By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
ATHENS, GA. – Eduardo Mena had a strong showing as the No. 4-seed this weekend in the Southern Intercollegiate Championships, hosted by the University of Georgia. Mena took a first-round bye and won two matches before falling in the quarterfinals of the 38-player Division I bracket.
Following the bye, Mena knocked off a pair of Georgia players in Alex Phillips (3-6, 6-4, 6-0), then No. 9-seeded Walker Duncan (6-4, 6-2). But it was another Southeastern Conference player – No. 7-seeded Tim Sandkaulen from Ole Miss – who ended Mena's run with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 defeat.
In Division II singles, Gonzalo Garcia won his opening match against Kennesaw State's Corey Smith with a 7-5, 6-4 victory, but saw his day end with a retirement against George Hedley from Louisville in a 4-3 third set, following a 3-6, 6-3 split.
Garcia returned in the consolation matches, beating Mercer's Stathis Tsiranidis 6-4, 6-2.
Also in Division II, Marc Mila earned a first-round bye, but dropped a 6-1, 6-4 decision to Sebastian Acuna from Georgia State. Mila later beat Florida Atlantic's Alex Gitlin 4-6, 6-1 (10-8) then fell against Giles Hussey from Georgia State 1-6, 6-2, 10-6 in the consolation matches.
In Division III, Wenceslao Albin dropped a 6-1, 6-4 match to Georgia State's Kevin Huynh, then fell to East Tennessee State's Chris Mikrovas in a pair of 6-3 sets in the consolation round.
In doubles play, Mena and Mila fell to GSU's Acuna and Jack MacFarlane 8-7 (6), while Garcia and Albin lost 6-1 to GSU's Hussey and Huynh.
Up next for the Golden Eagle tennis team is the Oracle ITA Masters in Malibu, Calif., starting on Sept. 21 through 24.
Photo by Tony Marable
