San Antonio - Trinity's men's tennis team had
10 singles players and six doubles teams advance to the round of 16
after the opening day of competition at the USTA/ITA Division III
Men's Southwest Regional Tournament on Friday.
The competition was played at McFarlin Tennis Center today, but
moves to Trinity's courts for the remainder of the event on
Saturday and Sunday.
In singles, the top six seeds - four of which are Trinity
players - are still alive in the tournament, and each of
Saturday's doubles quarterfinals will feature at least
one Tiger team.
Top-seeded Max Frey, a 2011 NCAA Division III singles semifinalist,
defeated Udai Garimella of Hendrix 6-2, 6-1 in the second round.
Frey faces Tiger teammate Greg Marifian, who upset 16th-seeded Will
Summers of Mary Hardin-Baylor 7-6 (2), 6-7 (1), 10-6 (tiebreak
instead of third set).
No. 2 Erick DelaFuente was a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Bryan Leib of
UT-Dallas, and meets 10th-seeded Alex Lam of Southwestern on
Saturday. Greg Haugen, the tournament's No. 5 seed, took out
McMurry's Preston Steblein 6-2, 6-2. He is matched against
Trinity's Brandon Thompson, who beat No. 15 Kevin Singer of
UT-Tyler 6-4, 6-2.
Fifth-seeded Ben Carroll beat Hardin-Simmons player Cullen Dees
6-3, 6-2, and will take on Trinity's Franklin Davis, a 7-6 (6), 6-1
winner over No. 11 Josh Pownall of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Aaron
Skinner, the tournament's No. 13 seed, defeated Southwestern's
Alexander Reinsch, and will tangle with fourth-seeded Mike Gardner
of Hendrix. Charlie Curtis, seeded 14th, beat UT-Tyler's Doug
Kierstead 6-2, 6-1, and plays No. 3 Erich Bein of
Hardin-Simmons.
In addition, Trinity's Jordan Mayer defeated ninth-seeded Chris
Breaux of McMurry 7-6 (2), 6-0, and is matched against Sean
Strehlow of Hardin-Simmons.
The round of 16 begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, and the quarterfinals
are slated for 11 a.m. The quarterfinals of doubles will
start at 4:15 p.m., with the semifinals set for 5:45 p.m.
Top seeds Frey and DelaFuente play teammates Julio Benavides and
Arvind Fernando. Curtis and Brandon Thompson take on the No. 3
seeds Bein and Strehlow of Hardin-Simmons. The fourth-seeded Tiger
team of Carroll and Mayer meets Davis and Marifian, while No. 4
Haugen and Skinner play the second-seeded team of Breaux and Casjen
Rico of McMurry.
There is also competition in "B" Singles and Doubles, and
consolation rounds.
The "A" Singles and Doubles champions, to be decided Sunday,
advance to the the ITA National Small College Championships Oct.
13-16 at Mobile, Ala.
