TULSA, Okla. – Ryan Lipman and Gonzales Austin of the Vanderbilt men’s tennis team began play, Thursday, in the 2013 Saint Francis ITA Men’s All-American Championships. Thursday’s action from the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa saw two rounds of singles and one round of doubles.
Lipman, the thrid-seeded singles player in the tournament, fell in his opening match to qualifier Michael Grant of South Carolina. The Nashville native suffered an injury late in the first set before losing it 7-5. Lipman came out for the second set but retired, allowing Grant to move on in the second round of action.
Austin was matched up with ninth-seeded Jeremy Efferding, ranked 11th in the ITA preseason poll. The junior from Miami handled the Aggies’ top-player with ease, upsetting Efferding 6-1, 6-1.
Austin’s second round match was with No. 41 Campbell Johnson of California. Just like he did Efferding, Austin didn’t have any issues dispatching Johnson winning in straight-sets 6-3, 6-1.
In doubles, Lipman and Austin were able to upset seventh-seeded Guignon/Kopinski of Illinois, 8-4. The injury suffered to Lipman early in the afternoon was not serious enough to keep the redshirt senior out of doubles competition were he and Austin are now 10-1, following the win over Illinois.
Friday’s action will see both the round of 16 and quarterfinals for doubles and just the singles round of 16.
Austin will matchup with No. 43 Amerigo Contini of Virginia Tech in singles action, while he and Lipman will face Orkin and Watson of Florida in their first round.
A win over the Florida doubles team could potentially pit the Vandy doubles team against the top-seeded/top-ranked doubles team from Tennessee, Libietis/Reese.
