May 12, 2012
Harvard holds off Hokies in NCAA opener
Tech claims doubles point, but Harvard answers with four singles wins
F
(15) Virginia 17
Virginia Tech12

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 45th-ranked Virginia Tech men’s tennis team fell 4-2, to No. 23 Harvard on Saturday afternoon during the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championship hosted by the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla. Tech ends the season at 11-12 while the Crimson improves to 23-2.

Tech got off to a solid start winning two of the three doubles matches to take the point and a 1-0 lead. Hunter Koontz paired up with Trpimir Kujundzic in the No. 3 as the Hokies’ duo defeated Andy Nguyen and Denis Nguyen, 8-5

The No. 2 Tech tandem of Patrick Daciek and Lucas Oliveira clinched the point with an 8-6 decision against Jonathan Pearlman and Christo Schultz.

Virginia Tech extended its lead as Daciek picked up the win in the No. 3 singles. He defeated Schultz in straight sets with scores of 6-0, 6-2 to give Tech a 2-0 advantage.

The Crimson got on the board in the No. 6 singles where Henry Steer picked up a 6-4, 6-2 win against Kujundzic. Harvard tied up the match as Alex Steinroeder defeated Tech’s Mauricio Antun 6-2, 6-2 in the No. 5.

Harvard took a 3-2 lead with a win in the No. 4. The Crimson’s Shaun Chaudhuri and Tech’s Corrado Degl’ Incerti Tocci went back and forth, playing to three sets with the Harvard player taking the first 6-3. Tocci came back in the second set for a 6-3 win, but Chaudhuri responded in the third, 6-3.

In the No. 2 singles, the Crimson clinched the match. Harvard’s Denis Nguyen took the opening set 6-3 against Oliveira. The Tech player responded in the second set, holding off Nguyen for the 7-6(2) win. In the third set, Nguyen led 4-1 before Oliveira had to retire.

Senior Luka Somen will participate in the NCAA singles tournament that will be held May 23-28 in Athens, Ga. Pairings for the individual tournament will be announced May 22.

Singles
1. #47 Luka Somen (VT) led Jonathan Pearlman (H) 6-4, 2-6, 4-0, dnf
2. Denis Nguyen (H) def. Lucas Oliveira (VT) 6-3, 6-7(2), 4-1, ret.
3. Patrick Daciek (VT) def. Christo Schultz (H) 6-0, 6-2
4. Shaun Chaudhuri (H) def. Corrado Degl’ Incerti Tocci (VT) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
5. Alex Steinroeder (H) def. Mauricio Antun (VT) 6-2, 6-2
6. Henry Steer (H) def. Trpimir Kujundzic (VT) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles
1. #66 Alistair Felton/Casey MacMaster (H) def. #48 Tocci/Somen (VT) 8-5
2. Daciek/Oliveira (VT) def. Pearlman/Schultz (H) 8-6
3. Koontz/Kujundzic (VT) def. Andy Nguyen/D. Nguyen (H) 8-5

For updates on Virginia Tech men's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_MTennis).

HokieSports Shop