HOUSTON — The LSU men’s tennis team split in their opening round matches at the Rice Crown Plaza Invitational Friday, finishing with six wins and six losses. The Tigers had four singles and two doubles teams make it to the second round of the winners’ bracket.
LSU continued its tradition of strong doubles play. Most noticeably among the doubles winners was the nation’s No. 27 ranked team of Colt Gaston and Danny Bryan. The pair defeated South Florida’s Dirk Britton and Freddy Baton 8-6. Paul White and Jonathan Tragardh cruised to an 8-3 victory over Prarie View’s Xavier Gogoy and Davie Herrera.
Bryan and Gaston will now face Rice’s No. 22 ranked team of Robert Searle and Ben Hacknett at 9 am Saturday, in the second round of the A bracket. White and Tragardh will go up against Virginia Tech’s Alberto Lorregola and Brent Wilkins in second round B bracket play.
In singles play Tiger freshman Jose Mocada came away with a straight set victory over South Florida’s Dilon Brazyna, in C bracket play. Second year players Jonathan Tragardh and Martel Campbell pulled out a three set first round victories as well.
All of Tigers will be in action again tomorrow.
Rice Crown Plaza
Day One Results
Flight A Doubles
Bryan/Gaston (LSU) def. Britzen/Barton (South Florida), 8-6
Harknett/Shin (Rice) def. Cluskey/Moncada (LSU), 8-6
Flight B Doubles
Gabriel/Mok (Rice) def. Lefevre/Campbell (LSU), 8-1
White/Tragardh (LSU) def. Xavier Gogoy/David Herrera (Prairie View), 8-3
Flight A Singles
Ben Harknett (Rice) def. Colt Gaston (LSU), 5-7, 7-6, 6-2
Arvid Puranen (Virginia Tech) def. Dan Bryan (LSU), 6-0, 7-5
Flight B Singles
Rodrigo Gabriel (Rice) def. Paul White (LSU), 6-4, 7-5
John Tragardh (LSU) def. Juan Barragan (South Florida), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Flight C Singles
Jason Mok (Rice) def. James Cluskey (LSU), 7-5, 4-6, 6-1
Jose Moncada (LSU) def. Dillon Brozyna (South Florida), 6-3, 6-4
Flight D Singles
Martel Campbell (LSU) def. Akil Burgess (Virginia Tech), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Will Lefevre (LSU) def. Nicolas Bateman (Prairie View), 6-1, 6-3