TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The LSU men’s tennis team placed three players in the main draw singles quarterfinals and one doubles pair in the main draw doubles semifinals on day two of the USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships on Saturday at the University of Alabama Tennis Center.
Senior Sebastian Carlsson, junior Mark Bowtell and junior Neal Skupski each captured two singles victories to advance to the quarterfinal round of eight tomorrow.
Carlsson, currently ranked No. 78 in the nation by the ITA, cruised past Mississippi State’s Hren Hakeem 6-2, 6-2 in the round of 32. The Uppsalla, Sweden, native then earned a straight-set victory of Jarryd Botha of Alabama 6-3, 7-6.
Skupski won a pair of tough three-set matches, the first over Samford’s Zac Dunkle 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 and the second over Mississippi State’s Malte Stropp 6-3, 6-7, 7-5.
Bowtell bested Samford’s Scott Foster 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 32 before taking down 79th-ranked Artem Ilyushin of Mississippi State 6-7, 6-0, 6-3.
“We had another strong day,” LSU head coach Jeff Brown said. “Those players that advanced will get a chance to play against some tough competition tomorrow, and we look forward to coming out and competing.”
Later in the day, Carlsson and Skupski teamed up for doubles and notched two wins. The 16th-ranked pair made quick work of ULL’s Brandon Farine and Yanick Mandl 8-2 in the round of 16, and then grinded out a hard-fought win over Roamin Bocaert and Lucan Viel of South Alabama 9-8(4) to clinch a spot in the semifinals.
Stefan Szacinski also picked up a win in the singles consolation bracket, defeating Troy’s Branko Weber 6-3, 7-6.
The tournament action will continue tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. CT with singles, and doubles will follow later in the day.
USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships
October 22-25
Tuscaloosa, Ala.
University of Alabama Tennis Center
Singles Main Draw
Round of 32
Mark Bowtell (LSU) def. Scott Foster (Samford), 6-3, 6-2
Olivier Borsos (LSU) def. Louis Cant (Mississippi State), 6-3, 6-4
Sebastian Carlsson (LSU) def. Hrehan Hakeem (Mississippi State), 6-2, 6-2
Neal Skupski (LSU) def. Zac Dunkle (Samford), 6-7, 7-6, 6-1
Marcel Thiemann (Ole Miss) def. Roger Anderson (LSU), 6-1, 6-2
Chris Thiemann (Ole Miss) def. Tom Knights (LSU), 6-4, 6-4
Round of 16
Mark Bowtell (LSU) def. Artem Ilyushin (Mississippi State), 6-7, 6-0, 6-3
Sebastian Carlsson (LSU) def. Jarryd Botha (Alabama), 6-3, 7-6
Neal Skupski (LSU) def. Malte Stropp (Mississippi State), 6-3, 6-7, 7-5
Chris Thiemann (Ole Miss) def. Olivier Borsos (LSU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
Singles Consolation
Round of 32
Stefan Szacinski (LSU) def. Branko Weber (Troy), 6-3, 7-6
Doubles Main Draw
Round of 16
Ricky Doverspike/Vikram Reddy(Alabama) def. Mark Bowtell/Roger Anderson (LSU), 9-7
Sebastian Carlsson/Neal Skupski (LSU) def. Brandon Farine/Yanick Mandl (ULL), 8-2
Quarterfinals
Sebastian Carlsson/Neal Skupski (LSU) def. Romain Bocaert/Lucan Viel (South Alabama), 9-8(4)