Nguyen and Kurdadze Highlight Play in Day One at ITA Regionals
Nguyen (left) and Kurdadze advanced to the main draw after day one.
Hanover, N.H. – Sophomores Nikoloz Kurdadze and Bryan Nguyen navigated their way through qualifying play on day one at the ITA Northeast Regional to earn berths in Friday’s main singles draw. Kurdadze took down Enric Larregola of St. Bonaventure 6-0, 6-3 in the opening round and he finished off St. John’s Derek Wallensteen in straight sets 6-2, 6-2 to earn a spot in the main singles draw. Nguyen advanced to the round of 16 before falling in a three-set thriller against Stony Brook's Mitch Wong. But he recieved a bid by virtue of a late withdrawal from the main bracket. Manu Bajpai and Jason Savage-Pollock were dismissed in the first round of play on Thursday at Dartmouth College.
In the opening round, Nguyen came back after dropping the first set to St. Bonaventure's Oscar Yanez 3-6. He settled himself to take the second 6-2 and close out the third set with a dominant 6-0 blanking to earn a berth in the round of 16.
But he was unable to duplicate his comeback in the second-round match after dropping his first set 3-6. Nguyen won the second 6-4 to even the match at a set apiece. And he led 4-1 in the third set before Wong reeled off five straight victorious games to claim the set 6-4 and win the match.
Bajpai fell 7-5, 6-4 to Dartmouth's Michael Laser. Savage-Pollock fell to Alexander Centenari, also of Dartmouth, in a tough three-set match 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Kurdadze and Savage-Pollock will also be in action on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the doubles bracket when they face Binghampton’s duo of Evan Algier and Alexandre Haggai. Mehdi Rhazali will also get his tournament underway in the main singles draw when he plays Yale’s Marc Powers at 3:30 p.m. Kurdadze will face Quinnipiac’s John Hughes at 7:00 p.m.
Qualifying Results
Bryan Nguyen (DU) def. Oscar Yanez (St. Bon) 3-6, 6-2, 6-0
Mitch Wong (Stony Brook) def. Bryan Nguyen (DU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
Nikoloz Kurdadze (DU) def. Enric Larregola (St. Bon) 6-0, 6-3
Nikoloz Kurdadze (DU) def. Derek Wallensteen (St. John’s) 6-2, 6-2
Michael Laser (Dartmouth) def. Manu Bajpai (DU) 7-5, 6-4
Alexander Centenari (Dartmouth) def. Jason Savage-Pollock 6-3, 4-6, 6-3