Siljestrom-Born Run Ends in Tiebreaker

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's third-ranked Andreas Siljestrom and Marco Born came within three points of a second national championships but fell 7-4 in the tiebreaker, falling to the tournament's top seed in the finals Sunday of the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio.

Siljestrom-Born dropped a 9-8 (4) decision to Georgia's top-seeded and ninth-ranked John Isner and Luis Flores Sunday morning in the finals. The Middle Tennessee tandem gained a mini-break at 4-3 in the tiebreaker with Born serving, but the UGA duo won both points on Born's serve and Isner, another 6-foot, 9-inch player like Siljestrom and Born, served out the match for Georgia's second national title of the fall.

Siljestrom-Born was aiming for its second national championship in two years after winning the 2005 Polo Ralph Lauren ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla., last October. The loss was the second straight year the Middle Tennessee duo lost in the finals of the National Indoors, dropping a 9-7 decision to Ohio State in the 2005 tourney finals.

"We had the match won, or so we thought," head coach Dale Short said. "We got the break to go up 4-3 and had Marco serving, but just that quickly Georgia won the two points on Marco's serve and Isner served out the match.

"It was a great match. Georgia's coach said it was the best doubles he's seen played all fall. We have nothing to feel bad about except losing the match. The guys played very well and out themselves in a great position to win. We had one or two points in the tiebreaker where we could have put things away and didn't, but Georgia also hit some great shots and you have to give them credit for that.

"It's hard to lose a match like this but the guys really did a great job recommitting themselves about a month ago and they made a great run, winning the regional tournament and making the finals of this one."

Full results from the tournament may be found at itatennis.com.

The Middle Tennessee spring season begins January 12-14 at the Florida State Invitational in Naples, Fla., with Florida State and Illinois.

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