INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – If the last few weeks taught us anything, Wisconsin tennis seniors Chema Carranza and Josef Dodridge don't go down easily. The Badgers duo fought to the bitter end before falling, 6-2, 3-6, 12-10, to No. 4 seed Texas in the semifinals of the ITA Fall National Championships on Saturday.
Carranza and Dodridge stormed back from a 6-2 first-set loss to Rodrigo Banzer and Leonardo Telles to pull even in the second set. After holding serve to open, Carranza hit a pair of backhand returns to break the Longhorns and take the early 2-0 advantage. From there, Wisconsin held serve to win the set, 6-3, and even the match.

In the decisive third frame, a 10-point tie-breaker wasn't enough to settle this even match. UW built a small 4-2 lead, but Texas answered with four straight points and the Badgers were forced to play from behind. Wisconsin fought of three match points before finally faltering at 12-10.

The incredible run for Carranza and Dodridge ends after winning nine straight matches, becoming the first team in UW history to win the ITA Regional Doubles championship. The tandem also posted the first National Championships doubles main draw win in school annals, winning three matches to reach the semifinals.

ITA Fall Doubles National Championships
Semifinals - Saturday, Nov. 4
Banzer/Telles (TEXAS) def. Carranza/Dodridge (UW), 6-2, 3-6, 12-10 
 

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Dominant doubles: UW leaps into semifinals
Carranza and Dodridge dismiss No. 2-ranked Georgia pair

Nov. 3, 2017

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Wisconsin's senior pair Chema Carranza and Joe Dodridge proved everyone wrong: the best match of their season wasn't their quarterfinal win a night ago. It was Friday, under the lights of the Indian Wells courts. The Wisconsin tandem proved they belong with a dominant win over Georgia's No. 2-ranked pair – Robert Loeb and Jan Zielinski – 6-2, 6-3. 
 
Wisconsin's first break-through came midway through the first set. The Badger pair broke to a 4-2 advantage, and eventually took the next two points to close out the first frame, 6-2. 
 
Carranza and Dodridge kept pushing at a downhill pace to open the second. The two bounded to a 3-0 lead and only needed to protect their serve to advance. 
 
And protect their serve, they did. The seniors swiftly traded with the Georgia pair and won the third, 6-3, punching their ticket to the final four. 

Wisconsin will take on the winner of top-seeded Johannes Ingildsen / Alfredo Perez of Florida and eighth-seeded Rodrigo Banzer / Leonardo Telles of Texas on Saturday.

3 down, 2 to go.

Chema and Joe are re-writing the #Badgers history books. #ITAFallNats pic.twitter.com/5IVZ4EmRdz

— UW Men's Tennis (@BadgerMTennis) November 4, 2017

 
Scoville's Scope: 
On the match today:
"Joe and Chema played today like they do every day in practice: with high energy and an aggressive mindset the whole way through. I am really proud of these guys, not only on the win, but also in how they've been preparing themselves every day here at the ITA Fall National Championship."
 
ITA Fall Doubles National Championships
Quarterfinals – Friday, November 3 
Carranza/Dodridge (UW) def. Jan Zielinski/Robert Loeb (UGA), 6-2, 6-3
 

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On Wisconsin… to the quarterfinals
Carranza and Dodridge move on at ITA National Championships with dominating win

Nov. 2, 2017

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Chema Carranza and Josef Dodridge of Wisconsin men's tennis picked a great time to play their best match of the season. The senior duo became the first Badgers team to ever reach the ITA Fall National Championship quarterfinals after an impressive, 6-1, 6-4, win Thursday evening over Florida State's No. 3 seeded Jose Gracia and Lucas Poullain.

"They took it to them," associate head coach Scoville Jenkins said. "They played even better than yesterday and they were really resilient. Everything was going their way early, but even when things turned in the second set, they stayed the course."

Carranza and Dodridge took control from the start, breaking the FSU duo to go ahead 3-1 and pulling out another break on their way to a commanding first set. It appeared as though Wisconsin would roll in the second set as well, as the Badgers got up two breaks and jumped to a 4-1 lead.

Things would tighten however, as FSU clawed back within one at 4-3 and came close to pulling even. But UW saved their best for last as Carranza hit a between-the-legs volley and Dodridge ran down everything in sight in the decisive game to stave off the Seminoles.

"The last three games were all deuce points, but Joe and Chema stayed the course even when things weren't going their way," Jenkins added. "They played together."

In addition to spot in the final eight, Thursday's match provided an opportunity for Carranza and Dodridge to settle a score. Just one month earlier, the Badgers tandem dropped a straight-set match to the preseason No. 15 Gracia and Poullain at the ITA All-Americans in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

"Joe and Chema were really excited to play this team again," Jenkins said. "When they played them in Tulsa, they didn't play well and they came out today like they had something to prove. They were excited."

Carranza and Dodridge will play again Friday when they take on the fifth-seeded combo of Robert Loeb and Jan Zielinski of Georgia.

ITA Doubles National Championship
Round of 16 – Thursday, November 2
Carranza/Dodridge (UW) def. #15 Gracia/Poullain (FSU), 6-1, 6-4
 

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Keep Dancin'
Carranza and Dodridge pick up a first round win at the ITA National Championship

Nov. 1, 2017

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. – Wisconsin's seniors Josef Dodridge and Chema Carranza aren't done making history. The pair became just the second-ever Badger duo to win a doubles match at the ITA Fall National Championship. 
 
The two Badgers came from behind in fantastic fashion to beat Florida's tandem Oliver Crawford and Chase Perez-Blanco, 4-6, 6-3, 10-7. 
 
Wisconsin advances to the Round of 16 and will face No. 3 seed Jose Garcia and Lucas Poullain of Florida State on Thursday.

ITA Doubles National Championship
Round of 32 – Wednesday, November 1
Dodridge/Carranza (UW) def. Oliver Crawford/Chase Perez-Blanco (UF), 4-6, 6-3, 10-7