ITA Ohio Valley Regional Central
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Purdue men's tennis team opened the ITA Ohio Valley Regionals on Thursday on the campus of Vanderbilt University. Athell Bennett went a combined 3-0 on the day between singles and doubles play.
Two of Purdue's three doubles teams reached the second round. Bennett and Julian Saborio rolled in their opening match against Alberto Gonzalez and Kato Richardson from Tennessee State, 8-0.
The duo punched its ticket into the third round with an 8-4 win over Thibault De Negri and Danilo Kovacevic of Ball State. Bennett and Saborio will meet No. 4 seed Sergio Ramirez and Fabien Salle from Louisville on Friday
Sebastian Welch and Mateo Julio cruised in their first match against Thomas Brennan and Olof Wiklund from Butler, 8-0, but the pair fell in the second round to No. 5 seed Zac Brodney and Bennett Crane of Indiana.
Bennett took his strong start into singles play in the afternoon. The No. 1 seed for the tournament made quick work of Louisville's Randy Wilson in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. The senior will face Marko Ilic of Belmont on Friday.
Julio, the No. 7 seed, also advanced to the second round with a win against Edison of Austin Peay, 6-3, 6-3. He will see Francisco Rocha of Middle Tennessee in the second round on Friday.
Purdue Matches on Thursday
No. 1 Athell Bennett def. Randy Wilson (Louisville) – 6-3, 6-3
Matt Story (Memphis) def. Tomasz Dudek – 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Srjin Slump (MTSU) def. Franz Luna – 6-3, 6-4
Bennett Crane (Indiana) def. Maksymilian Raupuk - 6-3, 3-6, 6-2
No. 22 Millen Hurrion (Kentucky) def. Julian Saborio – 6-1, 6-2
No. 7 Mateo Julio def. Christian Edison (Austin Peay) – 6-3, 6-3
Kerim Hyatt (Chattanooga) def. Sebastian Welch – 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(6)
Sebastian Welch/Mateo Julio def. Thomas Brennan/Olof Wiklund (Butler) – 8-0
No. 5 Zac Brodney/Bennett Crane (Indiana) def. Sebastian Welch/Mateo Julio – 8-5
Athell Bennett/Julian Saborio def. Alberto Gonzalez/Kato Richardson (TSU) – 8-0
Athell Bennett/Julian Saborio def. Thibault De Negri/Danilo Kovacevic (Ball State) – 8-4
Scott Jones/Luca Wiedenmann (Tennessee) def. Tomasz Dudek/Maksymilian Raupuk – 8-2