Wake Forest Athletics
Photo by: Brian Westerholt/Sports On Film
Botzer Wins ITA Carolina Regional; Qualifies for ITA Fall Championships
10/22/2019 10:45:00 PM | Men's Tennis
CARY, N.C. - The Men's ITA Carolina Regional Championships wrapped up on Tuesday with an all-Wake Forest final. Bar Botzer and Rrezart Cungu faced off for the singles championship, with Botzer winning the final 6-4, 7-6 (5). Botzer and Cungu both qualify for the ITA Fall Championships next month in Newport Beach, Calif.
Botzer earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, Melios Efstathiou was the four-seed, Cungu the 12th seed and Eduardo Nava was the No. 16 seed in the event.
The tournament began on Friday with the first and second rounds of singles. Botzer started the tournament off with two, two set victories, defeating Oscar Alvarez of Presbyterian 6-0, 6-3, and Clemson's Yizhou Liu 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the round of 32. On Saturday, Botzer defeated Henrik Alveti 6-1, 7-5 to advance to the round of 16. Botzer continued his momentum, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 decision over Duke's Andrew Zhang to seal a spot in the quarterfinals. The junior moved into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over 10th-seeded Connor Thompson. On Monday, Botzer won his sixth match of the event, defeating the three-seed Josh Peck of North Carolina in a three-set effort, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2 to battle for the title.
Cungu made a strong start, picking up back-to-back two set wins over Thomas Brown of South Carolina, 6-4, 6-3 and SC Upstate's Leon Roider, 6-2, 6-0. In the round of 32, Cungu downed Michael Copeland of UNCW 6-4, 6-2. The junior found a spot in the quarterfinals, defeating eight-seeded Garrett Johns from Duke, in three sets, 7-5, 6-7 (9), 6-2. Cungu battled Tadas Babelis, the nine-seed in the tournament in the semifinals, rallying from behind to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. The win sealed his pot in the finals match to face teammate Botzer for the men's singles title.
Nava earned two wins on Friday, defeating Axel Fries of Davidson 7-5, 6-4 and Charlotte's Ben Wayand 7-5, 6-2, before dropping to Yannai Barkai of NC State, 6-3, 6-1.
Freshman Matt Thompson advanced to the second round on Friday after defeating Raphael Calzi from Campbell in a three-set effort, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3, before falling to Clarke Wilson of Furman 6-2, 6-3. Freshman Brant Fenno faced Clemson's Carlos Kelaidas, falling 6-2, 6-2 in the first round.
Fourth-seeded Efstathiou cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 decision over James Roelofse of Furman before falling to Duke's Michael Heller in the second round on Friday. Yuval Soloman rounded out the Deacs in the Round of 128, defeating Noe Macquart from Campbell 6-0, 6-1. Soloman dropped to Rafael Iziquierdo Luque of NC State 6-3, 6-1 in the second round
FULL RESULTS
SINGLES
Round of 128
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Oscar Alvarez (PRESBY)- 6-0, 6-3
Eduardo Nava (Wake) def. Axel Fries (DAV) 7-5, 6-4
Matt Thompson (Wake) def. Raphael Calzi (CAM) 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3
Carlos Kelaidas (CLEM) def. Brant Fenno (Wake) 6-2, 6-2
Melios Efstathiou (Wake) def. James Roelofse (FUR) 6-1, 6-0
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Thomas Brown (USC) 6-4, 6-3
Yuval Soloman (Wake) def. Noe Macquart (CAM) 6-0, 6-1
Round of 64
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Yizhou Liu (CLEM) 6-2, 6-2
Eduardo Nava (Wake) def. Ben Wayand (CHAR) 7-5, 6-2
Clarke Wilson (FUR) def. Matth Thompson (Wake) 6-2, 6-3
Michael Heller (DUKE) def. Melios Efstathiou (Wake) 6-1, 6-3
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Leon Roider (SC Upstate) 6-2, 6-0
Rafael Iziquierdo Luque (NCSU) def. Yuval Soloman (Wake) 6-3, 6-1
Round of 32
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Henrik Atlevi (FUR) 6-1, 7-5
Yannai Barkai (NCSU) def. Eduardo Nava (Wake) 6-3, 6-1
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Michael Copeland (UNCW) 6-4, 6-2
Round of 16
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Andrew Zhang (Duke) 6-1, 6-0
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Garrett Johns (Duke) 7-5, 6-7 (9), 6-2
Quarterfinals
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Connor Thompson (USC) 6-4, 6-4
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Daniel Rodrigues (USC) 6-1, 6-2
Semifinals
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Josh Peck 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Tadas Babelis 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
Finals
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Rrezart Cungu (Wake) 6-4, 7-6(5)
Botzer earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, Melios Efstathiou was the four-seed, Cungu the 12th seed and Eduardo Nava was the No. 16 seed in the event.
