Mississippi State
ITA Southern Region Indoor Championships
Three Bulldogs Advance To Quarterfinals At ITA Southern Regionals
October 23, 2009 | Men's Tennis
83rd-ranked sophomore Artem Ilyushin of State led the way with his victory over Marcel Thiemann of in-state rival Ole Miss, 6-4, 4-1, retired, to advance to the quarterfinal round. Also advancing to the quarterfinals was MState's George Coupland, who stands 109th nationally, defeated the Rebel's Chris Thiemann in a competitive three-set bout, to advance, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4. MSU's sophomore Louis Cant won in straight-sets over UAB's Danny Manlow in the third round, 6-2, 6-1. Cant then took down eighth-seeded Alex Stamchev of Auburn in come-from-behind fashion, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, to join Coupland and Ilyushin in quarterfinal play.
Senior Chris Doerr of Mississippi State won his third round match over LSU's Julien Gauthier of in straight-sets, 6-4, 6-2, but was upended in the round of 16 by 67th-ranked Patricio Alvarado of Southern Miss, 6-1, 6-2.
MSU's junior Antonio Lastre was taken down by Ole Miss' Tucker Vorster in identical sets, 6-2, 6-2. State had a pair of sophomore's bids ended in the third round when Max Gregor Smith slipped up against Ricky Doverspike of Alabama, 6-4, 6-3 and Hrehan Hakeem fell to Louisiana-Lafayette's Piotr Banas, 6-4, 6-2.
"It is great to see that the work we have put in is paying off," said head coach Per Nilsson. "We would have liked to have played better in doubles and we will have to get stronger before spring, but we are seeing good things at the moment."
In double plays the Bulldogs' tandem of Coupland and Ilyushin advanced to the quarterfinals blanking Rappaccioli and Young of Tulane, 8-0 and advancing by default in the round of 16. MState's team of Smith and Stump took down New Orleans' tandem of Bouhana and Siska, 8-4 in the second round before their bid in the round of 16 got ended by the 21st-ranked and number-one-seeded Auburn tandem Tim Puetz and Alex Stamchev, 8-0. State'sCant and Doerr fell to New Orleans' third-seeded team of Calvin Kemp and Ben Smith in a hard-fought second-round match, 9-8(1). MSU's duo of Hakeem and Lastre slipped up in the second round to Bartsch and Kuehne of South Alabama, 8-4.
MSU will resume play at the ITA Southern Regionals on Saturday, Oct. 24, when Ilyushin, Coupland and Cant will take the courts in quarterfinal play along with the team of Coupland and Ilyushin battling in quarterfinal doubles.
ITA SOUTHERN REGIONALS
New Orleans, La. - 10/23/09
SINGLES
Third Round - Chris Doerr (MSU) def. Julien Gauthier (LSU) 6-4, 6-2; Louis Cant (MSU) def. Danny Manlow (UAB) 6-2, 6-1; Tucker Vorster (Ole Miss) def. Antonio Lastre (MSU) 6-2, 6-2; Ricky Doverspike (Alabama) def. Max Gregor Smith (MSU) 6-4, 6-3; Piotr Banas (Louisiana-Lafayette) def. Hrehan Hakeem (MSU) 6-4, 6-2.
Round of 16 - #83 Artem Ilyushin (MSU) def. Marcel Thiemann (Ole Miss) 6-4, 6-1, ret.; #109 George Coupland (MSU) def. Chris Thiemann (Ole Miss) 6-2, 1-6, 6-4; Louis Cant (MSU) def. Alex Stamchev (Auburn) 5-7, 6-4, 6-1; #67 Patricio Alvarado (Southern Miss) def. Doerr (MSU) 6-1, 6-2.
DOUBLES
Second Round - Coupland/Ilyushin (MSU) def. Rodrigo Rappaccioli/Joe Young (Tulane) 8-0; Smith/Stump (MSU) def. Benjamin Bouhana/Stepan Siska (New Orleans) 8-4; Calvin Kemp/Ben Smith (New Orleans) def. Cant/Doerr (MSU) 9-8(1); Hanno Bartsch/Christian Kuehne (South Alabama) def. Hakeem/Lastre (MSU) 8-4.
Round of 16 - Coupland/Ilyushin (MSU) def. Michael Davis/Saketh Myneni (Alabama) by default; #21 Tim Puetz/Alex Stamchev (Auburun) def. Smith/Stump (MSU) 8-0.
