NORMAN, Okla. – A few small changes yielded big results for Wichita State's Tin Ostojic and Tomislav Gregurovic.
The doubles duo knocked off Oklahoma's team of Axel Alvarez and Dane Webb, 6-3, 4-6, (10-8) in Monday morning's final round, to win the USTA/ITA Central Region Championship and earn a trip to next month's National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.
Ostojic and Gregurovic suffered their first loss of the fall earlier this month in a qualifying match at the ITA All-American Championships. It left a sour taste in their mouths but may have been the catalyst for this week's run.
“We learned a lot from that match. They killed us,” Gregurovic said. “We knew we had to try something different.”
The pair made adjustments to their system with subtle tweaks to their positioning and movement on serves. It clicked.
Ostojic and Gregurovic knocked off three-straight opponents on Friday to move into the semifinals, where they swept sixth-seeded Minnesota's team of Leonardo Toledo and Felix Corwin, 6-3, 7-5.
“We feel comfortable with it,” Ostojic said. “As the matches got tougher, we played a little better each round.”
They took it to a whole other level on Monday against a duo ranked 40th in the ITA National Rankings, using that improved service to take control of the match.
“Service was the most important,” Gregurovic said. “When you're serving well it takes pressure off the return game.”
Axel and Webb rallied in the second set to even things at a set apiece, sending the match to a pivotal super tiebreaker. Knotted at 8-8, WSU won the race to 10 with back-to-back points.
Osojic and Gregurovic became just the second Missouri Valley Conference team in the past decade to win the Central Regional. They'll be part of a 20-team doubles draw that will compete for a National Indoor Title, Nov. 6-9 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
WSU Doubles Results
Friday, Oct. 10
First Round
De Vilchez/Devilliers (WSU) def. Hagan/Patrick (Iowa)
Spec/Frueh (Minnesota) def. Cuic/Herzan (WSU), 8-7(6)
Second Round
De Vilchez/Devilliers (WSU) def. Kirby/Bautista (Tulsa), 8-4
#7 Ostojic/Gregurovic (WSU) def. Vincent/Washuta (SIU-E), 8-3
Round of 16
#6 Toledo/Corwin (Minnesota) def. de Vilchez/Devilliers (WSU), 8-5
Ostojic/Gregurovic (WSU) def. Munoz/Terrell (Arkansas), 8-3
Quarterfinals
#7 Ostojic/Gregurovic (WSU) def. Salibasic/Lott (Drake), 8-5
Sunday, Oct. 12
Semifinals
#7 Ostojic/Gregurovic (WSU) def. #6 Toledo/Corwin (Minnesota), 6-3, 7-5
Monday, Oct. 13
Championship
#7 Ostojic/Gregurovic (WSU) def. #3 Alvarez/Webb (Oklahoma) – 6-3, 4-6, (10-8)
WSU Singles Results
Thursday, Oct. 9
Singles Qualifying – Round 2 of 3
Jocelyn Devilliers def. Branch Terrell (Arkansas), 6-0, 6-0
Friday, Oct. 10
Singles Qualifying – Round 3 of 3
Jocelyn Devilliers (WSU) def. Daniel Martinez (SIU)
Saturday, Oct. 11
Main Draw – First Round
#10 Tin Ostojic (WSU) def. Andrea Boglic (SD State), 6-1, 6-2
Tomislav Gregurovic (WSU) def. Chase Gordon (Tulsa), 6-4, 6-3
#9 Arjun Kadhe (OSU) def. Miroslav Herzan (WSU), 6-4, 6-4
Matt Hagan (Iowa) def. Guillermo de Vilchez (WSU), 7-5, 6-3
#5 Jakob Sude (OSU) def. Ilija Cuic (WSU), 7-5, 6-4
Vasilis Stavaropolous (Nebraska) def. Jocelyn Devilliers (WSU), 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3
Main Draw – Second Round
#10 Tin Ostojic (WSU) def. Tyler Mercier (UNO), 6-0, 6-0
Jack Hamburg (Minnesota) def. Tomislav Gregurovic (WSU), 6-4, 6-4
Main Draw - ConsolationJocelyn Devilliers (WSU) def. Michael Kianicka (SIU), 6-4. 6-3
Sunday, Oct. 12
Main Draw – Round of 16
#1 Axel Alvarez (OU) def. #10 Tin Ostojic (WSU), 6-2, 6-4
-Wichita State-
