NCAA 2011: Big Ten Players Still Alive in Singles and Doubles

After two rounds of singles and one of doubles, there’s still hope that a trophy from the 2011 NCAA College Tennis Championships will make it back to the Big Ten.

On the men’s side, five players remain in the draws, two of which are alive in singles and doubles – though only one will remain with that distinction.  Blaz Rola of Ohio State, who was instrumental in his team’s run to the semifinals, squeezed past Stanford’s Ryan Thacher and then defeated Finn Tearney of Pepperdine. Rola is also heading into the round of 16 of doubles with teammate Chase Buchanan thanks to a win over Steve Johnson and Ray Sarmiento from the NCAA team winning Southern California team.

In singles, Blaz Rola will now face the only other Big Ten player who has the opportunity for a win in singles and doubles. Michigan’s Evan King got past Gonzalo Escobar of Texas Tech and Tim Puetz of Auburn to earn his round of 16 spot. He and Jason Jung, who lost in the first round of singles to 2010 men’s singles champion Bradley Klahn, will be playing their second doubles match today after a win over another Southern California duo, Jaak Poldma and JT Sundling.

The third men’s singles player still in the action from the Big Ten is Dennis Nevolo. The Illinois junior has gotten through two tough matches to earn a chance to again face Henrique Cunha of Duke. The last time Nevolo played the No. 8 seed the match was called before they had a chance to finish their close contest.

Four Big Ten women remain in contention at the NCAA Championships, but the highest seed is not in that group. No. 8 Denise Muresan of Michigan was upset by Chelsey Gullickson twice, though it’s hard to call it an upset in singles as Gullickson is the tournament’s defending champion. Three of the players left are from Northwestern, with Maria Mosolova (9-16) heading into the third round after a three-set win over Anna Bartenstein of Miami and an easier time with Irene Rehberger of South Florida. Fellow Wildcats Linda Abu Mushrefova (pictured, above) and Nida Hamilton defeated Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar and Jordaan Sanford of  Maryland in a match that went the distince.

Unseeded Leslie Hureau of Indiana made it through two tough matches already, but it’s not going to get any easier for her in the round of 16. She will face Florida’s Lauren Embree, who clinched the team title for the Gators at the earlier in the week.

For full results and live scoring, visit the official NCAA Division I Championship site. 

Men
Singles

Round of 16

Blaz Rola, Ohio State (5) vs. Evan King, Michigan
Dennis Nevolo, Illinois (9-16) vs. Henrique Cunha, Duke (8)

Second Round
Blaz Rola, Ohio State (5) defeated Finn Tearney, Pepperdine, 7-5,6-2
Dennis Nevolo, Illinois (9-16) defeated Daniel Nguyen, Southern California, 6-4,5-7,5-2 retired
Evan King, Michigan defeated Gonzalo Escobar, Texas Tech, 3-6,6-1,6-1

First Round

Costin Paval, Oklahoma  defeated Matt Allare, Ohio State, 6-3,7-5
Ray Sarmiento, Southern California defeated Chase Buchanan, Ohio State (9-16), 3-6,7-6(2),6-3
Blaz Rola, Ohio State (5) defeated Ryan Thacher, Stanford, 5-7,6-3,6-3
Dennis Nevolo, Illinois (9-16) defeated Ivan Salec, Radford, 6-3,7-6(3)
Evan King, Michigan defeated Tim Puetz, Auburn, 6-3,6-0
Brandley Klahn, Stanford defeated Jason Jung, Michigan, 7-6(5),6-2.
Austin Krajicek, Texas A&M  defeated Marek Michalicka, Wisconsin, 6-7(6),7-6(3),6-2.

Doubles

Round of 16

Chase Buchanan/Blaz Rola, Ohio State vs. Austen Childs/Viktor Maksimcuk, Louisville
Jason Jung/Evan King, Michigan vs. Roberto Maytin/John Peers, Baylor (5-8)

First Round
Boris Conkic/John-Patrick Smith, Tennessee (1) defeated Matt Allare/Peter Kobelt, Ohio State, 7-6(5),6-2.
Chase Buchanan/Blaz Rola, Ohio State defeated Steve Johnson/Ray Sarmiento, Southern California, 6-2,7-5
Jason Jung/Evan King, Michigan defeated Jaak Poldma/J.T. Sundling, Southern California, 4-6,6-3,6-1

Women
Singles
Round of 16

Maria Mosolova, Northwestern (9-16) vs. Hilary Barte, Stanford (3)
Leslie Hureau, Indiana vs. Lauren Embree, Florida

Second Round
Chelsey Gullickson, Georgia, defeated Denise Muresan, Michigan (8), 3-6,6-3,6-3
Maria Mosolova, Northwestern (9-16) defeated Irene Rehberger, South Florida, 6-4,6-3
Leslie Hureau, Indiana, defeated Anouk Tigu, Arkansas, 2-6,6-3,6-4

First Round

Denise Muresan, Michigan (8) defeated Martina Pavelec, Wake Forest, 4-6,7-5,6-2
Maria Mosolova, Northwestern (9-16) defeated Anna Bartenstein, Miami, 6-3,3-6,6-2
Leslie Hureau, Indiana defeated Brynn Boren, Tennessee, 3-6,6-2,7-6(3)

Doubles
Round of 16

Linda Abu Mushrefova/Nida Hamilton, Northwestern vs. Courtney Dolehide/Andrea Remynse, UCLA, 6-2,6-3

First Round
Kate Fuller/Chelsey Gullickson, Georgia defeated Brooke Bolender/Denise Muresan, Michigan (5-8), 6-3,6-2
Linda Abu Mushrefova/Nida Hamilton, Northwestern defeated Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar/Jordaan Sanford, Maryland, 4-6,6-0,6-2
Claudine Paulson/Anouk Tigu, Arkansas defeated Sonja Molnar/Jessica Young, Iowa, 5-7,7-6(5),6-2