Nov. 3, 2012
Orlando, Fla. – Nathan Rakitt and Juan Melian picked up singles victories for Georgia Tech Saturday in the USTA Clay Court Invitational, but Rakitt lost in the Garnet Draw semifinals, and two other Yellow Jackets lost in consolation draw matches.
Rakitt, a freshman from Marietta, Ga., outlasted George Goldhoff of Irvine, Calif., 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2, in the quarterfinals of the Garnet Draw, but fell in the semifinals to Cristian Gonzalez-Mendez of Florida State in straight sets, 6-1, 6-1, in the semifinals. He will Gage Brymer of Irvine, Calif., in a Sunday consolation match.
Melian remained alive in the Gold Draw consolation with a straight-set win, 6-4, 6-1, over Tulsa’s Grant Ive. The senior from Las Palmas, Spain will face Billy Federhofer of Florida Saturday morning.
In other singles competition, sophomore Eduardo Segura lost in three sets, 6-1, 1-6, 1-0 (11-9), to FSU’s Andres Bucaro in the Garnet consolation draw and will face Florida Atlantic’s Jose Fantova Sunday. Freshman Anish Sharma lost, 7-6 (4), 7-5, to Dan McCall of Duke in the Spear consolation draw and will take on Matthew Gladstone of Central Florida Sunday.
“Singles was better today,” said Tech coach Kenny Thorne. “Nathan played a smart match in his first match of the day. He beat a very good claycourt player by staying patient until he could move forward. He also stayed aggressive on both sides of the ball: serve and return. Unfortunately, he went away from that in the second match and lost to another tough player. Nathan made some good strides this fall and should be very confident in his game.
“Juan played a smart match and competed with poise. He is maturing and starting to focus only on the things he can control. He will be better and better. Eddie had a tough loss but more importantly he rebounded well from a poorly played first set. When Eddie decides to not try and play bigger tennis but to maintain better shot selection on every point regardless of the score, then he is going to take off. I believe in him and it will happen. Anish competed well and served for the second set but came up short. He has had a good attitude and just needs to go back to work. There are no big secrets to success. Hard and smart work is always the answer.”
In doubles. Segura and Sharma made a quick exit after getting a first-round bye in the Garnet Draw, dropping an 8-2 decision to Will Neuner and Jose Fantova of Florida Atlantic.
USTA CLAY COURT INVITATIONALOrlando, Fla.Saturday Results
Gold Draw Doubles Quarterfinals Lock/Cotrone (FSU) def. Federhofer/Watson (UF) 8-2 Redlicki/Tahir (Duke) def. DeVroome/Grant (USC) 8-5 Quiroz/Hanfmann (USC) def. Reed/Kelly-Houston (FSU) 8-2 Jomby/Lai (UK) def. Mengel/Saba (Duke) 8-5
Garnet Draw Doubles Quarterfinals Espejo Sanchez/Kirby (Tulsa) def. Bacha.Meade (FAU) 8-4 Bucaro/Rinaldi (FSU) def. Proisy/Johnson (UF) 8-2 Neuner/Fantova (FAU) def. Segura/Sharma (GT) 8-2 Gauer/Gonzalez Mendez (FSU) def. Levine/McCall (Duke) 8-5
Gold Draw Singles Quarterfinals Quiroz (USC) def. Tahir (Duke) 6-2, 6-4 Hanfmann (USC) def. Saba (Duke) 6-3, 6-1 Redlicki (Duke) def. Konigsfeldt (Cal) 6-4, 6-4 Murra (UK) def. Mengel (Duke) 6-3, 6-3
Garnet Draw Singles Quarterfinals Gonzalez Mendez (FSU) def. Bader (PSU) 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 Rakitt (GT) def. Goldhoff (USTA) 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 Orces (Cit) def. Levine (Duke) 6-7 (5), 6-1, 7-5 Brymer (USTA) def. Grant (USC) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1)
Spear Draw Singles Quarterfinals Perez-Blanco (USTA) def. Proisy (UF) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4 Jackson (Tulsa) def. Smith (USTA) 6-4, 7-5 Gauer (FSU) def. Trakulja (PSU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-0 Aulina (UCF) def. Meade (FAU) 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4
Gold Draw Singles First Round Losers Federhofer (UF) def. DrVroome (USC) 4-6, 6-2, 10-1 Redlicki (USTA) def. Reed (FSU) 4-6, 6-0, 10-3 Welnetz (PSU) def. Jha (UK) 6-2, 6-3 Melian (GT) def. Ive (Tulsa) 6-4, 6-1 Wang (USC) def. Hanzlik (PSU) 6-2, 6-1 Lai (UK) def. Blasco (UCF) 6-3, 6-4 Lederman (USTA) def. Watson (UF) 7-6 (4), 6-2 Baughman (USTA) def. Espejo Sanchez (Tulsa) 3-6, 6-4, 10-8
Spear Draw Singles First Round Losers Bacha (FAU) def. Gladstone (UCF) 7-6 (4), 7-5 McCall (Duke) def. Sharma (GT) 7-6 (4), 7-5
Gold Draw Singles Second Round Losers Bayane (Cal) def. Ignat (Col) 6-1, 3-2 ret. Kelly-Houston (FSU) def. Schneider (USTA) 6-3, 1-6, 13-11 Engsted (Cal) def. Cotrone (FSU) 7-6 (3), 4-6, 10-8 Lock (FSU) def. Jomby (UK) inj.
Garnet Draw Singles Second Round Losers Bucaro (FSU) def. Segura (GT) 6-1, 1-6, 11-9 Rinaldi (FSU) def. Fantova (FAU) 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 Rubin (COL) def. Johnson (UF) 7-5, 6-7(4), 10-4 Neuner (FAU) def. Kirby (Tulsa) inj.
Gold Draw Singles Semifinals Quiroz (USC) def. Murra (UK) 6-3, 6-3 Redlicki (Duke) def. Hanfmann (USC) 6-4, 6-3
Garnet Draw Singles Semifinals Gonzalez Mendez (FSU) def. Rakitt (GT) 6-1, 6-1 Orces (Citadel) def. Brymer (USTA) 6-3, 6-3
Spear Draw Singles Semifinals Perez-Blanco (USTA) def. Gauer (FSU) 6-3, 6-0 Aulina (UCF) def. Jackson (Tulsa) 1-6, 6-4, 7-5
