van Loben Sels provided the heroics, prevailing in three sets for the deciding point after three hours and 32 minutes. The entirety of his third set was played after the other five singles contests were completed. Alexander Hoogmartens, who joined van Loben Sels on the All-Tournament Team, posted a three-set triumph of his own to tie the score at 3-3.
Also victorious for the Bruins (16-8) in singles play was Kaylan Bigun, who came out on top of all three of his matches played in the tournament. UCLA set the tone by claiming the doubles point, but the Buckeyes (26-3) bounced back behind wins by Aidan Kim, Bryce Nakashima and Preston Stearns.
The Bruins snapped Ohio State's 76-match home winning streak, which dated back to 2021. The Buckeyes, who went 13-0 in Big Ten play during the regular season and beat visiting UCLA 4-0 on April 4, were playing in their program's 21st consecutive Big Ten tournament final. UCLA is in its first season as a member of the conference.
The Bruins have seized six of its past seven doubles points since Spencer Johnson rejoined the lineup. Johnson and Aadarsh Tripathi improved to 5-0 as a pair, beating Brandon Carpico/Nikita Filin 6-2 on Court 2. The team of van Loben Sels and Gianluca Ballotta also stayed hot, winning its fifth straight contest and 13th in 15 decisions and clinching the doubles point for the second time in as many days. The duo downed Alexander Bernard/Bryce Nakashima 6-4 on Court 3.
Nakashima handed No. 32 Johnson a 6-2, 6-4 defeat on the fifth singles court, tying the score. Ohio State then took its first lead behind No. 12 Kim, who bested No. 21 Quan by a 7-6(3), 6-2 count.
Bigun would not let his match on Court 3 reach a third set, holding off Will Jansen in a 6-2, 7-5 result. The freshman Bigun has won six straight singles decisions, stretching the streak with a trio of victories in his first career conference tournament.
Each of the remaining matches made it to a third set. The Buckeyes retook the lead thanks to Stearns' 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 showing against No. 108 Tripathi on Court 6. No. 101 Jack Anthrop of Ohio State nearly dug himself out of a 1-4 third-set hole on Court 4, but Hoogmartens' deuce-point win for 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 shifted momentum back toward UCLA.
Unable to close out his match in straight sets, No. 110 van Loben Sels took four of the first six third-set games versus No. 62 Bernard. Bernard picked up a break for 3-4, but van Loben Sels returned the favor before holding to win.
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In their first B1G season, @uclatennis are @bigten tournament CHAMPIONS ??
โ Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) April 27, 2025
The Bruins took down defending champion Ohio State in a 4-3 thriller for the conference title. pic.twitter.com/MDBpyOLb19
The 2025 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Selection Show will air Monday, April 28 at 2:30 p.m. PT on NCAA.com.
Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs Ohio State
4/27/2025 at Columbus, OH
(Auer Tennis Complex)
#22 UCLA 4, #6 Ohio State 3
Singles competition
1. #12 Aidan Kim (OSU) def. #21 Rudy Quan (UCLA) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
2. #110 Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. #62 Alexander Bernard (OSU) 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-3
3. Kaylan Bigun (UCLA) def. Will Jansen (OSU) 6-2, 7-5
4. Alexander Hoogmartens (UCLA) def. #101 Jack Anthrop (OSU) 7-5, 0-6, 6-4
5. Bryce Nakashima (OSU) def. #32 Spencer Johnson (UCLA) 6-2, 6-4
6. Preston Stearns (OSU) def. #108 Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Will Jansen/Aidan Kim (OSU) vs. Alexander Hoogmartens/Giacomo Revelli (UCLA) 4-5, unfinished
2. Spencer Johnson/Aadarsh Tripathi (UCLA) def. Brandon Carpico/Nikita Filin (OSU) 6-2
3. Gianluca Ballotta/Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. Alexander Bernard/Bryce Nakashima (OSU) 6-4
Match Notes:
UCLA 16-8; National ranking #22
Ohio State 26-3; National ranking #6
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (5,1,3,6,4,2)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
12
62
Aidan Kim / 0 (12/-) [OSU]
76
#2 Singles Match
123
756
Alexander Bernard / 0 (62/-) [OSU]
673
#3 Singles Match
12
67
Will Jansen / 0 [OSU]
25
#4 Singles Match
123
706
Jack Anthrop / 0 (101/-) [OSU]
564
#5 Singles Match
12
24
Bryce Nakashima / 0 [OSU]
66
#6 Singles Match
123
362
Preston Stearns / 0 [OSU]
626
Order of Finish:
5,1,3,6,4,2
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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