After a historic regular season, the Tigers were halted in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament by No. 1-ranked Wake Forest. Balls stopped bouncing, and the racquets were taken away to be restrung.
Now, for the first time this season, all the Tigers can do is wait.
Of their 26 regular-season matches, the Clemson men’s tennis team won 20. Along with Clemson’s 4-2 second-round win in the ACC Championships over No. 52 UNC and its No. 23 national rank, Clemson’s season has culminated in one thing: a shot.
On April 28, seeding for the NCAA Tournament will be announced during a livestream on NCAA.com. So, like a tense third set stuck at deuce, the Tigers sit stagnant as they await their shot at selection for the NCAA Tournament, but their case is strong.
“It’s for sure the best season so far that I have been a part of,” Maxwell Smith said. “Historically, as well, it’s one of the best starts in Clemson men’s tennis history.”
The NCAA Tournament consists of 64 teams — 31 conference champions and 33 teams selected by at-large bids, which are primarily based on ITA rankings. Things are looking up for the No. 23-ranked Tigers.
Throughout the year, the Tigers have proven themselves deep, determine, and built to battle. After earning a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament, the Tigers stumbled out of the gates in the second round against the Tar Heels. In a season defined by doubles success, Clemson fell short in a tightly contested point, dropping the deciding match in an 8-6 winner takes all tiebreak.
Down 1-0 heading into singles, Edoardo Lignière, Viktor Markov and Marko Mesarovic resiliently fired off straight-set wins to flip the script before Max Smith clinched the quarterfinals.
“As good as the season was, we prioritize the postseason,” Smith said. “We want to do the best we can, and we know that tournament time is the most important time, so we are excited.”
In the quarter finals, No. 1 Wake Forest ultimately sent the Tigers packing with a 4-0 win. Yet the opportunity to play the top dog was a prospect well accepted, especially by Clemson’s No. 1 singles player, Noa Vukadin.
“It’s for sure been challenging, but I’m excited when I know I’m going to play the top guy,” Vukadin said. “I enjoy the high level, that’s why I practice.”
In doubles, Vukadin and Smith, his partner, are ranked No. 31 nationally and were selected as alternates for the NCAA Individual Doubles draw. Their impressive season has been complemented well by teammates Max Damm and Romain Gales on the court next door. In an unlikely triumph, Damm and Gales catapulted from unranked in doubles to inside the top 50 within the past three weeks.
“We have a good friendship outside of tennis,” Damm said in reference to Gales. “I think we complement each other really well with our energy and stuff like that. It makes it easier when we get on court to seamlessly work together.”
After playing his freshman and sophomore seasons at VCU, Gales transferred to Clemson this year. In a seamless transition, the French junior found a home at the Duckworth Family Tennis Facility.
“It was the best choice that I made,” Gales said. “Transferring is never easy. I got lucky.”
While Gales may feel lucky, his teammates feel luckier.
“We joke around and say he has been the best transfer portal player in all of college tennis,” Damm said.
In early February, the Tigers earned a season-defining, full-team victory as they beat No. 17 South Carolina 7-0. That trouncing featured singles wins from Viktor Markov, Marko Mesarovic and Wissam Abderrahman, all integral pieces of Brandon Wagner’s squad.
Abderrahman, who played primarily as Clemson’s No. 2 singles player, picked up an injury before the adjournment of the postseason. As a testament to the squad’s depth, Ligniere has stepped into the singles rotation while senior Matt Pitts has played the role of surrogate in the doubles lineup during Abderrahman’s absence.
This year, the postseason festivities begin on May 15 in Waco, Texas, at the Hurd Tennis Center. The selection would mean Clemson’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013.
In the team’s best season since, Max Damm explained an individual superstition that he believes has contributed to its success.
“I always tie my shoes right before the national anthem, even if they don’t need to be tied,” Damm said.
Whether or not you buy it, one thing is for certain: tie those shoes tight, Max, the Tigers are going dancing.
