University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Start Play at Challenger
November 09, 2011 | Men's Tennis
Nov. 9, 2011
Four of the five former Vols in the Knoxville Challenger began competition Tuesday at the Goodfriend Tennis Center.
It was a rough start for Tennessee as Rhyne Williams and Tennys Sandgren both lost their opening singles matches, while John-Patrick Smith and Ben Rogers fell in doubles.
Williams had the closest meeting of the day, pushing fifth-seeded Vasek Pospisil of Canada to three sets before losing 4-6, 6-1, 6-4. Pospisil is currently ranked No. 120 in the ATP world rankings.
Sandgren was defeated by seventh-seeded American Michael Yani 6-4, 6-2.
Smith and Rogers were up a break early in doubles could not retain the lead, losing to Southern California's Steve Johnson and recent Texas A&M graduate Austin Krajicek 6-3, 6-4.
WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE
Smith, the reigning SEC Athlete of the Year, plays the first evening showcase singles match Wednesday against unseeded Amer Delic. The match does not start before 6 p.m.
Adam Hubble, who lettered two years for the Vols in 2006-07, teams up with Denmark's Frederik Nielsen against Americans Denis Kudla and Devin Britton. The match set to start not before 4 p.m.
Admission is $10 for the entire day.
Knoxville Challenger
Tuesday Tennessee Results
Singles
[7] Michael Yani, USA, def. Tennys Sandgren, USA, 6-4, 6-2
[5] Vasek Pospisil, CAN, def. Rhyne Williams, USA, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Doubles
Austin Krajicek, USA/Steve Johnson, USA, def. John-Patrick Smith, AUS/Ben Rogers, USA, 6-4, 6-2
Wednesday Tennessee Schedule
Singles
John-Patrick Smith, AUS, vs. Amer Delic, BIH, not before 6 p.m.
Doubles
Adam Hubble, AUS/Frederik Nielsen, DEN vs. Denis Kudla, USA/Devin Britton, USA, not before 4 p.m.
