Georgia became the first back-to-back men’s tennis champion in a decade when the Bulldogs defeated Texas, 4-2, in the 2008 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships at Tulsa’s Michael D. Case Tennis Center May 15.

In claiming the program’s sixth title, Georgia became the sixth school to earn consecutive championships. The last school to do so was Stanford, which won four straight between 1995 and 1998.

For the second straight match, the Bulldogs played from behind. Georgia edged undefeated Virginia in the semifinals after losing the doubles point. The Bulldogs dropped the doubles point and the No. 6 singles match, which featured a straight-set victory for Texas’ Miguel Reyes Varela over Christian Vitulli, to open the championship match.

Down 2-0, Georgia’s Nate Schnugg, playing in the No. 2 singles slot, sliced the Cavaliers’ lead in half with a win over Kellen Damico, 6-4, 6-2, then Jamie Hunt squared the match for Georgia with a victory at No. 4 singles over Luis Diaz Barriga.

Senior co-captain Luis Flores’ three-set win over Ed Corrie gave the Bulldogs their first lead, 3-2. Georgia co-captain Travis Helgeson, battling from the No. 1 singles spot, dropped the first set against Dimitar Kutrovsky, but rallied to claim the 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory and the national title.

Helgeson said the win over Virginia in the semifinals gave the Bulldogs momentum. “Texas is very tough at spots through the lineup. They showed it today,” he said. “We knew how tough they were. Going into the locker room after we lost the doubles point, we knew we had a battle on our hands. We knew what they were capable of doing.”

Texas head coach Michael Center said he felt the Longhorns competed hard throughout the tournament. “We fought from the first point to the last point in this tournament. We had some opportunities tonight, but I’ve got to give Georgia credit, they just made more plays down the stretch. We lost to a great team, nothing to hang our head over.”

Georgia finished with a record of 27-3, while Texas closed out this year’s campaign at 25-6.

The Southern California tandem of Robert Farah and Kaes Van’t Hof won a closely contested doubles championship over Mississippi’s Jonas Berg and Erling Tveit May 26.

Farah and Van’t Hof became the first Trojans duo to claim the doubles championship since 1989 and the fifth Southern California tandem to capture an NCAA title.

The No. 2 seeded duo from Southern California earned a berth in the title match after winning a three-set semifinal thriller to maintain a 25-match winning streak coming into the championship match. After battling to a tie in the first set, Berg and Tveit fought off multiple set points in the tiebreaker and held the advantage twice before losing, 10-12.

Mississippi’s Berg and Tveit lead 2-0 in the second set before Farah and Van't stormed back to tie the set, 2-2.  The teams remained on serve for the rest of the stanza to set up another tiebreak. Southern California saved a set point at 5-6 before surging ahead to claim an 8-6 decision and the NCAA title with a 7-6 (10), 7-6 (6) win.

In singles action, Virginia’s Somdev Devvarman won his second straight NCAA individual title with a 6-3, 6-2, victory over Tennessee’s J.P. Smith, the first unseeded player to reach the final since Virginia’s Brian Vahaly in 2001.

Devvarman, Virginia’s career leader in singles victories, finished with with a 44-1 singes record on the year.

Team results

First round

Virginia 4, Farleigh Dickinson 0; Penn St. 4, VCU 0; Michigan 4, Western Mich. 1; Texas Tech 4, Harvard 2; Tennessee 4, Furman 0; Virginia Tech 4, Kentucky 0; Baylor 4, Oral Roberts 0; Texas A&M 4, Southern Methodist 1; Georgia 4, Radford 0; Auburn 4, Wake Forest 3; Pepperdine 4, Hawaii 0; Stanford 4, UC Santa Barb. 0; Mississippi 4, Marist 0; Vanderbilt 4, Indiana 3; North Carolina 4, South Carolina St. 0; Duke 4, Arizona St. 2; Oklahoma St. 4, Denver 3; Tulsa 4, Binghampton 0; California 4, Boise St. 2; Southern California 4, Southern U. 0; South Ala. 4, Alabama 3; Florida St. 4, Samford 0; Wisconsin 4, Washington 1; UCLA 4, Eastern Wash. 0; Miami (Fla.) 4, South Fla. 2; Florida 5, Navy 0; Rice 4, TCU 3; Texas 4, A&M-Corpus Christi 0; LSU 4, Drake 1; Illinois 4, Xavier 0; East Tenn. St., 4, Notre Dame 2; Ohio St. 4, Cleveland St. 0.

