Three Bulldogs, One Doubles Team Move On At ITA Southern Regionals

Saturday, October 19

Auburn, Ala.

All Day

Mississippi State

ITA Southern Regional Championshps

Freshman Davide Tortora advances to doubles quarterfinals and the round of 16 in singles at the 2019 ITA Southern Regional Championships

Three Bulldogs, One Doubles Team Move On At ITA Southern Regionals

October 19, 2019 | Men's Tennis

ITA Southern Regional Championships Draws Day 1

by Graham Murphree, Student Assistant/Communications

AUBURN, Ala. – The Mississippi State men's tennis team collected six wins in main draw action of the 2019 ITA Southern Regional Championships Saturday, with three Bulldogs advancing to the Round of 16 in singles and one doubles team moving into Sunday's quarterfinals.

Doubles action commenced the day as the No. 6 seed of Gregor Ramskogler and Davide Tortora took the court against Louisiana-Lafayette's tandem of Jamie Fraser and Ivalio Kermedchiev, ultimately taking the match in a tiebreaker 8-7(1). The Bulldog duo then continued their stride as they met Auburn's pair of Diego Chavarria and Matteo Devincentis, winning 8-5. The Bulldog duo will now meet the top seed of Clement Marzol and Loic Cloes of South Alabama in the quarterfinals Sunday after the conclusion of singles action.

The all-freshman Bulldog duo of Isaac Becroft and Nicolas Ocana continued on the early morning win train as the pair met Jan Soren Hain and Cotter Wilson of Ole Miss, winning 8-3. After downing the Rebels, the Bulldogs faced Daniel Moreno and Joey Thomas of LSU, falling 8-5.

Juniors Florian Broska and Stedman Strickland, the No. 4 seed, ended their doubles campaign this weekend, falling to Auburn's duo of Tim Dollman and Michael Durham 8-4.

Following doubles, singles play began with Becroft taking on Alabama's Zhe Zhou in the opening round of the main draw, where Becroft captured the first frame in a tough 7-5 set but ultimately fell 5-7, 6-2, 6-3. The MSU rookie will compete in consolation action on Sunday.

Next up on the schedule was Broska, facing Alabama's Alexy Nesterov which turned into three-set battle which Broska rallied to take 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Broska will now play Sunday in the Round of 16 against Tulane's third-seeded and 61^st-ranked Luis Erlenbusch.

Ramskogler then took the court for State against Alabama's Marcelo Sepulveda Garza. Ramskogler continued his fast-paced shot playing performance from doubles as he cruised comfortably past Garza 6-1, 6-3. Ramskogler's Round of 16 contest Sunday will come versus Auburn's Tyler Stice.

In MSU's final match of the day, the No. 7-seeded true freshman Tortora took the court to battle Auburn's Thomas Wright. Tortora proved worthy of his top 10 seeding as he held off Wright in 6-4, 6-4 fashion. Tortora's Round of 16 matchup Sunday will come against Ole Miss' Nicola Slavic.

Match play continues Sunday morning at 9 a.m. CT with the singles Round of 16. The quarterfinals will follow at 12:30 p.m. with the quarterfinal round of doubles to be contested after its conclusion.

MSU at the ITA Southern Regional Championships
October 19, 2019 – Auburn, Alabama

Doubles
Second Round - Gregor Ramskogler/Davide Tortora (MSU) [6] def. Jamie Fraser/Ivalio Keremedchiev (Louisiana-Lafayette) 8-7(1); Isaac Becroft/Nicolas Ocana (MSU) def. Jan Soren Hain/Cotter Wilson (Ole Miss) 8-3; Tim Dollman/Michael Durham (Auburn) def. Florian Broska/Stedman Strickland (MSU) [4] 8-4

Round of 16 – Ramskogler/Tortora (MSU) [6] def. Diego Chavarria/Matteo Devincentis (Auburn) 8-5; Daniel Moreno/Joey Thomas (LSU) def. Becroft/Ocana (MS) 8-5

Singles
First Round - Zhe Zhou (Alabama) def. Isaac Becroft (MSU) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3; Florian Broska (MSU) def. Alexy Nesterov (Alabama) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Gregor Ramskogler (MSU) def. Marcelo Sepulveda Garza (Alabama) 6-1, 6-3; Davide Tortora (MSU) [7] def. Thomas Wright (Auburn) 6-4, 6-4

Tournament seedings are in brackets