University of Memphis Athletics
Thursday, November 3
Flushing, NY
University of Memphis
vs
USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships
Photo by: Joe Murphy
Peniston Starting Big Apple Run on Thursday
Nov 02, 2016 | Men's Tennis
Junior facing Virginia's J.C. Aragone in the first round, Thursday.
Singles Draw | Doubles Draw | Live Scoring | Live Video ($)
MEMPHIS – Junior men's tennis player Ryan Peniston begins his run in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, Thursday, in the opening round of the 32-player draw at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Peniston will open his tournament against Virginia's JC Aragone at 2 p.m.
Peniston won his way to the event with his singles championship at the ITA Ohio Valley Conference tournament a little over a week ago. Just the second Tiger in program history to capture a singles championship at the regional, Peniston's appearance in the final national-level collegiate event on the fall circuit marks the third time in four seasons that Memphis will have advanced an entry to the prestigious event.
"It would be an accomplishment for us to qualify one person every five years," Head Coach Paul Goebel said. "So for us to have three in four seasons in amazing."
This trip to the Big Apple will be the first time Peniston has visited New York and will play at the same site that hosts the US Open each summer.
"I've been thinking about it since I've won it really," Peniston said. "Ever since my freshman year when (Andrew) Watson won it, I've been wanting to win it."
Peniston has the luxury of a former teammate having recently made the same trip. Current junior Andrew Watson was the first Tiger to win an Ohio Valley singles championship, making the trip to New York in 2014, just a year after the duo of David O'Hare and Joe Salisbury won the regional doubles championship for the program's first-ever invite to the national indoors.
"I've talked with him (Watson) a bit about it and the thing he mentioned is being ready for the level of play," Peniston said.
Coach Goebel echoed Watson's advice. "This tournament is a little different in that you don't have a round or two to elevate your play. Everyone in the draw has won their way in, so the level of competition is really high."
The field is made up of all the regional champions, the champions from the ITA Oracle Cup and the Oracle ITA Masters and the consolation champions and doubles finalists and men's singles quarterfinalists from the ITA All-American Championships. The USTA and ITA also selected at-large and wildcard participants. Host Columbia University also receives a wildcard entry in to the draws for serving as event hosts to make up the 32 player singles draw and a 32 player doubles draw.
Peniston, who was ranked No. 57 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, will be facing Aragone, who was ranked No. 69 in the same preseason polls. Aragone, a senior for the defending NCAA champions, won the ITA Atlantic Regional singles championship, and was the two seed in that draw. The winner of the Peniston/Aragone match will face the winner of the match between the draw's top seed, Mikael Torpegaard from Ohio State, and Texas' Christian Sigsgaard. Should Peniston earn a match against Sigsgaard, he can again tap teammate Watson for advice on playing the Longhorn. Sigsgaard eliminated Watson from the ITA All-American qualifying draw, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 back in the beginning of October.
Live video from all of the matches at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships is available for a subscription fee on FloTennis.com. Free live scoring will be available at http://www.tennisticker.de/usa/ita/sb.html?tournid=2933.
MEMPHIS – Junior men's tennis player Ryan Peniston begins his run in the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, Thursday, in the opening round of the 32-player draw at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Peniston will open his tournament against Virginia's JC Aragone at 2 p.m.
Peniston won his way to the event with his singles championship at the ITA Ohio Valley Conference tournament a little over a week ago. Just the second Tiger in program history to capture a singles championship at the regional, Peniston's appearance in the final national-level collegiate event on the fall circuit marks the third time in four seasons that Memphis will have advanced an entry to the prestigious event.
"It would be an accomplishment for us to qualify one person every five years," Head Coach Paul Goebel said. "So for us to have three in four seasons in amazing."
This trip to the Big Apple will be the first time Peniston has visited New York and will play at the same site that hosts the US Open each summer.
"I've been thinking about it since I've won it really," Peniston said. "Ever since my freshman year when (Andrew) Watson won it, I've been wanting to win it."
Peniston has the luxury of a former teammate having recently made the same trip. Current junior Andrew Watson was the first Tiger to win an Ohio Valley singles championship, making the trip to New York in 2014, just a year after the duo of David O'Hare and Joe Salisbury won the regional doubles championship for the program's first-ever invite to the national indoors.
"I've talked with him (Watson) a bit about it and the thing he mentioned is being ready for the level of play," Peniston said.
Coach Goebel echoed Watson's advice. "This tournament is a little different in that you don't have a round or two to elevate your play. Everyone in the draw has won their way in, so the level of competition is really high."
The field is made up of all the regional champions, the champions from the ITA Oracle Cup and the Oracle ITA Masters and the consolation champions and doubles finalists and men's singles quarterfinalists from the ITA All-American Championships. The USTA and ITA also selected at-large and wildcard participants. Host Columbia University also receives a wildcard entry in to the draws for serving as event hosts to make up the 32 player singles draw and a 32 player doubles draw.
Peniston, who was ranked No. 57 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings, will be facing Aragone, who was ranked No. 69 in the same preseason polls. Aragone, a senior for the defending NCAA champions, won the ITA Atlantic Regional singles championship, and was the two seed in that draw. The winner of the Peniston/Aragone match will face the winner of the match between the draw's top seed, Mikael Torpegaard from Ohio State, and Texas' Christian Sigsgaard. Should Peniston earn a match against Sigsgaard, he can again tap teammate Watson for advice on playing the Longhorn. Sigsgaard eliminated Watson from the ITA All-American qualifying draw, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 back in the beginning of October.
Live video from all of the matches at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships is available for a subscription fee on FloTennis.com. Free live scoring will be available at http://www.tennisticker.de/usa/ita/sb.html?tournid=2933.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
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