Ilagan’s historic UH tennis career ends in NCAA round of 16

Andre Ilagan closed the most decorated career in University of Hawaii men’s tennis history with a three-set loss to Ohio State freshman Alexander Bernard in the NCAA Men’s Singles Championship on Wednesday in Orlando, Fla.

But the Farrington graduate put together a final push before exiting the 64-player draw in the round of 16.

Ilagan’s opening set on the outdoor courts at the USTA National Campus rushed by all too quickly, and his stay in the bracket hinged on a tiebreak in the second.

“The only thing I thought was, ‘I’m gonna go out swinging,’ ” Ilagan said in a Zoom session with local media. “I’m gonna go out playing ‘Andre tennis.’ ”

Ilagan stormed past Bernard in the tiebreak to extend the match and went up a break at 4-3 in the third set. Bernard won a pivotal rally with a cross-court winner on his way to earning a break, held serve to move ahead, then forced a deciding point on Ilagan’s serve. Another extended rally ended with Ilagan’s shot finding the net and Bernard advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-4 victory.

“I’m glad I had a chance to be up 4-3 in the third, but he raised his level. I gotta give credit to him,” Ilagan said.

Ilagan closed his fifth year in the UH program with an overall singles record of 69-29, including an 18-4 run this season and had a 17-match winning streak end on Wednesday.

Already the first UH player to twice qualify for the NCAA singles championship, he became the first Rainbow Warrior to win a match in the event and added to his list of accomplishments by earning Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-America status — another first for the program — when he reached the round of 16.

Ilagan said helping the Warriors win a Big West team title “was the No. 1 thing I wanted out of my five years. But I guess for my individual accolades I can say I did not too bad.”

Ilagan earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as the Big West’s highest ranked player at No. 65 in the nation and became the conference’s first player to reach the round of 16 since 2013 and only the second since 1989.

He knocked off higher ranked players from Michigan and Texas after rain forced his first two matches to the indoor courts. Ilagan said it took him a while to adjust to the conditions when the weather allowed play outdoors.

“In the first set I was taking the ball very early, rushing the majority of the time,” Ilagan said. “Obviously, a bit of nerves in the beginning. In the second I started to settle in.”

Bernard, ranked No. 41 in the nation, eventually won the duel of left-handers and will face Virginia’s Chris Rodesch today in the quarterfinals. Virginia swept Ohio State in the team finals on Sunday.

Ilagan said he plans to take a day off before resuming work toward his professional career. He’ll remain in Florida, where he’ll continue to train ahead of entering pro tournaments later this summer.

“Depending on how well it goes it might be for quite a while,” Ilagan said of remaining on the continent.

“As we say, this is the tennis life, home is around the world. So I think that’s the new journey I have right now.”

That said, he’s looking forward to continuing to represent Hawaii in his tennis career.

“I hope to inspire people back home and people that are coming to the program,” he said. “I hope this help build men’s tennis going forward. I wish Coach Joel (Kusnierz) and the program the best … and I want to see someone else do it and someone to do better than me, to be honest.”