Men’s Tennis Perfect on Sunday

Saturday, October 1

Tulsa, Okla.

All Day

University of Memphis

2016 ITA All-American Pre-Qualifier

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Oct 02, 2016 | Men's Tennis

Tigers go 6-0 on Sunday at Middle Tennessee.

By: Tammy DeGroff

MEMPHIS – The Memphis men's tennis team went a perfect 6-0 on Sunday in the final round of the Dick LaLance Showdown at Middle Tennessee after going five-for-six on Saturday.

On Sunday, Memphis grabbed four straight set wins in singles, facing opponents from Belmont. Jan Pallares won 6-0, 6-3, while Matt Story grabbed a 6-2, 6-1 win, bouncing back from a three-set loss Saturday. Turner Voges also had a 2-0 mark over the last two days of the event, winning 6-1, 6-3 Sunday. Shakeel Manji bounced back from a 6-1, 7-5 Saturday loss to Belmont's number one singles player to win on Sunday, 6-4, 6-1, against Belmont's Stephen Goldman.

In doubles, Memphis could only play one match Saturday as Middle Tennessee was short a player on their roster. The team of Story and Manji prevailed in a tiebreaker in the one match that did count, winning 8-7 (4). On Sunday, Story played another doubles tiebreaker, this time with Pallares as his teammate. The two freshmen prevailed 8-7 (3) over the team of Nicholas Buitrago and Luis Morillo from host Middle Tennessee.

Meanwhile, in Tulsa, teammates Felix Rauch and Chris Patzanovsky each picked up a first round win, but fell in the Round of 128 in the ITA All-American prequalifying draw. Rauch opened with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Richmond's Alexandre Felisa, but then fell to USC's Rob Ballamy, 7-5, 7-5. Patzanovsky opened his tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Georgia State's Sebastian Acuna, but dropped a three-setter, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to San Diego State's Santiago Cevallos.

On Monday, a trio of Tigers will head back to Tulsa with head coach Paul Goebel to participate in the ITA All-American Qualifying Draw. Andrew Watson, Ryan Peniston and Kai Lemke are all in the qualifying draw, with Watson and Peniston both being the third and fourth alternates, respectively, for the main draw.

The remainder of the team will begin preparation for another weekend tournament, this one at Notre Dame, which begins Friday.

Doubles
Matt Story/Shakeel Manji (Memphis) def. Cedric Dujacquier/Stephen Goldman (Belmont), 8-7 (4)
Jan Pallares/Turner Voges (Memphis) def. Josiah Collins/Caio Niel (Belmont), 8-5
Jan Pallares/Matt Story (Memphis) def. Nicholas Buitrago/Luis Morillo (Middle Tennessee), 8-7 (3)
Singles
Jan Pallares (Memphis) def. Cedric Dujacquier (Belmont), 6-0, 6-3
Jan Pallares (Memphis) def. Nicolas Buitrago (Middle Tennessee), 7-5, 6-4
Matt Story (Memphis) def. Josiah Collins (Belmont), 6-2, 6-1
Luis Morillo (Middle Tennessee) def. Matt Story (Memphis), 4-6, 6-1, 6-1
Shakeel Manji (Memphis) def. Stephen Goldman (Belmont), 6-4, 6-1
Cedric Dujacquier (Belmont) def. Shakeel Manji (Memphis), 6-1, 7-5
Turner Voges (Memphis) def. Caio Niel (Belmont), 6-1, 6-3
Turner Voges (Memphis) def. Mcihael Apple (Middle Tennessee), 6-0, 6-4

ITA All-American Pre-Qualifier (Tulsa)
First Round
Chris Patznovsky (Memphis) def. Sebastian Acuna (Georgia State, 6-3, 6-2
No. 17 seed Felix Rauch (Memphis) def. Alexandre Felisa (Richmond), 6-0, 6-4
Round of 128
Santiago Cevallos (San Diego State) def. Chris Patzanovsky (Memphis), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Rob Bellamy (USC) def. Felix Rauch (Memphis), 7-5, 7-5