College Tennis News - Efferding Wins Singles Title at Conference Challenge

COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M sophomore Jeremy Efferding capped off an impressive weekend of play by the Aggie men’s tennis team at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center as the Aggie righthander won the singles championship at the Conference Challenge hosted by Texas A&M. Individuals from Texas A&M, Illinois, Oklahoma, SMU and LSU competed.

“Overall, I thought we played very good doubles again this weekend,” Aggie head coach Steve Denton said. “One of the clear strengths of this team is our doubles play. (The Aggies had three of four semifinalists in the Texas regionals last weekend.)”

“I was extremely happy that we played much better in singles as the weekend went on which is a very good sign,” Denton added. “These fall tournaments give the team a sense of what they need to work on in preparation for the spring season. I look for this Aggie team to continue to improve. The makeup of this team is a bunch of hard workers with a gritty attitude. I thought Jeremy (Efferding) really took a step forward this weekend in winning the singles title.”

Efferding, from Boca Raton, Florida, defeated Bruno Abdelnour from Illinois in the first round, 7-6 (4), 6-1 and in the second round took out LSU’s Chris Simpson, 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 and in the third and final round defeated Roger Anderson of LSU, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.

In doubles, LSU’s duo of Chris Simpson and Stefan Szacinski defeated Jared Hiltzik and Alex Jesse of Illinois, 8-5, to claim the title.

On day one, the Aggies posted five straight doubles victories with Jackson Withrow and Alberto Bautista teaming up to beat Illinois’ Alex Jesse and Tim Kopinski, 8-4. Efferding and Jordan Szabo defeated the Oklahoma tandem of Leonard Stkhovsky and Nick Papac, 8-4. Then Withrow and Efferding teamed up to beat OU’s Larry Formentera and Stakhovsky, 9-7. The Aggie freshmen tandem of Harrison Adams and Shane Vinsant took out Illinois’ Brian Page and Ross Guignon, 8-3, before Bautista and Szabo combined to dispose of LSU’s Boris Arias and Harrison Kennedy, 8-6.

On day two, Texas A&M went 10-3 in singles play. Efferding, Szabo and Bautista all won two matches while Adams, Vinsant, and Withrow won one and lost one and Behzad Minavi won his only match of the day over Joe Hill from LSU, 6-1, 6-7, 7-5.

Sunday in doubles Vinsant and Adams beat SMU’s Miscah Nowick and Arturs Kazijevs, 9-8, and Efferding and Szabo combined to beat Kopinski and Abdelnour from Illinois, 9-8. A combined doubles team of Minavi from A&M and John Harry Warden from OU beat the LSU doubles team of Arias and Kennedy, 8-6.

Sunday in singles, the Aggies posted seven consecutive victories as Vinsant, Szabo, Efferding, Bautista, Minavi, Adams and Withrow all posted victories.

This concludes the fall competition slate for the Aggies with the exception of the freshmen doubles team of Harrison Adams and Shane Vinsant who will travel to New York in November to compete in the USTA/ITA National Championships.

The complete results are below:

Day 1

1st Round Doubles

Chris Simpson/Stefan Szacinski(LSU) def. Shane Vinsant/Harrison Adams (Texas A&M) 8-4

Tam Trinh/Roger Anderson(LSU) def. John Harry Warden/Larry Formentera(OU) 8-3

Boris Arias/Harrison Kennedy(LSU) def. Jared Hiltzik/Bruno Abdelnour(Illinois) 9-7

Brian Page/ Ross Guignon(Illinois) def. Arturs Kazijevs/ Mischa Nowicki(SMU) 8-5

Jackson Withrow/Alberto Bautista(Texas A&M) def. Alex Jesse/Tim Kopinski(Illinois) 8-4

Jeremy Efferding/Jordan Szabo(Texas A&M) def. Leonard Stakhovsky/Nick Papac(OU) 8-4

2nd Round Doubles

Chris Simpson/Stefan Szacinski(LSU) def. Arturs Kazijevs/Mischa Nowicki(SMU) 8-6

Jackson Withrow/Jeremy Efferding(Texas A&M)def. Larry Formentera/Leonard Stakhovsky(OU) 9-7

Tim Kopinski/Bruno Abdelnour(Illinois) def. John Harry Warden/Nick Papac(OU) 8-5

Shane Vinsant/Harrison Adams(Texas A&M) def. Brian Page Ross Guignon(Illinois) 8-3

Jared Hiltzik/Alex Jesse(Illinois) def. Tam Trinh/Roger Anderson(LSU) 8-5

Alberto Bautista/Jordan Szabo(Texas A&M) def. Boris Arias/Harrison Kennedy(LSU) 8-6

