In a match-up of a tennis powerhouse and a rising star, the longtime dominance of UCLA trumped Baylor's top seed and led to the Bruins' 16th team title at the Division I Men's Tennis Championships. The tournament was held May 21-30 at Texas A&M's George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.

Baylor's Bears, top-ranked much of the season, took a 3-1 lead after the doubles matches and three singles bouts, but UCLA's Alberto Francis, Philipp Gruendler and Kris Kwinta all won their singles matches in three sets to give the Bruins a 4-3 victory.

The match between senior Kwinta and Baylor freshman Lars Poerschke was a tough one -- Kwinta held a 3-1 lead in the final set, but Poerschke took three of the next five games to make the score 5-4. In the last game, the pair traded points until Kwinta finally took the last two and the match.

Baylor's Benedikt Dorsch was named the tournament's most outstanding player for the second year in a row. He is only the second player from the runner-up team to earn the honor.

The two teams met in last year's championship match, with Baylor winning, 4-0.

Despite Baylor's loss in the team finals, Dorsch won the singles championship during the individual portion of the tournament. Dorsch, a senior, posted a two-set win over San Diego's Pierrik Ysern, 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the title match.

"I am glad that I was able to end my career on such a high note," said Dorsch, who finished the year with a 36-2 record. "It was really important to end it in two sets today; I've played a lot of tennis over the past 10 days. I felt that I played a really good match, taking Ysern out of his game."

After the team loss, Baylor coach Matt Knoll noted that next year's team will have to compensate for the loss of Dorsch and 2004 singles champion Benjamin Becker, who will both graduate.

"We're obviously very disappointed we lost the match. We're disappointed that we're losing two great seniors. Those two guys are completely irreplaceable. They're great students, great people, great players, great guys," Knoll said.

In the doubles championship, Georgia's John Isner and Antonio Ruiz claimed the crown, winning in two sets over LSU's Mark Growcott and Ken Skupski. It was the third NCAA doubles title for Georgia, and the first time the Bulldogs have won a title on a court other than their own.

Sophomore Isner said he felt the win vindicated him after last year's loss in the final.

"It's a great relief to win, it takes a lot of pressure off," he said. "I'm really happy for Tony and me -- we fought hard all year long."

The pair finished the season with a 34-6 record.

Team results

Round of 16

Georgia 4, LSU 0; Mississippi 4, Texas Tech 2; UCLA 4, Tennessee 1; Virginia 4, Washington 0; Florida 4, South Carolina 0; Florida St. 4, Illinois 2; Baylor 4, Texas A&M 0; Pepperdine 4, Duke 3.

Quarterfinals

Baylor 4, Pepperdine 0; Florida 4, Florida St. 0; Mississippi 4, Georgia 2; UCLA 4, Virginia 1.

Semifinals

Baylor 4, Florida 1; UCLA 4, Mississippi 2.

Championship match

UCLA 4, Baylor 3

Doubles: No. 1 -- Alberto Francis-Kris Kwinta, UCLA, vs. Benedikt Dorsch-Matija Zgaga, Baylor, suspended; No. 2 -- Michal Kokta-Lars Poerschke, Baylor, def. Philipp Gruendler-Benjamin Kohlloeffel, UCLA, 8-5; No. 3 -- Benjamin Becker-Jon Reckewey, Baylor, def. Chris Lam-Luben Pampoulov, UCLA, 8-4.

Singles: No. 1 -- Dorsch, Baylor, def. Pampoulov, UCLA, 6-1, 6-4; No. 2 -- Kohlloeffel, UCLA, def. Becker, Baylor, 6-4, 6-2; No. 3 -- Kwinta, UCLA, def. Poerschke, Baylor, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; No. 4 --Kokta, Baylor, def. Lam, UCLA, 6-4, 6-3; No. 5 -- Francis, UCLA, def. Zgaga, Baylor, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3; No. 6 -- Gruendler, UCLA, def. Vladimir Portnov, Baylor, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4).

Individual champions

Singles: Benedikt Dorsch, Baylor, def. Pierrik Ysern, San Diego, 6-2, 7-6(6).

Doubles: John Isner-Antonio Ruiz, Georgia, def. Mark Growcott-Kevin Skupski, LSU, 7-6(4), 7-5.

Team results

Round of 16

Georgia 4, LSU 0; Mississippi 4, Texas Tech 2; UCLA 4, Tennessee 1; Virginia 4, Washington 0; Florida 4, South Carolina 0; Florida St. 4, Illinois 2; Baylor 4, Texas A&M 0; Pepperdine 4, Duke 3.

Quarterfinals

Baylor 4, Pepperdine 0; Florida 4, Florida St. 0; Mississippi 4, Georgia 2; UCLA 4, Virginia 1.

