LEXINGTON, Ky. — Senior James Cluskey of the LSU men’s tennis team highlighted the ITA Southeast Regional hosted by the University of Kentucky as he left the tournament with a 3-1 mark on Saturday.
Cluskey, seeded No. 17 in the third quarter, defeated both his first and second round opponents in straight-set victories. The 6-6 LSU player held first round opponent Kyle Wishing of Middle Tennessee State to a 6-2, 6-1 mark. Moving into the second round, Cluskey overtook Syracuse’s Maksim Levanovich 6-3, 7-5 and advanced into the third round singles competition
Cluskey returned to day two of competition to first face third-quarter No. 16 seed David Simon of the University of Miami. The LSU senior captured the first round with a 6-4 mark. Simon won the second set, 6-1, to push the match into the third set. The two had a heated third set during which Cluskey pulled ahead for victory and won the match by a 7-5 mark.
Moving into the round of 16, Cluskey took on University of Kentucky’s third-quarter No. 4 seed Bruno Agostinelli. After losing the first set 6-0, Cluskey fell to Agostinelli 6-3 in the second set, ending his run at the tournament.
In addition to Cluskey, LSU players Julien Gauthier and Neal Skupski also had solid tournament performances.
Although each fell in the round of 32, both performed well in the first and second rounds of play before falling in heated third round matches. Gauthier fell by a narrow margin of 7-5, 7-6 (1) to second-quarter No. 17 seed Tyler Hochwalt of Florida and Skupski pushed his last match into a third set against Auburn’s Lukas Marsoun before Marsoun advanced over the LSU newcomer 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
“James had a great win in his first match today,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “Neal and Julien also played very well. It was a productive tournament for us.”
Senior Jonathan Tragardh led LSU in the second round consolations with a pair of wins. Tragardh first defeated Alex Divaterio of VU 7-6 (4), 6-2. After a default match against Georgia’s Drake Bernstein, Tragardh moved over David Rosenfeld of the University of Miami, 7-5, 6-2.
ITA Southeast Regional
Oct. 16-20
Lexington, Ky.
Oct. 18
Singles
Round of 16
4 Bruno Agostinelli (UK) def. 17 James Cluskey (LSU) 6-0, 6-3
Round of 32
Lukas Marsoun (AU) def. Neal Skupski (LSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Tyler Hochwalt (UF) def. Julien Gauthier (LSU) 7-5, 7-6(1)
17 James Cluskey (LSU) def. 16 David Simon (UM) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
Oct. 18
Singles
Consolation
First Round Consolation
Cody Loup (LSU) def. Shane Collins (UK), 6-3, 6-1
Daniel Sanchez (MSU) def. Cody Loup (LSU), 6-4, 6-4
Second Round Consolation
Ryan Lissner (LSU) vs. Carlos Cueto (UF), Lissner by default
Antonia Lastre (MSU) def. Ryan Lissner, 6-3, 6-3
Bryant Salcedo(VU) def. Sebastian Carlsson (LSU), 6-4, 6-3
Mark Bowtell (LSU) vs. Ervin Garibovich (FGC), Bowtell by w/o
David Rosenfeld (UM) def. Mark Bowtell (LSU), 6-2, 6-3
Jonathan Tragardh (LSU) def. Alex Divalerio (VU), 7-6 (4), 6-2
Jonathan Tragardh (LSU) def. David Rosenfeld (UM), 7-5, 6-2