From University of Chicago Athletics

University of Chicago men's tennis player Nicolas Chua was victorious in the singles final of the 2014 USTA/ITA National Small College Championships on Saturday.

Chua met No. 3-seed Matthew Heinrich (Stevens Institute) in the championship match. The UChicago freshman took a 4-0 lead in the opening set en route to a 6-1 win. The second set played more evenly, and Chua broke Heinrich's serve to end the match at 6-4.

"Nick saved his best tennis for last and really played a complete match," said Head Coach Jay Tee. "He forced his opponent to go for more than he was used to by keeping the ball deep, defending well and taking advantage of the slightest opening. For a first-year in his first quarter to play the way he has is very impressive."

The win advanced Chua to the Men's "Super Bowl", which featured the bracket winners in NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA and JUCO. Chua's opponent was NAIA bracket champion Deni Zmak (Embry-Riddle). Zmak won the match 6-3, 7-5.

Additionally, Chua was awarded the James O'Hara Sargent Sportsmanship Award for the weekend, which considered competitors from all four participating divisions (Division II, Division III, NAIA, JUCO). "I'm quite proud that Nick received the Sportsmanship Award at this tournament," Tee said. "We strive to play the right way and represent UChicago with class, on and off the court. This season is off to a great start and I'm excited to see what else is in store."