Second Round

Virginia 4, Penn St. 0; Michigan 4, Texas Tech 2; Tennessee 4, Virginia Tech 0; Baylor 4, Texas A&M 2; Georgia 4, Auburn 0; Pepperdine 4, Stanford 2; Mississippi 4, Vanderbilt 1; North Carolina 4, Duke 2; Oklahoma St. 4, Tulsa 3; Southern California 4, California 0; Florida St. 4, South Ala. 3; UCLA 4, Wisconsin 0; Florida 4, Miami (Fla.) 1; Texas 4, Rice 0; Illinois 4, LSU 2; Ohio St. 4, East Tenn. St. 0.

Round of 16

Virginia 4, Michigan 0; Baylor 4, Tennessee 1; Georgia 4, Pepperdine 1; Mississippi 4, North Carolina 2; Southern California 4, Oklahoma St. 2; UCLA 4, Florida St. 0; Texas 4, Florida 0; Ohio St. 4, Illinois 3.

Quarterfinals

Virginia 4, Baylor 2; Georgia 4, Mississippi 0; UCLA 4, Southern California 2; Texas 4, Ohio St. 2.

Semifinals

Georgia 4, Virginia 3, Texas 4, UCLA 2.

Championship match

Georgia 4, Texas 2

Doubles: No. 1 -- Jamie Hunt-Nate Schnugg, Georgia, vs. Ed Corrie-Kellen Damico, Texas, 8-7 (did not finish); No. 2 -- Luis Diaz Barriga-Miguel Reyes Varela, Texas, def. Luis Flores-Javier Garrapiz, Georgia, 8-6; No. 3 -- Dimitar Kurtovsky-Josh Zavala, Texas, def. Travis Helgeson-Christian Vitulli, Georgia, 8-3.

Singles: No. 1 -- Travis Helgeson, Georgia, def. Dimitar Kurtovsky, Texas, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; No. 2 -- Nate Schnugg, Georgia, def. Kellen Damico, Texas, 6-4, 6-2; No. 3 -- Luis Flores, Georgia, def. Ed Corrie, Texas, 6-3, 1-6, 6-1; No. 4 -- Jamie Hunt, Georgia, def. Luis Diaz Barriga, Texas, 6-1, 6-4; No. 5 -- Javier Garrapiz, Georgia, vs. Milan Mihailovic, Texas, 4-6, 6-2, 2-1 (did not finish); No. 6 -- Miguel Reyes Varela, Texas, def. Christian Vitulli, Georgia, 6-4, 6-3.

Individual champions

Singles championship: Somdev Devvarman, Virginia, def. J.P. Smith, Tennessee, 6-3, 6-2.

Doubles championship: Robert Farah-Kaes Van’t Hof, Southern California, def. Jonas Berg-Erling Tveit, Mississippi, 7-6 (10), 7-6 (6).

