LAS VEGAS, Nev. – New Mexico State senior Roman Stoisavljevic won two singles matches Saturday in straight sets to put an end to the ITA Mountain Region Championships for the Aggie men’s tennis team at the Darling Tennis Center. His two victories send the Aggies out on a good note, as the fall tournament season came to an end with the conclusion of Saturday's action.
Stoisavljevic, seeded No. 12, first defeated BYU’s George Batrakov, 6-2, 6-3, in his morning match. He then came back in his afternoon match and beat yet another Cougar, defeating No. 7 seed Thomas Shubert 6-3, 6-2. He ends the fall having won his last three matches and was 8-6 overall in fall singles action.
Head coach Don Ball felt that his team had some great individual performances at the regional tournament and he said that is what you want to see in the fall tournament season.
“In the end we will have three guys ranked regionally,” Ball said. “In reality, we had several players that nearly beat the best this tournament had to offer. Gustave (Diep) was serving for the match earlier in the tournament against Denver’s (Martin) Zimmerman who is now in the finals, so we’re right there we just need to finish matches out.
“We ended the fall playing really good tennis and we just need a little hard work and that’s what we are going to do.”
In doubles consolation action, New Mexico’s No. 11 seed Joe Wood and Graeme Kassautzki defeated NMSU’s No. 6 seeded team of junior Gustave Diep and sophomore Jim Brouleau, 8-4.
New Mexico State’s No. 30 nationally ranked doubles team of Stoisavljevic and junior Eduardo Salas, who are also the top seeded team in the tournament, did not play their scheduled match Saturday because of an injury suffered by their opponent.
The Aggies open up the spring dual match season with three home matches, beginning Jan. 31.
Courtesy: Tim Barnett-Queen
