ITA Bedford Cup in the Mountains Draws (after day one)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Two NM State singles players and another pair of doubles teams remain in contention for championships following day one of the ITA Bedford Cup in the Mountains.
The ITA-sanctioned event began Thursday at the Air Force Intercollegiate Tennis Courts.
DOUBLES
• Things couldn't have gone much better for two of the three NM State doubles pairings. After receiving a bye into the round of 16, Louis Menard and Martin Simecek made all the right moves down the stretch in a 6-4 triumph over the Air Force duo of Kyle Garner and Luke Wolf.
• Gijs Akkermans and Corey Clarke may have had to play two matches Thursday, but they wound up joining Menard and Simecek in the quarterfinals by the time all was said and done. Akkermans and Clarke doubled up the Denver pairing of Pato Garcia Muriel and Daniel Krulig. Once in the round of 16, Akkermans and Clarke played their way into the quarterfinal round by securing a 6-4 victory over Weber State's tandem of Matteo Savio and Arthur Serafim.
• Ryan Ford, who was paired with Air Force's Daniel Wei, went 0-2 in doubles action on the day. Ford and his Air Force teammate suffered a hard-luck 7-6 (4) setback in their opening match of the day against a Weber State tandem. In the back draw, Ford and Wei were right there with Army's tandem of David Gorshein and Nathan Jose, but fell by a narrow 7-5 score.
• The Aggies' two doubles teams in the doubles bracket quarterfinals will take aim for a spot in the semifinals at 9:00 a.m. Friday morning. Ford and Wei move to another back draw showdown at the same time Friday morning.
SINGLES
• Both Akkermans and Menard made short work of their respective opponents to remain in contention for a singles title in their respective draws.
• In the Blue Draw, Menard earned a first-round bye and eased past Weber State's Serafim in the second. Menard took that match by a 6-0, 1-0 (ret.) score and moved on to the Blue Draw quarterfinals at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.
• Like Menard in the Blue Draw, Akkermans also earned a first-round bye in the Silver Draw. Pitted against Air Force's Wolf in the round of 16, Akkermans captured a 6-3, 6-4 win in order to move on to the Silver Draw quarterfinal matchup.
• After a loss in the opening round in his Silver Draw match, Ford collected a walkover victory against Montana State's Jason Huppin to advance in the back draw portion of the bracket. He'll take part in the consolation quarterfinals at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.
• Both Clarke and Simecek went 0-2 in their singles bouts Thursday, dropping down into the Falcon Bracket where they'll try to make it to a Saturday match at 10:00 a.m. Friday morning.
COMING UP NEXT
• All of the Aggies' doubles teams and singles competitors continue their respective runs at the ITA Bedford Cup in the Mountains Friday morning. Doubles action begins at 9:00 a.m. and singles tilts start at 10:00 a.m. from the Air Force Intercollegiate Tennis Courts.
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