Blue Devils Place Three in Singles Semifinals

Sunday, October 16

Chapel Hill, N.C.

9:00 AM

Duke University

Day Four at ITA Regional Championships

Blue Devils Place Three in Singles Semifinals

10/16/2011 6:31:00 PM | Men's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Duke men's tennis team continued its march toward the finals of the ITA Carolinas Regional Sunday, with three Blue Devils advancing to Monday's semifinal round. In doubles, the top-seeded and fourth-ranked pair of junior Henrique Cunha and sophomore Chris Mengel cemented a spot in the tournament final.

Cunha and Mengel dispatched the seventh-seeded pair of Danny Kreyman and Adam Lee from Wake Forest, 8-3, in Sunday morning's semifinal match. The Duke duo will now square off against second-seeded Brennan Boyajian and Joey Burkhardt of North Carolina for the doubles title on Monday.

In singles action, Duke went 4-1 in the round of 16 to place four players in the afternoon's quarterfinals.

Cunha, the tournament's No. 1 seed, cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over South Carolina's Nick Jones in his morning match. Fourth-seeded Mengel downed Ramiro Blanco of South Carolina Upstate, 6-4, 6-3, while sixth-seeded Fred Saba posted a 7-5, 6-3 victory over UNC Greensboro's Orcun Seyrek. Senior Torsten Wietoska defeated David Hopkins of Wake Forest, 6-4, 6-2, while sophomore Cale Hammond suffered a 6-1, 6-1 setback to No. 74 Yannick Maden of Clemson.

The afternoon saw Mengel and Saba face off against each other, with Mengel recording a 6-2, 6-3 victory over his teammate to become the first Blue Devil to earn a spot in Monday's semifinals. Wietoska followed with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Wake Forest's Lee, setting up a meeting with Mengel in the semifinal. In his quarterfinal match, Cunha battled to a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over Kreyman to earn a semifinal matchup against Clemson's Maden on Monday.

The Blue Devils claimed three out of the four spots in Monday's semifinal, doing so in the regional tournament for the first time in program history. The doubles final begins on Monday at 9 a.m., followed by the semifinal and final rounds in singles play.

ITA Carolinas Regional Results - Day Four

Doubles - Semifinals
#15 Henrique Cunha/Chris Mengel (Duke) def. Danny Kreyman/Adam Lee (Wake Forest) 8-3

Singles - Round of 16
#4 Henrique Cunha (Duke) def. Nick Jones (South Carolina) 6-1, 6-2
#49 Chris Mengel (Duke) def. Ramiro Blanco (South Carolina Upstate) 6-4, 6-3
#74 Yannick Maden (Clemson) def. Cale Hammond (Duke) 6-1, 6-1
#93 Fred Saba (Duke) def. Orcun Seyrek (UNC Greensboro) 7-5, 6-3
Torsten Wietoska (Duke) def. David Hopkins (Wake Forest) 6-4, 6-2

Singles - Quarterfinals
#49 Chris Mengel (Duke) def. #93 Fred Saba (Duke)6-2, 6-3
Torsten Wietoska (Duke) def. Adam Lee (Wake Forest) 6-4, 6-4
#4 Henrique Cunha (Duke) def. Danny Kreyman (Wake Forest) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

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