Semifinals

Baylor 4, Florida 1; UCLA 4, Mississippi 2

Championship match

UCLA 4, Baylor 3

Doubles: No. 1 --

Singles: No. 1 --

Individual results

Singles

First round: Benedikt Dorsch, Baylor, def. Mark Barry, Penn St., 6-3, 6-1; Jamil Al-Agba, Southern California, def. Nathan Thompson, 7-5, 2-6, 7-5; Gabor Zoltan, Auburn, def. KC Corkery, Stanford, 7-6(6), 6-3; Kevin Anderson, Illinois, def. Marek Velicka, 6-1, 6-2; Greg Oullette, Florida, def. Alex Vlaski, Washington, 7-5, 0-6, 6-2; Stephane Rod, Virginia Tech, def. Jakub Praibis, Indiana, 7-6(6), 6-4; Franticek Babej, South Ala., def. Avery Ticer, Minnesota, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Henner Nehles, UNLV, def. Scott Brown, Vanderbilt, 6-2, 6-4; Jesse Witten, Kentucky, def. Radek Nijaki, Texas Tech, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5; Adil Shamasdin, Brown, def. Doug Stewart, Virginia, 2-6, 6-0, 6-4; Jerry Makowski, Texas A&M, def. Devin Mullings, Ohio St., 6-3, 7-5; Lars Poerschke, Baylor, def. Roger Matalonga, Arizona, 6-4, 6-2; Travis Helgeson, Texas, def. Luben Pampoulov, UCLA, 7-6, 6-3; John Isner, Georgia, def. Mark Van Elden, Oklahoma St., 6-4, 6-4; Conor Niland, California, def. Derrick Spice, Wake Forest, 6-2, 6-4; Jonathan Chu, Harvard, def. Pedro Rico, Pepperdine, 6-3, 6-1; Somdev Devvarman, Virginia, def. Robert Searle, Rice, 6-3, 6-1; Pierrik Ysern, San Diego, def. Raian Luchici, North Carolina, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Arnaud Lecloerec, Va. Commonwealth, def. Adam Holmstrom, Denver, 6-2, 7-6(3); Ryler DeHeart, Illinois, def. Mark Dietrich, Tennessee, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2; Matt Cloer, Florida St., def. Rohan Gajjar, Florida St., 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Sven Swinnen, Oregon, def. Tomas Bohunicky, Oklahoma St., 6-0, 7-6(3); Jose Muguruza, Georgia Tech, def. Bojan Szumanski, Texas Tech, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Catalin Gard, Mississippi, def. Alex Slovic, Washington, 6-4, 6-2; Rylan Rizza, Virginia, def. Kevin Skupski, LSU, 7-6(7), 6-2; Benjamin Kohlloeffel, UCLA, def. Tim Eklund, South Carolina, 6-4, 6-4; Luke Shields, Boise St., def. GD Jones, Illinois, 6-4, 7-5; Ludovic Walter, Duke, def. Callum Beale, Texas, 6-2, 6-4; Scott Doerner, Pepperdine, def. Hamid Mirzadeh, Florida, 3-6,7-6(5), 7-5; Benjamin Becker, Baylor, def. Jeff Kader, William & Mary, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Shannon Buck, Air Force, def. Josh Cohen, Miami (Fla.), 6-0, 2-6, 6-4; Sam Wartburg, Stanford, def. Izak van der Merwe, 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.

Second round: Dorsch, Baylor, def. Al-Agba, Southern California, 6-4, 6-0; Anderson, Illinois, def. Zoltan, Auburn, 6-4, 6-2; Oullette, Florida, def. Rod, Virginia Tech, 7-6(4), 7-5; Babej, South Ala., def. Nehles, UNLV, 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-4; Witten, Kentucky, def. Shamasdin, Brown, 6-2, 6-2; Makowski, Texas A&M, def. Poerschke, Baylor, 7-6(3), 6-3; Helgeson, Texas, def. Isner, Georgia, 6-3, 6-4; Chu, Harvard, def. Niland, California, 6-2, 6-4; Ysern, San Diego, def. Devvarman, Virginia, 6-4, 6-1; DeHeart, Illinois, def. Lecloerec, Va. Commonwealth, 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-3; Cloer, Florida St., def. Swinnen, Oregon, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Gard, Mississippi, def. Mugurza, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 6-2; Kohlloeffel, UCLA, def. Rizza, Virginia, 6-7(0), 6-2, 6-3; Shields, Boise St., def. Walter, Duke, 6-4, 6-2; Becker, Baylor, def. Doerner, Pepperdine, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; van der Merwe, Old Dominion, def. Buck, Air Force, 6-3, 6-2.

Round of 16: 1. Dorsch, Baylor, def. Anderson, Illinois, 6-2, 6-1; Oullette, Florida, def. Babedj, South Ala., 6-2, 2-6, 7-5; Witten, Kentucky, def. Makowski, Texas A&M, 7-6(2), 6-1; Chu, Harvard, def. Helgeson, Texas, 6-4, 6-4; Ysern, San Diego, def. DeHeart, Illinois, 6-4, 6-1; Gard, Mississippi, def. Cloer, Florida St., 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Kohlloeffel, UCLA, def. Shields, Boise St., 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2; van der Merwe, Old Dominion, def. Becker, Baylor, 6-4, 7-6(3).

