Hornets finish final racket for Fall
NEW ORLEANS, La. (bamastatesports.com) – The Alabama State tennis teams resumed play last Sunday as the men’s team played in the Big Easy Classic hosted by the University of New Orleans while the women’s team played in the 29th Roberta Alison Classic hosted by University of Alabama.
The men’s team, ended day two of the Big Easy Classic on a strong note as the duo of Ion Efrim and Takura Mlambo won the men’s doubles consolation after defeating Luis Albuquerque and Giacomo Adoncecchi of the University of New Orleans 7-5 to advance to the finals where they beat William Carey University’s Paul Chabaud and Lucien Samitier 6-4.
Efrim progressed to the final round of the men’s single flight draw 1 (main draw) after he defeated Bernard Weezeman of Nicholls State University 6-1, 6-4 but lost 6-2, 6-2 to Southern Miss’ Chao-Yu Huang.
Tomas Fernandez went on to win the men’s single flight 2 after defeating University of New Orleans’ Giacomo Adoncecchi 6-4, 6-2 in the championship match and Eric Wagner of Tulane University 7-5, 1-6, 11-9 in the semi-finals.
Karlo Skvorc advanced to the finals of the men’s single flight 5 (main draw) after defeating Adam Albrecht of Xavier University 6-2, 6-3 in the semi-finals, but lost 7-6, 8-6, 6-3 to University of New Orleans’ Federico Boscarino.
Head coach Anuk Christiansz was extremely pleased with the men’s performance.
“This is a great start for the Hornets,” Christiansz said.
“In the past five years, they have not advanced past the first few rounds so I am very happy with their progress.”
Assistant coach Richard Seman was with the women’s team as they competed in the final day of the Roberta Alison Classic in Alabama.
Marine Cartier and Irina Cvijovic were doubles partners as they were seeded in the Leslie Grossman Doubles Draw. They lost 8-2 to Catherine Ragon of UAB and Collins (Kansas), defeated Mercer’s Christie Cesarini and Haley Powell 8-6, and beat Mckenzie Barco and Caroline Hall of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 8-5.
Gabriela Lackova and Mirna Curcic were paired up for the Monica Kervandjian doubles draw.
The Lady Hornets defeated Mercer’s Andrea Peteu and Marie Mottet 8-5, beat Evelyn Moreno and Andrea Tomassone of the University of West Alabama 8-6 and lost 8-3 to Samford’s Grace Jennings and Amanda Kilduff.
In the singles matches, Lackova played in the Susan Carver singles draw where she lost to Elsa Pool of Samford 6-2, 6-2, defeated Mercer’s Haley Powell (withdrew/injury) and fell 6-2, 6-2 Memphis’ Josephine Cao.
In the Nancy Pate Singles Draw, Cartier fell 6-2, 6-1 to Arianna Beltrame of Samford, defeated University of West Alabama’s Teona Tatishvili 6-2, 6-3 and lost 6-1, 6-3 to Katherine Cao from Memphis.
Mirna Curcic and Brankica Orlovic were seeded in the Beth Marrow Singles Draw. Curcic defeated Liliana Araucz of University West Alabama 6-2, 6-2, lost 6-3, 6-2 to Troy’s Alicia Rodriguez and beat University West Alabama’s Evelyn Moreno 6-4, 6-2.
Orlovic defeated Mercer’s Christie Cesarini 5-7, 6-4, 6-0, fell 6-3, 6-3 to Evelyn Moreno of University West Alabama and lost to Memphis’ Clara Keuhn 7-6, 6-0.
“All four ladies played extremely well.” said Seman.
“All in all, it was a very good weekend of high caliber tennis. This is probably the toughest tournament we’ve played in the last few years on the girl’s side. The caliber of the teams and players here this weekend forced the girls step up their games and it was great to see. For our fall tournament season, it was a combination of very good tournaments and strong point to end off on before winter break and championship season.”
The Hornets return to action in the spring.
