ATHENS, Ga. — Southern Methodist’s Ignacio Hirigoyen rallied to defeat Georgia Tech’s Benjamin Cassaigne (Paris, France) in the second round of the 1999 NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles Championships at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the campus of the University of Georgia.
Hirigoyen, who is seeded in the 9-16 alphabetical group, rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the decisive third set to win the set 7-5 and the match 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.
“It’s unacceptable to lose a match that way,” Cassaigne said. “I had chances to get ahead, but I could never confirm my break by winning my serve. In the third set, he played well and came back.”
In the third, Cassaigne won a service break to go up 4-2 then held serve to take a 5-2 lead. Hirigoyen then reeled off wins in five straight games and claimed the match on a forehand drop shot.
The loss eliminates Cassaigne from the tournament. He finished the 1999 season with a 25-6 overall record.
