Tournament Draws

MALIBU, Calif. - The UC Irvine men's tennis team got out to a strong start on the first day of the ITA Southwest Regional Championships Friday at Pepperdine's Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center.
 
In doubles play, top-seeded Emmanuel Coste and Riccardo Roberto received a first-round bye before defeating Jeffrey Fradkin/Karl Lee of UCLA, 8-6, in the Round of 32.
 
Matthew Sah and Thomas Smart also went 2-0 on the day. The Anteater duo took down Arizona's Jared Horwood/Nick Lagaev, 8-6, in their first match of the tournament, then carried that momentum into the Round of 32, where they dispatched Jules Auffray/Roni Rikkonen of San Diego State, 8-3.
 
Coste/Riccardo and Sah/Smart advance to tomorrow's Round of 16.
 
Ali Amiri and Rithvik Krishna also upended Simao Alves/Axel Labrunie of Hawai'i, 8-6, in the Round of 64, but then dropped an 8-2 decision to San Diego's Will Davies/Sacchitt Sharma.
 
In singles, Roberto and Coste will move on to Saturday's Round of 32. Roberto went 2-0 without dropping a set as he defeated Horwood of Arizona, 6-2, 6-2, and Cal Poly's Bastiaan Weststrate, 6-0, 6-1. Coste, who is seeded second in the tournament, received a first-round bye before toppling the Wildcats' Lagaev, 6-2, 7-5.
 
Three 'Eaters won their Round of 128 singles matches before falling in the Round of 64.
 
Freshman Noah Zamora got the best of Conner Olson (UA), 6-2, 6-3, in his collegiate debut, while Smart and Mike Mkrtchian both went the distance in their respective outings. Smart outlasted Jeff Middleton (UA), 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3, and Mkrtchian bounced back from an opening-set loss to top UC Santa Barbara's Jonathan Zhang, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
 
UC Irvine returns to Pepperdine tomorrow for the second day of the ITA Southwest Regional.
 
 
Doubles
Round of 64
Matthew Sah/Thomas Smart (UCI) def. Jared Horwood/Nick Lagaev (UA), 8-6
Ali Amiri/Rithvik Krishna (UCI) def. Simao Alves/Axel Labrunie (UH), 8-6
Jett Middleton/Conner Olsen (UA) def. Mike Mkrtchian/Noah Zamora (UCI), 8-7 (2)
 
Round of 32
Emmanuel Coste/Riccardo Roberto (UCI) def. Jeffrey Fradkin/Karl Lee (UCLA), 8-6
Matthew Sah/Thomas Smart (UCI) def. Jules Auffray/Roni Rikkonen (SDSU), 8-3
Will Davies/Sacchitt Sharrma (USD) def. Ali Amiri/Rithvik Krishna (UCI), 8-2
 
 
Singles
Round of 128
Riccardo Roberto (UCI) def. Jared Horwood (UA), 6-2, 6-2
Thomas Smart (UCI) def. Jeff Middleton (UA), 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-3
Noah Zamora (UCI) def. Conner Olsen (UA), 6-2, 6-3
Mike Mkrtchian (UCI) def. Jonathan Zhang (UCSB), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Will Davies (USD) def. Rithvik Krishna (UCI), 6-3, 7-6 (6)
Noah Berry (CP) def. Ali Amiri (UCI), 6-4, 6-2
Stefan Leustian (UCLA) def. Matthew Sah (UCI), 6-4, 6-2
 
Round of 64
Riccardo Roberto (UCI) def. Bastiaan Weststrate (CP), 6-0, 6-1
Emmanuel Coste (UCI) def. Nick Lagaev (UA), 6-2, 7-5
Linus Carlsson Halldin (PEPP) def. Noah Zamora (UCI), 6-3, 7-6 (7)
Giacomo Revelli (UCLA) def. Mike Mkrtchian (UCI), 6-1, 7-5
Isaac Becroft (LMU) def. Thomas Smart (UCI), 6-3, ret.