Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Hawk Talk Monthly – June | Fight For Iowa
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Student-athletes on the University of Iowa men’s tennis team have had a busy summer training and playing tournaments around the world.
Joe Tyler played in a handful of tournaments overseas in the United Kingdom. The junior won the LTA British Tour in Felixstowe, notching five singles wins, three of which came in straight sets. In the process of winning five straight, Tyler bounced three of the top four seeds in the tournament. The Corby, England, native also advanced to the semifinals at the LTA British Tour in West Worthing, and the Round of 16 at the LTA British Tour in Frinton and Nottingham.
Oliver Okonkwo has been improving his game this summer. The native of Berkshire, England won three matches in straight sets to advance to the semifinals of the ITA Summer Circuit event in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Okonkwo also paired with Nikita Snezhko to win the doubles tournament. The duo cruised to the title with wins over Kelly/Sullivan (8-2), Ford/Faveri (8-6), Dausman/Matov (8-5), and Rogers/Fox (8-3).
Okonkwo dropped a 7-6(4), 6-4 decision in the singles bracket to Aziz Dougaz (ATP ranked No. 573), while picking up 18 doubles points with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph over Habib/Aguilar in the Round of 16 in the Iowa City event. Okonkwo and Davies will now have a world ranking.
Will Davies, Kareem Allaf, and Snezhko also saw action in the ITF World Tennis Tour in Iowa City. All three dropped their initial singles match, with Allaf falling to the No. 243rd ranked player (Mark Whitehouse) in Iowa City. Allaf also competed at the Davis Cup in Singapore for Syria earlier this summer.
Morgan Lohan saw action in tournaments three straight weeks. The junior fared well in the first two tournaments in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Lawrence, Kansas. Lohan advanced to the quarterfinals after recording back-to-back wins at Michigan and advanced to the semifinals at Kansas before he had to default because the tournament overlapped with the professional tournament in Iowa City.
Jason Kerst competed in the Firecracker Open in Louisville, Kentucky, earlier this month. The senior won his first two matches before falling in the quarterfinals. Kerst also saw action in the ITF World Tennis Tour in Iowa City, falling to the 14th-seeded Alexandre Rotsaert in the qualifying bracket.
LTA British Tour (West Worthing, England, June 24-29)
RD 32: Joe Tyler def. Jamie Caprice: 7-6(6), 6-2
RD 16: (2) Joe Tyler def. Joseph Newman Billington: 6-3, 6-0
QF: Joe Tyler walkover vs. Ben Stride
SF: (3) Tom Hands def. Joe Tyler: 6-7(7), 6-0, 6-4
LTA British Tour (Frinton, England, July 1-6)
RD 32: Joe Tyler def. Yujiro Onuma 6-4, 6-2
RD 16: (3) Joseph Newman-Billington def. Joe Tyler: 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
Firecracker Open (Louisville, KY, July 5-7)
RD 32: Jason Kerst def. Andrew Cahn: 6-2, 4-1 (retire)
RD 16: Jason Kerst def. Parker Wynn: withdrew
QF: Carson Haskins def. Jason Kerst: 6-4, 6-2
ITA Summer Circuit @ Kalamazoo, MI, July 6-8)
Singles
RD 32: (2) Oliver Okonkwo def. Will Tennison: 6-4, 6-0
RD 32: Morgan Lohan def. Andrew Mueller: 6-1, 6-2
RD 32: Nikita Snezhko def. Nathan Spear: 7-6(4), 1-6, 13-11
RD 16: (2) Oliver Okonkwo def. Aris Jhaveri: 6-1, 6-0
RD 16: Morgan Lohan def. John Dransfeld: 6-3, 6-4
RD 16: Jonathan Powell def. Nikita Snezhko: 4-6, 6-3, 10-6
QF: Joseph Gilman def. Morgan Lohan: 1-6, 6-3, 10-7
QF: (2) Oliver Okonkwo def. Zach Faveri: 6-3, 6-4
SF: (4) Bill Duo def. (2) Oliver Okonkwo: 6-0, 7-6(5)
Doubles
RD 16: Okonkwo/Snezhko def. Kelly/Sullivan: 8-2
QF: Okonkwo/Snezhko def. Ford/Faveri: 8-6
SF: Okonkwo/Snezhko def. Dausman/Matov: 8-5
F: Okonkwo/Snezhko def. Rogers/Fox: 8-3
LTA British Tour (Felixstowe, England, July 8-13)
RD 32: Joe Tyler def. Scott Macaulay: 6-4, 6-4
RD 16: Joe Tyler def. Alex Watkinson: 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
QF: Joe Tyler def. (4) James Mackinlay: 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4
SF Joe Tyler def. (1) Michael Shaw: 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(3)
F: Joe Tyler def. (3) Joseph Newman-Billington: 6-4, 6-4
ITA Summer Circuit (Lawrence, KS, July 13-15)
RD 32: Morgan Lohan def. Joe Harris: 6-2, 6-3
RD 16: Morgan Lohan def. Hayden Shoemake: 6-1, 6-1
QF: Morgan Lohan def. Brett Seaton: 6-1, 6-1
Had to default the final to play in our pro event.
ITF World Tennis Tour/Old Capitol Championships (Iowa City, IA, July 15-21)
Qualifying Round 1
(3) Alexander Klintcharov def. Nikita Snezhko: 4-6, 7-5, 10-2
(6) Alfredo Perez def. Will Davies: 6-1, 7-6(5)
(14) Alexandre Rotsaert def. Jason Kerst: 6-1, 6-7(2), 14-12
13) Sean Sculley def. Morgan Lohan: 6-2, 6-1
Main Draw
RD 32: (5) Aziz Dougaz def. Oliver Okonkwo: 7-6(4), 6-4
*Aziz Dougaz ATP ranking #573
RD 32: Mark Whitehouse def. Kareem Allaf: 6-3, 6-4
*ITF World Tennis Ranking #243
Main Draw Doubles
RD 16: Dougaz/Geller def. Allaf/Snezhko: 6-7(5), 6-3, 10-8
RD 16: Davies/Okonkwo def. Aguilar/Habib: 7-5, 6-3
QF: Findel-Hawkins/Whitehouse def. Davies/Okonkwo: 6-4, 6-4
**Davies/Okonkwo pick up 18 doubles points and will now have a world ranking**
LTA British Tour (Nottingham, England, July 15-20)
RD 32: Joe Tyler def. Dominic West: 6-4, 7-6(3)
RD 16: Daniel Little def. Joe Tyler: 2-6, 6-1, 6-4
