SUMTER, S.C. --- Members of the Tusculum University men's and women's tennis teams began play at the ITA Southeast Regional tournament Friday at the Palmetto Tennis Center.
Action in the tournament will resume Saturday morning, with play continuing Sunday ahead of the championship rounds on Monday.
MEN'S RECAP
In singles, junior Rens Verhaar won his opening match in flight A, defeating Mason Harmon of Young Harris by a 6-2, 7-5 score. Verhaar's second-round match against against Edoardo Pilia of Coker was suspended and will be completed at 8:00 Saturday morning.
Junior David Negzaoui fell 6-3, 6-4 to Miguel De Rueda of UVA Wise, and will play Maksim Kachuk of Chowan in the consolation bracket at 1:30 Saturday afternoon.
In flight B of singles, senior Will Gee was a 3-6, 6-3, (10-6) winner over Alessandro Valletta of Catawba in the first round. Gee will play Diego Vega of Francis Marion in the second round at 11:00 Saturday morning.
In doubles play, Verhaar and junior Angus Howard lost their opening match in flight A to the Mount Olive duo of Kristoffer Dalbak and Philip Peter Carstensen by an 8-6 score.
In flight B, Gee and Negzaoui beat Joao Luis Silva and Ben Brandl of North Georgia 9-7, and the duo will advance to play on Saturday morning.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Both Tusculum singles players dropped their opening matches on Friday, with senior Ylva Frafjord Landa falling 6-4, 0-6, (10-7) to Marta Melnichenok of Lincoln Memorial and freshman Emma Kotzmannova dropping a 6-3, 6-0 decision to Ilona Hernandez Sanchez of Coker.
Landa will take on Andjela Mrvaljelic of North Greenville in a consolation match at 2:30 Saturday afternoon, with Kotzmannova playing Claudia Vallejos of Wingate at 3:00 Saturday.
The duo of Landa and Kotzmannova also played in doubles on Friday, losing to Simone Szovan and Nina Bernier of Mount Oliver 8-2 in the first round.
ITA Southeast Regional
at Sumter, S.C.
Tusculum results
MEN
SINGLES
Flight A
Round of 64
Rens Verhaar d. Mason Harmon (Young Harris), 6-2, 7-5
Miguel De Rueda (UVA Wise) d. David Negzaoui, 6-3, 6-4
Flight B
Round of 32
Will Gee d. Alessandro Valletta (Catawba) 3-6, 6-3, (10-6)
DOUBLES
Flight A
Round of 32
Kristoffer Dalbak/Philip Peter Carstensen (Mount Olive) d. Rens Verhaar/Angus Howard, 8-6
Flight B
Round of 16
Will Gee/David Negzaoui d. Joao Luis Silva/Ben Brandl (North Georgia), 9-7
WOMEN
SINGLES
Round of 64
Marta Melnichenok (Lincoln Memorial) d. Ylva Frafjord Landa, 6-4, 0-6, (10-7)
Ilona Hernandez Sanchez (Coker) d. Emma Kotzmannova, 6-3, 6-0
DOUBLES
Round of 32
Simone Szovan/Nina Bernier (Mount Olive) d. Ylva Frafjord Landa/Emma Kotzmannova, 8-2
