Christensen Takes Home "C" Draw Title
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – University of Miami sophomore Casper Christensen highlighted the Miami men’s tennis team’s performance at the Jauer Roadrunner Invitational over the weekend, taking home the top honors as the “C” draw champion.
Christensen posted a 3-0 record in singles action to finish in the top spot, while posting a 2-1 record in doubles action alongside partner freshman Antonio Prat .
As a team, Miami went 9-3 in singles and 3-3 in doubles against opponents from Abilene Christian, Baylor, Incarnate Word, Nicholls, Oral Roberts, St. Francis, UT-Arlington, UT-Rio Grande Valley, UT-San Antonio and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Overall, four Hurricanes competed on the weekend, posting a 12-6 cumulative record.
The Hurricanes started the weekend strong in singles play, posting a 3-1 record on Friday. Christensen set the tone for his weekend with a 7-6 (5), 6-1, while freshmen Nacho Serra Sanchez and Jackson Armistead both posted decisive two set victories, winning their matches 6-3, 6-3 and 6-0,6-2, respectively.
On Saturday, Miami went 5-1 overall with a 3-1 mark in singles action and a 2-0 record on the doubles courts. After facing a first-round loss on Friday, Prat came out with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Nicholls’ Antoine Martin-Thiriat to advance to the finals of the consolation bracket.
Christensen closed out his singles performance with a hard-fought, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7), battle on Sunday to clinch the singles C draw title. Armistead won his match, 6-2, 6-2 to clinch third place in the “D” draw, while Prat defeated Dario Kmet of Abilene Christian, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, to win the consolation bracket.
After a pair of strong showings in the quarterfinals and semifinals, Serra Sanchez fell just short of the “A” draw title, losing to Baylor’s Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi, 1-6, 3-6, in the finals.
In doubles, Christensen and Prat won the consolation bracket with a 7-6 (8) victory over the duo from UT-San Antonio. Serra Sanchez and Armistead finished the tournament as runners-up in the consolation bracket, dropping the finals match, 2-6.
The Canes return to action on Oct. 5-9 at the ITA Men’s All-American Championships.
SINGLES
A Draw
Nacho Serra Sanchez – Runner-Up
Quarterfinals: def. Emir Sendogan (Rice), 6-3, 6-3
Semifinals: def. Santiago Giamichelle (UT-A), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Finals: lost to Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi (Baylor), 1-6, 3-6
B Draw
Antonio Prat – Consolation Winner
Quarterfinals: lost to Louis Cloud (SMU), 3-6, 4-6
Consolation Semifinals: def. Antoine Martin-Thiriat (Nicholls), 6-0, 6-3
Consolation Finals: def. Dario Kmet, (Abilene) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
C Draw
Casper Christensen – Winner
Quarterfinals: def. Joao Sasso (UIW), 7-6 (5), 6-1
Semifinals: def. Tomas Pinho (UTSA), 4-6, 6-2, 7-5
Finals: def. Matthieu Peres (TAMU-CC), 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7)
D Draw
Jackson Armistead – Third-Place
Quarterfinals: Def. Daichi Akiyoshi (UT-A), 6-0, 6-2
Semifinals: lost to Garrett Skelly (UTSA), 1-6, 3-6
Third-Place Match: def. Gustavo Pinho (SFC), 6-2, 6-2
DOUBLES
A Draw
Nacho Serra Sanchez/Jackson Armistead – Consolation Runners-Up
Quarterfinals: lost to Santiago Giamichelle/Anton Shepp (UT-A), 3-6
Consolation Semifinals: def. Borna Devald/Karlo Krolo (UT-RGV), 6-3
Consolation Finals: lost to Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi/Marko Miladinovic (Baylor), 2-6
B Draw
Casper Christensen/Antonio Prat – Consolation Winners
Quarterfinals: lost to Ignacio Vinas/Ezequiel Monferrer (ORU), 2-6
Consolation Semifinals: def. Antoine Martin-Thiriat/Marwin Kralemann (Nicholls), 6-3,
WF: def. Tomas Pinho/Tiago Torres (UTSA), 7-6 (8)
