Oct. 21, 2011
Evanston, Ill. — The University of Iowa men’s tennis team began play at the Wildcat Invitational Friday in Evanston, Ill., and senior Christopher Speer won his ninth consecutive match for the Hawkeyes.
Speer and sophomore Michael Swank each won their opening round singles match while two Hawkeye doubles teams picked up victories in consolation play.
Speer defeated DePaul’s Aaron Chaffee 6-3, 6-3 in the Flight C opening round. The Vernon Hills, Ill, native holds the best singles record on the team at 9-1 this fall. In his first action this season, Swank defeated Toledo’s Garrett Cona in three sets 6-7 (8), 6-4, 11-9 in Flight D singles. Swank will compete in the semifinals tomorrow, while Speer advances to the quarterfinals.
After falling in the opening match in Flight A doubles, junior Garret Dunn and Swank earned an 8-4 consolation victory against Marquette’s Drake Kakar and David Packowitz. Iowa’s Mitch Beckert and Andres Estenssoro defeated Northern Illinois’ Maximilian Phillips and Maksym Laugtin 8-5 in consolation play. Dunn and Swank will compete in the Flight A doubles consolation semifinals tomorrow while Beckert and Estenssoro will play in the Flight B doubles consolation finals match.
Action will begin tomorrow at 8 a.m. Two other Hawkeyes will also be playing tomorrow as sophomores Chase Tomlins and Jonas Dierckx begin main draw play at the ITA Central Regional Championships in Tulsa, Okla.
Wildcat Invitational
Flight A Singles
Filip Dzanko (DePaul) def. Garret Dunn (IOWA) 6-3, 6-4
Flight B Singles
Jack Larsen (UW) def. Andres Estenssoro (IOWA) 6-1, 7-6 (4)
Jonathon Schwerin (Marquette) def. Mitch Beckert (IOWA) 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2)
Flight C Singles Grant Adams (Toledo) def. Connor Gilmore (IOWA) 7-6 (2), 6-2
Christopher Speer (IOWA) def. Aaron Chaffee (DePaul) 6-3, 6-3
Flight D Singles Michael Swank (IOWA) def. Garrett Cona (Toledo) 6-7 (8), 6-4, 11-9
Flight A Doubles Roman Turtygin/Maksym Bartiuk (NIU) def. Garret Dunn/Michael Swank (IOWA) 8-6
George Chanturia/Matija Palinic (DePaul) def. Christopher Speer/Connor Gilmore (IOWA) 8-4
Dunn/Swank (IOWA) def. Drake Kakar/David Packowitz (Marquette) 8-4
Leo Sarria/Tomas Stillman (Toledo) def. Speer/Gilmore (IOWA) 8-2
Flight B Doubles
James Stark/Cameron Tehrani (Marquette) def. Mitch Beckert/Andres Estenssoro (IOWA) 8-1
Beckert/Estenssoro (IOWA) def. Maximilian Phillips/Maksym Laugtin (NIU) 8-5