ANN ARBOR, Mich. – After going 2-0 on his first day of action at the ITA Midwest Regional, Cleveland State men's tennis freshman Matthew Terry has advanced to the Round of 16 in the Main Singles Draw.
"Today was another good day for us, the team is competing at a very high level right now and it is so exciting to watch," head coach Brian Etzkin said. "We are incredibly happy to see Matt in the Round of 16 and we are looking forward to continuing the weekend and seeing what he can do tomorrow. Throughout the fall season the team has continued to get better and better, and because of that we continue to raise our goals, which will hopefully lead to success, not only this fall but also during the spring season."
After earning an automatic spot in the Main Singles Draw earlier this week, Terry had to wait until the third day of the tournament before beginning his singles play. In his opening round match, Terry battled for a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory over Marquette's Luke Smerk, before earning a quick 6-2, 6-0 victory over Notre Dame's Daniel Rayl to earn a spot in the Round of 16.
"Matt played somebody that we had seen before this year, and although we didn't get him the first time around, Matt was able to avenge his teammate's loss with a victory this morning. He competed really well in his opening round match and found a way to win, and it's great to see him get a win even without his best stuff on the court," Etzkin said.
Terry, who became the first Viking to advance to the Round of 16, will now take on Michigan's Runhao Hua in his third round match Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Live Scoring and Live Video is available via the ITA Midwest Regional Tournament Central Page.
"Matt played much better during his second round match, and was never really in trouble after picking up some confidence throughout the match. He is now into the round of 16 with some impressive company, and we will see if he can push it another round tomorrow," Etzkin said.
Nico Mostardi, who qualified for the Main Singles Draw after picking up three straight wins over the first two days of the tournament, was also able to pick up a victory in his first round matchup before falling in the Round of 32. In the first round, Mostardi cruised to a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Matt Gamble of Notre Dame, before falling to Ohio State's John McNally (6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-1) in his second round matchup.
"Nico faced the same player as last year in his first round match, turning around last year's loss into an amazing victory today. Nico's serve is one of his best strengths and through his first four matches he didn't have his serve broken, which put him in total control of all his matches. During his second round match he was up against a tough opponent and although he had chances, he just ran out of steam at the end of the match. Over the last three days, Nico has been sustaining a high level of play and a high level of mental toughness, which is great to see moving forward this season," Etzkin said.
Cleveland State's final representative in the Main Singles Draw was Luke Phillips, who also earned a spot in the bracket after going 3-0 in the Qualifying Singles Draw. Phillips had a tough draw in his opening round match, dropping a 6-3, 6-4 contest against seeded Kyle Seeling of Ohio State.
"Luke had a tough draw in his first round match against a seeded player, and although he played him toe-to-toe throughout the match, he came up short on a few big points that turned the match. I thought this was another great learning experience for him, and I think he definitely proved to himself and his teammates what he is capable of," Etzkin said.
Main Draw Singles – First Round
Matthew Terry (CSU) def. Luke Smerk (MARQ), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Nico Mostardi (CSU) def. Matt Gamble (ND), 6-0, 6-4
Kyle Seeling (OSU) def. Luke Phillips (CSU), 6-3, 6-4
Main Draw Singles – Second Round
Matthew Terry (CSU) def. Daniel Rayl (ND), 6-2, 6-0
John McNally (OSU) def. Nico Mostardi (CSU), 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-1
