By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
MALIBU, Calif. – A rollercoaster of a match, Tennessee Tech's Eduardo Mena fell in a tough-fought, three-set bout against Scott Webster of Appalachian State Saturday afternoon, ending the senior's run at the Oracle ITA Masters.
Mena took the first set of the day, claiming a 6-4 victory. Trailing in the second set, the Golden Eagle veteran tied things up at 5-5 before Webster edged him 7-5 to knot things at 1-1 in the match.
Set three was even more of a slobberknocker, with boths sides trading blows throughout. Tied at 5-5, boths players traded wins to make it a 6-6 score and force a tiebreak. Webster would go on to claim the final set by a final score of 7-6 (1), advancing to the consolation bracket's semifinals.
Members of the Golden Eagle tennis team are scheduled to compete again Saturday, Sept. 30 through Oct. 9 at hte Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla.
FRIDAY RECAP (9/22/17)
Back in action at the Malibu Racquet Club, senior Eduardo Mena of the Tennessee Tech tennis team notched his first victory of the Oracle ITA Masters Friday evening, ousting Western Michigan's Kennosuke Nouchi in the tournament's consolation bracket.
Ranked 33rd nationally by the ITA, Mena made quick work of the 79th-ranked player in the nation, taking set one by a score of 6-2. The Golden Eagle matched his output in the second set, gathering a second-straight 6-2 win to advance to the quarterfinals of the consolation bracket.
Mena's victory sets the reigning two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year up against Appalachian State's Scott Webster in a showdown on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. CT. The match will take place at the University of Pepperdine. Webster defeated Javier Restrepo of Marist in his first-round match-up of the consolation bracket, winning 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-0.
Live scoring is available all tournament long. Live video is available for all matches at the Malibu Racquet Club. Click here for live scoring. Click here for live video.
Oracle ITA Masters Bracket
Oracle ITA Masters Consolation Bracket
THURSDAY RECAP (9/21/17)
Reigning two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Eduardo Mena closed out his first round of action at the Oracle ITA Masters Thursday evening, falling to Portland's Michail Pervolarakis in a brutal battle on the courts of Malibu Racquet Club.
The Tech senior swiftly took the first set from the ITA's 95th-ranked player in the country, soundly defeating Pervolarakis 6-1. The two waged war in what would turn out to be a pivotal second set, with Mena (ranked 33rd nationally by the ITA) falling by a momentum-killing score of 7-5.
Pervolarakis took control in the third and deciding set, defeating the Golden Eagle 6-1 to advance to the next round of the event.
With the loss, Mena will set his sights on a new target in the tournament's consolation bracket, a match-up against the ITA's 79th-ranked Kennosuke Nouchi of Western Michigan. The two are set to square off on Friday at 5:30 p.m. CT in Malibu, Calif.
Live scoring is available all tournament long. Live video is available for all matches at the Malibu Racquet Club. Click here for live scoring. Click here for live video.
Oracle ITA Masters Bracket
Oracle ITA Masters Consolation Bracket