The tournament began on Friday with the first and second rounds of singles. Botzer started the tournament off with two, two set victories, defeating Oscar Alvarez of Presbyterian 6-0, 6-3, and Clemson's Yizhou Liu 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the round of 32. On Saturday, Botzer defeated Henrik Alveti 6-1, 7-5 to advance to the round of 16. Botzer continued his momentum, cruising to a 6-1, 6-0 decision over Duke's Andrew Zhang to seal a spot in the quarterfinals. The junior moved into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over 10th-seeded Connor Thompson. On Monday, Botzer won his sixth match of the event, defeating the three-seed Josh Peck of North Carolina in a three-set effort, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2 to battle for the title.
Cungu made a strong start, picking up back-to-back two set wins over Thomas Brown of South Carolina, 6-4, 6-3 and SC Upstate's Leon Roider, 6-2, 6-0. In the round of 32, Cungu downed Michael Copeland of UNCW 6-4, 6-2. The junior found a spot in the quarterfinals, defeating eight-seeded Garrett Johns from Duke, in three sets, 7-5, 6-7 (9), 6-2. Cungu battled Tadas Babelis, the nine-seed in the tournament in the semifinals, rallying from behind to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. The win sealed his pot in the finals match to face teammate Botzer for the men's singles title.
Nava earned two wins on Friday, defeating Axel Fries of Davidson 7-5, 6-4 and Charlotte's Ben Wayand 7-5, 6-2, before dropping to Yannai Barkai of NC State, 6-3, 6-1.
Freshman Matt Thompson advanced to the second round on Friday after defeating Raphael Calzi from Campbell in a three-set effort, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3, before falling to Clarke Wilson of Furman 6-2, 6-3. Freshman Brant Fenno faced Clemson's Carlos Kelaidas, falling 6-2, 6-2 in the first round.
Fourth-seeded Efstathiou cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 decision over James Roelofse of Furman before falling to Duke's Michael Heller in the second round on Friday. Yuval Soloman rounded out the Deacs in the Round of 128, defeating Noe Macquart from Campbell 6-0, 6-1. Soloman dropped to Rafael Iziquierdo Luque of NC State 6-3, 6-1 in the second round
FULL RESULTS
SINGLES
Round of 128
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Oscar Alvarez (PRESBY)- 6-0, 6-3
Eduardo Nava (Wake) def. Axel Fries (DAV) 7-5, 6-4
Matt Thompson (Wake) def. Raphael Calzi (CAM) 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3
Carlos Kelaidas (CLEM) def. Brant Fenno (Wake) 6-2, 6-2
Melios Efstathiou (Wake) def. James Roelofse (FUR) 6-1, 6-0
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Thomas Brown (USC) 6-4, 6-3
Yuval Soloman (Wake) def. Noe Macquart (CAM) 6-0, 6-1
Round of 64
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Yizhou Liu (CLEM) 6-2, 6-2
Eduardo Nava (Wake) def. Ben Wayand (CHAR) 7-5, 6-2
Clarke Wilson (FUR) def. Matth Thompson (Wake) 6-2, 6-3
Michael Heller (DUKE) def. Melios Efstathiou (Wake) 6-1, 6-3
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Leon Roider (SC Upstate) 6-2, 6-0
Rafael Iziquierdo Luque (NCSU) def. Yuval Soloman (Wake) 6-3, 6-1
Round of 32
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Henrik Atlevi (FUR) 6-1, 7-5
Yannai Barkai (NCSU) def. Eduardo Nava (Wake) 6-3, 6-1
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Michael Copeland (UNCW) 6-4, 6-2
Round of 16
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Andrew Zhang (Duke) 6-1, 6-0
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Garrett Johns (Duke) 7-5, 6-7 (9), 6-2
Quarterfinals
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Connor Thompson (USC) 6-4, 6-4
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Daniel Rodrigues (USC) 6-1, 6-2
Semifinals
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Josh Peck 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2
Rrezart Cungu (Wake) def. Tadas Babelis 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
Finals
Bar Botzer (Wake) def. Rrezart Cungu (Wake) 6-4, 7-6(5)
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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