Lopes start fall season strongly

Thursday, September 20

Malibu, Calif.

Grand Canyon

Oracle ITA Masters

9/24/2018 10:48:00 AM | Men's Tennis

GCU wins 4 draws in Tucson

By: Jerob Moon

TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Grand Canyon men's tennis team had a busy weekend competing at two events. Junior Lorenzo Fucile won a singles match at the Oracle ITA Masters in Malibu, Calif. while the rest of the team won two singles draws and two doubles draws at the Wildcat Invitational.

"The men's team got off to a great start to the fall season this weekend," Lopes head coach Greg Prudhomme said. "Although Lorenzo went 1-2 on the weekend, he was competing against the best players in the country and both of his losses were very close."

Fucile represented GCU and the WAC at the annual tournament in Malibu that brings the best players from each Division I conference to play in singles and mixed doubles draws. Fucile partnered with Dominique Vasile of Quinnipiac in the mixed doubles and the duo lost 6-2 to No. 4 seed Aleks Kovacevic of Illinois and Giulia Pairone of Michigan.

Fucile then competed in the singles draw as the No. 19 seed. His first round matchup was against No. 14 Henry Patten of UNC Asheville, last year's Big South Player of the Year. Patten defeated Fucile in straight sets 6-4, 6-4. Moving into the consolation bracket, Fucile picked up a victory against Ion Efrim of Alabama State, winning 6-0, 6-2, and then fell to Mercer's Oliver Stuart 3-6, 6-3, 4-6.

"All of the guys put in great performances at the Wildcat Invite, which was especially displayed by the titles we earned with (Mathieu) Rajaonah winning the top singles flight and (Valentin) Lang and (Jakub) Novak winning the top doubles flight," Prudhomme said. "It was great to see that multiple players were able to capture their flights."

Rajaonah, a senior, took home the top singles flight with a three-set win against Kyryll Kryvchun of Mesa Community College -- 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2. Rajaonah also had wins over Louis Menard of New Mexico State, Jan Kirchoff of San Diego State and Carlos Hassey of Arizona in route to the title.

Novak, a freshman in his first GCU competition, won the third singles draw with a 6-0, 6-2 win over David Nguyen of Northern Arizona. Novak had a pair of wins over New Mexico State and a win over Arizona en route to reaching the final.

Novak's work was not done. He also took home a doubles championship teaming up with Lang in the top flight. Lang and Novak won the final 6-3 against New Mexico State's Menard and Enrique Asmar, who was top singles flight champion. The GCU pair of sophomore Freddie Grant and senior Lucas Grego won the second doubles flight, defeating a Boise State team 6-3 in the final.

GCU won 20 singles matches and eight doubles matches over the three-day competition.

The men's team will be back in action in two weeks when it heads to the Aztec Fall Invite in San Diego.

Oracle ITA Masters
Singles
Henry Patten (UNCA) def. Lorenzo Fucile (GCU) 6-4, 6-4
Lorenzo Fucile (GCU) def. Ion Efrim (ASU) 6-0, 6-2
Oliver Stuart (MER) def. Lorenzo Fucile (GCU) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
Doubles
Kovacevic / Pairone (Illinois/Michigan) def. Fuclile/Vasile (GCU/Quinnipiac) 6-2

Wildcat Invite
Singles
Draw A
Mathieu Rajaonah (GCU) def. Louis Menard (NMSU) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
Mathieu Rajaonah (GCU) def. Jan Kirchoff (SDSU) 6-4, 6-2
Mathieu Rajaonah (GCU) def. Carlos Hassey (UA) 6-2, 6-4
Mathieu Rajaonah (GCU) def. Kyryll Kryvhun (MCC) 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-2
Valentin Lang (GCU) def. Jack Heslin (BSU) 6-2, 6-3
Valentin Lang (GCU) def. Mateo Veraeu (BYU) 6-2, 6-4
Kyryll Kryvchun (MCC) def. Valentin Lang (GCU) 7-5, 6-4
Draw B
Lucas Grego (GCU) def. Jake Tullis (BYU) 6-1, 6-3
Lucas Grego (GCU) def. Nicholas Prieto (UNM) 6-1, 6-4
Enrique Asmar (NMSU) def. Lucas Grego (GCU) 6-3, 6-3
Justin Cvitanovic (GCU) def. Chris Steele (NAU) 6-2, 6-1
Justin Cvitanovic (GCU) def. Martin Simecek (NMSU) 6-2, 6-7, 7-6
Maximilien Blancaneaux (BSU) def. Justin Cvitanovic (GCU) 6-4, 6-1
Facundo Tumosa (NAU) def. Freddie Grant (GCU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Freddie Grant (GCU) def. Mauri Benitez (NMSU) 4-6, 6-2, 10-8
Freddie Grant (GCU) def. Chris Steele (NAU) 6-1, 6-4
Freddie Grant (GCU) def. Simon Arca Costas (BSU) 6-4, 6-4
Draw C
Jakub Novak (GCU) def. Yusuke Nishitani (NMSU)- 6-0, 6-2
Jakub Novak (GCU) def. Conner Olsen (UA) 7-5, 7-5
Jakub Novak (GCU) def. Nicolas Buitrago (NMSU) 6-4, 7-6 (4)
Jakub Novak (GCU) def. David Nguyen (NAU 6-0, 6-2
Draw D
Sebastian Herrera (NMSU) def. Nicolau Macedo (GCU) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Yohann Prinsen (MCC) def. Nicolau Macedo (GCU) 6-3, 6-4
Leo Andreolli (GCU) def. Justin Bac (NAU) 6-4, 6-0
Leo Andreolli (GCU) def. Yohann Prinsen (MCC) 7-5, 6-2

Doubles
Draw A
Lang/Novak (GCU) def. Heslin/Stenlund (BSU) 6-4
Lang/Novak (GCU) def. Hollis/Divkovic (UNM) 7-5
Lang/Novak (GCU) def. Hassey/Horwood (UA) 6-2
Lang/Novak (GCU) def. Menard/Asmar (NMSU) 6-3
Rajaonah/Cvitanovic (GCU) def. Demulling/Blancaneaux (BSU) 6-4
Dehaan/Benetiz (NMSU) def. Rajaonah/Cvitanovic (GCU) 6-4
Draw B
Grego/Grant def. DeRomas/Hairi (OUAZ) 6-2
Grego/Grant def. Tran/Tullis 4-5 (ret.)
Grego/Grant def. McDermott/Costas (BSU) 6-3