Individual results

Singles

First round: Somdev Devvarman, Virginia, def. Ryan Preston, Vanderbilt, 6-1, 6-3; Clancy Shields, Boise St., def. Andrei Daescu, Oklahoma, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5; Bruno Rosa, Rice, def. Ed Corrie, Texas, 6-4, 6-4; Erling Tveit, Mississippi, def. Bojan Szumanski, Texas Tech, 6-4, 6-3; Robert Farah, Southern California, def. David Goulet, Dule, 6-2, 7-6 (4); Ryan Rowe, Illinois, def. Jamie Hunt, Georgia, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5; Denes Lukacs, Baylor, def. Adam Holmstrom, Denver, 6-2, 6-1; Albert Larregola, Virginia Tech, def. Victor Lamm, UC Irvine, 6-2, 6-2; Travis Helgeson, Georgia, def. Moritz Baumann, Wisconsin, 6-4, 6-3; Kaden Hensel, Tennessee, def. Thomas Liversage, San Diego, 7-5, 6-4; Nestor Briceno, Florida, def. Dimitar Kutrovsky, Texas, 6-4, 7-6 (4); Bassam Beidas, Pepperdine, def. Guillermo Gomez, Georgia Tech, 6-3, 7-6 (5); Alex Clayton, Stanford, def. Martin Sayer, Radford, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Harel Srugo, UCLA, def. Austen Childs, Louisville, 6-2, 6-4; Jean-Yves Aubone, Florida St., def. Philippe Frayssinoux, Mississippi St., 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; Bryan Koniecko, Ohio St., def. Robbye Poole, Mississippi, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Jack Baker, South Ala., def. Matthias Wellerman, Mississippi, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6); Justin Kronauge, Ohio St., def. Dominic Inglot, Virginia, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (2); Alexey Tsyrenov, Auburn, def. Borja Zarco, Tennessee Tech, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3; Lars Poerschke, Baylor, def. Dean Jackson, San Diego, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4; Cosmin Cotet, TCU, def. Christoph Muller, Rice, 7-6 (2), 6-4; Andre Begemann, Pepperdine, def. Cory Parr, Wake Forest, 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4; Brett Helgeson, Notre Dame, def. Chris Clayton, Harvard, 6-3, 6-1; Oleksandr Nedovyesov, Oklahoma St., def. Luis Flores, Georgia, 6-2, 6-2; Steven Moneke, Ohio St., def. Bruno Agostinelli, Kentucky, 6-3, 6-4; Ivan Bjelica, Mississippi St., def. Treat Huey, Virginia, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Arnau Brugues, Tulsa, def. Michael Venus, LSU, 6-3, 6-2; Daniel Vallverdu, Miami (Fla.), def. Conor Pollock, Texas A&M, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1; Alexandru Cojanu, William & Mary, def. Enrique Olivares, East Tenn. St., 7-5, 6-1; Ruben Gonzales, Illinois, def. Nate Schnugg, Georgia, 6-3, 7-6 (3); J.P. Smith, Tennessee, def. Kellen Damico, Texas, 6-1, 6-2; Kaes Van’t Hof, Southern California, def. Greg Ouellette, Florida, 6-4, 6-2.

Second round: Devvarman, Virginia, def. Shields, Boise St., 6-4, 7-5; Tveit, Mississippi, def. Rosa, Rice, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5; Farah, Southern California, def. Rowe, Illinois, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (5); Lukacs, Baylor, def. Larregola, Virginia Tech, 6-2, 6-2; Helgeson, Georgia, def. Hensel, Tennessee, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5; Beidas, Pepperdine, def. Briceno, Florida, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5; Clayton, Stanford, def. Srugo, UCLA, 6-3, 7-6 (7); Koniecko, Ohio St., def. Aubone, Florida St., 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; Kronauge, Ohio St., def. Baker, South Ala., 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4; Poerschke, Baylor, def. Tsyrenov, Auburn, 7-5, 6-4; Begemann, Pepperdine, def. Cotet, TCU, 6-2, 6-1; Nedovyesov, Oklahoma St., def. Helgeson, Notre Dame, 6-3, 6-2; Moneke, Ohio St., def. Bjelica, Mississippi St., 6-4, 6-3; Brugues, Tulsa, def. Vallverdu, Miami (Fla.), 6-4, 6-4; Olivares, East Tenn. St., def. Gonzales, Illinois, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Smith, Tennessee, def. Van’t Hof, Southern California, 6-3, 6-1.

Round of 16: Devvarman, Virginia, def. Tveit, Mississippi, 6-3, 6-1; Lukacs, Baylor, def. Farah, Southern California, 7-5, 6-3; Beidas, Pepperdine, def. Helgeson, Georgia, 6-1, 6-4; Clayton, Stanford, def. Koniecko, Ohio St., 6-2, 7-6 (5); Kronauge, Ohio St., def. Poerschke, Baylor, 6-3, 7-6 (4); Begemann, Pepperdine, def. Nedovyesov, Oklahoma St., 6-3, 7-5; Moneke, Ohio St., def. Brugues, Tulsa, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Smith, Tennessee, def. Olivares, East Tenn. St., 6-2, 6-2.

Quarterfinals: Devvarman, Virginia, def. Lukacs, Baylor, 6-0, 6-7 (2), 6-3; Clayton, Stanford, def. Beidas, Pepperdine, 6-2, 6-4; Begemann, Pepperdine, def. Kronauge, Ohio St., 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4; Smith, Tennessee, def. Moneke, Ohio St., 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3.

