Another Tough Saturday For Men's Tennis
11/10/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Nov. 10, 2001
EAST LANSING, MICH. - While the sun was rising over East Lansing Saturday, tennis balls were already at full speed as Michigan State opened the 2001 Big Ten Men's Singles Indoor Championships. Ten Spartans were in action in either the main 64-player draw or the alternate draw designed for players seeded seventh or eighth on their respective team's depth chart.
Looking for better showings than the ITA Regional Championships two weeks ago, MSU had seven players in the Big Ten Indoors main draw. But just like the ITA tournament, all fell from the main draw on Saturday. Four Spartans, however, were able to come up with big wins in the first round.
In his first Big Ten tournament, freshman Andrew Formanczyk (Rochester Hills, Mich.) was forced to play the second seed, Indiana's Milan Rakvica, in his opening round match. Showing no signs of nervousness, Formanczyk took control of the whole match, cruising to a 6-3, 6-3 win.
"At first, I just wanted to figure out what his game was like," said Formanczyk. "(Rakvica's) game was somewhat of a counter-punch style so I needed to come back with the same and take him out of his comfort zone."
The other three Spartans with first round wins all needed three sets to advance. No. 15 seed Chris Mitchell (Ann Arbor, Mich.) and juniors Jimmy McGuire (Columbus, Ohio) and Goran Topalo (Prague, Czech Republic) each lost their first sets but came on strong to win the next two.
"I was hoping to start off slow and get into a rhythm," said McGuire. "I didn't want to start off spectacular in my first match. Losing the first set never got to me and when I started to pick up my game in the second, I just needed to win that and go from there."
Even though they lost in the second round, Formanczyk, Mitchell, McGuire, and Topalo will join freshman Cameron Marshall (Louisville, Ky.), who lost his first round match but won in a walkover in the consolation round, in the second round consolation matches at 8 a.m. Sunday.
In the extra draw for the seventh to eighth seeds, sophomore Mike Jonckheere (London, Ontario) reached the quarterfinals after defeating Indiana's Lesedi Bewlay, 6-2, 6-2, but fell to Purdue's Sounak Chatterjee 6-1, 6-3. Two other Spartans are still alive in the consolation round. Freshman Anthony Stefani (Grosse Point Shores, Mich.) was in the only match scheduled that did not take place Saturday. He will take on Iowa's Pete Rose at 9:30 a.m. Sunday. Sophomore Josh Efros (West Bloomfield, Mich.) reached the semifinals after Michigan's Brett Baudinet retired with an injury.
Competition will begin at 8 a.m. Sunday and run all day with semifinals and finals taking place Monday. The Michigan State Indoor Tennis Facility will house most matches while others will play at Court One in Okemos.
Saturday's Big Ten Men's Singles ResultsMain Draw First Round:Thomas Hanus (NW) def. Cameron Marshall (MSU) 6-2, 6-0Laith Al-Agba (PUR) def. Mike Hodge (MSU) 6-1, 6-1Goran Topalo (MSU) def. Roddy Cantey (PSU) 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3Todd Stecko (PSU) def. Adam Hourani (MSU) 6-2, 6-4Jimmy McGuire (MSU) def. Jason Gonzaga (WISC) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4#15 Chris Mitchell (MSU) def. Carl McCafferty (PUR) 3-6, 7-6(6), 6-3Andrew Formanczyk (MSU) def. #2 Milan Rakvica (IND) 6-3, 6-3
Main Draw Second Round:Jamal Parker (ILL) def. Goran Topalo (MSU) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(2)#3 Henry Beam (MICH) def. Jimmy McGuire (MSU) 7-6(3), 6-2Chris Wettengel (MINN) def. #15 Chris Mitchell (MSU) 6-3, 7-6(4)Troy Havens (PUR) def. Andrew Formanczyk (MSU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Main Draw-Consolation First Round:Cameron Marshall (MSU) def. #8 Adrian Bohane W/O#4 Jackie Jenkins (NW) def. Mike Hodge (MSU) 6-4, 6-3Hunter Skogman (IOWA) def. Adam Hourani (MSU) 7-5, 6-4
7-8 Draw First Round:Russell Bennett (NW) def. Anthony Stefani (MSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4Mike Jonckheere (MSU) def. Lesedi Bewlay (IND) 6-2, 6-2David Freijd (IOWA) def. Josh Efros (MSU) 6-3, 6-2
7-8 Draw Second Round:Sounak Chatterjee (PUR) def. Mike Jonckheere (MSU) 6-1, 6-3
7-8 Consolation First Round:Josh Efros (MSU) def. Brett Baudinet (MICH) 4-1 ret.