CARY, N.C. – North Carolina Central University sophomore
Oliver Saarinen (Espoo, Finland) had a full schedule at the 2022 ITA Carolina Regional from Oct. 21-25, and played three consecutive matches on the second day of the tournament on his way to help lead the Eagles with two singles victories and a doubles win at Cary Tennis Park.
Saarinen fell in his first match against Connor Krug of Duke on Friday, 6-2, 6-4, and then defeated Jordy Lake of College of Charleston, 6-2, 6-4, in the round of 64 in the consolation bracket to set up his eventful Saturday. He started the day with a win over Win Steveker of Queens University of Charlotte, 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the round of 16, and then began doubles play with teammate
Sebastian Pino (Caracas, Venezuela). The duo won their first match against Eduardo Dias and Chrisjan Van Wyk from Gardner-Webb in a third-set tiebreak, 3-6, 6-4, 10-8, and rallied from trailing 8-5 in the tiebreak to win five consecutive points to win the match. The pair then immediately faced Benjamin Kittay and Logan Zapp of North Carolina in the round of 32, and fell in a narrow match, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, to finish the day.
Saarinen's lengthy stay in the event came to an end in the round of 16 of the consolation bracket, after a defeat to Veljko Krstic of Elon, 6-0, 6-1.
Pino found success in the main singles draw as he defeated his first opponent, Teodor Cariov of Presbyterian, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-1 to move to the round of 64. He then fell to Melios Efstathiou of Wake Forest, 6-2, 6-2.
LaQuon Gilchrist (Raleigh, N.C.) and
Facu Olmedo (Miami, Fla.) competed together in doubles, and matched up with Aissa Benchakroun and Benjamin Niv of MEAC opponent, South Carolina State. The pair played an evenly-matched three-set affair, but the SCSU duo outlasted Gilchrist/Olmedo, 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.
Naresh Bharathy (New Hill, N.C.) and
Neiman Sneed (Augusta, Ga.) also joined to compete, and fell in a tough match with Reece Falck and Bekhzod Rasamatov of UNC Wilmington, 6-4, 6-2.
The men's tennis team has now concluded its fall schedule, and will next prepare for spring competition.
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