SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus men's tennis team advanced athletes to both the singles and doubles finals of the ITA Midwest Regional Championships Sunday, as seven Gusties competed in the singles quarterfinals and three doubles teams in the semifinals.
ITA Midwest Regional Championships
The Gusties started the day in the singles quarterfinals, with three of four matches featuring Gustie vs. Gustie competition.
Marco Siviero (Sr., Sao Miguel de Oeste, Brazil) defeated
Taona Mhwandagara (Sr., Harare, Zimbabwe) 6-3, 6-3 to start the senior's marathon of a day.
Rafael de Camargo Costa (Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil) and
Tyler Haddorff (Jr., Burnsville) played to three sets, with Costa claiming the victory, 6-2, 3-6, 10-4.
Dominik Knutson (So., Dvur Kralove nad Labem, Czech Republic) and
Josh Christensen (Sr., Rochester) played an epic battle as well, with Knutson emerging victorious, 6-3, 3-6, 10-8.
Gage Gohl (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) played the only non-Gustie in Sunday's first round, defeating UW-Whitewater's Nelson 6-1, 7-5 to ensure that the championship would be for the Gusties.
In the semifinals, Siviero won his second of the day, 6-2, 6-0 over Costa, while Gohl won 6-3, 6-2 against Knutson, setting up Monday's championship. Siviero and Gohl, seeded No. 1 and No. 4 in the region, will face each other for the title and All-America honors Monday at 10 a.m.
All Gustie teams came to play in the doubles, showcasing some of the weekend's best talent on a sunbaked Swanson Tennis Center Sunday afternoon. Gohl and Haddorff saw their tournament run come to an end, as the two were defeated by the only non-Gustie team, Giorgio and Billson of UW-Whitewater. The Warhawks' duo is seeded third in the region, and defeated the Gusties 8-6. They met Siviero and Christensen in the finals, who defeated Mhwandagara and Knutson 8-7 in the semifinals. The championship was an impressive effort from both teams, with Giorgio and Billson ultimately emerging victorious, defeating the Gusties 7-6, 4-6, 10-4. Siviero and Christensen still earn a trip to the ITA Cup in Georgia, with a chance to claim All-America laurels with a first-round win.
Midwest Open
The Gusties also wrapped up the Midwest Open, as
Odin Fouchier (Sr., Nootdorp, Netherlands) and partner
Joseph Li (Jr., Fort Dodge, Iowa) competed in the semifinals and championship of the doubles draw. Fouchier and Li won the semifinals, 8-6 over Lopez and Rue of MSOE to start the day, before falling to Kotari/Doane of Grinnell, 6-4, 6-2 in the championship.
Monday's ITA winner will earn the 133rd All-America honor for the Gustavus men's tennis team, with the match beginning at 10 a.m. at the Swanson Tennis Center.
