Oct. 3, 2008
ATLANTA –
Georgia Tech’s Miguel Muguruza and Ryan Smith won a pair of doubles matches, including a quarterfinal tilt against Georgia, and the Yellow Jackets captured four of five singles matches on the first day of the Tech Fall Invitational tennis tournament at the Bill Moore Tennis Center.
Muguruza and Smith downed Georgia’s Alex Hill and Jamie Hunt, 8-2, in the afternoon quarterfinals after defeating a team from Vanderbilt, 8-5, in the morning.
“The highlight of the day was the doubles match with Ryan and Miguel,” said Tech assistant coach Aljosa Piric, who is running the event this weekend while head coach Kenny Thorne is in Tulsa with three other Tech players at the D’Novo All-American Championships. “They played high intensity tennis and worked really well as a team. They kept constant pressure on the Georgia team, and they implemented a lot of the things we’ve been working on in practice.”
In singles competition, fifth-seeded Smith defeated Clemson’s Kevin Fleck, 6-0, 6-3, while freshman Dusan Miljevic downed UNC Wilmington’s Kinshuk Sharma, 6-0, 6-2, and Muguruza dispatched UNCW’s Michael Pereira, 7-6 (11), 6-1.
Austin Roebuck took the first set but lost to Auburn’s Lukas Marsoun, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. He came back to defeat Arie Hefter of Davidson, 6-1, 6-1, in the consolation round.
“I was happy with the way the guys fought in singles,” Piric said. “Dusan had a fairly easy match because he maintained a constant pressure on his opponent and never let up. He has a great opportunity tomorrow against a great player from Georgia.”
All but one of the top eight seeds advanced in to the round of 16 in singles, which takes place at 8 a.m. Saturday. Saturday’s competition includes the round of 16 and quarterfinals in singles, and the quarterfinals and semifinals in doubles. All three Tech players in the round of 16 – Smith, Miljevic and Muguruza – will play at that time, Miljevic against Georgia’s Christian Vitulli (the fourth seed) and Muguruza against the Bulldog’s Javier Garrapiz (the third seed). Quarterfinal matches for the winners get underway at 11:30 a.m.
“Miguel had a tough match in the first set, kept fighting and grinding the points out. He won a tough tiebreaker and then steamrolled his opponent in the second set,” said Piric. “Ryan is took it to his opponent, and I’m very happy with the way he played. Buck lost a tough three-setter in the first round. He fought hard and had his chances. He needs to stay tough, and he’s close to breaking through.”
Parking Advisory for tennis fans Saturday – Due to Saturday’s football game, parking around the Bill Moore Tennis Center will be permit only. Parking for the Georgia Tech Invitational will be available for pay in the North Deck lot on the Georgia Tech campus (going West on 10th St., turn left at Atlantic Drive and the deck is on the right) and in the Lanier parking lot on the corner of 10th St. and West Peachtree St. (From Tennis Center – Right on 10th St.; left on West Peachtree St.; left into lot.)
GEORGIA TECH FALL INVITATIONALBill Moore Tennis Center, Atlanta, Ga.First Day Results
Georgia Tech Singles – Round of 32 Miguel Muguruza d. Michael Pereira (UNC Wilmington), 7-6 (11), 6-1 Lukas Marsoun (Auburn) d. Austin Roebuck, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 Dusan Miljevic d. Kinshuk Sharma (UNC Wilmington), 6-0, 6-2 Ryan Smith d. Kevin Fleck (Clemson), 6-0, 6-3
Georgia Tech Singles – Consolation Round Austin Roebuck d. Arie Hefter (Davidson), 6-1, 6-1
Georgia Tech Doubles – Round of 16 Strate Krstevski/Markus Wessinhagge (Southern Mississippi) d. Miljevic/Roebuck, 8-5 Muguruza/Smith d. Charlie Jones/Bryant Salcedo (Vanderbilt), 8-2
Georgia Tech Doubles – Quarterfinals Muguruza/Smith d. Alex Hill/Jamie Hunt (Georgia), 8-2
Georgia Tech Doubles – Consolation Miljevic/Roebuck d. Eddie Bourchier/Fleck (Clemson), 8-5
