ABILENE, Texas – Trinity University Men's Tennis claimed the 2022 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest Regional Singles Championship Sunday through a straight-sets victory by senior Alessio Azzalini (Rome, Italy / Istituto Visconti) in the championship final on the campus of Hardin-Simmons University.
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The senior worked his way into Sunday's singles finale after a strong comeback effort in the morning's semifinal against Brice Bradshaw of the host Cowboys, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Azzalini became the 62nd All-American in program history Sunday afternoon, defeating Joshua Bode of Concordia University (TX) in back-to-back 6-4 tallies.
Both of Azzalini's opponents in the singles bracket Sunday were eliminated by the senior and his partner, first-year Rafa Candelas Ruiz (Zacatecas, Mexico / American [ESP]), in Saturday's quarterfinal and semifinal rounds in reverse order en route to the Trinity duo's entry in Sunday afternoon's doubles championship. Azzalini and Candelas Ruiz ultimately fell 6-3 in the second set of the finale after they ceded a 7-5 tiebreaker in the first.
Senior Hao Nguyen (Sugar Land, Texas / Strake Jesuit) took Bode to three sets in Sunday's other quarterfinal singles matchup but ultimately fell 6-7, 6-3, 2-6 to Azzalini's championship foe.
Through his victory, Azzalini has qualified for the 2022 ITA Cup. The fall national championship tournament begins October 13 at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, Georgia.
