“I’ve never won a match quite like that,” Wong said. “Early in the season there was a 10-point tiebreaker, but it was nothing like being down two breaks and coming back like that, nothing that crazy.” 

Senior Michael Dube said Wong did "an unbelievable job."

“He had some really tough losses this year, and for him to come out with it 7-6 in the third, that’s huge for him. For his confidence, that’s huge," he said. "Hopefully, he can carry that over to tomorrow and we can get that win against Iowa.” 

Head coach Gene Orlando, in his 27th season at the helm of the Spartan men’s tennis program, said he has not seen many matches in his time as unpredictable as Wong’s victory.

“That’s pretty remarkable,” he said. “From being that far down, and doing it twice — that’s just a testament to him being the ultimate competitor. Credit to him. He believed, and fought for the team to stay in the match longer.” 

When the match ended, Wong collapsed to the court in celebration.

“I think it’s all the losses I’ve had this year,” Wong said. “I’ve lost a lot of matches that have been really close, and not being able to get over the hump so many times has been really tough on me mentally. Another part of it is senior day. With two guys on and down 2-3, you don’t want to be the guy that you have to lose. For me, it’s just the emotion of getting it done for the seniors.” 

Dube was another bright spot for the Spartans Saturday afternoon. The Livonia, Michigan, native picked up a doubles win alongside freshman John Carlin, 6-4, and then controlled his No. 2 singles matchup, 6-3, 6-2. 

“It means a lot. Obviously, we would have liked to get the team win there. We’ve lost a couple of close matches this year 4-3, and that’s unfortunate. I was proud of the way I played today, in doubles and singles,” he said. “We haven’t been getting that many doubles points, so to go out there and get that first point was big for us. Then, I carried it over into singles and played well there.” 

Orlando said he was impressed with Dube’s ability to keep his foot on the throttle through the course of two matches.  

“He was just determined and made a lot of shots,” he said. “He really competed hard, he kept it simple and never gave the guy any momentum. He made him feel uncomfortable.”

Dube said it was all a part of the game plan.

“My backhand is a huge part of my game, and I was really using that to my advantage. I was working his forehand, and kind of pulling it when I needed to," Dube said. "I was just bringing a lot of energy, being scrappy, and not giving away any free points.” 

The departing senior class consists of Dube, captain Jasper Koenen and Brett Forman. Wong spoke of the impact the seniors have had on the program after the match.

“They’re the world to the program. All of them have their strengths. All three of them combined, I couldn’t ask for better leaders,” he said. “All three of them in doubles are huge, one in each spot. They’ve set the bar high for next year, that if you want to get to a certain level, you have to do the small things right.” 

Orlando said the senior class’ impact on the program has gone beyond on-court records.

“At the end of the day, they’ve helped lead this program, and they’re leaving it in a better spot than they came in, and set the program up for future success," Orlando said.

The Spartans finish up the regular season Sunday at the MSU Outdoor Courts against the Iowa Hawkeyes.