Aug. 10, 2014
Bloomington, Ind. – Georgia Tech’s Nathan Rakitt and Christopher Eubanks have both reached the round of 16 of the ITA/USTA National Summer Championships, taking place on the campus of Indiana University.
Rakitt, one of the tournament’s top eight seeds, won a pair of straight-set matches Sunday after getting an opening-round bye. The junior from Marietta, Ga., defeated Michigan State’s Jasper Koenen, 7-5, 6-0, in the second round, then eliminated Notre Dame’s Nicolas Montoya, 6-2, 7-6. He will play Thomas Mayronne of South Carolina, a top-16 seed, in the round of 16 Monday. Rakitt finished last spring ranked 115th in the nation in singles by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
Eubanks, ranked as high as 14th among the nation’s junior players in the past year, beat Vanderbilt’s Ryan McElvenny, 6-1, 6-0, in the second round Sunday, and followed that with a 6-3, 6-4 decision over Luke Trinka of Bowdoin. The Yellow Jackets’ incoming freshman had defeated Wofford’s Parks Thompson in straight sets in the opening round Saturday. Rated a 5-star player by the Tennis Recruiting Network, Eubanks has gone 13-3 in junior events in 2014, reaching the quarterfinals in all three events.
The round of 16 and quarter-final matches in the ITS Summer Championship are scheduled for Monday, with the semi-final and championship matches set for Tuesday. Both players also are entered in doubles draw, which begins Sunday.
Nearly 30,000 men and women have competed in ITA Summer Circuit events since it began in 1993. The circuit provides college (and junior and alumni) players the opportunity to compete in organized events virtually year round. Although the primary focus of the circuit is to provide incoming freshmen and collegiate players the chance to compete in the summer months, for NCAA compliance purposes, the events within the ITA Summer Circuit are categorized as “open”; therefore anyone is eligible to compete in these events as long as he/she is a current ITA member.
About Georgia Tech Men’s Tennis
Georgia Tech’s men’s tennis team is in its 17th year under head coach Kenny Thorne. The Yellow Jackets have played in the NCAA Championship 14 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.
