University of Denver men's tennis player Raffaello Papajcik showcased remarkable resilience and skill as he advanced to the round of 32 at the highly anticipated 2024 NCAA Division I Singles & Doubles Championships. Hosted by Baylor, this tournament witnessed Papajcik's comeback first-round win that took more than three and a half hours to complete, leaving spectators on the edge of their seats. Unforgettable Triumphs on the Tennis Court
First-Round Battle: Papajcik vs. Braswell
In the first set, the match between Raffaello Papajcik and No. 29-ranked Jonah Braswell from Texas was a back-and-forth affair. The returner managed to break in more than half of the games, showing his tenacity. Papajcik initially jumped out to a multi-break lead at 3-0 but faced a strong comeback from his opponent, who won three consecutive games. However, Papajcik held his ground and broke again to lead 5-4. The set came down to a deuce-point break in the 12th game, adding to the excitement.In the second set, every game went to the server, creating intense moments. Five games reached deuce, including Papajcik's final two service games. Facing a 15-40 deficit in each of these games, Papajcik fought back valiantly and saved all six combined match points. This momentum carried over into the tiebreak, where he quickly captured a minibreak and built a 4-2 lead at the changeover. He had set points at 6-2 but Braswell kept the set alive until Papajcik won it, 7-3, just past the 2:30 mark.Second-Round Clash: Papajcik vs. Homberg
For the first time since the opening set, Papajcik successfully earned a break in the sixth game of the second round, taking a 4-2 lead. He held on to this lead despite saving two break chances on his own serve. However, Braswell managed to get back on serve and keep the match tight. In the penultimate game, Papajcik fought off two more break points to go ahead 6-5, putting the pressure back on the Texas player. He then earned two match points and converted the deuce point to secure the hard-fought win.With this victory, Papajcik became the first player in Denver men's tennis history to win a singles match at the NCAA Championships. Next, he will face No. 103-ranked Maxi Homberg from Pepperdine in the round of 32 on Wednesday at approximately 1 p.m. CT/12 p.m. MT.Teammate's Struggle: Sancho Arbizu's Loss
Teammate and senior Daniel Sancho Arbizu also started his journey in the round of 64 on Tuesday. He found himself in a tough fight early in the day but ultimately fell in two tiebreak sets, 7-6(4) 7-6(6), to No. 20-ranked Dylan Dietrich from Virginia. In the first set, Sancho Arbizu held a lead with a break in his second return game but was broken at 30-40 while serving for the set. He then faced a set point at deuce in his next service game but managed to hold on and force the tiebreak. Dietrich took an early 3-0 lead with a minibreak but Sancho Arbizu fought back to level the score at 3-3 at the changeover. The next three points went in the server's favor until Dietrich claimed back-to-back return points to win 7-4.In the second set, Sancho Arbizu trailed 1-3 before breaking in consecutive return games to take a 5-3 lead. However, Dietrich broke back when Sancho Arbizu had the chance to serve it out. The final three games were intense battles for the server, with two games decided at deuce. In the end, the set went to another tiebreak, where both players held minibreak leads. Sancho Arbizu saved two match points before Dietrich closed it out, 8-6.TUESDAY'S RESULTSRound of 64: Raffaello Papajcik def. No. 29 Jonah Braswell (Texas): 5-7 7-6(3) 7-5Round of 64: No. 20 Dylan Dietrich (Virginia) def. No. 94 Daniel Sancho Arbizu: 7-6(4) 7-6(5)WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULERound of 32: Raffaello Papajcik vs. No. 103 Maxi Homberg (Pepperdine)Denver's Home for College SportsVisit DenverPioneers.com for complete coverage of all 18 of DU’s NCAA Division I sportsLike Denver Pioneers and Denver Men’s Tennis on FacebookFollow @DU_Pioneers and @DU_MTennis on TwitterFollow @DenverPioneers and @DU_MTennis on Instagram
