Rain, Cold Doesn't Stop the Cougars at Invite
PROVO -- After a slow start to the BYU Invitational due to rain and cold, the BYU men's tennis team was able to open the fall season Thursday with big wins in some tough matches.
The Cougars and the Broncos of Boise State dominated the singles main draw with each team having three players advancing to the quarterfinal round.
For the Cougars, top seeded Carlos Lozano, third seeded Eric Nyman and Jose Lechuga were able to fight through their matches to advance to the round of eight.
Head coach Jim Osborne was happy with the play of his team this early in the season.
"We were real competitive in most our matches," Osborne said. "We are competing well, we?re just making those early season unforced errors."
Lozano, who had a bye the first round, defeated Jemre Okoh of Idaho State 6-2, 6-1 in the second round. Nyman beat fellow teammate Dann Battistone in the first round 7-5, 6-3 before beating Jason Trask of Utah State 6-2, 6-4 in the second.
Coach Osborne was particularly impressed with the play of Lechuga, who fought back after losing the first set in the second round to beat Roland Brateanu of Utah 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3).
"I was very happy with the play of Lechuga," Osborne said. "He has been working very hard and he is the most improved player from last year on our team. He really fought hard and came up with a tough win for us."
Osborne hopes that Friday will bring better weather for the tournament.
"It was a tough day with the weather and having to play indoors," he said. "We're hoping things improve for tomorrow."
1st Day ResultsSingles ? Main Draw
1st Round
Carlos Lozano (BYU) ? bye
Jemre Okoh (ISU) def. Jason Herrud (Qualifier) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Mahmoud Resk (BSU) def. Paul Heapy (BYU) 7-6(4), 7-5
Jonah Nelson (USU) def. Nick Coutts (UU) 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3)
Mattias Silva (BSU) def. Brandon Butler (USU) 6-1, 6-2
Daniel Lohff (UU) def. Jacob Jensen (USU) 6-2, 6-2
Tyler Poulson (UU) def. Jeremy Price (BYU) 6-2, 6-3
Anton Rudjuk (BYU) def. Andy Marsh (USU) 7-5, 6-3
Alonzo Medina (BYU) def. Beck Roghaar (BSU) 6-4, 6-1
Malcolm Swan (ISU) def. Tomasz Grzyb (UU) 6-2, 6-3
Jason Trask (USU) def. Rob Sperry (BYU) 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-4
Eric Nyman (BYU) def. Dann Battistone (Qualifier) 7-5, 6-3
Jose Lechuga (BYU) def. Jordan Butler (USU) 6-1, 6-2
Roland Brateanu (UU) def. Ryan Bair (USU) 6-2, 6-2
Jeff Olsen (BYU) def. Kaisorn Chaichana (UU) 6-1, 6-3
Thomas Schoeck (BSU) def. Don Williams (WSU) 7-6(0), 6-4
2nd Round
Lozano (BYU) def. Okoh (ISU) 6-2, 6-1
Resk (BSU) def. Nelson (USU) 7-6(0), 6-0
Silva (BSU) def. Lohff (UU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
Poulson (UU) def. Rudjuk (BYU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
Swan (ISU) def. Medina (BYU) 6-4, 6-1
Nyman (BYU) def. Trask (USU) 6-2, 6-4
Lechuga (BYU) def. Brateanu (UU) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)
Schoeck (BSU) def. Olsen (BYU) 7-6(7), 7-6(5)
