Travelling to Blacksburg, Va., to compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Regionals, the Georgetown women’s tennis team put on an impressive showing, with two Hoyas advancing to the round of 32 and one narrowly missing the quarterfinals.
The men’s team, however, saw mixed results in the Blue and Gray’s penultimate competition of the fall season.
A trio of Hoyas anchored the Georgetown men, as junior Marco Lam, sophomore Michael Chen and junior Peter Beatty each advanced past the first round but then failed to make it past the second round. Lam cruised in his first match, winning in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1 over junior William Jones from Howard University. Lam then faced 14th-seeded junior Javier Maestre from Old Dominion University, falling 6-2, 6-4.
After triumphing in a three-set affair over senior Florian Uffer from Longwood University, Chen saw his tournament conclude with a second three-set battle, as senior Aws Laaribi of Pennsylvania State University advanced 1-6, 6-2, 6-3. After completing the upset over crosstown rival junior Chris Fletcher of George Washington University 7-6 (4-0), 6-4, Beatty fell in straight sets to sophomore Jason Kros of Virginia Tech, 6-3, 6-4.
Rounding out the Hoyas’ men’s singles performances were senior Yannick Mahlangu and junior Mac Rechan. Mahlangu lost his first match in the main draw 6-1, 6-3 to freshman Gabriel Nemeth of Penn State. Although he was defeated in his first match in the main draw, Rechan came away victorious in a back draw match, 7-6, 6-3 over freshman Eric Biscoveanu from Temple University.
In double’s play, which features a one-set match to eight games, all three duos advanced past the first round. Beatty and Mahlangu triumphed 8-3 over Duquesne University, followed by an 8-5 defeat at the racquets of Virginia Tech. After an 8-5 victory over Hampton, Chen and senior partner Jordan Portner’s tournament ended in an 8-3 loss to a pair from Old Dominion.
Wrapping up the men’s doubles was Georgetown’s sole Big East matchup, in which Lam and Rechan handled St. John’s University 8-6. In the next round, Penn State took down the duo of Lam and Rechan, 8-5.
Headlined by a superior performance from senior Victoire Saperstein, the women’s team completed a very successful tournament.
Saperstein, who defeated Temple University junior Alina Abdurakhimova 6-1, 6-1 in the first round, then handled the University of Virginia’s freshman Hunter Bleser in a nail-biting three-set affair, 1-6, 7-6, 7-6. In the Round of 16, Saperstein fell to Penn State’s senior Katia Blik, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 after holding a 4-3 lead in the decisive third set.
In addition to Saperstein’s star performance, sophomore Risa Nakagawa was victorious in a main draw match, taking freshman Chloe Gullickson of the University of Virginia in three sets, 6-3, 6-7, 7-5. Nakagawa fell in the next round, 6-3, 6-2.
Sophomore Cecilla Lynham and junior Sara Swift rounded out the women’s side of the Hoyas’ involvement in the tournament. Lynham played her way into the main draw with a duo of victories in the qualifying draw, scoring 6-4, 6-3 and 6-1, 6-4. However, freshman Holly Hutchison of Old Dominion University ended Lynham’s tournament, defeating the sophomore Hoya 6-1, 6-3. Sara Swift, also competing in the main draw, fell to senior Francesca Fusinato of Virginia Tech in straight sets. In doubles play, both groups fell in the first round.
Both the men’s and women’s teams will compete once more this fall. The men will participate in the Navy Invitational this weekend, while the women are scheduled for the Jack Kramer Invitational in Palos Verdes, Calif. from Nov. 3-6.
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