MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The LSU doubles pair of Danny Bryan and Colt Gaston came close to winning their second doubles tournament of the fall season but fell in the finals of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships on Sunday.
Gaston and Bryan, ranked No. 27 nationally, won the Rice Crowne Plaza Invitational in September. However, the Tiger tandem couldn’t pull it out in the finals Sunday losing, 9-8 (1), in an intense battle with Georgia’s Strahinja Bobusic and Colin Purcell.
Gaston and Bryan won two matches Sunday to reach the finals. They were leading, No. 17 ranked, Erling Tveit and Eric Claesson, 2-1, when an injury brought the match to an end. Bryan and Gaston then downed the Kentucky duo of Nate Enge and Alex Hume, 8-6, in the semifinals.
Ken Skupski and James Cluskey, LSU’s other doubles team in play Sunday, won their quarterfinal match against Alex Jago and James Spence, of Memphis, 8-6. However, the pair fell to Bobusic and Purcell, 9-8, in the semifinals.
“We played well,” said LSU head coach Jeff Brown. “We were able to convert our opportunities in the matches we won and just weren’t in the matches we lost.”
Wilson ITA Southeast Regionals
Doubles Main Draw
Sunday, Oct. 16
Quarterfinals
Colt Gaston/ Danny Bryan (LSU) def. Erling Tveit/ Eric Claesson (Ole Miss) 2-1 (inj)
Ken Skupski/ James Cluskey (LSU) def. Alex Jago/ James Spence (Memphis) 8-6
Semifinals
Colt Gaston/ Danny Bryan (LSU) def. Nate Enge and Alex Hume (Kentucky), 8-6
Strahinja Bobusic/ Colin Purcell (Georiga) def. Ken Skupski/ James Cluskey (LSU) 9-8
Finals
Strahinja Bobusic/ Colin Purcell (Georiga) def. Colt Gaston/Danny Bryan (LSU) 9-8 (1)