Arizona men’s tennis began competing in the ITA All-American Championships Sept. 28. The ITA’s featured the best tennis players across the nation and took place in Tulsa, Okla.
The Wildcats participated in the tournament for three days, Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday. Their run ended Tuesday, as all competitors were defeated in their perspective matches.
The UA kicked off tournament play with a singles victory by junior Sumeet Shinde. Shinde topped Southern Methodist’s Nate Lammons, 7-5, 6-3, to advance to the qualifying round.
Seniors Mario Urquidi, Fredrik Ask, and Kieren Thompson all had an automatic entry to the qualifying round of the tournament.
Sunday’s matches consisted of mixed results as Ask, Shinde, and Urquidi were able to make it as far as the qualifying round in singles play.
Thompson won his opening match in the qualifying round but was eventually defeated in the following round.
Ask fell in a tight match to Marquette’s Vukasin Teofanovic, 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4. He lost the final set after surviving a tiebreaker in the second set.
After his Saturday win in the pre-qualifying round, Shinde fell in a three set match to Hawaii Manoa’s Danillo Casanova, 1-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Urquidi’s tournament also ended Sunday as Middle Tennessee’s David Fox topped him 6-2, 6-0.
Thompson started Sunday by defeating Louisiana State’s Justin Butsch 6-3, 6-3. He was later dismissed from the tournament as he fell to Illinois State’s Jason Wilson, 6-4, 6-4.
Shinde and Thompson were the only two Wildcat players to come away with victories in the ITA All-American Championships.
Thompson made it the furthest out of all UA competitors as he made it past the first match of the qualifying round.
Ask and Shinde wrapped up Arizona’s tournament play Tuesday, as they were defeated 8-5 by Florida’s Mike Alford and Florent Diep. Alford and Diep rank 60th in the nation in the ITA doubles preseason rankings.
Arizona has just about reached the midway point in the fall tournament season. The Wildcats get back to work Friday where they will compete in the San Diego Invitational.
— Follow Zach Tennen @ZTennen11
