Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG, Va. – Members of the Virginia Tech men’s and women’s tennis team competed on the second day of the ITA Summer Circuit Mid-Atlantic event in Blacksburg, Va. Sophomore Hunter Koontz and newcomer Aaron Gomez advanced to the final rounds in both singles and doubles.
Koontz and Gomez advanced to the semifinals of the singles and paired up to move into the finals of the men’s doubles.
In the round of 16, fifth-seeded Koontz defeated Edward Elliott in a three set match. After falling in the first set 6-2, Koontz rallied for a 6-1 win in the second set. He claimed the match with an 11-9 decision in the tiebreaker. Koontz swept No. 10 seed Wesley Barrett with straight set wins of 6-4, 6-1. In the semifinals Koontz will face ninth-seeded Kyle Johnson.
Gomez, the tournament sixth-seed, defeated eighth-seeded Dillon Segur 6-2, 7-5 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Gomez rallied in a three set match against No. 3 seed Mark Schanerman. The first set went 7-6(8-6) in Schanerman’s favor, but Gomez answered with a 6-2 win in the second set and held on in the tiebreaker, 11-9. Gomez will play seventh-seeded Harrison Kennedy in the semifinals on Monday.
In the men’s open doubles, second-seeded Gomez and Koontz paired up in the quarterfinals to defeat seventh-seeded Wesley Barrett and Joel Lankford, 8-6. In the semifinals the Tech duo picked up an 8-4 win against Ben Kelley and Harrison Kennedy. The pair will team up for Monday’s finals against No. 1 seeded Danny Riggs and Kenneth Sabacinski.
On the women’s side, Tech sophomore Carol Kahoun defeated Laura Wiley 7-6(5), 6-3 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Kahoun faltered against fourth-seeded Frances Altick, 6-0, 6-1. Altick had defeated Hokie newcomer Kelly Williford 6-4, 7-6(3) in the round of 16.
In doubles, Kahoun teamed up with Sherry Li as the No. 1 seeded duo. The pair defeated the Tech team of Emily Lauten and Williford, 8-0 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Kahoun and Li fell to fourth-seeded Lynn Chi and Maci Epstein, 8-1.
The ITA Summer Circuit Mid-Atlantic event will continue on Monday with the semifinals and finals of singles and the doubles finals at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center in Blacksburg, Va.
Men’s Open Singles
16 – Hunter Koontz (5) def. Edward Elliott 2-6, 6-1, 11-9
QF – Koontz def. Wesley Barrett (10) 6-4, 6-1
16 – Aaron Gomez (6) def. Dillon Segur (8) 6-2, 7-5
QF – Gomez def. Mark Schanerman (3) 6-7(6), 6-2, 11-9
Men’s Open Doubles
QF – Gomez/Koontz (2) def. Wesley Barrett/Joel Lankford (7) 8-6
SF – Gomez/Koontz (2) def. Ben Kelley/Harrison Kennedy 8-4
QF – Nikita Borodatov/Ryan Brookshaw (6) def. Jim Thompson/Mark Rutkis 8-4
Women’s Open Singles
16 – Carol Kahoun (7) def. Laura Wiley 7-6(5), 6-3
QF – Frances Altick (4) def. Carol Kahoun (7) 6-0, 6-1
16 – Frances Altick (4) def. Kelly Williford 6-4, 7-6(3)
Women’s Open Doubles
QF – Kahoun/Sherry Li (1) def. Emily Lauten/Kelly Williford 8-0
SF – Lynn Chi/Maci Epstein (4) def. Kahoun/Li (1) 8-1