HOUSTON — Ajay Ramaswami and Anthony Mateljan won their respective singles flights as the 2000 Continental Cup Tournament concluded on Sunday at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Tigers’ Ajay Ramaswami defeated North Carolina’s Marcio Petrone 6-4, 6-3, to claim the Flight “A” singles crown. The win marked his third-consecutive sweep in the tournament and his second as a Tiger.
Ramaswami advanced to the finals of the “A” flight by beating North Carolina’s David Cheatwood, 6-0, 6-2, on Saturday.
After losing his opening match on Friday, LSU’s Dan Kiernan came back to win the consolation title in Flight “A.” Kiernan received a bye in the first consolation match before defeating Rice’s Richard Barker in the final, 7-5, 6-3.
In the Flight “B,” LSU’s Jesse Smatt and freshman Sebastian Rutka were beaten in Saturday’s second round. Smatt lost to the eventual “B” Flight Champion, Rice’s William Barker, 6-4, 7-6, while Rutka lost to Texas A&M’s Ryan Newport, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.
Smatt defeated Rutka, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, on Sunday morning in a consolation match.
In Flight “C,” LSU freshman Bryan Fisher lost for the second consecutive time in the tournament on Saturday, 6-3, 6-4, to Rice’s Fabien Giraud. He then defeated Lamar’s Thatcher Cribbs, 6-1, 6-1, in a consolation match.
In Flight “D” singles, LSU’s Anthony Mateljan held on for a 6-4, 7-5, win against teammate Brandon Nicholson to win his flight for the second year in a row.
Mateljan defeated Rice’s Rafael Reyes, 6-3, 6-4, on Saturday to advance to the finals, while Nicholson advanced by beating Lamar’s Christian Schoning, 7-5, 6-0.
After losing his opening match on Friday, LSU’s Jonathan Hurd advanced to the consolation finals when Otmane Bennani-Smires withdrew from his second-round match. Hurd then fell to Rice’s Ramez Qamar, 6-0, 6-0, in the final.
In Flight “A” doubles play on Saturday, LSU’s team of Kiernan-Rutka advanced to the finals when Rice’s team of Mathaes-Rajevac withdrew. Keirnan-Rutka were named co-champions when Sunday’s doubles matches were cancelled due to travel schedules. Fisher-Ramaswami lost for the second-consecutive time, 8-6, to Texas A&M’s El Dorry-Newport.
Flight “B” play was also cancelled.
After beginning Friday and Saturday’s play at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium, early afternoon showers on Saturday forced the Continental Cup Tournament indoors to the Metropolitan Racquet Club for doubles play.
Ramaswami is the first alternate in the ITA National Claycourts which will be held Sept. 19-24 in Baltimore, Md. The LSU men’s tennis team then continues fall tournament play on Sept. 29 when its competes in the Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational.