Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
ITA Midwest Regionals
MSU Completes Fourth Day Of ITA Men's Midwest Regional
10/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Oct. 26, 2003
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State's hopes of a singles or doubles berth in the quarterfinals of the 2003 ITA Midwest Regional were dashed Sunday at the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility. Junior Andrew Formanczyk (Rochester Hills, Mich.) won his first match of the day in the second round before falling in the third.
Formanczyk, the No. 7 seed, went up against a member of the 2003 NCAA Champions in Illinois' Chris Martin in the third round. Formanczyk, who advanced to the Sweet 16 at the ITA Regional Championships for the third straight year, moved Martin around the entire court but Martin, seeded No. 12, ran down almost every ball en route to a 6-2, 7-6(2) victory.
Meanwhile, MSU's four second-round singles matches included the No. 7, 8, 9 and 10 seeds. Formanczyk met Michigan qualifier Ryan Heller and each player gained service breaks in the first two games. Once Formanczyk picked up another break to get to 5-3, the 2003 All-Big Ten team selection went on to capture the set, 6-3. Formanczyk then cruised in the second to take the match and enter the third round, 6-3, 6-2.
Junior Cameron Marshall (Louisville, Ky.) faced No. 9 Ravi Pathanjali of Western Michigan and Pathanjali controlled the first half of the match. After taking the first set, Pathanjali drove to a 4-1 lead in the second set. Marshall, however, got two quick breaks to eventually reach a deciding set, 7-5. In the third, Pathanjali converted a break point for a 4-2 lead. After both players held serve, Marshall fired an overhead smash past Pathanjali for the break to get to 5-4. Unfortunately, Marshall fell in the next game to give WMU's top singles player the match, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Two other Spartans competed in the second round of singles but both fell in straight sets. Senior Eric Simonton (Annandale, N.J.) dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision to No. 8 Ryler DeHeart of Illinois and senior Chris Mitchell (Ann Arbor, Mich.) fell to No. 10 Tom Hanus of Northwestern, 6-4, 6-4.
One doubles tandem from Michigan State was still alive and the duo of Marshall and Simonton met Western Michigan's Pathanjali and Brady Crosby in the third round late in the afternoon. A quick service break for the Broncos, though, eliminated an opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals as State fell, 8-2.
Quarterfinal singles and doubles matches as well as the semifinals in doubles take place Monday beginning at 9 a.m. The tournament will wrap up Tuesday with semifinals and finals in singles and the doubles final. Michigan State's next tournament has the team traveling to Ann Arbor for the Big Ten Singles Indoor Championships, Nov. 15-17.
Sunday's Results From The ITA Midwest RegionalSinglesSecond Round (Round of 32)No. 8 seed Ryler DeHeart (ILL) def. Eric Simonton (MSU) 6-2, 6-1No. 9 seed Ravi Pathanjali (WMU) def. Cameron Marshall (MSU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4No. 7 seed Andrew Formanczyk (MSU) def. Ryan Heller (MICH) 6-3, 6-2No. 10 seed Tom Hanus (NW) def. Chris Mitchell (MSU) 6-4, 6-4
SinglesThird Round (Round of 16)No. 12 seed Chris Martin (ILL) def. No. 7 seed Andrew Formanczyk (MSU) 6-2, 7-6(2)
DoublesThird Round (Round of 16)Brady Crosby/Ravi Pathanjali (WMU) def. Cameron Marshall/Eric Simonton (MSU) 8-2
