Men's tennis impresses in two weekend tournaments

Troy men’s tennis had a big weekend, sending two groups of players to compete in two

separate tournaments: the Auburn Battle on the Plains and the Mercer Gridiron Classic.  

"Overall, it was a very strong weekend, especially in Auburn, being in the semifinals with three Power Four teams," said head coach Rolando Vargas. "We're going to be in top form for regionals, and we just have to recover fast." 

The Trojans put on quite the show in Auburn, excelling in both doubles and singles play. The duo of Luciano Alcocer and Yeray Andres Pastor advanced all the way to the semifinals before their winning run was ended by a strong team from Ole Miss. This victory signaled a high level of competition and performance from the Trojans right out of the gate. 

Although the other Troy duo, Hiiro Sakamoto and Ausias Martin Melo, faced a loss, they kept playing fiercely in the consolation draw. They fell to UAB but performed well in a comeback victory versus North Alabama.  

Troy practically swept the tourney when it came to singles play, demonstrating a formidable individual presence. Sophomore Ausias Martin Melo ended his weekend 2-1 in singles play, starting off strong by earning his first collegiate win with a big Power Four victory on Friday. He carried that fiery momentum throughout the tournament. 

On Sunday, Hiiro Sakamoto finished his outing in Auburn with a huge 6-1, 6-4 win against Alberto Altur from North Alabama. This gave him his second singles win of the tournament, finishing with a bang and adding another victory to the team's total. 

Junior Luciano Alcocer also grabbed a win over Kai Milburn of Ole Miss to end his trip, finishing 6-4, 6-3. 

Out in Macon, Georgia, the Trojans also notched a big win in doubles play at the Mercer Gridiron Classic. The pairing of Thiago Drozdowski and Louis Boilevin won a hard-fought match over the Mercer duo of Esteban Davila Gasser and Howell Burns. Their victory came after a tight contest, with the final score being 7-6 (7-3). 

Freshman Stephan Tavares Noale was another Trojan who earned his first collegiate win this weekend, snagging a 6-2, 6-3 victory. He didn’t stop there, getting another win against Alexander Achour of Middle Georgia State, winning 6-1, 6-4. 

The Trojans gear up for the ITA Southern Regional against teams from around the region – the event will start on Thursday, Oct. 9 in Tuscaloosa.