Oct. 21, 2007
PRINCETON, N.J. - Senior Michael James (Clifton, Va.) and the Nittany Lion doubles team of junior Brendan Lynch (North Potomac, Md.) and sophomore Ryan Gormley (Las Vegas, Nev.) advanced into the quarterfinals of the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regional Championships on Sunday.
Top-seeded James remained hot on Sunday, as he cruised into Monday's quarterfinals by relinquishing only seven games in two matches. In the Round of 32, James, who is ranked 35th in the ITA National rankings, defeated Phil Stevens of Farleigh Dickinson by a score of 6-2, 6-3. James then handed Brown's Saurabh Kohli a 6-0, 6-2 defeat, which punched his ticket into the final eight. The Nittany Lion senior will meet No. 8 seed Mark Clemente from Columbia on Monday at 9 a.m. in his quarterfinal bout.
In doubles play, Lynch and Gormley rolled over the Penn team of Justin Fox and Adam Schwartz, 8-1, in the Round of 16 to advance into Monday's doubles quarterfinals.
In other singles action, Lynch knocked off St. Bonaventure's Leo Mochizuki in the Round of 32 in straight sets (6-3, 6-3). Lynch, who is the No. 7 seed, moved on to face Dartmouth's Mark Brodie in the Round of 16. The junior southpaw's tournament came to close after suffering a tight three-set defeat against Brodie. Lynch snagged the first in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7), but Brodie edged Lynch in the final two sets, 6-4, 6-4.
Also in action was freshman Eddie Bourchier (Hobart, Australia), who rolled over Bucknell's Ira Reibeisen in the Round of 32, 6-1, 6-2. With the victory, 16th-seeded Bourchier then faced the tournament's No. 2 seed Peter Capkovic from Princeton. Capkovic snagged the first set, 6-3, but Bourchier did go away quietly, as he forced a second-set tiebreaker. However, Capkovic took the breaker and the match.
Also in the Round of 32, Gormley suffered a three-set defeat at the hands of No. 13 seed Artem Vlasenko of St. John's. After dropping the first (6-1), Gormley knotted the match at one set apiece with a 7-5 victory in the second. However, the decisive third set and the match went to Vlasenko, 6-3, ending Gromley's run in the draw.
Action will continue on Monday at Princeton. In singles, the quarterfinals are slated for Monday. The semifinals and the tournament finals will take place on Tuesday. In doubles play, the quarterfinals and semifinals will take place on Monday, with the tournament finals set for Tuesday.
For more information on the ITA Northeast Regional Championships, log on to www.itatennis.com.
Wilson/ITA Northeast Regional Championships - October 21, 2007
Singles
Round of 32:
(#1) No. 35 Michael James (PSU) def. Phil Stevens (F. DICKINSON), 6-2, 6-3
(#7) Brendan Lynch (PSU) def. (#27) Leo Mochizuki (ST. BON.), 6-3, 6-3
(#16) Eddie Bourchier (PSU) def. Ira Reibeisen (BUCKNELL), 6-1, 6-2
(#13) Artem Vlasenko (ST. JOHN'S) def. Ryan Gormley (PSU), 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
*Seed number in parenthesis
Round of 16:
(#1) No. 35 Michael James (PSU) def. Saurabh Kohli (BROWN), 6-0, 6-2
(#12) Mark Brodie (DARTMOUTH) def. (#7) Brendan Lynch (PSU), 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-4
(#2) Peter Capkovic (PRINCETON) def. (#16) Eddie Bourchier (PSU), 6-3, 7-6 (3)
*Seed number in parenthesis
Doubles
Round of 16:
Brendan Lynch/Ryan Gormley (PSU) def. Justin Fox/Adam Schwartz (PENN), 8-1
*Seed number in parenthesis