Oct. 3, 2008
ATLANTA - The Auburn men's tennis team opened its fall season Friday as the Tigers competed in the first day of the Georgia Tech Fall Tennis Invitational at the Bill Moore Tennis Center in Atlanta, Ga.
The Tigers racked up five singles wins and four doubles wins in the first day of action and will continue play at 8 a.m. ET, Saturday.
Senior Lukas Marsoun led the way for the Tigers, going undefeated in his one singles match and two doubles matches. He defeated Georgia Tech's Austin Roebuck, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, in his singles match and will take on Vanderbilt's James Moye in the Round of 16 of the "A" singles draw.
Marsoun also teamed up with newcomer Alex Stamchev in doubles, picking up a pair of wins. The team downed Armstrong Atlantic's Paul Bishop and Eudaldo Bonet, 9-8(4), in the first round and came back for an 8-6 win over UNC-Wilmington's Kinshuk Sharma and Illia Ziamtsou in the second round.
The duo will take on UGA's Javier Garrapiz and Josh Varela in Saturday's semifinals of the "A" doubles draw.
Stamchev also competed in the "A" singles, but fell to Furman's Daniel Knauss, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, in his first match as a Tiger.
In the "B" singles draw, Auburn's Milan Krnjetin, the top seed in the draw, advanced to the second round after defeating Vanderbilt's Andy Pulido, 6-2, 6-1. Also picking up wins in the "B" draw were Nick Maurillo over Armstrong Atlantic's Paul Fitzgerald, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, Alex Petropoulos over Clemson's Taylor Cohen, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, and Michel Monteiro over Davidson's Tareq Alani, 6-4, 6-2.
Hunter Mills and newcomer Powell Porter also competed in the "B" draw, taking losses in the opening round. Mills fell to UNC-Wilmington's Alex Wetherell, 6-1, 6-2, while Porter fell to Armstrong Atlantic's Rafael array, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.
Krnjetin, Maurillo, Petropoulos and Monteiro all return to action Saturday in the second round. Krnjetin will take on Wetherell while Maurillo plays Southern Mississippi's Markus Wessinhagge. Monteiro will take on Vanderbilt's Alex Divalerio with Petropoulos rounding out the group against Southern Mississippi's Sylva Felipe.
Auburn also had three teams active in the "B" doubles draw. Maurillo and Petropoulos teamed up to give Auburn its first win with an 8-4 victory over Kennesaw State's Justin Susserman and Lawrence Washington. The duo continued into the second round, but fell to Vanderbilt's Divalerio and James, 8-3.
Mills and Porter teamed up for a first-round loss to Southern Mississippi's Patricio Alvarado and Felipe, 8-4.
Auburn's final team of Krnjetin and Monteiro received a first-round bye after earning the No. 2 overall seed. The pair defeated Vanderbilt's Scott Lieberman and Andy Pulido, 8-3, to earn a second round appearance.
GEORGIA TECH FALL INVITATIONAL - DAY ONE AUBURN RESULTS
A Draw
Lukas Marsoun (Auburn) def. Austin Roebuck (Georgia Tech), 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Daniel Knauss (Furman) def. Alex Stamchev, 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
A Doubles
Lukas Marsoun/Alex Stamchev (Auburn) def. Paul Bishop/Eudaldo Bonet (Armstrong Atlantic), 9-8(4)
Lukas Marsoun/Alex Stamchev (Auburn) def. Kinshuk Sharma/Illia Ziamtsou (UNC-Wilmington), 8-6
B Draw
Milan Krnjetin (Auburn) def. Andy Pulido (Vanderbilt), 6-2, 6-1
Nick Maurillo (Auburn) def. Paul Fitzgerald (Armstrong Atlantic), 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Alex Petropoulos (Auburn) def. Taylor Cohen (Clemson), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Michel Monteiro (Auburn) def. Tareq Alani (Davidson), 6-4, 6-2
Alex Wetherell (UNC-Wilmongton) def. Hunter Mills, 6-1, 6-2
Rafael Array (Armstrong Atlantic) def. Powell Porter, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
B Doubles
Nick Maurillo/Alex Petropoulos (Auburn) def. Justin Susserman/Lawrence Washington (Kennesaw State), 8-4
Alex Divalerio/Moye James (Vanderbilt) def. Nick Maurillo/Alex Petropoulos (Auburn), 8-3
Patricio Alvarado/Sylva Felipe (Southern Mississippi) def. Hunter Mills/Powell Porter (Auburn), 8-4
Milan Krnjetin/Michel Monteiro (Auburn) def. Scott Lieberman/Andy Pulido (Vanderbilt), 8-3