Men’s tennis competes in season opener in Tulsa

The Troy men’s tennis team started individual competition this past week at the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men’s All-American Championship.

Senior Giovani Samaha participated in Round 1 of the pre-qualifying draw. He beat his opponent, freshman Reese Stalder from TCU, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.

Six more Trojans competed in the tournament, playing in the second round of the pre-qualifying competition.

Troy is starting new this year, as there are a lot of new faces on the team. The team hopes to match, or even improve further from the team it was last year.

Junior Francisco Yim Kim won his second-round match 7-5, 6-2 against junior Vineet Naran of Temple University.

Only one other Trojan advanced to Round 3 of the pre-qualifying draw.

Junior Pablo Moreno won his second-round match against sophomore Andreas Boers from Illinois State 6-3, 6-3.

Samaha lost in the second round after he won the first set 6-4,  dropping the next two. His opponent was senior Michael Riechmann of Texas 6-4, 3-6, 2-6.

Freshman Vaclav Slezak lost his second-round match 2-6, 4-6 to redshirt senior Ryoto Taachi from UCLA.

Senior Daniel Bustamante lost to his opponent junior Jurence Mendoza from Oklahoma State 4-6, 3-6.

Sophomore Stjepan Cagalj lost his second-round match in a hard-fought battle 4-6, 4-6 to junior Daffra Sanon from Clemson University, and sophomore Andy Lau lost his match in two sets 3-6, 5-7 to sophomore Toshiki Matsuya from the University of Illinois.

Yim Kim and Moreno

see Tennis, page 7

round of the qualifying draw, but both lost.

Yim Kim lost to junior Chi-Shan Jao from Tulane University 3-6, 2-6, and Moreno lost his third round match 3-6, 6-2, 4-6 to junior Matt Hamilton of Western Michigan.

Bustamante won his singles consolation match against redshirt freshman Austin Williams from Wichita State 7-5, 6-1.

Cagalj won his consolation match 6-1, 6-3 against senior Aduardo Bringold from Eastern Washington University.

Slezak defeated his opponent sophomore Christoffer Greve from Illinois State 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.

Lau lost to his opponent redshirt junior Rodolfo Jauregui from the University of New Mexico 4-6, 3-6.

Samaha won his match 6-2, 6-3 against redshirt sophomore Jacob Herndon from the University of Arkansas.

The men overall did well, with all but one making it to the third round or winning their consolation matches.

The Trojans’ next tennis tournament is in Macon, Georgia at Mercer University on Oct. 9-11. The women’s tennis team will be competing as well.