M. Tennis' Chu Finally Halted in Final Four, Twice

Finally, the streaks are over.

Jonathan Chu’s miraculous run through the singles draw of the men’s NCAA tennis tournament ended at the Final Four today, when the Harvard senior lost in three sets to Baylor’s Benedikt Dorsch, the bracket’s top seed and last year’s MVP of the team draw.

The defeat was followed by another—that of Chu and doubles partner Ashwin Kumar, again in the Final Four, again in three sets, and again to a top-seeded opponent in Georgia’s Antonio Ruiz and Alex Isner.

Attempting to replicate yesterday’s 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (6) shocker over Kentucky’s Jesse Witten, the No. 3 seed, Chu began today with a 12 p.m. match against Dorsch on Stadium Court 1.

And just as he had done against Witten, Chu came out swinging, winning the first set 6-3.

It was not exactly anticipated—though Chu’s performances over the past few days had been anything but expected, even by the senior himself.

The No. 32 seed in the draw, Chu became the first Crimson player to make the Elite Eight since James Blake ’01 with a straight-sets victory over Texas’ Travis Helgeson on Friday. And by no means projected to stand up against Witten yesterday, Chu managed a tiebreak victory against the higher-ranked opponent.

After that match, Chu predicted that today’s contest against Dorsch would “be a great experience no matter what.”

“That’s the attitude I took on the court [against No. 3 Witten],” he added, “and I’ve already done more than I could have ever imagined, so I’m just trying enjoy it and have fun.”

And after taking that first set, Chu must have been having fun. But eventually, the wearying process of making the Final Fours of both the singles and doubles draws took its toll.

“I was playing great,” Chu said, “but with all the matches and all the sets I’ve been playing, it started to catch up to me.”

It wasn’t the long hours on the courts in 90-degree temperatures, Chu stated firmly. “Weather is weather,” he said. “But with all the tennis I’ve been playing…”

Dorsch pulled away with the second set, 6-4, and he hung on to the third set by the same margin, earning his second ticket to the tournament’s finals.

“To end your college career by losing to the best player in the nation in all of college tennis isn’t embarrassing or shameful,” Chu said.

Chu was the only player to reach the Final Four of both the singles and doubles draws, and he was the only American-born player in the semifinal round of the former bracket.

After falling to Dorsch, Chu then teamed up with Kumar to face Ruiz and Isner—a team with “an average height of seven feet,” Chu laughed—and ultimately, the Georgia pair with the booming serves won out, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.

That match marked the end of strong showing by the rookie Kumar, whom Chu praised for his poise on college tennis’ biggest stage.

It also marked the end of Chu’s collegiate career, and the end of a senior season that earned the co-captain Ivy League Player of the Year and All-America honors.

Chu played 24 sets of tennis during his stay in College Station, Tex., and he scored several major upsets in the process.

Today, against the top-ranked competitors in both the singles and doubles draws of the national championships, Chu fell a set short each time.

But oddly enough, the senior is all right with the thought, even a few hours after he has taken his final collegiate shot.

“Losing’s never fun,” he admits. “But it’s been one hell of a ride.”

—Staff writer Rebecca A. Seesel can be reached at seesel@fas.harvard.edu.