Men's Tennis Opens Up Play At ITA Regionals

Wednesday, October 22

Chapel Hill, NC

All Day

Wake Forest University

ITA/Fall Regionals

10/24/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis

Oct. 24, 2003

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.-- The main draw doubles play began on Thursday at the ITA Regionals in Chapel Hill and Wake Forest's tandem of Brett Ross and Derrick Spice got off to a good start. The seventh-seeded pairing won its first match over NC State's Val Banada and R.J. Murray, 8-3 in the round of 32. Ross and Spice then took care of Florida State's Mat Cloer and Jonathan Sucupira, 8-6, advancing to Friday's quarterfinals.

Four Demon Deacons will begin play in the singles main draw on Friday, including freshman Todd Paul who won his first three matches in the qualifying rounds to earn a spot in the main draw. Paul defeated NC State's Conor Taylor, 6-3, 6-3 and then rolled past North Carolina's Geoff Boyd in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0, in Thursday's round of 16. Ross, Spice, and Andrew Hamar will also compete for Wake Forest in the singles draw.

After winning their first qualifying match on Wednesday, Wake Forest's Liron Strauss and Will Chewning both dropped their qualifying singles matches on Thursday. Chewning lost 2-6, 0-6 to Virginia's Darrin Cohen while Strauss fell 3-6, 4-6 to Alex Fish of William & Mary. In Thursday's doubles qualifying, the Demon Deacons' team of Paul and Hamar dropped an 8-3 decision to Peter Rodrigues and Jonathan Stokke of Duke.