Arkansas Netters Find Nine Wins on Day Two of ITA Central Regional Championships

Fayetteville, Ark. – On day two of the ITA Central Regional Championships in Tulsa, Okla., the Razorback netters tallied nine wins in the singles, singles consolation and doubles draw. No. 96 Blake Strode advanced to the round of 16 on Friday and will look to earn a berth to the quarterfinals on Saturday at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Tulsa.

In the opening round of 64, Dmitry Vlaskin edged Guilheume Marsiglia of Drake, 6-2, 6-2. Dmitry Lebedev fell to Maor Zirkin, also of Drake, 6-3, 6-2. Strode began his day with a win over Hendrik Stahmer of Nebraska, 7-6 (4), 7-5. Drew Sosebee continued his momentum from the South Carolina Invitational with his victory over Patrick Smith of UM-Kansas City, 6-1, 6-3. Colin Mascall topped Federico Chavarria of Oklahoma, 6-2, 6-3.

Nebraska’s Mark Tate took a 7-5, 7-5 win from new Razorback Jorge Villanueva. Andrei Nicoara took another win from the Sooners when he defeated Odrej Kacmer, 7-4, 6-4. Branden Joost fell to Husker James Clow, 6-4, 6-4. Gabriel Mattos fell to Tulsa’s No. 40 Federico Soriano, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the Razorbacks’ only three-set match in the main draw.

In the round of 32, Vlaskin fell to No. 11 Daniel Byrnes of Oklahoma State, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, 6-2, 6-2. Strode swept Boris Gubic of Wichita State, 6-2, 6-3. Sosebee fell to No. 46 Marek Velica of Oklahoma, the No. 4 seed, 6-3, 6-0. No. 61 Ivan Puchkarov of Oklahoma State, the No. 3 seed, topped Razorback Colin Mascall, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1. Nicoara fell to Drake’s Sergi Vila, 6-1, 6-1.

In the consolation draw, Karl Nilsson of Southern Illinois took a 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 battle from new Hog Lebedev. Villanueva found a 6-2, 6-4 win against Cowboy Jason Wright, 6-2, 6-4. Mattos lost 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 to St. Louis’ Filipe Acosta.

In doubles play, Strode and Mascall paired up to take an 8-4 win from German Perez and Gerard Galindo of Arkansas-Little Rock. Villanueva and Lebedev topped Wright and Alex Kotsiuk of Oklahoma State, 8-6. Vlaskin and Mattos fell to Drake’s Zirkin and Vila, 8-0, while Nicoara and Sosebee were topped 8-2 by Puchkarov and Artie Burnistrau of Oklahoma State.

For complete results of the ITA Central Regional Championships in Tulsa, Okla., visit www.tulsahurricane.com.