Eight players and four doubles teams participated in the ITA Southwest Regional Championship at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center at Pepperdine University for San Diego State men’s tennis.
The duo’s team of senior Joe Tyler and junior Victor Castro represented the Scarlet and Black well by advancing to the doubles quarterfinals while sophomore Johannes Seeman advanced the furthest in singles play for SDSU by making it to the Round of 32.
Tyler and Castro began the competition by ousting University of Santa Barbara redshirt freshman Diego Castillo and sophomore Josh Williams 8-2 before upsetting the No. 10 seeded Pepperdine team of senior Daniel De Jonge and freshman Linus Carrlson Halldin 8-5
In the round of 16, No. 7 seeded University of Arizona senior Carlos Hassey and freshman Colton Smith were the next to fall to the SDSU duo by an 8-6 score. However, Tyler and Castro were bounced from the tournament 8-6 by the third-seeded USC duo of juniors Stefan Dostanic and Samuel Rubell, the eventual winners of the doubles draw.
Meanwhile, the first round of singles play saw sophomore Judson Blair, Tyler, Castro and Seeman advance to the Round of 64.
Seeman would be the only player to make it further than that. Blair was eliminated by No. 4 seeded USC senior Bradley Fyre by a score of 6-1, 6-3. Tyler fell 6-4, 6-1 to No. 30 seeded Pepperdine sophomore Pietro Fellin and Castro was taken out by No. 23 seeded USC freshman Peter Makk 6-2, 6-1.
However, Seeman — the No. 11 seeded player in the singles draw — dropped Grand Canyon University sophomore Jiri Novak in a 6-3, 6-3 match after receiving a bye in the Round of 128.
He wouldn’t advance any further. Against the aforementioned Rubbell, the SDSU sophomore was eliminated in straight sets 6-2, 6-1.
SDSU will wrap up their fall season on Nov. 5-7 as they travel to USD to partake in the San Diego Veterans Tennis Classic.
