Snitari’s three-set comeback gives Texas A&M a second NCAA singles berth

Texas A&M secured a second berth in the NCAA Singles Championships on Monday, October 12, when Ilia Snitari recovered from a set down to win his ITA Texas Regional semifinal in Fort Worth.

Snitari beat Baylor’s Erik Schiessl 3–6, 6–3, 7–6, taking the deciding tiebreak 7–5 at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. The victory earned the Aggie a national berth and moved him into the regional final.

He joins teammate Theo Papamalamis, who had already qualified through the ITA All-American Championships. For the College Station program, Monday’s result added a second route into the national singles field during the fall season.

Snitari arrived at A&M with experience at that level. The university announced his addition from UNLV in June after he earned All-America recognition by reaching the last 16 of the 2025 NCAA singles tournament. His return to the national field now comes in an Aggies uniform.

The decisive step Monday required both a recovery and a close finish: Snitari answered the opening-set loss with a 6–3 second set, then won the final two-point margin in the tiebreak.

Sources: Texas A&M qualification recap, Baylor regional recap, Texas A&M roster announcement.