Box Score WACO, Texas – University of Denver men's tennis player Raffaello Papajcik dropped his round of 32 singles match at the 2024 NCAA Division I Singles & Doubles Championships, hosted by Baylor, on Wednesday afternoon.
 
Papajcik fell to No. 103-ranked Maxi Homberg from Pepperdine, 6-3 6-3, in the second round of the NCAA singles tournament.
 
After finishing his round of 64 match late Tuesday night – the day's last match to finish – Papajcik returned to Hurd Tennis Center on Wednesday afternoon and started with an immediate break in the opening game. Homberg broke back to level the set at 2-2, the first of two times in the set that the players traded breaks in consecutive games. Papajcik conceded another break last to trail 3-5 before Homberg served it out.
 
Homberg claimed a break to start the second set and extended his lead to 5-1 before Papajcik tried to mount a comeback. The Denver junior got one break back with his opponent attempting to serve for the match up 5-3, but he surrendered his serve once more in what would be the match's final game.
 
Papajcik's performance at this week's NCAA Championships put him into the Denver record books after he became the first Pioneer to win a singles match at the Division I tournament. He won a three-set, late-night battle in the opening round on Tuesday, upsetting No. 29-ranked Jonah Braswell from Texas, 5-7 7-6(3) 7-5.
 
The University of Denver men's tennis team has now completed its 2024 fall season and will next take the court in January for the start of the winter dual season. The team's 2025 dual schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
 
WEDNESDAY'S RESULT
Round of 32: No. 103 Maxi Homberg (Pepperdine) def. Raffaello Papajcik: 6-3 6-3
 
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