Sophomore Georgy Batrakov will continue competition at the Utah Fall Tennis...
Brigham Young University Team Page
PROVO, Utah (Sept. 10, 2009) – Tournament play began with a promising start Thursday as the BYU men’s tennis team advanced all eight players into the Round of 16 in singles at the Utah Fall Tennis Classic. The Cougars showed potential with strong performances across the board.
“I didn’t get to see much of the matches,” BYU coach Brad Pearce said. “But I saw the results, and we had a pretty good day.”
Evan Urbina, Cassidy Mears and Thomas Shubert all enjoyed first round byes before defeating their respective opponents to earn their place in the Round of 16.
Spectators were able to get first glimpses of new freshmen Spencer Smith and Ricardo Campos. Smith impressed with two straight-set wins and will face blue chip recruit Filipp Pogostkin out of Boise State Friday. Campos also showcased his skills, breezing past his opponents and dropping only two games en route to his top 16 spot.
Sophomore Georgy Batrakov dominated his challengers and will advance in the draw along with recently returned missionary Michael Eraso, who didn’t miss a beat after being out for two years.
Junior Daniel Hwang had perhaps the toughest day of all the Cougars, overcoming Boise State’s Frederick Walsh in the only three-set match for BYU. Hwang and Eraso will face each other Friday for a place in the quarterfinals. Competition will also heat up for other members of the team as Batrakov and Mears both face rivals from the University of Utah.
Doubles action yielded a mixture of great results and disappointment for the Cougars with two pairs losing in the second round and two notching a spot in the quarterfinals. Mears and Urbina as well as partners Batrakov and Shubert will continue in the draw Friday.
Freshmen duo Campos and Smith lost a close 8-6 battle and Eraso and Hwang fell in a similarly tight 8-5 match. Both pairs will resume play in the consolation draw.
“It’s a great way to start the year, not only for the college players but also the local tennis community,” Pearce said.
The tournament will continue at 9 a.m. Friday at the BYU Outdoor Tennis Courts. The courts are located south of the soccer stadium and can be accessed from the east entrance. All matches are free and open to the public.
All BYU “Y Lot” parking lots are available for public parking after 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and all lots are open Saturday.
The United States Tennis Association sanctions this tournament. Any participating college players are performing as individuals and do not represent their schools. Results will not impact Intercollegiate Tennis Association or NCAA rankings.
For more information on the tournament and to access updated scores,
<a href="http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/TournamentHome/Tournament.aspx?T=77814" target=_blank>click here.</a>