Quarterfinals: Dorsch, Baylor, def. Oullette, Florida, 6-4, 6-2; Chu, Harvard, def. Witten, Kentucky, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(6); Ysern, San Diego, def. Gard, Mississippi, 7-6(5), 6-0; van der Merwe, Old Dominion, def. Kohlloeffel, UCLA, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Semifinals: Dorsch, Baylor, def. Chu, Harvard, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Ysern, San Diego, def. van der Merwe, Old Dominion, 6-4, 6-4.

Championship: Dorsch, Baylor, def. Ysern, San Diego, 6-2, 7-6(6).

Doubles

First round: John Isner-Antonio Ruiz, Georgia, def. David Kowalski-Ryan Stotland, New Mexico, 7-6(2), 6-4; Rohan Gajjar-Adrians Zguns, Arkansas, def. Patrick Briaud-Conor Niland, California, 6-4, 7-6(5); Dmitriy Koch-Alberto Sottocorno, Tulane, def. Scott Doerner-Pedro Rico, Pepperdine, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Marko Rajevac-David North, Georgia Tech, Zach Ganger-Miron Mann, Utah, 6-3, 6-4; Benedikt Dorsch-Matija Zgaga, Baylor, def. Nick Meythaler-Rylan Rizza, Virginia, 6-4, 6-2; Alex Schweizer-Gabor Zoltan, Auburn, def. Evghenii Corduneau-Amanjot Singh, La.-Lafayette, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3; Jonathan Chu-Ashwin Kumar, Harvard, def. Ockie Oosthuizen-Ben Rogers, Tennessee, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3; Jamil Al-Agba-Johan Berg, Southern California, def. Niels Buksik-Sandy Farquhyarso, Texas-Arlington, 6-2, 6-5; Thomas Schoeck-Luke Shields, Boise St., def. Geraldo Knorr-Pedro Rodriguez, South Carolina, 6-4, 6-4; Mark Growcott-Kevin Skupski, LSU, def. Brett Joelson-Ante Matijevic, Texas A&M, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5; Phil Charm-Adil Shamasdin, Brown, def. Scott Brown-Jason Pinsky, Vanderbilt, 6-2, 6-4; Marco Born-Andreas Siljestrom, Middle Tenn., def. Scott Green-Ross Wilson, Ohio St., 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Ryler DeHeart-GD Jones, Illinois, def. Alberto Francis-Krzysztof Kwinta, UCLA, 6-3, 7-5; Roger Matalonga-Colin O'Grady, Arizona, def. Hamid Mirzadeh-Greg Oullette, Florida, 6-3, 6-4; Daniel Chu-Alex Slovic, Washington, def. Luiz Carvalho-Jose-Carlos Pinto, Mississippi St., 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; KC Corkery-Sam Wartburg, Stanford, def. Daniel Byrnes-Mark Van Elden, Oklahoma St., 4-6, 6-1, 6-1.

Round of 16: Isner-Ruiz, Georgia, def. Gajjar-Zguns, Arkansas, 6-3, 6-4; Rajevac-North, Georgia Tech, def. Koch-Sottocomo-Tulane, 7-6(3), 7-6(5); Schweizer-Zoltan, Auburn, def. Dorsch-Zgaga, Baylor, 6-1, 6-2; Chu-Kumar, Harvard, def. Al-Agba-Berg, Southern California, 5-7, 6-3; Growcott-Skupski, LSU, def. Schoeck-Shields, Boise St., 3-6, 6-2; Charm-Shamasdin, Brown, def. Born-Siljestrom, Middle Tenn., 7-5, 6-4; Matalonga-O'Grady, Arizona, def. DeHeart-Jones, Illinois, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4; Corkery-Warburg, Stanford, def. Chu-Slovic, Washington, 6-3, 6-4.

Quarterfinals: Isner-Ruiz, Georgia, def. Rajevac-North, Georgia Tech, 6-3, 6-2; Chu-Kumar, Harvard, def. Schweizer-Zoltan, Auburn, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Growcott-Skupski, LSU, def. Charm-Shamasdin, Brown, 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-4; Corkery-Wartburg, Stanford, def. Matalonga-O'Grady, Arizona, 6-3, 7-6(5).

Semifinals: Isner-Ruiz, Georgia, def. Chu-Kumar, Harvard, 6-3, 6-4; Growcott-Skupski, LSU, def. Corkery-Wartburg, Stanford, 6-4, 6-4.

Championship: Isner-Ruiz, Georgia, def. Growcott-Skupski, LSU, 7-6(4), 7-5.