ATHENS, Ga. -- Junior Alberto Esteban ran of a string of four consecutive victories to advance to the championship of the Division III singles draw, highlighting opening weekend play for the Tennessee Tech tennis team.
Tech players posted seven victories during the weekend, which was hosted by the University of Georgia.
Esteban moved out of the Round of 64 with a bye on Friday, and opened action with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Benedikt Wilde of Chicago State in the Round of 32. Saturday morning, the native of Madrid, Spain, outlasted Florida Atlantic's Alex Gitin in three sets, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals. He disposed of Luke Morland from Georgia Gwinnett College in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, to achieve the semifinals. Paired up against Ohio Valley Conference rival Florian Graskamp from Eastern Kentucky, Esteban had a relatively easy time of it, posting a 6-3, 6-1 victory to reach the championship match.
It was Felipe Jaworski of Georgia State who won the bout, 6-3, 6-3.
Alex Arovin went 1-1 in the Division I singles draw while Eduardo Mena dropped his opening match before bouncing back with two hard-earned wins to post a 2-1 record, also in Division I singles. Arovin opened with a tough, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Collin McNamara of Stetson, but dropped a 6-3, 6-4 contest to Pablo Gor of Armstrong. Mena lost to Kai Lemke of Memphis, 7-5, 6-2, before claiming a couple of impressive wins. First, he downed Clemson's Luke Johnson, 7-5, 7-5, and followed with a 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (6) win over Johan den Toom of Arkansas.
Guillermo Nicolas dropped his two matches i the Division II singles event. Egor Panyushkin of St. Louis University took a 6-3, 7-6 (4) win in the Round of 64, and Nicolas lost to Loic Minery of Lane, 6-4, 6-4.
Esteban and Arovin dropped their Division I doubles contest to KEnnesaw State pair of Durham and Wendel, 8-7 (5). In Division II doubles, Mena and Nicolas managed an 8-6 win over Franco Echenique and Fabian Pronnett of Barry in their first match. They fell to Mercer's Sam Philp and Ruben Vanoppen, 8-6.
