Oct. 18, 2015
USTA/ITA Regional information | Tournament draws and results
Gainesville, Fla. – Georgia Tech’s Casey and Michael Kay took down another ranked team on Sunday and reached the semifinals of the USTA/ITA Southeast Regional.
DOUBLES UPDATE — After defeating the nation’s seventh-ranked team on Saturday, the Kays defeated 20th-ranked Julian Roberts and Roberto Cid, 8-3, in the Sunday quarterfinals. The semifinals and finals in doubles are both scheduled for Monday sandwiched around the singles finals.
The Kays are the only unranked doubles team remaining in the semifinals in which they will face No. 50 Jack Findel-Hawkins and Yannick Zuern of North Florida Monday morning. The other semifinal features top-ranked Ben Wagland and Austin Smith of Georgia against No. 23 Hidalgo and Watson.
“Our doubles has been much improved, and although we lost a tough one with Nathan and Chris, we are doing better things,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “The Kays continue to be very solid in their fundamentals. They won again by two breaks against the No. 20 team in the nation. They both served solidly and returned well, which pressures teams every game. Solid day for them.”
SINGLES UPDATE — Tech finished up singles play in the event Sunday when Christopher Eubanks fell in three sets to the 33rd-ranked Hidalgo of Florida, and Nathan Rakitt was eliminated from the consolation bracket with a straight-set loss to Georgia Southern’s Ristomatti Lanne.
“Chris did a good job of fighting after getting down 5-1 in the first set,” said Thorne. “He won 11 of the next 14 games to go up 2-0 in the third. He lost one tough game on his serve to go back even in the third. He lost his concentration a bit to lose serve again, and that game is where the corrections need to be focused. He still fought his way back in the set, and credit goes to Hidalgo for hanging in there and getting the job done.”
SUNDAY’S RESULTS
Singles Main Draw
Quarterfinal – #33 Diego Hidalgo (Florida) def. #24 Christopher Eubanks, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Singles Consolation
Quarterfinal – Ristomatti Lanne (Georgia Southern) def. #101 Nathan Rakitt, 6-4, 6-2
Doubles Quarterfinals
Casey Kay/Michael Kay def. #20 Julian Roberts/Roberto Cid (South Florida), 8-3
#23 Gordon Watson/Diego Hidalgo (Florida) def. Christopher Eubanks/Nathan Rakitt, 8-5
Doubles-Main Draw Semifinals
#1 Ben Wagland/Austin Smith (UGA) vs. #23 Diego Hidalgo/Gordon Watson (UF)
#50 Jack Fiedel-Hawkins/Yannick Zuern (UNF) vs. Casey Kay/Michael Kay (Georgia Tech)
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION — The Southeast Regional is one of 12 regional events taking place around the country this weekend. The site alternates between venues in each state annually. The Southeast regional gathers 64 of the top collegiate men’s players and 64 of the top doubles teams from Georgia and Florida for the five-day event that concludes with finals in both draws Monday morning.
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH MEN’S TENNIS
Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team is beginning its 18th year under head coach Kenny Thorne. The Yellow Jackets have played in the NCAA Championship 15 times. Connect with Georgia Tech Men’s Tennis on social media by liking their Facebook page, or following on Twitter (@GT_MTEN). For more information on Tech men’s tennis, visit Ramblinwreck.com.