Semifinals: Devvarman, Virginia, def. Clayton, Stanford, 6-4, 7-6 (3); Smith, Tennessee, def. Begemann, Pepperdine, 6-2, 6-4.

Championship: Devvarman, Virginia, def. Smith, Tennessee, 6-3, 6-2.

Doubles

First round: Somdev Devvarman-Treat Huey, Virninia, def. Daniel Buikema-Mathieu Thibaudeau, Alabama, 7-6 (3), 6-3; Austin Krajicek-Conor Pollock, Texas A&M, def. Omar Altmann-Andre Begemann, Pepperdine, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; Drew Eberly-Justin Kronauge, Ohio St., def. Kaden Hensel-J.P. Smith, Tennessee, 1-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (5); Jean-Yves Aubone-Clint Bowles, Florida St., def. Ralph Knupfer-Christoph Muller, Rice, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6); Jonas Berg-Erling Tveit, Mississippi, def. Nathan Byrnes-Oleksandr Nedovyesov, Oklahoma St., 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; Billy Heiser-Ryan Rowe, Illinois, def. James Cluskey-Michael Venus, LSU, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Taylor Fogleman-Chris Kearney, North Carolina, def. Adam Holmstrom-Niklas Persson, Denver, 7-6 (10), 2-6, 6-3; Sasha Ermakov-Ashwin Kumar, Harvard, def. Adam Monich-Nick Rinks, Michigan St., 6-1, 6-4; Bryan Koniecko-Steven Moneke, Ohio St., def. Bruno Agostinelli-Brad Cox, Kentucky, 6-3, 7-5; Steven Forman-Cory Parr, Wake Forest, def. Christian Rojmar-Bojan Szumanski, Texas Tech, 7-5, 7-6 (5); Bram ten Berge-Matthias Wellerman, Mississippi, def. Alexandru Cojanu-Keziel Juneau, William & Mary, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (1); Carl Sundberg-Daniel Vallverdu, Miami (Fla.), def. Kriegler Brink-Cosmin Cotet, TCU, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; Andy Connelly-Ross Cunningham, Tulsa, def. Nick Cavaday-Jay Weinacker, North Carolina St., 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3; Boris Fetbroyt-Andy Orban, Maryland, def. Austen Childs-Simon Childs, Louisville, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2; Clancy Shields-Luke Shields, Boise St., def. Jamie Hunt-Nate Schnugg, Georgia, 6-4, 6-2; Robert Farah-Kaes Van’t Hof, Southern California, def. Ed Corrie-Kellen Damico, Texas, 6-4, 6-4.

Round of 16: Krajicek-Pollock, Texas A&M, def. Devvarman-Huey, Virginia, 6-3, 6-4; Eberly-Kronauge, Ohio St., def. Aubone-Bowles, Florida St., 6-4, 7-6 (3); Berg-Tveit, Mississippi, def. Heiser-Rowe, Illinois, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5; Fogleman-Kearney, North Carolina, def. Ermakov-Kumar, Harvard, 7-5, 6-3; Forman-Parr, Wake Forest, def. Koniecko-Moneke, Ohio St., 6-3, 1-6, 7-5; ten Berge-Wellermann, Mississippi, def. Sundberg-Vallverdu, Miami (Fla.), 6-3, 7-6 (5); Connelly-Cunningham, Tulsa, def. Fetbroyt-Orban, Maryland, 7-6 (4), 7-5; Farah-Van’t Hof, Southern California, def. Shields-Shields, Boise St., 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

Quarterfinals: Krajicek-Pollock, Texas A&M, def. Eberly-Kronauge, Ohio St., 4-6, 6-1, 6-3; Berg-Tveit, Mississippi, def. Fogleman-Kearney, North Carolina, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3; ten Berge-Wellermann, Mississippi, def. Forman-Parr, Wake Forest, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3); Farah-Van’t Hof, Southern California, def. Connelly-Cunningham, Tulsa, 6-3, 6-3.

Semifinals: Berg-Tveit, Mississippi, def. Krajicek-Pollock, Texas A&M, 6-4, 6-4; Farah-Van’t Hof, Southern California, def. ten Berge-Wellerman, Mississippi, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (10).

Championship: Farah-Van’t Hof, Southern California, def. Berg-Tveit, Mississippi, 7-6 (10), 7-6 (6).