HOUSTON — LSU’s men’s tennis team completed a successful opening weekend Sunday with matches against some of the nation’s most talented players in the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Rice University. The Tigers played four matches in the finals of their brackets, losing by slim margins to ranked opponents.
The Tigers No. 7-ranked doubles team of Brian Fisher and Jason Hazley lost to Rice’s duo of William and Richard Barker, 8-3. The Barker brothers were ranked first in doubles in the International Tennis Association’s preseason poll.
“Those guys have been on a roll lately, and that’s why they’re No. 1,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “(Fisher and Hazley) got a lot out of the match.”
Ken Skupski’s phenomenal first tournament as a Tiger ended with a narrow loss to William Barker, 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, in the A Flight doubles finals. Skupski dropped two ranked opponents in his first two matches before falling to 21st-ranked Barker.
“It was a good match, but I think they were both feeling the heat by the end,” Brown said. “They played a very good match. It really could have gone either way.”
Freshman Colt Gaston lost to Notre Dame’s Eric Langenkamp, 6-3, 6-4, in the C Flight singles Finals. Freshman Danny Bryan and Brandon Nicholson cruised to the finals of the B Flight doubles. Bryan and Nicholson lost Sunday, 8-4, to Stephen Bass and Bobby McNally of Notre Dame.
“It’s been a good tournament,” Brown said. “We have had a lot of energy both going into this tournament and coming out of it. Our freshmen did really well. Everybody competed hard.”
The Tigers will have three weeks to build on the success of this tournament before they return to action. They will travel to Chattanooga Oct.3 for the ITA Southeast Regionals.
CROWNE PLAZA INVITATIONAL RESULTS — DAY THREE
Flight A Singles
(1/2) William Barker (Rice) def. Ken Skupski (LSU), 7-6, 3-6, 6-4
(3/4) Luis Haddock (Notre Dame) def. Jason Hazley (LSU), 6-7, 6-2, 7-5
(5/6) Matt Scott (Notre Dame) def. Richard Barker (Rice), 6-2, 6-3
(7/8) Tom Murray (Tulsa) def. Dustin Taylor (Tulsa), default (inj.)
Flight B Singles
(1/2) Stephen Bass (Notre Dame) def. Shunsuke Shimizu (Tulsa), 6-1, 6-3
(3/4) Patrick Buchanan (Notre Dame) def. Danny Bryan (LSU), 7-5, 6-4
(5/6) Bryan Fisher (LSU) def. Rodrigo Gabriel (Rice), 6-1, 6-1
(7/8) Olaf Sjolund (Tulsa) def. Will Wiggins (Lamar), 6-1, 6-2
Flight C Singles
(1/2) Eric Langenkamp (Notre Dame) def. Colt Gaston (LSU), 6-3, 6-4
(3/4) Irachli Akhvlediani (Notre Dame) def. Jason Mok (Rice), 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (5)
(5/6) Take Morita (Rice) def. John Matthews (Tulsa), 6-1, 6-2
(7/8) Brandon Nicholson (LSU) def. Ricardo Rojas (Tulsa),6-3, 6-2
Flight D Singles
*Bobby McNally (Notre Dame) def. Roland Robb (Rice), 7-6, 6-1
*Ryan Keckley (Nore Dame) def. Luc Maasdorp (Tulsa), 6-1, 6-1
Jimmy Bass (Notre Dame) def. Eduardo Gutierrez (Tulsa), 6-2, 5-7, 7-6
* McNally & Keckley both finish 3-0
Flight A Doubles
(1/2) Barker / Barker (Rice) def. Fisher / Hazley (LSU), 8-3
(3/4) Skupski / Gaston (LSU) def. Mok / Morita (Rice), 8-5
(5/6) Scott / Langenkamp (Notre Dame) vs. Haddock / Keckley (Notre Dame), cancelled
(7/8) Murray / Matthews (Tulsa) vs. Taylor / Maarsorp (Tulsa), cancelled
Flight B Doubles
(1/2) S. Bass / McNally (Notre Dame) def. Bryan / Nicholson (LSU), 8-4
(3/4) Harding Brumby / Robb (Rice) def. Sjolund / Shimizu (Tulsa), default (inj.)
(5/6) Buchanan / Akhvlediani (Notre Dame) def. Rojas / Gutierrez (Tulsa), 8-0
(7) Will Wiggins / Melus (Lamar), bye