Men's Tennis Fall Season Recap
12/4/2018 3:33:00 PM | Men's Tennis
The Crimson Tide found success this fall and will look toward the dual match season in January
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama men's tennis team impressed this fall with its success on the court. Below are some of the top headlines from the fall season as the Crimson Tide prepares for the dual match slate beginning on January 19.
Full Fall Season
Alabama competed in 14 tournaments during the fall semester beginning in late-August and going through late-November. These included ITA regional and nationally sanctioned tournaments, USTA Pro Circuit events, USTA Men's Open and UTR sponsored competitions.
Home Sweet Home
Alabama continues its tradition of hosting several events on campus including the Crimson Tide Four In-The-Fall and ITA Regional Championships, while once again co-hosting the CCB Invitational.
Semester Kick-Off
In August at the $15k Charity Steel Open in Birmingham, sophomore Riccardo Roberto defeated former Florida State All-American Benjamin Lock (No. 404 ATP ranking) and former TCU No. 1 singles player, Nick Chappell (No. 677 ATP ranking) en route to the singles title. Senior Mazen Osama reached the singles semifinal where he lost to Chappell, but paired up with junior Edson Ortiz to win the doubles title.
Roberto Wins Houndstooth Draw at Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall
The Tide started the season on the right foot and at home in September with the annual Crimson Tide Four-In-The-Fall where Roberto won the Houndstooth Singles Draw. The Padova, Italy native, defeated Tennessee's Pat Harper 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, in the finals capping his 4-0 singles record in the tournament.
Kaukovalta Victorious in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic
Sophomore Patrick Kaukovalta went 6-0 in singles play against the field and won the Singles Championship in the Milwaukee Tennis Classic in late September. The Espoo, Finland native, earned his first win over a nationally-ranked opponent when he defeated No. 104 Logan Smith (USC) in the second round, before besting Henrik Korsgaard (VT), 7-6(5), 6-1 in the finals and securing a spot in the ITA National Fall Championships.
ITA All-American Championships
Ortiz won two singles matches in the qualifying draw, including defeating No. 74 Yuval Solomon (Wake Forest) in the second round before falling to Top-30 ITF Junior Alexandre Rotsaert (Stanford) in a three-set marathon in the qualifying final. Osama defeated Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (UCSB), who is currently No. 6 in the ITA singles rankings. Ortiz and Osama also competed in the main draw doubles event.
The Tide Hosts ITA Southern Regional Championships
The 2018 ITA Southern Regional Championships were held on campus in Tuscaloosa this fall from Oct. 18-23. In the main doubles draw, Kaukovalta and junior Alexey Nesterov won two matches to reach the quarterfinals. In singles play, Kaukovalta made it all the way to the semifinals, while Nesterov reached the quarterfinals.
Ortiz and Zhou Dominate CCB Invitational
Ortiz and Zhe Zhou both won their respective singles draws in the CCB Invitational in early November with Ortiz being crowned the Crimson Singles Draw Champion and Zhou named the White Draw Singles Champion. Ortiz finished the tournament with a 3-0 record and battled past Frazier Rengifro (ETSU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, in the final, while Zhou went 4-0 with a win over Stijin Slump (MTSU), 6-4, 6-1, in his finals matchup.
Tide Takes on Pro Circuit Events
Alabama participated in four USTA Pro Circuit events this fall, including the Houston $25k, Birmingham $15k, Pensacola $15k and Norman $25k. Zhou and Nesterov reached the main draw in Houston, with Zhou defeating former Virginia All-American Michael Shabaz, who was ranked as high as No. 394 in the ATP rankings.
In Norman, Okla., Nesterov defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic who is currently #44 in ITA singles rankings. Nesterov also bested Top-100 ITF junior and current Oklahoma State freshman, Emile Emile Hudd at the Norman $25k.
Ortiz and Roberto won four matches to qualify for the main draw at the Birmingham $15k. Roberto advanced to the Round of 16 in the main draw while Ortiz lost a three-set battle with former Top-20 ITF junior player and ITA Newcomer of the Year entering the fall semester, Sam Riffice.
Alabama Strong in Singles Play
Overall the Tide compiled 36 singles wins in college events, including five wins over nationally-ranked opponents. Kaukovalta led the team with a 12-4 mark with two wins against nationally-ranked foes. Ortiz is second on the team with a 7-4 record, while Roberto compiled a 6-3 mark and Zhou finished the fall at 5-3.
Crimson Tide in the Rankings
In the latest ITA rankings, Kaukovalta made his first career appearance by coming in at No. 41, while Osama appeared at No. 24.
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Players Mentioned
