University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships
Two Teams Reach Doubles Semifinals at ITA Regionals
October 23, 2010 | Men's Tennis
Oct. 23, 2010
Once again, two Tennessee doubles teams are playing in the semifinals of the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships.
Although the two pairings had never played a collegiate match together entering the tournament, the teams of senior John-Patrick Smith and Tennys Sandgren as well as Edward Jones and Rhyne Williams won their quarterfinal matches Saturday to advance in Lexington, Ky.
Smith, ranked No. 1 nationally, and Williams also reached the singles quarterfinals with a pair of victories each.
In doubles, Smith and Sandgren, seeded second, defeated Kentucky's Alex Musialek and Anthony Rossi 8-4. Jones and Williams collected a late break to beat Louisville's Alejandro Calligari and Robert Hall 9-7.
On Sunday, Smith and Sandgren face third-seeded Austen Childs and Viktor Maksimcuk of Louisville. Jones and Williams play top-seeded Eric Quigley and Brad Cox of Kentucky.
Last season, the Vols played each other for the ITA Regional title. Williams and Boris Conkic teamed up to defeat then top-ranked Smith and Davey Sandgren 8-6 in the championship match.
In singles, Smith quickly defeated Purdue's Krisztian Krocsko 6-1, 6-1 in his first match of the day. He later won his first set tiebreaker of the fall on his way to a 7-6 (5), 6-3 victory over Alberto Gonzalez of Kentucky in the round of 16.
Williams struggled at the start against Vanderbilt's Adam Baker in his first match. Williams lost the first set 4-6 and the second set went into a tiebreaker. That was when the Knoxville native pulled away. He won the tiebreaker in lopsided fashion 7-6 (7-1) and then shut out Baker 6-0 in the final set.
Williams cruised past Kentucky's Anthony Rossi 6-1, 6-2 in the round of 16.
Sophomore Tennys Sandgren, seeded ninth, fell 6-3, 6-3 to Louisville's Alejandro Calligari in the round of 32, snapping a season-best five-match winning streak.
Smith plays seventh-seeded Simon Childs of Louisville in the quarterfinals. The senior from Townsville, Australia, is still in search of his first ranked victory of the fall season, and Childs is listed at No. 63.
Williams faces Louisville's Austen Childs, an opponent he defeated as a freshman at the ITA Regionals last season. Childs was a finalist at the NCAA Singles Championships last season.
Winners of Sunday's quarterfinal matches play in the semifinals later in the afternoon.
The finals are scheduled for Monday, and singles and doubles champions automatically qualify for the ITA/USTA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in November.
ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships
Saturday's Results
Singles
Round of 32
(1) John-Patrick Smith, UT, def. Krisztian Krocsko, Purdue, 6-1, 6-1
(5) Rhyne Williams, UT, def. Adam Baker, Vanderbilt, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-0
Alejandro Calligari, Louisville, def. (9) Tennys Sandgren, UT, 6-3, 6-3
Round of 16
(1) John-Patrick Smith, UT, def. Alberto Gonzalez, Kentucky, 7-6 (5), 6-3
(5) Rhyne Williams, UT, def. Anthony Rossi, Kentucky, 6-1, 6-2
Doubles
Quarterfinals
(2) John-Patrick Smith/Tennys Sandgren, UT, def. Alex Musialek/Anthony Rossi, Kentucky, 8-4
(5-8) Edward Jones/Rhyne Williams, UT, def. Alejandro Calligari/Robert Hall, Louisville, 9-7
Sunday's Matches
Singles
Quarterfinals
(1) John-Patrick Smith, UT, vs. (7) Simon Childs, Louisville
(5) Rhyne Williams, UT, vs. (3) Austen Childs, Louisville
Doubles
Semifinals
(2) John-Patrick Smith/Tennys Sandgren, UT, vs. (3) Austen Childs/Viktor Maksimcuk, Louisville
(5-8) Edward Jones/Rhyne Williams, UT, vs. (1) Eric Quigley/Brad Cox, Kentucky
Players Mentioned
