UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The No. 34 Penn State men's tennis team cruised to a 4-0 win over Monmouth in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday morning to advance to Saturday's second round action.
Penn State moves on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in program history. The Nittany Lions will take on the winner of Friday afternoon's Columbia-Bryant match at 12 p.m. Saturday at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. The victor of Saturday's match advances to next weekend's Super Regionals.
"I thought we played a very good match today for our first match in the tournament," said head coach Jeff Zinn. "It was very 'workman like' and we were all business from the first point in doubles. I thought our doubles was up to par and we continued that momentum through our singles matches. Constant, Christian and Ben really played well and didn't let their opponents into the match. We will need to play that way again tomorrow."
DOUBLES
Penn State made quick work in doubles play to take a 1-0 match lead.
Christian Lakoseljac and Christos Antonopoulos earned a speedy 6-1 decision at No. 2 doubles over Monmouth's duo of Sergio Martinez and Max Benaim.
Ben Lieb and Matt Galush then clinched the doubles point for the Nittany Lions with their 6-2 win over Monmouth's Alberto Giuffrida and Srdjan Jakovljevic at the No. 3 doubles spot.
The No. 45-ranked pair of Constant De La Bassetiere and Gabriel Nemeth held a 5-3 lead in their No. 1 doubles match when Penn State clinched the point.
SINGLES
Ben Lieb got singles play started with a straight-set, 6-1, 6-1, victory over Monmouth's Sergio Martinez at No. 5 singles to move Penn State's lead to 2-0.
No. 105 Christian Lakoseljac followed with a straight-set win of his own as he defeated Monmouth's Nicola Pipoli 6-3, 6-2 to increase the Nittany Lion edge to 3-0.
De La Bassetiere then clinched the match at No. 1 singles with his 6-2, 6-1 win over Monmouth's Srdjan Jakovljevic. De La Basseitiere, who earlier this week earned a bid to the NCAA Singles Championship, runs his season record to an impressive 27-7.
Alp Sentay also held a 6-3, 5-0 lead in his match at No. 6 singles before De La Bassetiere secured the 4-0 Nittany Lion win.
UP NEXT
Penn State advances to Saturday's second round at 12 p.m. against the winner of the Columbia-Bryant match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.
The second-round winner advances to next weekend's Super Regionals against the winner of the Ohio State/Cleveland State/Notre Dame/Vanderbilt regional.
PENN STATE 4, MONMOUTH 0
Doubles Results
1. #45 Constant De La Bassetiere/Gabriel Nemeth (PSU) vs. Will Cooke Wharton/Nicola Pipoli (Monmouth) 5-3, unfinished
2. Christian Lakoseljac/Christos Antonopoulos (PSU) def. Sergio Martinez/Max Benaim (Monmouth) 6-1
3. Ben Lieb/Matt Galush (PSU) def. Alberto Giuffrida/Srdjan Jakovljevic (Monmouth) 6-2
Order of Finish: 2,3
Singles Results
1. #29 Constant De La Bassetiere (PSU) def. Srdjan Jakovljevic (Monmouth) 6-1, 6-2
2. #105 Christian Lakoseljac (PSU) def. Nicola Pipoli (Monmouth) 6-3, 6-2
3. Gabriel Nemeth (PSU) vs. Max Benaim (Monmouth) 5-7, 2-1, unfinished
4. Christos Antonopoulos (PSU) vs. Will Cooke Wharton (Monmouth) 3-6, 3-3, unfinished
5. Ben Lieb (PSU) def. Sergio Martinez (Monmouth) 6-1, 6-1
6. Alp Sentay (PSU) vs. Alberto Giuffrida (Monmouth) 6-3, 5-0, unfinished
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 1
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