University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
ITA All-American Championships
Libietis, Reese Reach ITA Semifinals
October 04, 2014 | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. -- Tennessee seniors Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese collected their third straight-set victory Saturday to advance to the semifinals of the ITA All-American Championships.
Libietis and Reese, the top seeds and defending champions, defeated Columbia's sixth-ranked team of Max Schnur and Ashok Narayana 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
The Vols now face the No. 3-seeded Oklahoma State team of Arjun Kadhe and Jakob Sude in Sunday's semifinals.
Schnur and Narayana had defeated Libietis and Reese in the finals of the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships last fall, but the Vols jumped out to a quicker start in Saturday's rematch.
"When you've lost to a team in the past, so it's always good to come back again and get the win," Tennessee associate head coach Chris Woodruff said. "We were not outstanding today, but we played well enough to win. I thought we served well in the big points."
Libietis and Reese kept up the momentum in an up and down second set, which featured three breaks of serve between the teams. The Vols saved a pair of break points on Libietis' serve at 5-4 to close out the match.
With 76 victories together, Libietis and Reese move solely into third on Tennessee's career doubles wins list as a team.
Libietis picked up an morning victory over Texas' Adrien Berkowicz 7-5, 6-1 to advance to the consolation quarterfinals but lost in the afternoon to UCLA's 13th-ranked Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to end his singles run.
Reese lost 6-4, 6-2 to Bruno Semenzato of Duke in the second round of consolation.
SAWICKI REACHES FINAL IN CHATTANOOGA
Junior Bartosz Sawicki defeated Chattanooga's John Peacey 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the flight 2 final of the UTC/Steve Baras Fall Classic in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Sawicki takes on Belmont's Cedric Dajacquier in the final of his draw. Sawicki, who earned the No. 6 spot in the Vols' singles lineup late last season, is 5-3 to start the fall.
In doubles, Sawicki and Sunay Bhat lost to Chattanooga's Nicklas Wingord and Luke Saunders.
ITA All-American Championships
Saturday's Results
Main Draw Doubles
Quarterfinal
[1] Mikelis Libietis/Hunter Reese, Tennessee, def. [5-8] Max Schnur/Ashok Narayana, Columbia, 6-3, 6-4
Consolation Singles
Second Round
Mikelis Libietis, Tennessee, def. Adrien Berkowicz, Texas, 7-5, 6-1
Bruno Semenzato, Duke, def. Hunter Reese, Tennessee, 6-4, 6-2
Quarterfinal
Mackenzie McDonald, UCLA, def. Libietis, Tennessee, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
