GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The Knights wrapped up their first day of action from the ITA Southeast Regional Championships with much success. Both doubles pairs pulled out victories in their first matches of the tournament while NUMBER singles players advanced to the second round of the main singles draw.
The duo of Mikhail Sokolovskiy and Bogdan Pavel were pegged as the tournament's No. 2 seed. After earning a first round bye, the Knight pair defeated Kevin Patel and Harvey Maughan of Kennesaw State by a count of 8-5 in the round of 32. The pair will square off against FSU's Bryn Nahrung and Richard Thongoana in the round of 16 on Saturday.
The other UCF duo pulled out a tight victory in their first match of the tournament. Alan Rubio and Manoel Alencar earned a bye in the first round before edging Kennesaw State's Sebastian Osorio and Bryan Triana 8-7(8). The Black and Gold pair will face Georgia's Mateo Reyes and Blake Croyder, who knocked off the top seeded duo in the doubles draw.
Multiple Knights were locked in tight matchups throughout the first day of main draw singles play. Pavel was able to prevail in straight sets over Georiga's Blake Croyder by a count of 7-5, 6-3 to advance to the round of 32. As the main draw's No. 14 seed, Pavel will face Miami's Dane Dunlap on Saturday.
No. 82 Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi topped his singles opponent in the round of 64 as he defeated Andrei Duarte of Georgia State in three sets 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Grassi Mazzuchi represents the tournament's No. 10 seed and will face Keshav Chopra of Georgia Tech in the round of 32 on Saturday.
No. 29 Gabriel Decamps was tabbed as the top singles player of the tournament, earning the right to be the No. 1 seed. After falling in the first set, Decamps rallied to beat Florida's Brian Berdusco 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. He advances to face the winner of FSU's Chase Wood and USF's Jacob Wojcik match.
As the No. 11 seed in the tournament, No. 84 Rubio topped UNF's Joe Ellis in straight sets 6-0, 7-6(3). He'll face Georgia State's Roberts Grinvalds in the Round of 32 on Saturday.
Sokolovskiy crossed paths with the tournament's No. 4 seed, Duarte Vale of Florida. Vale wound up prevailing 6-4, 6-2, sending Sokolovskiy to the back-draw consolation bracket.
Alencar ended up running into a seeded singles player as well as he squared off with the fifth seeded Johannes Ingildsen of Florida. After falling in the first set, Alencar rallied to take set number two, but was edged by Ingildsen 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. Alencar will participate in the back-draw consolation bracket on Saturday.
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