Hokies with wins on day one of Southern Intercollegiates

Tech tallies wins in singles flights

September 8, 2017

ATHENS, Ga. – The Virginia Tech men’s tennis team picked up several wins in singles during the opening day of the 50th Annual Southern Intercollegiates at the Dan Magill Tennis Center in Athens, Georgia.

Mitch Harper and Carlo Donato opened the day in the Division I flight. Donato began his collegiate career with a win over Kennesaw State’s Fermin Cavlo. After dropping the first set 6-2, Donato rallied to win the second by the same margin. In the final set, the two battled and were tied at 6-6, forcing a tiebreak that went all the way to 19-17 before Donato secured the win.

In the second, round Donato again went to three sets, this time against UGA’s top-seed Wayne Montgomery who finished the 2017 season ranked 35th in the ITA. Donato won the first set 6-3, but the Bulldogs’ player came back strong to win the next two 6-2, 6-4.

Harper knocked off FAU’s Gabriel Sidney 7-6(5), 6-4 in the opening round. In the second round Harper fell to Ole Miss’s 7th-seeded Tim Sandkaulen 6-2, 7-6.

In the Division II flight, freshman Chase Bernstine got off to win over KSU’s Manuel Castellanos 7-6(3), 6-1. Bernstine took Arkansas’ Branch Terrell to three sets after winning the first 6-4, but Terrell came back, holding on to win the next two with close scores of 7-6, 7-5.

After a first round bye, Jason Kros won a second round match over Lander’s David Korsten 6-3, 6-1.

Abraham Asaba had two wins for the Hokies in the Division III flight. In the first round he downed ETSU’s Chris Mikrovas in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 and followed up with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Stetson’s Colter Decoste.

Ryan Kros had a first round bye in the flight, but knocked off ETSU’s Taisei Miyamoto 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.

The Hokies fell in their two opening round doubles matches, but Jason Kros and Harper will take the court in the Division I flight on Saturday after a first round bye. Asaba will pair up with Feliksas Sakalauskas in the Division II flight in a second round match.

Tech will be back on the court at 8 a.m. Saturday for the next round of doubles.

DI Singles
Mitch Harper (VT) def. Gabriel Sidney (FAU) 7-6(5), 6-4
7-seed: Tim Sandkaulen (Ole Miss) def. Harper (VT) 6-2, 7-6

Carlo Donato (VT) def. Fermin Calvo (KSU) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(17)
1-seed: Wayne Montgomery (UGA) def. Donato (VT) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

DII Singles
Chase Bernstine (VT) def. Manuel Castellanos (KSU) 7-6(3), 6-1
Branch Terrell (Ark) def. Bernstine (VT) 4-6, 7-6, 7-5

Jason Kros (VT) def. David Korsten (Lander) 6-3, 6-1

Thomas Guy (FAU) def. Feliksas Sakalauskas (VT) 6-1, 7-5

DIII Singles
Abraham Asaba (VT) def. Chris Mikrovas (ETSU) 6-4, 6-1
Asaba (VT) def. Colter Decoste (Stetson) 6-1, 6-2

Ryan Kros (VT) def. Taisei Miyamoto (ETSU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3

Gregor Hutteser (Ga. Gwinnett) def. George Cartledge (VT) 6-2, 6-3

DI Doubles
Remi Chancerel/Anthony Schohn (FAU) def. Cartledge/Donato (VT) 8-4

DII Doubles
Zvonimir Babic/Cotter Wilson (Ole Miss) def. Bernstine/R. Kros (VT) 8-4

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