The fall season for Vanderbilt men’s tennis came to a close Tuesday at the NCAA Singles Championships.
No. 84 Pablo Martinez Gomez of Vanderbilt faced off against No. 66 Matthew Forbes of Michigan State in the Round of 64 at the NCAA Singles Championships in what was an instant classic of a tennis match.
Martinez Gomez and Forbes went back-and-forth from the first serve of the first set, splitting the first six points of the set to a 3-3 tie. But Martinez Gomez found a different gear and won the next three points to win the first set 6-3.
In the next set, Martinez Gomez and Forbes continued their intense match as the set ended up in a 6-6 tie, forcing a tiebreaker in the second set in which Forbes tied the match at a set apiece with a 7-3 tiebreaking point to win the set 7-6.
In the final set, Forbes continued his response. Again, the exchanging of points was on display again as Martinez Gomez got out to a slight 4-3 lead in the set. But just as he rallied off three consecutive points in the first set, Forbes returned the favor in the second set and came back to win the set and win the match with a 6-4 set victory.
“Pablo fought like a lion,” Vanderbilt men’s tennis head coach Scott Brown said. “He represented the black and gold with class. Since he arrived in January, he’s worked his tail off, checked all the boxes and has been so professional. Most importantly, he’s been an extremely positive influence, not just on his teammates, but on the staff as well. The body of work Pablo has put together is incredible. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop and progress over the next two or three years.”
Vanderbilt women’s tennis at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, Day 3.
Vanderbilt swimming at the Phil Hansel Invitational, Day 2.
Vanderbilt men’s basketball vs. Texas Southern, 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
No. 1-seed Vanderbilt soccer vs. Clemson, Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
No. 17 Vanderbilt women’s basketball (beat/lost to) Western Kentucky (score).
Vanderbilt football is playing its final home game of the season Saturday against Kentucky, where it is 6-0 at FirstBank Stadium this year. The Commodores are looking for their first undefeated season home slate since 1982. Vanderbilt has gone undefeated at home just three times since 1945. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series against Kentucky 49-44-4 heading into the 98th meeting.
Vanderbilt is looking for its ninth win in a season for the first time since 2013 this weekend, but its hopes are much higher. The Commodores are still pursuing a spot in the College Football Playoff, but it seems to be an uphill climb even if Vanderbilt were to win out.
In the latest playoff rankings, Vanderbilt stayed at No. 14 and was jumped by Miami, who sits at No. 13, may end up stealing a spot from a team like Vanderbilt if the Hurricanes fail to make the ACC Championship but continue to climb the ranks as an at-large spot.
87 days
“Will [Perdue] grew up. It was an academic decision not an athletic decision to give him a red shirt after his sophomore year. That year helped him more than anything. In his junior and senior year, Will just dominated the conference. He was not only the SEC Player-of-the-Year in basketball, but also the Athlete-of-the-Year in the SEC his senior year. That doesn’t happen very often with basketball players. Of course, he had a tremendous career in the NBA.”
– C.M. Newton