No. 31 Canes Open Season at Gardnar Mulloy Miami Invitational
Jan. 13, 2012
CORAL GABLES, Fla.– University of Miami freshman Henrique Tsukamoto defeated Texas Tech senior Rafael Garcia 7-6, 6-3 in an epic tiebreaker on the first day of competition at the Gardnar Mulloy Miami Invitational.
“Tsukamoto won the longest tiebreak I’ve ever seen at Miami,” said Rincon about the tiebreak that ended 21-19. “He showed great fight and composure in his win over a senior.”
Tsukamoto, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, used great mental toughness to battle to a 19-17 tiebreaker against fellow Brazilian, Garcia.
“I was really excited about my first match at Miami,” said Henrique Tsukamoto. “We had practiced a lot and that led me to feeling really well on the court today. Coach [Mario] Rincon and Laurence [Tieleman] supported me all day and that was really important to me.”
Miami came up short in seven of the other eight singles matches as well as in the four doubles matches against Texas A&M. Mark Schanerman, a mid-year transfer to Miami, defeated John Lewis of Texas A&M, 7-5, 1-6 (11-9), in the Canes’ other singles victory.
“The guys competed very well today,” said Coach Mario Rincon. “We played a bunch of close matches. We had some second sets we weren’t able to close out. But with a little more experience and a few more matches, we’ll be playing at a much higher level. Overall it was a really good day for us and we got better as a team.”
Miami’s 2011-12 roster consists of a pair of freshmen, a trio of both sophomores and juniors and a lone senior. The Canes had five seniors on the team just a season ago.
“We have a very talented young bunch of guys who gave their best today and we’re looking forward to the next couple of days of tough competition at home,” added Rincon.
On Thursday, sophomore Gabriel Flores lost to Texas Tech’s Roany Carvalho (6-2, 6-2), and classmate Omar Aly dropped his match in three sets, 5-7, 6-0, 6-4, to Gonzalo Escobar. Freshman Wilfredo Gonzalez and sophomore Diego Soto also took their matches to three, but junior Victor Mauz lost in straight sets. Senior Santiago Nieto played a pair of matches, falling 6-1, 6-4 to Jordan Szabo (Texas A&M) and 7-6, 6-2 to Jeff Bryan (TTU).
In doubles play against Texas A&M, Gonzalez and Aly lost 8-1, Flores and Soto were defeated 8-6 and Schanerman and Tsukamoto fell 8-3. Nieto and Mauz came up short, 9-8 (7-0).
“Tomorrow we have a great opponent and we are going to take advantage of playing tough matches and growing as players,” Rincon concluded.
Catch the Gardnar Mulloy Miami Invitational Friday at 10 a.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
Complete results are below.
Doubles
1 Ore/Withrow (A&M) WON vs. Gonzalez/Aly (UM) 8-1
2 Efferding/Klegou (A&M) WON vs. Flores/Soto (UM) 8-6
3 Bautista/Hoover (A&M) WON vs. Nieto/Mauz (UM) 9-8 (7-0)
4 Angus/Lewis (A&M) WON vs. Schanerman/Tsukamoto (UM) 8-3
Singles
1 Raony Carvalho (TT) def. Gabriel Flores (UM) 6-2,6-2
2 Gonzalo Escobar (TT) def. Omar Aly (UM) 5-7,6-0,6-4
3 Henrique Tsukamoto (UM) def. Rafael Garcia (TT) 7-6,6-3
4 Vitor Manzini (TT) def. Wilfredo Gonzalez (UM) 7-5,0-6,7-5
5 Francisco Zambon (TT) def. Diego Soto (UM) 2-6,6-4,7-5
6 Raphael Pfister (TT) def. Victor Mauz (UM) 7-6,6-4
7 Mark Schanerman (UM) def. John Lewis (A&M) 7-5, 1-6, (11-9)
8 Jordan Szabo (A&M) def. Santiago Nieto (UM) 6-1, 6-4
8 Jeff Bryan (TT) def. Santiago Nieto (UM) 7-6, 6-2
Doubles
Carvaltio/Garcia (TT) def. Hoh/Kopinski (UI) 8-5
Escobar/Manzini (TT) def. Gosea/Guiquon (UI) 8-6
Kalmanovich/Abdelnour (UI) def. Zambon/Pfister (TT) 8-5
Singles
Klegou (A&M) LOST vs. Kalmanovich (UI) 6-4, 6-4
Ore (A&M) WON vs. Abdelnour (UI) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
Hoover (A&M) LOST vs. Guignon (UI) 6-2, 0-6, 6-4
Efferding (A&M) LOST vs. Hoh (UI) 4-6, 7-6, 6-4
Withrow (A&M) WON vs. Gosea (UI) 6-2, 6-3
Angus (A&M) LOST vs. Kopinski (UI) 6-3, 7-5
Bautista (A&M) LOST vs. Wanderley (TT) 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
Gabriel Wanderley (TT) def. Alberto Bautista (A&M) 6-7,6-4,6-2
