The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men's tennis team had a strong opening round at the UTC Steve Baras Fall Classic today. The Mocs went 5-3 in singles action and 2-2 in doubles play to start day one at the Champions Club in Chattanooga.
UTC could not keep the singles momentum going in the afternoon's second round. They dropped all five of their matches in the second frame, but still have a trio of doubles teams alive in the main draw.
Junior Roberto Vieira (Bedfordview, South Africa) led the team with a first-round win in the ultra-competitive Blue Flight. Fellow juniors Manuel Barroetavena (Buenos Aires, Argentina) and Chris Smith (Johnson City, Tenn.) also had first-round wins in the Gold Flight.
Junior William Disterdick (Hixson, Tenn.) and sophomore Orlando Lourenco (Hixson, Tenn.) had the other two singles wins for the Mocs today, posting first-round victories in the Silver Flight.
Juniors Ankit Chopra (Chandigarh, India) and Stephen Crofford (Franklin, Tenn.) and sophomore Jordan Faith (Denver, Colo.) are still alive in tomorrow's back draws.
Disterdick and Vieira teamed up to score an 8-1 win over Gianni Kubin and Louis Theodor from Kennesaw State in the Gold Doubles Flight. Faith and Lourenco followed that up with an 8-5 win over North Alabama's Jonathan Vick and Alex Weber.
Action continues Saturday morning with the doubles brackets followed by singles play. Competitors are expected to take to the Champion's Club Courts at 8:30 a.m. (E.D.T.)
Blue Singles Flight
Roberto Vieira (UTC) def. Nenad Marcec (JSU) - 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (6)
Roger Ordeig (ETSU) def. Roberto Vieira (UTC) - 7-6 (8), 6-2
Gold Singles Flight
Manuel Barroetavena (UTC) def. Fernando Mussolini (Belmont) - 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (5)
Rogerio Ribeiro (ETSU) def. Manuel Barroetavena (UTC) - 6-4, 6-4
Jordan Cowling (JSU) def. Ankit Chopra (UTC) - 6-1, 1-6, 1-0 (1)
Chris Smith (UTC) def. Matt Fuery (UNA) - 7-5, 6-2
Daniel Schidler (Memphis) def. Chris Smith (UTC) - 6-4, 7-5
Silver Singles Flight
Igor Santos (JSU) def. Stephen Crofford (UTC) - 6-4, 6-0
William Disterdick (UTC) def. Jonathan Vick (UNA) - 6-0, 6-4
Sebastian Hagen (USF) def. William Disterdick (UTC) - 6-1, 6-1
Orlando Lourenco (UTC) def. Mirko Sommerfield (UNA) - 6-4, 6-3
Gianni Kublin (KSU) def. Orlando Lourenco (UTC) - 6-4, 6-2
White Singles Flight
Tyler Mils (KSU) def. Jordan Faith (UTC) - 6-3, 6-1
Blue Doubles Flight
Cedric DeZutter/David Henry (Memphis) def. Ankit Chopra/Chris Smith (UTC) - 8-4
Gold Doubles Flight
William Disterdick/Roberto Vieira (UTC) def. Gianni Kubin/Louis Theodor (KSU) - 8-1
White Doubles Flight
Jordan Faith/Orlando Lourenco (UTC) def. Jonathan Vick/Alex Weber (UNA) - 8-5
Lady Mocs Sweep Doubles Matches on Day One
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's tennis team had a strong showing on the first day of the UTC Steve Baras Fall Classic. The Lady Mocs won all three of their doubles matches and went 6-4 in singles play at the Champions Club in Chattanooga this afternoon.
Senior Shaina Singh (Vancouver, B.C.) and junior Jenna Nurik (Roswell, Ga.) are both still alive in the main draws of the singles flights. Singh defeated Murray State's Carla Suga (6-3, 6-3) in the first round of the Platinum Flight and followed up with a (7-6 (4), 6-1) win over Jacksonville State's Rafaela Wenzel in the second.
Nurik competed in the Gold Flight and scored a (6-1, 6-0) victory against Lee's Kelsey Gray in the opening round. She posted a tough win over Mercer's Lucie Payrat (6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (9) in the second round.
Sophomore Alexa Flynn (Memphis, Tenn.) and freshman Kayla Chadwell (Franklin, Tenn.) both spilt their first two matches. Seniors Charlotte Bossy (Keokelare, Belgium) and Brianna Wishing (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) both dropped their first matches of the day and will compete in tomorrow's backdraw.
In doubles action, Flynn and Singh teamed up to post an 8-5 win over the UAB duo of Paula Alvarez and Isa Fernandez in the Blue Flight. Chadwell and Nurik scored and 8-3 win over Jana Hueckinghaus and Tamara Plocher of Kennesaw State in the Fold Flight while Bossy and Wishing were 8-4 winners over JSU's Wenzel and kelly Tomlin in the Silver Flight.
Action continues tomorrow from the Champions Club in Chattanooga beginning at 8:00 a.m. (E.D.T.).
Blue Singles Flight
Alexa Flynn (UTC) def. Tonya Walters (Lee) - 6-0, 6-0
Tiffany Welcher (Memphis) def. Alexa Flynn (UTC) - 6-0, 6-2
Kaylene Chadwell (UTC) def. Jennifer Lada (Mercer) - 6-4, 6-1
Alyssa Hibberd (Memphis) def. Kaylene Chadwell (UTC) - 5-7, 6-1, 1-0 (5)
Gold Singles Flight
Jenna Nurik (UTC) def. Kelsey Gray (Lee) - 6-1, 6-0
Jenna Nurik (UTC) def. Lucie Payrat (Mercer) - 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (9)
Platinum Singles Flight
Shaina Singh (UTC) def. Carla Suga (Murray State) - 6-3, 6-3
Shaina Singh (UTC) def. Rafaela Wenzel (JSU) - 7-6 (4), 6-1
Silver Singles Flight
Ally Westling (Xav) def. Charlotte Bossy (UTC) - 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (6)
White Singles Flight
Jodie Rice - (Lee) def. Brianna Wishing (UTC) - 7-6 (5), 6-3
Blue Doubles Flight
Alexa Flynn/Shaina Singh (UTC) def. Paula Alvarez/Isa Fernandez (UAB) - 8-5
Gold Doubles Flight
Kaylene Chadwell/Jenna Nurik (UTC) def. Jana Hueckinghaus/Tamara Plocher (KSU) - 8-3
Silver Doubles Flight
Charlotte Bossy/Brianna Wishing (UTC) def. Kelly Tomin/Rafaela Wenzel (JSU) - 8-4