MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech tennis standouts Syrym
Abdukhalikov and Alejandro Augusto each claimed victories in
singles play before bowing out at the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional
this weekend at the University of Memphis.
Facing some of the toughest competition in the nation, the two
Golden Eagles each gained a victory in their initial matches before
being eliminated.
Abdukhalikov, a senior from Kazakhstan, earned a first-round bye
in his singles bracket, then defeated Zach Mueck of Xavier in
straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, to advance to the round of 32. He went up
against Kentucky’s Tom Jomby, where he was defeated by the
exact same scores, 6-3, 6-4.
Augusto was unseeded, but quickly gained some attention with a swift, 6-0, 7-6 victory over Austin Smith of Ball State. The Madrid native advanced to face top-seeded Mikelis Libietis of Tennessee, putting up a challenge before dropping a 6-2, 6-4 contest.
In doubles play, Abdukhalikov and Augusto earned a bye in the
first round, then faced Michal Lyzwa and Lauri Makikalli of Wright
State. The match was close, going to a tie-breaker, before the Tech
combo was dealt a 9-7 loss.
Tech will close the fall tournament portion of the 2012-13
schedule in two weeks with players competing in two different
tournaments, Nov. 2-4. Some will play in the Alabama Crimson Tide
Invitational in Tuscaloosa, and some will play at the Carolinas
Invitational at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.