‘IT’S THE VALIDATION’
2/15/2026 12:46:00 AM | Men's Tennis
#19 Bears upset third-ranked Wake Forest for third-straight top-10 win
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – After three years of "taking our licks," Baylor men's tennis is proving that "we do belong," defeating three-consecutive top-10 teams in reaching the ITA National Team Indoor Championship semifinals.
Coming back from a 3-0 deficit, the 19th-ranked Bears (7-2) upset defending national champion and third-ranked Wake Forest, 4-3, in Saturday's quarterfinals at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center, closing it out in dramatic fashion with a pair of third-set tiebreakers.
"It's the validation that we do belong," said Baylor coach Michael Woodson, whose team started the week with a 4-1 win over Texas A&M before knocking off ninth-ranked UCF, 4-0, in the opening round of the ITA National Indoor Championship.
"I think our guys have been fighting it for three years that we're Baylor and we're big in big situations and that's who we are. I think we've taken our licks, but the guys have built up their resilience and have kept coming back. And I think they're finally getting over the hump. Now, it's starting to become normal. This is who we are."
Dropping the doubles point for the fourth time, the Bears fell 6-4 at the decisive No. 3 spot, with the Demon Deacons' duo of Luca Pow and Charlie Robertson beating Devin Badenhorst and freshman Blake Anderson. Zsombor Velcz and Alexandru Chirita won 6-3 on Court 2 after Luc Koenig and ODU transfer Connor Van Schalkwyk lost by the same score at No. 1.
"I was not super happy with the doubles," Woodson said. "I thought we were a little bit tentative."
That continued into the singles, where Baylor dropped four of the six first sets, including Koenig getting "absolutely blitzed" by Robertson, 6-1, at No. 5.
"They're such a good team, they're so talented, and they just bring a ball quality that I think surprised a couple of our guys, given the positions that they're in," Woodson said. "Devin (Badenhorst), Z and Connor are used to it, but the 4, 5 and 6 spots just weren't quite ready. It takes time to get up to speed. Credit to our guys, not on any one spot did we just lay down."
Wake Forest (7-2) dominated the first set at the bottom three spots, including Chirita losing the first four games to freshman Mees Rottgering on Court 4.
"Alex was down 4-0 and battled all the way back to 5-4 and had a chance there at the end of the set," Woodson said. "I think that just makes a big difference. When you've got guys like (Zsombor and Connor) who are winning, it doesn't feel like a ton of pressure, because maybe we'll be able to get something. And we were able to turn a couple matches and go into third sets."
Joaquin Guilleme extended the Demon Deacons' lead with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Louis Bowden at No. 6, then Rottgering made it 3-0 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Chirita. The Bears' comeback started with Van Schalkwyk upsetting the 14th-ranked Pow, 6-4, 6-4, on Court 3 and Velcz finishing off Aryan Shah, 6-3, 7-6(3), at No. 2.
With the match coming down to the last two courts, Koenig won five of the last six points in the tiebreaker at No. 5 to beat Robertson, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) and knot things up at 3-3.
On the first of two match points on Court 1, Badenhorst initially called a deep backhand by 21st-rnaked Dhakshineswar Suresh out. But Woodson rushed in to overrule his own player, avoiding a review and possible point penalty.
"It might have been out, but I didn't want to lose the challenge on the electronic line-calling system that maybe it messes up and the ball gets called in," he said. I just thought I would rather Devin stand there and serve at 6-5 than be serving at 6-all. But as soon as we knew Devin had called it out, I came running in and screaming. So, I think the referee got it right, and obviously it paid off. So, we'll take it."
Advancing to the semifinals, Baylor will face seventh-ranked Texas (7-3) at 6:30 p.m. Monday at SMU's Altec Tennis Complex. This will be the first matchup of former Big 12 rivals since the Longhorns left for the SEC in 2024.
Baylor Bear Insider
WACO, Texas – After three years of "taking our licks," Baylor men's tennis is proving that "we do belong," defeating three-consecutive top-10 teams in reaching the ITA National Team Indoor Championship semifinals.
Coming back from a 3-0 deficit, the 19th-ranked Bears (7-2) upset defending national champion and third-ranked Wake Forest, 4-3, in Saturday's quarterfinals at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center, closing it out in dramatic fashion with a pair of third-set tiebreakers.
"It's the validation that we do belong," said Baylor coach Michael Woodson, whose team started the week with a 4-1 win over Texas A&M before knocking off ninth-ranked UCF, 4-0, in the opening round of the ITA National Indoor Championship.
"I think our guys have been fighting it for three years that we're Baylor and we're big in big situations and that's who we are. I think we've taken our licks, but the guys have built up their resilience and have kept coming back. And I think they're finally getting over the hump. Now, it's starting to become normal. This is who we are."
Dropping the doubles point for the fourth time, the Bears fell 6-4 at the decisive No. 3 spot, with the Demon Deacons' duo of Luca Pow and Charlie Robertson beating Devin Badenhorst and freshman Blake Anderson. Zsombor Velcz and Alexandru Chirita won 6-3 on Court 2 after Luc Koenig and ODU transfer Connor Van Schalkwyk lost by the same score at No. 1.
"I was not super happy with the doubles," Woodson said. "I thought we were a little bit tentative."
That continued into the singles, where Baylor dropped four of the six first sets, including Koenig getting "absolutely blitzed" by Robertson, 6-1, at No. 5.
"They're such a good team, they're so talented, and they just bring a ball quality that I think surprised a couple of our guys, given the positions that they're in," Woodson said. "Devin (Badenhorst), Z and Connor are used to it, but the 4, 5 and 6 spots just weren't quite ready. It takes time to get up to speed. Credit to our guys, not on any one spot did we just lay down."
Wake Forest (7-2) dominated the first set at the bottom three spots, including Chirita losing the first four games to freshman Mees Rottgering on Court 4.
"Alex was down 4-0 and battled all the way back to 5-4 and had a chance there at the end of the set," Woodson said. "I think that just makes a big difference. When you've got guys like (Zsombor and Connor) who are winning, it doesn't feel like a ton of pressure, because maybe we'll be able to get something. And we were able to turn a couple matches and go into third sets."
Joaquin Guilleme extended the Demon Deacons' lead with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Louis Bowden at No. 6, then Rottgering made it 3-0 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Chirita. The Bears' comeback started with Van Schalkwyk upsetting the 14th-ranked Pow, 6-4, 6-4, on Court 3 and Velcz finishing off Aryan Shah, 6-3, 7-6(3), at No. 2.
With the match coming down to the last two courts, Koenig won five of the last six points in the tiebreaker at No. 5 to beat Robertson, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) and knot things up at 3-3.
On the first of two match points on Court 1, Badenhorst initially called a deep backhand by 21st-rnaked Dhakshineswar Suresh out. But Woodson rushed in to overrule his own player, avoiding a review and possible point penalty.
"It might have been out, but I didn't want to lose the challenge on the electronic line-calling system that maybe it messes up and the ball gets called in," he said. I just thought I would rather Devin stand there and serve at 6-5 than be serving at 6-all. But as soon as we knew Devin had called it out, I came running in and screaming. So, I think the referee got it right, and obviously it paid off. So, we'll take it."
Advancing to the semifinals, Baylor will face seventh-ranked Texas (7-3) at 6:30 p.m. Monday at SMU's Altec Tennis Complex. This will be the first matchup of former Big 12 rivals since the Longhorns left for the SEC in 2024.
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