GAINESVILLE, Fla. – After a series of rain delays during the past few days of tournament action, the Commodores wrap up day two of the SEC Fall Classic in Gainesville, Florida.
There have been many ups and downs thus far this weekend for the ‘Dores. Most impressively, after defeating Tennessee’s Jess Jones in the first round of singles action, freshman Daniel Valent overpowered the No. 25 singles player in the country in a tiebreak set. This marks Valent’s first collegiate win over a ranked opponent in his win over South Carolina’s No. 4 seed, Andrew Adams, in a tiebreak set: 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Valent fell later in the day to Florida’s Diego Hidalgo in another tiebreak set, 6-3, 7-6 (2).
With victories also come defeats, as the Commodores’ No. 9 ranked singles player and No. 1 seed of the tournament, Gonzales Austin, was defeated in the round of 16 by Mississippi State’s Tassilo Schmid this afternoon in a tiebreak set, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5.
No. 90 Rhys Johnson begins play tomorrow in the quarterfinals as the sole Vandy player still in competition at the SEC Fall Classic. All three Commodores who advanced to the round of 16 went into tiebreak sets, with two out of three coming out victorious.
Johnson defeated the No. 3 seed in the tournament, Tennessee’s No. 21 ranked singles player in the nation, Hunter Reese, after dropping the first set, 4-6, but using the motivation to overcome his opponent 7-6 in the second set, and 7-6 in the tiebreaker. The junior from Perth, Australia is scheduled to face Florida’s No. 68 ranked player Elliot Orkin tomorrow in quarterfinals.
In doubles action, the No. 1 seeded team of Austin and Johnson fell in the round of 16 to Florida’s Joshua Wardell and Oliver Landert, 8-5. The Commodore tandems team is currently ranked No. 22 but the ITA.
After last weekend’s success at the Southern Intercollegiates in Athens, Ga., the duo of Baker Newman and Ryan Smith were again the team to advance the furthest for the Commodores in doubles play. Newman and Smith defeated the tournament team of Vinod Gowda (Ole Miss) and Rishab Agarwal (Mississippi State), 8-5 in first round competition. Tennessee’s Jess Jones and Luis Valero were defeated 8-6 in the round of 16. But it was South Carolina’s Thomas Mayronne and Harrison O’Keefe who halted Newman and Smith from advancing to the semifinals in an 8-1 victory over the ‘Dores on Saturday night.
Friday Recap:
Singles – First Round
Maxx Lipman def. Jeffrey Offerdahl: 6-3, 6-3
Elliot Orkin (UF) def. Ryan Smith: 6-0, 6-1
Daniel Valent def. Jess Jones (UT): 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Gordon Watson (UF) def. Tate Allwardt: 7-6, 6-2
Igor Smelyanski (UT) def. Baker Newman: 6-2, 7-5
Rhys Johnson def. Mate Cutura (MSU): 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Jordan Szabo (TAMU) def. Suresh Eswaran: 7-5, 6-4
Gonzales Austin def. Sam Swank (USC): 6-0, 6-1
Julian Cash (MSU) def. Kris Yee: 7-5, 3-6, 7-5
Doubles – First Round
Austin/Johnson def. Terrell/Albanese (ARK): 8-4
Vinsant/Cantanzarti (TAMU) def. Eswaran/Valent: 8-4
Smelyanski/Dromsky (UT) def. Offerdahl/Yee: 8-7 (4)
Lindmark/Jorge (OM) def. Allwardt/Binet: 8-5
Newman/Smith def. Gowda (OM)/Agarwal (MSU): 8-5
Doubles – Round of 16
Wardell/Landert (UF) def. Austin/Johnson: 8-5
Newman/Smith def. Jones/Valero (UT): 8-6
Saturday Recap:
Singles – Round of 16:
Rhys Johnson def. Dante Saleh (AUB): 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
Tassilo Schmid (MSU) def. Gonzales Austin: 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Daniel Valent def. Andrew Adams (USC): 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
Singles – Quarterfinals
Rhys Johnson def. Hunter Reese (UT): 4-6, 7-6, 7-6
Diego Hidalgo (UF) def. Daniel Valent: 6-3, 7-6(2)
Doubles – Quarterfinals:
Mayronne/O’Keefe (USC) def. Newman/Smith: 8-1
Singles Consolation – Round 1
Jeffrey Offerdahl def. Andrew Dromsky (UT): 6-4, 3-6 (8)
Jordan Belga (UF) def. Suresh Eswaran: 6-0, 6-2
Kris Yee def. Josh Wardell (UF): 7-5, 6-5
Baker Newman def. Frankie Colunga (TAMU): 6-3, 6-2
Harrison O’Keefe def. Ryan Smith: 6-2, 4-6 (5)
Bartosz Sawicki (UT) def. Tate Allwardt: 6-4, 6-4
Singles Consolation – Round 2
Munoz (ARK) def. Jeffrey Offerdahl: 6-2, 6-4
Jeremy Efferding (TAMU) def. Baker Newman: 6-2, 6-2
Kris Yee def. Harrison O’Keefe (USC): 6-4, 6-2