Extra Singles

Julian Childers(Illinois) def. Behzad Minavi(Texas A&M) 6-4, 6-4

Day 2

1st Round Singles

Jeremy Efferding(Texas A&M) def. Bruno Abdelnour(Illinois) 7-6(4), 6-1

Tim Kopinski(Illinois) def. Roger Anderson(LSU) 6-3, 7-6(2)

Arturs Kazijevs(SMU) def. Brian Page(Illinois) 6-4, 6-3

Jared Hiltzik(Illinois) def. Jackson Withrow(Texas A&M) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Julian Childers(Illinois) def. Harrison Kennedy(LSU) 7-5, 6-1

Nick Papac(OU) def. Alex Jesse(Illinois) 6-3, 7-5

Behzad Minavi(Texas A&M) def. Will Suk(LSU) 6-0, 6-2

Joe Hill(LSU) def. Larry Formentera(OU) 4-0(ret.)

Chris Simpson(LSU) def. Mischa Nowicki(SMU) 6-2, 6-2

Tam Trinh(LSU) def. Harrison Adams(Texas A&M) 2-6, 7-5, 6-4

Boris Arias(LSU) def. John Harry Warden(OU) 2-6, 7-6(6), 6-2

Jordan Szabo(Texas A&M) def. Mark Bowtell(LSU) 6-3, 7-6(12)

Alberto Bautista(Texas A&M) def. Nate Lammons(SMU) 7-6(4), 6-3

Leonard Stakhovsky(OU) def. Shane Vinsant(Texas A&M) 6-1, 6-4

2nd Round Singles

Jeremy Efferding(Texas A&M) def. Chris Simpson(LSU) 7-6, 4-6, 7-5

Harrison Adams(Texas A&M) def. Bruno Abdelnour(Illinois) 6-0, 7-6

Shane Vinsant(Texas A&M) def. Nick Papac(OU) 6-4, 6-2

Jackson Withrow(Texas A&M) def. Boris Arias(LSU) 6-1, 6-2

Alberto Bautista(Texas A&M) def. Julian Childers(Illinois) 6-0, 4-6, 6-2

Jordan Szabo(Texas A&M) def. Arturs Kazijevs(SMU) 6-1, 7-6

Behzad Minavi(Texas A&M) def. Joe Hill(LSU) 6-1, 6-7, 7-5

Leonard Stakholvsky(OU) def. Tim Kopinski(Illinois) 6-4, 6-4

Roger Anderson(LSU) def. Mischa Nowicki(SMU) 6-3, 6-2

Brian Page(Illinois) def. Nate Lammons(SMU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

Harrison Kennedy(LSU) def. John Harry Warden(OU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-2

Jared Hiltzik(Illinois) def. Tam Trinh(LSU) 6-2, 6-3

Alex Jesse(Illinois) def. Mark Bowtell(LSU) 6-2, 6-3

Day 3

3rd Round Doubles

Shane Vinsant/Harrison Adams(Texas A&M) def. Mischa Nowicki/Arturs Kazijevs(SMU) 9-8

Roger Anderson/Tam Trinh(LSU) def. Jackson Withrow/Alberto Bautista(Texas A&M) 9-8

Jeremy Efferding/Jordan Szabo(Texas A&M) def. Tim Kopinski/Bruno Abdelnour(Illinois) 9-8

Brian Page/Julian Childers(Illinois) def. Leonard Stakholvsky/Nick Papac(OU) 8-6

John Harry Warden(OU)/Behzad Minavi(Texas A&M) def. Boris Arias/Harrison Kennedy(LSU) 8-6

Chris Simpson/ Stefan Szacinski(LSU) def. Jared Hiltzik/Alex Jesse(Illinois) 8-5

3rd Round Singles

Jared Hiltzik(Illinois) def. Chris Simpson(LSU) 6-3, 6-4

Arturs Kazijevs(SMU) def. Bruno Abdelnour(Illinois) 6-2, 7-6

Shane Vinsant(Texas A&M) def. Brian Page(Illinois) 6-2, 6-0

Tim Kopinski(Illinois) def. Boris Arias(LSU) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Julian Childers(Illinois) def. John Harry Warden(OU) 2-6, 6-0, 6-3

Jordan Szabo(Texas A&M) def. Alex Jesse(Illinois) 6-4, 6-4

Jeremy Efferding(Texas A&M) def. Roger Anderson(LSU) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3

Tam Trinh(LSU) def. Mischa Nowicki(SMU) 5-7, 6-0, 6-2

Alberto Bautista(Texas A&M) def. Harrison Kennedy(LSU) 6-2, 6-2

Nate Lammons(SMU) def. Will Suk(LSU) 6-3, 6-1

Behzad Minavi(Texas A&M) def. Mark Bowtell(LSU) 6-3, 6-3

Harrison Adams(Texas A&M) def. Leonard Stakholvsky(OU) 6-1, 6-1

Jackson Withrow(Texas A&M) def. Nick Papac(OU) 6-2, 0-6, 6-2