Men's tennis team has big day at national tournament

The Eastern Florida State College men's tennis team had a big first day at the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Florence, South Carolina.

The Titans won all of their matches on Tuesday at Dr. Eddie Floyd Florence Tennis Center as all six singles players have advanced to the quarterfinals while all three doubles teams are in the Round of 16.

A couple of players had to play twice on Tuesday after Monday's rainout and both had the matches of the day to make the quarterfinals.

Alberto Perez Mellado opened with a 6-0, 6-0 victory before having one of the best matches of the day as he picked up the win 7-5 in the third set.

Perez got off to a quick start, taking an early lead and held on for the 6-4 win. He would lose the second set 6-3 to force a third set. It looked like he would win the third set, but Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College's Gonzalo Cotter came back to tie the match 5-5. He would break Cotter to take a 6-5 lead and then win it 7-5.

"It was a really difficult match, we got to the third set and it was really tight," Perez said.

Perez will play Iowa Central's Kodjo Charles Alipoe Tchotchodji who upset No. 3 seed Cem Atlamis. Wednesday's match will begin at 9 a.m.

Filip Sormaz also won his first match at No. 3 singles easily, posting the 6-0, 6-1 win. That matched him up with No. 4 seed Angel Gautier of Wallace State. Sormaz used a big serve to win the first set 6-4 and the second set was tight throughout and was tied 6-6.

"I knew I just had to stay consistent. In that tiebreaker at 5-all, he called that ball out, I just gave it to him and didn't let it affect me. I pulled through, stuck to my game and am just happy to pick up the win," said Sormaz who won the match 7-6.

The win put Sormaz into the quarterfinals on Wednesday against No. 5 seed Valentin Greco of Cowley College at 9 a.m.

Alexandr Achour picked up a win at No. 1 singles against Harford Community College's Tristan Duval and the first set was tight early as each broke the other serves to begin the match. Achour found his footing and won the final three points to win 6-2. Down 1-2 in the second set, Achour won a long point that was at deuce for multiple rounds until Achour tied things up 2-2. A lightning delay forced all of the players off the court for close to half an hour. When they returned, Achour cruised to victory 6-3.

Achour, the No. 6 seed, will play No. 3 seed Matias Ruiz of Jones College who advanced with a 6-1, 6-1 win.

Pablo Garcia Rodriguez had a 4-0 lead before the delay and Prairie State College's Sandro Giangregorio came out after the delay to cut the lead to 4-3. But Garcia would hang on to post the 6-4 win and then won the second set 6-0 to advance. Garcia will play No. 5 seed Axel Le Ho of Wallace State at 10:30 a.m.

Thomas Kurz Cardozo cruised at No. 5 singles, winning 6-0, 6-1 in less than an hour to advance to the quarterfinals against Harford Community College's Alejandro Rotundo at 10:30 a.m.

At No. 6 singles, Konstantin Kukaras also picked up a win in straight sets, beating Weatherford College's Alejandro Rozo 6-0, 6-1. Kukaras will play Pratt Community College's Sixto Gologart who is the No. 5 seed. The match will also be played at 10:30 a.m.

The No. 1 doubles team of Achour and his brother Zakaria Achour took the court a little past 8 p.m. and made quick work of Marion Military Institute's Flex Howard and Bryce Manalo, winning 6-1, 6-1. They will play Cowley College's Juwan Bae and Dan Hosono at 2 p.m. in the Round of 16.

The No. 2 doubles team of Salva Mulet and Sormaz who are the No. 3 seed and had a bye in the first round. The duo will play Meridian Community College's Blakeney Allen and Badlwin Escobar at 2 p.m.

Garcia and Kurz are teaming up at No. 3 doubles against Coastal Alabama Community College's David Gimenez and Alvaro Velasco at 2 p.m. Gimenez and Velasco advanced in three sets on Tuesday.

Wednesday's matches begin at 9 a.m. in South Carolina.