24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2019-20 | Hawk Talk Monthly – November | Fight For Iowa
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. — The University of Iowa men’s tennis doubles team of Will Davies and Oliver Okonkwo, ranked No. 56 nationally, bounced the No. 1 seed and sixth-ranked team in the country on Thursday at the ITA National Fall Championships held at The Tennis Club in Newport Beach, California.
Davies/Okonkwo took down sixth-ranked Lin/Tang of Columbia in straight sets (7-5, 6-2). The Hawkeye duo lost their opening match of the tournament late Wednesday evening against 30th-ranked Cutting/Stevenson of Memphis in a third set tiebreak (0-6, 6-1, 14-12).
Senior Kareem Allaf knocked off the No. 82 ranked player in the country, UCF’s Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi, in straight sets (6-4, 6-3) on Thursday. The victory was Allaf’s eighth of the fall season and is now tied for fifth in school history for most singles wins.
In other doubles action, Matt Clegg and Nikita Snezhko lost their Thursday match to fourth-ranked Berdusco/Inglidsen from Florida in a close match, 6-4, 7-6(5).
Davies/Okonkwo and Clegg/Snezhko are the first Hawkeye doubles teams to qualify for this prestigious event in 20 years. Iowa is one of only three schools in the country (Baylor, Oklahoma State) to have multiple teams compete in the 32-team bracket.
Quoting Mellecker Family Head Coach Ross Wilson
“Big win by Oliver and Will to beat the No. 1 seed. Since Regionals, they’ve been playing better every match and they are certainly playing their best right now. Kareem adjusted better today to the conditions and played a solid match from start to finish. I can’t say enough about the progress Nikita and Matt have made this fall. For them to end their fall season playing at the ITA Fall Nationals shows the depth of our program.”
ORACLE ITA NATIONAL FALL CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
The Tennis Club at Newport Beach | Newport Beach, Calif.
Singles Round of 64
Luca Moldner (ODU) def. Kareem Allaf (UI): 6-4, 6-2
Doubles Round of 32
#30 Cutting/Stevenson (MEM) def. #56 Davies/Okonkwo (UI): 0-6, 6-1, 14-12
Moreno/Thomas (LSU) def. Clegg/Snezhko (UI): 6-4, 6-4
Consolation Singles Round of 32
Kareem Allaf (UI) def. #82 Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi (UCF): 6-4, 6-3
Consolation Doubles Round of 16
#56 Davies/Okonkwo (UI) def. #6 Lin/Tang (CU): 7-5, 6-2
#4 Berdusco/Ingildsen (UF) def. Clegg/Snezhko (UI): 6-4, 7-6(5)
