GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – With a pair of wins in the main singles draw on both Saturday and Sunday, the UCF men's tennis team's Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi advanced to the final match of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships. In total, six Knights were in action over the weekend, but Grassi Mazzuchi was the lone UCF player to make it through to a championship match.
SATURDAY
Three Knights advanced to the quarterfinals in singles action on Saturday. No. 29 Gabriel Decamps started his day with a win over USF's Jacob Wojcik by a count of 6-4, 6-3 in the round of 32. Decamps faced Florida's Chase Ferguson in the round of 16, triumphing over him in three sets 6-2, 2-6, 6-1 to advance to the quarterfinals of the main singles draw.
No. 82 Grassi Mazzuchi also reached the quarterfinals after Saturday's action. His Saturday began with a victory over Georgia Tech's Keshav Chopra, topping him 7-6(2), 6-3 in the round of 32. Grassi Mazzuchi then defeated FGCU's Felipe Ramirez in a tight contest by a score of 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the round of 16.
The final Knight to reach the quarterfinals was Bogdan Pavel as he won both of his contests in straight sets. He began his Saturday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Miami's Dane Dunlap before advancing to topple Florida's Joshua Goodger 6-3, 6-1 in the round of 16.
No. 84 Alan Rubio started his day with a victory over Georgia State's Roberts Grinvalds in a neck in neck three set match by a count of 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. In the round of 16, Rubio ended up falling to Florida's Duarte Vale in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, ending his tournament.
Two more Knights saw their tournament come to a close in heated three set battles in the back-draw bracket round of 32. Manoel Alencar lost to Kennesaw State's Sebastian Osorio 6-3, 3-6, 10-7. Mikhail Sokolovskiy was edged by Miami's William Grattan Smith by a count of 2-6, 6-2, 10-5.
Both UCF doubles pairs were victorious on Saturday in the round of 16. Alencar and Rubio bested Georgia's Blake Croyder and Mateo Reyes 8-3 while Pavel and Sokolovskiy defeated FSU's Bryn Nahrung and Richard Thongoana 8-4. The two Knight pairs advanced to the quarterfinals with their victories.
SUNDAY
Singles play on Sunday began with a pair of Knights having to face each other in the main draw quarterfinals. Grassi Mazzuchi was matched up with Pavel with a trip to the semifinals on the line. Grassi Mazzuchi would prevail by a score of 6-4, 6-2, putting an end to Pavel's run. Later in the afternoon, Grassi Mazzuchi won his semifinals matchup against Georgia State's Vazha Shubladze in a three-set battle 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. The victory sends Grassi Mazzuchi to the main draw singles final on Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. As the tournament's No. 10 seed, he'll face Florida's Duarte Vale, the tournament's fourth seed.
Decamps began his day with a win in the quarterfinals over Jason Legall of FAU. He made quick work of Legall, winning in straight sets 6-2, 6-4. Decamps would cross paths with Florida's Vale in the semifinals, falling by a count of 6-4, 6-2.
The two Knight doubles pairs fell in the quarterfinals, bringing their tournaments to a close. Pavel and Sokolovskiy fell in a tightly contested match to Georgia Tech's Brandon Freestone and Chris Yun by a count of 8-6. Alencar and Rubio were topped by Felipe Ramirez and F. Sakaluskas 8-2.
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