Oct. 29, 2010
EAST LANSING, Michigan —The University of Iowa men’s tennis team competed at day one of the Big Ten Indoor Championships at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility with action in the Flight A and Flight B doubles rounding out the opening day. The Hawkeyes picked up four victories from two tandems in Flight A, as well as four victories from three teams in Flight B.
“Overall, I thought we played pretty good doubles (today),” said head coach Steve Houghton. “I was particularly pleased with the two Flight A teams of (Will) Vasos and (Austen) Kauss, and (Nikita) Zotov and (Garrett) Dunn. They looked pretty sharp out there against some good Big Ten competition.”
The doubles tandems of Zotov/Dunn and Vasos/Kauss responded well after each dropped their opening match, as both teams went on to pick up two victories on the consolation side of the Flight A Bracket.
Zotov and Dunn defeated Penn State’s Russell Bader and Bryan Welnetz 8-5, and then reached the consolation finals match with a victory against Illinois’ Brian Alden and Connor Roth 8-6. The tandem suffered a narrow loss in the consolation finals against Michigan State’s Austin Brooks/John Stratton by a 9-8 (3) count.
Vasos and Kauss beat Indiana’s Santiago Gruter and Jeremy Langer 8-4 in their first consolation match, but dropped their second one. Vasos and Kauss again responded from a loss with a victory, beating the Fighting Illini’s Alden/Roth 9-7 to earn their second victory.
Connor Gilmore and Joey White led the Hawkeyes in Flight B, earning a pair of victories as well. Gilmore and White earned an opening round win over Purdue’s Matt Manassee/Jan-Frans Engelbrecht 8-1. After dropping their second match, Gilmore and White picked up a victory on the consolation side with an 8-5 win over the Spartan’s Aaron Pfister/Jason Norville.
Iowa’s Mitch Beckert and Chase Tomlins also opened Flight B with a victory, knocking off Minnesota’s Eddie Svenda/Michael Sicora 8-4. Iowa freshman Jonas Dierckx and Jeroen Gortworst teamed up to provide Iowa’s other doubles victory in Flight B with an 8-6 consolation victory over the Boilermaker’s Manasse/Engelbrecht.
Action will continue tomorrow in East Lansing at 8:00 a.m., with both flights of singles getting underway. Vasos, Kauss, Zotov, Beckert, Dunn, and Dierckx will be in the main draw, while Tomlins, Gortworst, Gilmore, and White will play in Flight B for the Hawkeyes.
Big Ten Indoor Championship Results (Day One)Flight A Doubles Main Draw
Teppert/Robles (Wis) def. Nikita Zotov/Garrett Dunn (Iowa) 8-2Cha/Bernstein (Mich) def. Will Vasos/Austen Kauss (Iowa) 9-8 (3)
Flight A Consolations
Nikita Zotov/Garrett Dunn (Iowa) def. Bader/Welnetz (PSU) 8-5Will Vasos/Austen Kauss (Iowa) def. Langer/Grueter (IU) 8-4Nikita Zotov/Garrett Dunn (Iowa) def. Roth/Alden (ILL) 8-6Brooks/Stratton (MSU) def. Will Vasos/Austen Kauss (Iowa) 9-7Brooks/Stratton (MSU) def. Nikita Zotov/Garrett Dunn (Iowa) 9-8 (3)Will Vasos/Austen Kauss (Iowa) def. Roth/Alden (ILL) 9-7
Flight B Doubles Main Draw
Mitch Beckert/Chase Tomlins (Iowa) def. Svenda/Sicora (Minn) 8-4MacTaggart/Vogl (Ind) def. Jonas Dierckx/Jeroen Gortworst (Iowa) 8-1Connor Gilmore/Joey White (Iowa) def. Engelbrecht/Manasse (PU) 8-6Tesmond/Tasic (Ind) def. Mitch Beckert/Chase Tomlins (Iowa) 8-3Pfister/Norville (MSU) def. Connor Gilmore/Joey White (Iowa) 8-5
Flight B Consolations
Roehmer/Davis (MSU) def. Jonas Diercks/Jeroen Gorstworst (Iowa) 9-8 (6)Pfister/Norville (MSU) def. Mitch Beckert/Chase Tomlins (Iowa) 8-4Jonas Dierckx/Jeroen Gortworst (Iowa) def. Engelbrecht/Manasse (PU) 8-6Svenda/Sicora (Minn) def. Jonas Dierckx/Jeroen Gortworst (Iowa) 8-6Richmond (MSU)/Jackman (NW) def. Mitch Beckert/Chase Tomlins (Iowa) 8-4McCarthy/Balaji (NW) def. Connor Gilmore/Joey White (Iowa) 8-4Connor/Gilmore (Iowa) def. Richardson/Lied (MSU) 8-5