By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wenceslao Albin capped off his run in the Wake Forest Fall Invitational with a title, as the 5-foot-7 junior transfer took home a singles championship to conclude the Tennessee Tech tennis team's stay in Winston-Salem.
Albin rallied from a first-set setback in his title clash with Charlotte's Scotty Cameron in the B2 singles bracket, coming back from a 3-6 loss in the opening set. The Salliqeulo, Argentina native secured the final two sets with a 6-2 nod in the second and a 6-3 triumph in the third.
Albin not only displayed his resiliency in the singles final itself, but also showed his ability to bounce back after a loss in the doubles title match of the B2 bracket. Albin and Arthur Justo were upended, 2-6, by Charlotte's Oriol Puig Forne and Alejandro Garcia Moreno. The pair made it all the way to the finals courtesy of victories in each of the first two days of the tourney.
N.C. State's Morgan Lohan took down Arthur Justo, 6-3, 7-5, in the 15th-place match of the B1 singles bracket, while Gonzalo Garcia suffered a similar result with a 3-6, 5-7 loss to Campbell's Ondrej Labik in the B2 singles bracket 15th-place match.
Jorge Alfonzo did not play his 11th-place match of the A1 singles bracket.
The Golden Eagles will conclude their fall slate with the CCB Collegiate Invitational in Birmingham, Ala. The tournament is set for Nov. 10-12.
SATURDAY 11/4 RECAP
Wenceslao Albin is headed to a pair of championship clashes at the Wake Forest Fall Invitational. With wins in both doubles and singles action on Saturday, the 5-foot-7 junior punched his ticket to the championship match in each one of his brackets to help lead the charge for the Tennessee Tech tennis team.
Albin kicked off the day's festivities with a win in doubles play, teaming up with Arthur Justo to knock off James Madison's Alvaro Arce and Damon Roberts Saturday, 6-1, in the semifinals of the B2 doubles bracket. The Golden Eagle tandem will greet Charlotte's Oriol Puig Forne and Alejandro Garcia Moreno in Sunday's tilt bout.
TTU's other duo of Jorge Alfonzo and Gonzalo Garcia will appear in the seventh-place match in the A2 doubles bracket, after the pair was upended, 3-6, to Kentucky's Cesar Bourgois and Enzo Wallart in the consolation semifinals. Alfonzo and Garcia will greet Wofford's Lucas Cerbelli and Edu Villar in Sunday's seventh-place affair.
In singles play, Albin fought through a three-set battle with East Carolina's Javi Reonones, ultimately seizing the semifinals-match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, to advance to the championship. Albin will take on Charlotte's Scotty Cameron in the final.
Jorge Alfonzo is in the A1 11th-place match, following a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Kentucky's Austin Hussey in the consolation semifinals. Alfonzo will lock up with NC State's Georgiy Malyshev in Sunday's 11th-place match.
Arthur Justo and Gonzalo Garcia are both playing in the 15th-place match, after the pair each fell in their respective consolation singles matches on Saturday. Justo was tripped up in the B1 bracket by Indiana's Payam Ahmadi, 4-6, 7-5, 2-6, and will face NC State's Morgan Lohan in Sunday's 15th-place tilt, while Garcia fell, 4-6, 2-6, to Davidson's Tommy Mason in the B2 bracket. Garcia will square off with Campbell's Ondrej Labik in Sunday's 15th-place affair.
FRIDAY 11/3 RECAP
Wenceslao Albin headlined the Tennessee Tech tennis team's showing in what was a busy day one at the Wake Forest Fall Invitational. The 5-foot-7 junior transfer from ETSU collected three wins on the day, highlighted by two nods in singles played to move to the semifinals of his bracket.
Albin and doubles partner, Arthur Justo, kicked off Friday morning with a convincing 6-1 triumph over UNC Asheville's Oli Nolan and Andrew Sinai to advance to Saturday's B2 doubles bracket semifinal. The Tech tandem will clash with James Madison's Alvaro Arce and Damon Roberts Saturday at 8 a.m. CT at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.
TTU's other combo of Jorge Alfonzo and Gonzalo Garcia were upended, 6-4, by Campbell's Lorenz Schwab and Gerard Sola in the A2 doubles bracket. The Golden Eagle combo will meet Kentucky's Cesar Bourgois and Enzo Wallart in the consolation semifinals Saturday at 8 a.m. from the Wake Forest Indoor Tennis Center.
Albin led the TTU charge in singles play, taking care of business with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Davidson's David Hager to advance it to the quarterfinals, before making it to the semifinals of the B2 bracket, thanks to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Mercer's Fernando Guardia. Albin will meet East Carolina's Javi Reonones in Saturday's semifinals match.
Despite a 4-6, 7-5, 2-6 loss in the round of 16 to Charlotte's Constandinos Christoforou in the A1 singles bracket, Jorge Alfonzo bounced back with a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over UNC Greensboro's Connor Thompson in the consolation quarterfinals. Alfonzo will greet Kentucky's Austin Hussey in Saturday's consolation semifinals.
Arthur Justo was tripped up in both of his matches in Friday's opening day of the tourney, first falling, 2-6, 2-6, to Wofford's Parks Shoen in the B1 singles bracket round of 16, followed by a 4-6, 5-7, defeat to UNC Asheville's Oli Nolan in the consolation quarterfinals.
A similar fate hit Gonzalo Garcia in the B2 singles bracket, as the 6-foot-3 freshman lost, 7-5, 5-7, 2-6, to Liberty's Eddie Gutierrez in the round of 16, before being tripped up, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 1-6, to James Madison's Paul Mendoza.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information