ATHENS, Ga. – The Vanderbilt men’s tennis winds down its first day of the 2014-15 season this evening in Athens, Georgia, at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships; the oldest fall tournament in the nation. The ‘Dores went 3-4 in singles and 2-2 in doubles. The Commodores advance five singles players and two doubles teams to the second day of tournament action.
With five Commodores competing in the Division I singles, two defeated their opponents in day one securing themselves into the round of 32, which begins early Saturday.
Rounding out the top-ten seeds of the tournament; No. 1 Azel Llamas (Oklahoma), No. 2 Austin Smith (UGA), No. 3 Nathan Pasha (UGA), No. 4 Wayne Montgomery (UGA), No. 5 Ben Wagland (UGA), No. 6 Nathan Rakitt (Georgia Tech), No. 7 Nick Wood (UGA), No. 8 Jordan Cox (Ga. Gwinnett), No. 9 Rhys Johnson (Vanderbilt), and No. 10 Alex Arovin (Tenn. Tech).
Junior, Rhys Johnson, held the highest seed out of all the Commodores, at No. 9. Johnson defeated Florida Atlantic’s Zandrix Acob, 6-2, 6-3 in Division I singles competition. Along with Johnson, Kris Yee also advances to the round of 32 after a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Bartosz Sawicki out of in-state rival Tennessee.
Vandy freshman Baker Newman won his debut as a Commodore in the Division III singles round of 32. The Miami, Florida native defeated College of Charleston’s Alon Faiman, 6-4, 6-3 before his doubles competition began.
The doubles duo of Newman and Ryan Smith enjoyed a bye into the Division I round of 32 and went on to defeat SEC rival Kentucky’s tandem team of William Bashamuka and Trey Yates, 8-4. Newman and Smith return to action tomorrow in the round of 16, Division I doubles play beginning at 8:00 a.m.
Smith begins play in the Division II singles round of 32 tomorrow, bright and early, at 8:00 a.m, after a bye. Smith’s fellow Commodores will follow his lead as Division I doubles round of 16 kicks off at 8:00 as well.
Friday Results
Division I Singles: Round of 64
Paul Oosterbaan (UGA) def. Suresh Eswaran: 6-2, 6-2
Carlos Benito (Ga. Tech) def. Jeffrey Offerdahl: 6-3, 6-3
Kris Yee def. Bartosz Sawicki (Tennessee): 7-5, 7-4
David Biosca (ETSU) def. Daniel Valent: 6-1, 6-2
Rhys Johnson def. Zandrix Acob (FAU): 6-2, 6-3
Division III Singles: Round of 32
Baker Newman def. Alon Faiman (CofC): 6-4, 6-3
Luke Morland def. Tate Allwardt: 3-6, 7-5, 6-2
Division I Doubles: Round of 32
Newman/Smith def. Boshamuka/Yates (Kentucky): 8-4
Binet/Johnson def. Clements/Hatem (Ga. Gwinnett): 8-5
Division II Doubles: Round of 32
Ghriskey/Kichigin (CofC) def. Allwardt/Offerdahl: 8-3
Huertas Del Pino/Yllera (ETSU) def. Eswaran/Valent: 8-7(4)
