By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off one of the greatest individual campaigns in school history, Tennessee Tech tennis player Eduardo Mena already has his sights set on next year after receiving an invite to play in one of the most prestigious tournaments in the country. The 6-foot sophomore will take aim in the 2016 Oracle/ITA Masters, a national collegiate championship event that will held at Pepperdine University and the Malibu Racquet Club, Oct. 13-16 in Malibu, Calif.
The tournament's exclusivity rings to the tune of the top returning player from each Division I athletic conference, with one additional wild card spot to make up the field of 32. The format for the tourney will be double elimination.
"My reaction was feeling motivated about it, I know how difficult it is to win a match in a tournament like this because the best players in the nation will be there," Mena claimed when ask about his initial thoughts on being selected. "But that makes me want to play even more, especially after the season I just had where I thought I played my best tennis. I just want to work harder in order to try to win as many matches as I can."
Mena is on the heels of a storied season that saw the Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain native set the Tech record for most wins in a year with 33, highlighted by a staggering 20-1 dual record in the spring that led him to being named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year as well as an All-OVC first team distinction.
Pacing the Golden Eagles to their the first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2006 with all 20 of his victories out of the pressure-packed No. 1 spot, Mena took it to the next level in a battle with the country's top-rated player, Mikael Torpegaard of No. 5 Ohio State University. In the opening round of the NCAA Championship, Mena captured a grueling first set, 7-6 (7-5), over the nation's No. 1, a player who had rolled through an undefeated spring with wins over 16 nationally-ranked opponents, having dropped only five sets in 23 total matches. Up 1-0, Mena proved it was the real deal as the TTU explosive sophomore led 3-2 in the second set, before the match was ultimately called.
"I believe that being selected to this tournament shows that hard work pays off," Mena said. "I have worked hard in order to improve as a tennis player and the results started coming in the fall when I reached the final of the regionals. That gave me the confidence I needed to play against the top players in the country as we headed into the spring."
"As far as Tennessee Tech is concerned, I'm glad to have the opportunity to represent the school and most of my teammates that have given me everything these past two years," Mena continued. "I'm going to try and make some noise among some of the bigger schools."
The Oracle/ITA Masters is in its second year of existence with the inaugural tournament held in September 2015. TCU's Cameron Norrie edged Duke's Nicolas Alvarez in last year's championship bout.
