By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Tennessee Tech men's tennis team fared well in singles play at the Louisville Fall Invitational this weekend, but it was in doubles where the Golden Eagles shined.
The pairing of
Marcos Bernardes and
Carlos Tajes came home with some hardware as they swept through the C doubles bracket with the championship.
The duo defeated Campbellsville's Alejandro Reyes and Victor Ahlbeck 8-2, Lipscomb's George Wong and Carson Panovec 8-4, then claimed the title with an 8-7 (4) win over Illinois State's Andreas Boers and Urh Krajnc Domiter.
In the A doubles bracket, the pairing of
Guillermo Nicolas and
Jorge Alfonzo reached the bracket championship, defeating Memphis' Felix Rauch and Matt Story 8-7 (4), then knocking off Illinois State's Dylan Steffens and Christoffer Greve 8-5. But the Tech duo fell to Dayton's Zach Berry and Carsten Fisher 8-6 to take the runner-up crown.
Nicolas also had a strong effort in the A singles bracket, making it to the final four. He defeated Rauch 6-4, 7-6 (5) and Michigan's Gabe Tishman 6-2, 6-4, but fell to Lipscomb's Rob Mitchell 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.
Also in the A singles bracket, Bernardes dropped his first match with Berry, then took a victory over conference foe Almantas Ozelis from Austin Peay 6-4, 7-5. Davis Crocker from Michigan foiled Bernardes' hopes for a consolation title, winning 7-5, 5-7, 6-0.
In the B singles bracket, Alfonzo defeated Lipscomb's Victor Chaw 6-2, 7-5, then fell to Memphis' Shakeel Manji 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. He picked up a victory in an extra draw match, topping Xavier's Jack Dykema 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
In the C singles bracket, Tajes opened up with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Wright State's Javier de la Villa, but fell 6-0, 6-1 to Greve. Tajes also had an extra draw match, beating Xavier's Nate Dell 6-3, 6-1.
The team returns to action this weekend as it travels to Knoxville to compete in the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships, which runs through Oct. 24.
RESULTS
A singles bracket
16A Zach Berry (Dayton) def. Marcos Bernardes 7-5, 6-2
8AC Bernardes def. Almantas Ozelis (Austin Peay) 6-4, 7-5
4AC Davis Crocker (Michigan) def. Bernardes 7-5, 5-7, 6-0
16A Guillermo Nicolas def. Felx Rauch (Memphis) 6-4, 7-6 (5)
8A Nicolas def. Gabe Tishman (Michigan) 6-2, 6-4
4A Rob Mitchell (Lipscomb) def. Nicolas 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
B singles bracket
16B Jorge Alfonzo def. Victor Chaw (Lipscomb) 6-2, 7-5
8B Shakeel Manji (Memphis) def. Alfonzo 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
C singles bracket
16C Carlos Tajes def. Javier de la Villa (Wright State) 6-3, 6-1
8C Christoffer Greve (Illinois State) def. Tajes 6-0, 6-1
Extra draw
XX Jorge Alfonzo def. Jack Dykema (Xavier) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
XX Carlos Tajes def. Nate Dell (Xavier) 6-3, 6-1
A doubles bracket
8A Nicolas/Alfonzo def. Rauch/Story (Memphis) 8-7 (4)
4A Nicolas/Alfonzo def. Steffens/Greve (Illinois State) 8-5
CA Berry/Fisher (Dayton) def. Nicolas/Alfonzo 8-6
C doubles bracket
8A Bernardes/Tajes def. Reyes/Ahlbeck (Campbellsville) 8-2
4A Bernardes/Tajes def. Wong/Panovec (Lipscomb) 8-4
CC Bernardes/Tajes def. Boers/Krajnc (Illinois State) 8-7 (4)
