The Stony Brook Men’s and Women’s Tennis teams saw its fall seasons end at the ITA Regional tournament this past Sunday, at Yale and Dartmouth respectively. While all of the men’s team and most of women’s team fell early on in the tournament, sophomore Elizabeth Tsvetkov made it to the Round of 16.
After taking a singles flight at the Hofstra Pride Invitational and a singles title at the Stony Brook Invitational last month, freshman Samuel Taieb was looking to make a statement at his first ITA Regional. But, he was beaten in straight sets by Army sophomore Michael Nguyen, 6-3, 6-3. Nguyen got the best of Taieb, advancing in his second straight ITA Regional.
Although Taieb was out, the men’s team had three other members they could rely on to represent them. Senior Jose Morales had a strong showing against Marist junior Dylan Fletcher, who he defeated 7-6, 6-0. Morales later fell to Cornell sophomore Karim Arem 7-6, 6-0 in the next round.
Junior Raphael Termat also had a good first round at the ITA Regionals. He beat Connecticut redshirt senior Jacob Spreyer in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. The momentum was on his side as he prepared to face Columbia freshman Victor Pham.
The Tennis Recruiting Network listed Columbia as having the tenth-best recruiting class in the country this year, led by Pham.
Termat took the first set 6-1, but subsequently fell 3-6, 1-6 to Pham and saw his fall season come to a close.
Junior Tyler Hoffman looked for success in singles play. His match was against Cornell freshman Maverick Lin, who he lost to 6-1, 7-5.
In doubles play, Termat and Hoffman beat Hofstra’s duo of sophomore Niko Vulinovich and freshman Gustav Åkesson 8-7. However, they fell to Princeton’s team of junior Thomas Colautti and sophomore Diego Vives, 8-7, in the second round. Morales and Taieb also lost to a Princeton duo, this time consisting of sophomore Luke Gamble and junior Alexander Day, 8-3.
On the women’s side, Tsvetkov went the farthest as she fell in the Round of 16. As the No. 17 seed, Tsvetkov was awarded a bye in the first round. She went on to defeat Yale sophomore Ree Ree Li 6-4, 6-1 in the Round of 64 and beat Harvard freshman Annika Ringblom 6-2, 7-5 in the Round of 32.
Tsvetkov took her first set against Cornell junior Marika Cusick 6-1, but lost 6-1, 3-6, 1-6 in the Round of 16.
Junior Nadia Smergut fell in the first set of her opener against University of Massachusetts freshman Ruth Crawford 5-7, but managed to come back 6-4 in her second set. In her third set against Crawford, Smergut could not complete the comeback effort and lost 4-6.
Senior Louise Badoche saw her final ITA tournament come to a close early in the main draw as she fell to the No. 6 seed, Cornell sophomore Lizzie Stewart, 6-1, 6-3.
Rounding out singles play for the women was sophomore Yana Nikolaeva, who fell in straight sets to her opponent, Columbia freshman Andrea Kevakian 6-1, 6-4.
Badoche and Smergut saw some success in doubles play as they advanced to the Round of 16. The two edged out Connecticut junior Emma Alderman and sophomore Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva 8-7 in the Round of 64 and defeated Seton Hall senior Hannah Liljekvist and sophomore Luize Strike 8-5 in the Round of 32.
Ultimately, Badoche and Smergut fell short as they were beaten by Columbia’s sophomore duo Rima Asatrian and Alexandra Solovyev, 8-3, in the Round of 16.
Tsvetkov and Nikolaeva could not replicate the success they had earlier in the month at the Navy Blue and Gold Invitational, and fell 8-5 to St. John’s junior Natallia Vavulina and sophomore Zofia Stanisz.
Both teams get to enjoy a four-month-long hiatus as neither has a match or tournament before February. The men’s team starts their spring season with a match against St. John’s on Feb. 5, while the women are set to take on Army and Connecticut on Feb. 5 and 6.
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