Men's Tennis Concludes Successful Day at ITA Regionals
STILLWATER, Okla. – The Arkansas men’s tennis team completed the second day of the ITA Central Region Championships with three Razorbacks clinching their spots in the Round of 16 while two doubles pairs advanced to the Quarterfinals.
The Hogs opened the day with singles play as five players took the court in the main draw while three more competed in the consolation draw. Junior Jake Sweeney picked up his third singles win of the tournament after a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Luke Bracks (Wichita State). Sweeney will face No. 40 Tyler Zink (Oklahoma State) in the Round of 16.
Seniors Alan Sau Franco and Melvin Manuel impressed in their wins today with Sau Franco taking down an ITA top-60 ranked opponent in Justin Schlageter (Oklahoma) in three sets. Manuel claimed a straight-set victory, setting up a match between the two Razorbacks in the Round of 16.
Senior Stefanos Savva and sophomore Benedikt Emesz both dropped their third round matches in Stillwater, with Savva falling in straight sets while Emesz lost a close battle to Georgio Samaha (New Mexico) in a third-set tiebreak.
Sophomore Gerard Planelles Ripoll grabbed a victory in the consolation draw, defeating Omaha’s Christian Trevey 6-1, 6-2. Planelles Ripoll advances to play Richey King (Wichita State) tomorrow morning.
Graduate Jared Horwood and senior Jakob Mosvold joined Planelles Ripoll in the consolation draw, however, the two Hogs dropped their matches, ending their run in singles play.
Three Razorbacks played in Extra Matches after being eliminated from the singles main draw. Sophomore Božo Barun and freshman Connor Smillie picked up victories in their matches while senior Foster Rogers fell to Markus Bolin (Drake) in three sets.
All five doubles teams advanced to the Round of 16 with each pair winning their second round matches today. The duo of Sweeney and freshman Connor Smillie clinched their spot in the Quarterfinals with an 8-5 win against Tulsa’s Okonkwo/Gale. The tandem of Sau Franco and Manuel will join Sweeney/Smillie in the Quarterfinals after a dominating 8-4 victory over Trondson/Mandlik (Oklahoma).
After picking up their second doubles win of the tournament earlier in the day, Savva and sophomore Božo Barun fell in their third round match in a tight battle to Carlsson Seger/Rollins (Tulsa).
The duos of Horwood/Emesz and senior Foster Rogers/Planelles Ripoll both dropped their Round of 16 matches, ending their runs in doubles play.
Singles play starts at 9 a.m. CT tomorrow while the Quarterfinal matches in doubles play will begin at 5 p.m. CT.
Day Two Results
Singles Main Draw
R32: Sweeney (Arkansas) def. Bracks (Wichita State), 6-3, 6-0
R32: Bellegy (New Mexico) def. Savva (Arkansas), 6-4, 6-3
R32: Sau Franco (Arkansas) def. Schlageter (Oklahoma), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
R32: Samaha (New Mexico) def. Emesz (Arkansas), 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6)
R32: Manuel (Arkansas) def. Van Wijk (Omaha), 6-1, 6-3
Singles Consolation Draw
C-R64: Kvantaliani (Wichita State) def. Horwood (Arkansas), 6-4, 4-6, 10-7
C-R64: Planelles Ripoll (Arkansas) def. Trevey (Omaha), 6-1, 6-2
C-R64: Schiessl (Oklahoma State) def. Mosvold (Arkansas), 6-3, 6-2
Singles Extra Matches
EX: Bolin (Drake) def. Rogers (Arkansas), 1-6, 6-2, 11-9
EX: Smillie (Arkansas) def. Tettamble (Tulsa), 3-6, 7-5, 10-6
EX: Barun (Arkansas) def. Daijima (Creighton), 6-4, 6-1
Doubles Main Draw
R32: Savva/Barun (Arkansas) def. Gaubert/Garmendia (Omaha), 8-3
R32: Sweeney/Smillie (Arkansas) def. Van Wijk/Mishiro (Omaha), 8-0
R32: Horwood/Emesz (Arkansas) def. Blevins/Ecklund (Drake), 8-2
R32: Sau Franco/Manuel (Arkansas) def. Bolin/Clegg (Drake), 8-5
R32: Rogers/Planelles Ripoll (Arkansas) def. Sysoev/Maruyama (Nebraska), 8-7 (2)
R16: Carlsson Seger/Rollins (Tulsa) def. Savva/Barun (Arkansas), 8-6
R16: Sweeney/Smillie (Arkansas) def. Okonkwo/Gale (Tulsa), 8-5
R16: Zink/Becroft (Oklahoma State) def. Horwood/Emesz (Arkansas), 8-6
R16: Sau Franco/Manuel (Arkansas) def. Trondson/Mandlik (Oklahoma), 8-4
R16: Minarik/Jacome (Wichita State) def. Rogers/Planelles Ripoll (Arkansas), 8-5
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