Flames Best No. 60 Denver Pioneers 5-0 in NIT Semis to Advance to Final

Liberty bested No. 60-ranked Denver 5-0 in the semifinals of the 2023 Universal Tennis NIT Championship, Friday evening at the Peachtree City Tennis Center.

With today's win, the Flames improve to 16-10 on the year and will play for a championship tomorrow. Liberty will face No. 1 seed and No. 69-ranked Vanderbilt (10-17) in tomorrow's final (not before 11:30 a.m. start). The Commodores edged UC Davis 4-3 in Friday's first semifinal.

Denver slips to 16-9 with the setback.

Thursday's match marked the first ever contest between the Flames and Pioneers. Liberty picks up its fifth ranked win of the 2023 campaign.

Thoughts From Head Coach Derek Schwandt

"We are thankful to fight on and represent Liberty. It's time to stay focused on the fight."

Liberty 5, #60 Denver 0

Singles Competition

1. Nicolas Cuesta (DEN) vs. Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 1-6, 2-1, unfinished

2. Daniel Sancho Arbizu (DEN) vs. Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) 6-7 (2-7), 3-2, unfinished

3. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) def. Peter Sallay (DEN) 6-2, 6-4

4. Beau Pelletier (LIBERTYM) def. Charlie Miller (DEN) 6-2, 6-1

5. Thando Longwe-Smit (LIBERTYM) def. Raffaello Papajcik (DEN) 6-2, 6-4

6. Luis Felipe Miguel (LIBERTYM) def. Relja Eskic (DEN) 6-0, 7-6 (7-3)

Doubles Competition

1. Josh Wilson/Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) def. Peter Sallay/Raffaello Papajcik (DEN) 6-3

2. Daniel Sancho Arbizu/Nicolas Cuesta (DEN) def. Deji Thomas-Smith/Luis Felipe Miguel (LIBERTYM) 6-2

3. Zion Heaven/Thando Longwe-Smit (LIBERTYM) def. Charlie Miller/Relja Eskic (DEN) 6-1

Liberty 16-10

Denver 16-9

Order of Finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (3,4,6,5)

2023 Universal Tennis NIT Championship Semifinals

How It Happened

• Liberty won the important doubles point and captured victories at No. 3, No. 4, No. 6 and No. 5 singles, in that order.

• For the second straight day, it was the Flames' No. 1 and No. 3 doubles units that provided wins in securing the first point of the day. Liberty's top duo, Josh Wilson and Christiaan Worst, battled past Peter Salley and Rafaello Papajcik, winning 6-3. The Flames duo bolsters its No. 1 doubles mark to 12-8 this spring.

• Wilson's victory is the 82nd of his career, tying the program record held by Shea Thomas (2010-14) for the last nine years.

• The Pioneers evened the doubles session with a 6-2 triumph of their own from Daniel Sancho and Nicolas Cuesta at No. 2 doubles over Liberty's Deji Thomas-Smith and Luis Miguel.

• The Flames pairing of Thando Longwe-Smit and Zion Heaven wrapped up the first point o the day for the No. 3 seed with a 6-1 result over Charlie Miller and Relja Eskic.

• For a second straight day, Thomas-Smith was victorious in singles, takin down Salley 6-2, 6-4 on court three. One court over, Beau Pelletier brought Liberty within a point of victory (3-0) with his 6-2, 6-1 performance over Miller at No. 4 singles.

• The match-clinching fourth point came courtesy of Miguel, a 6-0, 7-6 (3) winner of Eskic on court six. Seconds later, Longwe-Smit closed out a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Papajcik in the No. 5 position to settle the final score at 5-0 in favor of the Flames.

• Liberty has not dropped a point so far at the NIT Championship. The Flames swept UC San Diego 4-0 in yesterday's quarterfinal round.

• This is Liberty's first shutout of a ranked squad this year.

Up Next

• Liberty will face No. 1-seed Vanderbilt (10-17) in the tomorrow's title match at 11:30 a.m.. This will be the first-ever meeting between the Flames and Commodores.

• Saturday's contest will be carried live on Amazon Prime Video.

Main Photo at Top of Story: Thando Longwe-Smith