Oct. 20, 2016
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team began competition on Thursday morning in Knoxville, Tenn. at the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships. Following two rounds of singles and one round of doubles, two Commodores own unblemished records. Baker Newman and Billy Rowe will begin Friday’s competition with a combined 5-0 singles and doubles record.
The ‘Dores began the day with success in tandems, as Newman and Panu Virtanen advanced to the round of 16 off an 8-4 victory over Lipscomb’s Mitchell/Manzanares. Cameron Klinger and Rowe will join their teammates in the sweet 16, having enjoyed a first round bye.
The Commodores went 6-4 overall in singles play, with top-seeded Daniel Valent, 17th-seede Newman and 19th-seeded Rowe all winning out in straight sets.
Ranked No. 21 in the nation, Valent enjoyed a first round bye then defeated ETSU’s David Gonzales 6-1, 6-4. Newman faced Indiana’s Oliver Sec, downing the Hoosier 6-0, 6-4. In the round of 16, the Miami native only allowed IUPUI’s Brad Luetschwager three games, walking away with a 6-1, 6-2 win.
A freshman out of Coronado, Calif., Rowe collected two straight set victories, only giving up four games the entire day. The Commodore defeated Eastern Kentucky’s Dan Linberry 6-2, 6-1 in the round of 128, and Lope Adelakun of Butler, 6-1, 6-0 in the round of 64.
In the round of 128, freshman Panu Virtanen also earned a quality 6-2, 6-0 victory over Dayton’s Zach Berry. However, the Helsinki, Finland native fell in the following round in a tough three-setter against IUPUI’s David Beasley, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3.
The ITA Regional Championships features some of the top men’s and women’s players across the country. Over 8,000 student-athletes from NCAA I, II, III, NAIA, Junior and Community Colleges compete across 85 ITA Regional Championships around the country. The winners of each draw will receive berths to the ITA National Indoor Championships on Feb. 17-20 hosted by the University of Virginia.
ITA OHIO VALLEY REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Singles
Round of 128
[1] Daniel Valent (Vanderbilt), bye
[5] Ryan Peniston (Memphis) def. Tate Allwardt (Vanderbilt) 6-1, 6-3
Rob Mitchell (Lipscomb) def. [6] Cameron Klinger (Vanderbilt) 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3
[17] Baker Newman (Vanderbilt) def. Oliver Sec (Indiana) 6-0, 6-4
[19] Billy Rowe def. Dan Lineberry (EKU) 6-2, 6-1
[23] Panu Virtanen (Vanderbilt) def. Zach Berry (Dayton) 6-2, 6-0
Keivon Tabrizi (Indiana) def. Alex Ross (Vanderbilt) 6-3 7-6(6)
Round of 64
[1] Daniel Valent (Vanderbilt) def. David Gonzalez (ETSU) 6-1, 6-4
[17] Baker Newman (Vanderbilt) def. Brad Luetschwager (IUPUI) 6-1, 6-2
[19] Billy Rowe (Vanderbilt) def. Lope Adelakun (Butler) 6-1, 6-0
David Beasley (IUPUI) def. [23] Panu Virtanen (Vanderbilt) 6-1 1-6 6-3
Doubles
Round of 64
[4] Klinger/Rowe (Vanderbilt), bye
Bishop/Arajua (Xavier) def. Ross/Chari (Vanderbilt), 8-1
Guzina/Andersen (Ball State) def. Valent/Allwardt (Vanderbilt), 8-7
Newman/Virtanen (Vanderbilt) def. Mitchell/Manzanares (Lipscomb), 8-4
