CORPUS CHRISTI – The UTSA men's tennis team rallied to knock off Louisiana-Lafayette, 4-2, in the opening round of the 52nd annual H-E-B Tournament of Champions on Friday at the Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center.
The Roadrunners (6-5) dropped the doubles point and trailed 2-1 in singles play before winning the next three matchups, including Joao Ceolin's clincher at the fifth spot, to advance to the winners' bracket.
After Gabriel Bugiga tied the match at 1-1 with his straight-sets victory at No. 3 singles, the Ragin' Cajuns (11-7) took a one-point lead with a win at the fourth spot.
UTSA then won three consecutive points to clinch the contest.
Patrick Poestinger netted a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win at the sixth position to allow the Birds to pull even. Juri Reckow then logged a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph at the second spot.
Ceolin finished off the match with a three-set (7-5, 4-6, 6-2) victory.
UTSA will meet New Mexico State in the winners' bracket at 5 p.m.
FINAL RESULTS
52nd Annual H-E-B Tournament of Champions
First Round
UTSA 4, Louisiana-Lafayette 2
Doubles
1. Lago/Kramarov (ULL) def. Gonzalez/Reckow (UTSA) 6-1
2. Ceolin/Cantanhede (UTSA) vs. Libaud/Fraser (ULL) 5-3, unfinished
3. Gilheany/Dolan (ULL) def. Bugiga/Breitbach (UTSA) 6-3
Singles
1. Kai Breitbach (UTSA) vs. Kramarov (ULL) 5-7, 6-6, unfinished
2. Juri Reckow (UTSA) def. Sojka (ULL) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
3. Gabriel Bugiga (UTSA) def. Libaud (ULL) 6-3, 7-6
4. Lago (ULL) def. Javier Gonzalez (UTSA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. Joao Ceolin (UTSA) def. Fraser (ULL) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
6. Patrick Poestinger (UTSA) def. Koenig (ULL) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (3,4,6,2,5)
UTSA tops Louisiana-Lafayette in first round of H-E-B Tournament of Champions
