KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Thursday, four LSU men’s tennis players moved into the third round of the Omni Hotels ITA Region III Championships in Knoxville, Tenn.
Sophomore Bryan Fisher and freshman Peter Richman each advanced to the second round of the draw with victories on Thursday. Fisher ousted Isaac Yarnell of Florida A&M, 6-3, 6-2, and Richman defeated Lee Taylor Walker of Memphis with a 6-1, 6-4. In the second round, Richman fell to Middle Tennessee’s Oliver Foreman, 6-2, 6-2, while Fisher advanced with a 7-6, 6-4, victory over Florida’s Hamid Mirzadeh.
Two players, freshman Jason Hazley and sophomore Sanjin Sadovich fell in Thursday’s first-round action. Hazley dropped a 6-3, 6-4, decision to Georgia State’s Matias Ormaza. UCF’s Catalin Bradi knocked off Sadovich with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4, victory.
Three Tigers, Dan Kiernan, Jesse Smatt and Sebastien Rutka advanced to the second round complements of a first-round bye. Kiernan earned his for being seeded fifth in the draw, while Smatt used his No. 9-16 to move on. Rutka is a No. 17-32 seed. In the second round, Kiernan upended Pablo Martinez of Troy State, 6-3, 6-2, while Smatt and Rutka advanced in straight sets as well.
Smatt beat Wojciech Nowak of Georgia Southern, 6-4, 6-4, and Rutka breezed past Rahim Esmail of Kentucky 6-0, 6-1.
LSU also has three doubles teams representing it beginning Friday as Kiernan/Rutka, Fisher/Smatt and Hazley/Richman have all teamed together for the weekend. Kiernan and Rutka are the top seed in the draw while Fisher and Smatt have earned a No. 9-16 seed.
Omni Hotels ITA Region III Championships
Knoxville, Tenn.
Varsity Tennis Center
Oct. 25, 2001
Singles First Round (128)
Peter Richman (LSU) def. Lee Taylor Walker (Memphis) 6-1, 6-4
Bryan Fisher (LSU) def. Isaac Yarrell (FAMU) 6-3, 6-2
Matias Ormaza (Ga. St.) def. Jason Hazley (LSU) 6-3, 6-4
Catalin Bradu (UCF) def. Sanjin Sadovich (LSU) 6-3, 6-4
Dan Kiernan (LSU) received bye
Sebastian Rutka (LSU) received bye
Jesse Smatt (LSU) received bye
Singles Second Round (64)
(17-32) Oliver Foreman (MTSU) def. Peter Richman (LSU) 6-2, 6-2
Bryan Fisher (LSU) def. (9-16) Hamid Mirzadeh (UF) 7-6, 6-4
(6) Dan Kiernan (LSU) def. Pablo Martinez (Troy St.) 6-3, 6-2
(17-32) Sebastian Rutka (LSU) def. Rahim Esmail (UK) 6-0, 6-1
(9-16) Jesse Smatt (LSU) def. Wojciech Nowak (Georgia Southern), 6-4, 6-4
Singles Third Round (32) Schedule
Bryan Fisher (LSU) vs. (17-32) Andrew Colombo (Auburn)
(6) Dan Kiernan (LSU) vs. (17-32) Paul Ciorascu (Ole Miss)
(17-32) Sebastian Rutka (LSU) vs. (5) Tiago Ruffoni (Auburn)
(9-16) Jesse Smatt (LSU) vs. (17-32) Nicolas Boeker (Georgia)
Tournament Seeds in parenthesis