Gamecock Trio Advances at ITA All-Americans
Gamecock Trio Advances at ITA All-Americans
TULSA, OKLA. – South Carolina men’s tennis junior Lucas Andrade da Silva and sophomore Sean Daryabeigi advanced to the qualifying rounds of the ITA All-American Championships with three singles wins over the weekend. Sophomore Jelani Sarr and da Silva also advanced in doubles.
Da Silva carried momentum from his two-match win streak last weekend into this tournament, storming through the first round with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Harry Rock of Memphis on Saturday. On Sunday, he needed just slightly more time to push past Georgia Tech’s Richard Biagiotti 6-2, 6-4 in the second round. With a spot in qualifying rounds at stake, da Silva faced No. 113 Bryce Nakashima of Ohio State. After dropping the second set 6-2, da Silva leveled the match with a 6-1 second-set win just ahead of Nakashima retiring.
Daryabeigi gutted out a first-set tiebreak ahead of a steadier second set to get by Hawaii’s Azuma Visaya 7-6 (4), 6-4 in Saturday’s first-round action. In his first match Sunday, Daryabeigi shot out to a 6-1 first-set win against Ole Miss’ Isac Stromberg. The two went back-and-forth in the second with Stromberg getting a late break to send the match to a third set. The Gamecock sophomore shook off the disappointment so secured his spot in the final prequalifying round with a 6-4 third-set victory. Daryabeigi was rock solid in the deciding match, posting a 6-3, 6-1 win over TCU’s Duncan Chan for his spot in the qualifying rounds.
Sophomore Jelani Sarr and da Silva were sharp in prequalifying doubles action, winning the opening set against No. 67 Khololwam Montsi and Luis Carlos Alvarez of Oklahoma and then holding steady in a second-set tiebreak to lock in a 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory on Saturday. With a spot in the qualifying rounds on the line Sunday, the Gamecock duo fought out a tough match against New Mexico’s Georgia Samah and Aram Noroozian, taking the first set in an extended tiebreak and clinching with a late break in the second for a 7-6 (10), 7-5 victory.
Complete draws, schedules and results for the ITA All-American Championships will be posted on the ITA Tournament Page. Cracked Racquets will stream Main Draw matches on the ITA YouTube channel, and matches will also stream on TrackTennis.
Under the new format for NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, players and doubles teams in the ITA All-American Championships can qualify right into the NCAA Championships bracket. From singles, eight main draw quarterfinalists and two feed-in consolation finalists will punch their ticket directly into the NCAA Singles Championships. The four main draw doubles semifinalists will join them in the NCAA Doubles Championships.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockMTennis) for the most up-to-date information on the men’s tennis season.
South Carolina Results – Prequalifying Rounds
Singles Round 1 (Sept. 21)
Lucas Andrade da Silva (SC) def. Harry Rock (MEM) 6-2, 6-1
Sean Daryabeigi (SC) def. Azuma Visaya (HI) 7-6 (4), 6-4
(117) Jelani Sarr (SC) def. Alex Okonkwo (TUL) 7-6 (4), 6-4
Singles Round 2 (Sept. 22)
da Silva (SC) def. Richard Biagiotti (GT) 6-2, 6-4
Daryabeigi (SC) def. Isac Stromberg (OM) 6-1, 5-7, 6-4
Oscar Brown (DU) def. (117) Sarr (SC) 7-5, 6-2
Singles Round 3 (Sept. 22)
da Silva (SC) def. (113) Bryce Nakashima (OSU) 2-6, 6-1, ret.
Daryabeigi (SC) def. Duncan Chan (TCU) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles Round 1 (Sept. 21)
Lucas Andrade da Silva/Jelani Sarr (SC) def. (67) Khololwam Montsi/Luis Carlos Alvarez (OK) 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Doubles Round 2 (Sept. 22)
da Silva/Sarr (SC) def. Georgio Samaha/Aram Noroozian (UNM) 7-6 (10), 7-5
