Season opens strongly in Tucson

Friday, September 20

Tucson, Ariz.

Grand Canyon

Wildcat Invitational

Photo by: Jesica Gonzalez/WAC

9/22/2019 5:31:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Lang advances to final; Franke wins consolation bracket

By: Jerob Moon

TUCSON, Ariz.—The Grand Canyon men's tennis team began the fall season this weekend at the Wildcat Invitational, hosted by Arizona.

The Lopes performed well with senior Valentin Lang advancing to the final of the top singles flight while newcomer Can Franke, a freshman from Germany, won the consolation bracket in the second singles flight.

In total, the Lopes recorded 13 singles wins and a pair of doubles wins against opponents from seven schools, including New Mexico State and Arizona.

Lang advanced to the top flight's final after three straight wins over BYU's Jack Barnett, New Mexico's Raul Dobal and Arizona's Carlos Hassey. Lang fell to Arizona's Igor Karpovets in the final.

After suffering a three-set loss in the first round of Flight 2, Franke responded with three straight wins to top the consolation bracket. One of those wins was a 6-4, 6-4 victory over teammate Julian Mueller, another freshman from Germany.

In doubles, the returning All-WAC first-team pair of sophomore Jakub Novak and Lang picked up a pair of GCU wins in the top flight, defeating a Northern Colorado pair 7-5 and a New Mexico duo 6-4 in the following round.

Lopes senior Lorenzo Fucile will participate in the Oracle ITA Masters, starting Thursday at Pepperdine while the men's team will be back in action at the Aztec Fall Invitational in two weeks from Oct. 4-6.

SINGLES

Flight 1
Freddie Grant (GCU) def. Fabian Roensdorf (SDSU) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Freddie Grant (GCU) def. Kyle Pease(UNCO) 7-5, 6-1
Igor Karpovets (ARIZ) def. Freddie Grant (GCU) 6-1, 6-1
Valentin Lang (GCU) def. Jake Barnett (BYU) 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
Valentin Lang (GCU) def. Raul Dobal (UNM) 6-3, 6-4
Valentin Lang (GCU) def. Carlos Hassey (ARIZ) 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
Igor Karpovets (ARIZ) def. Valentin Lang (GCU) 6-2, 6-4

Flight 2
Hiroki Sakagawa (ARIZ) def. Can Franke (GCU) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
Can Franke (GCU) def. Jordy Visser (NMSU) 6-4, 6-4
Can Franke (GCU) def. Julian Mueller (GCU) 7-5, 6-1
Can Franke (GCU) def. Tim Curnier (NMSU) 6-4, 6-4
Alexander Maggs (UNM) def. Julian Mueller (GCU) 4-6, 7-6, 6-3
Julian Mueller (GCU) def. Julian Kenzlers (UNCO) 6-2, 6-4
Jakub Novak (GCU) def. Tim Curnier (NMSU) 7-6, 0-6, 6-2
Facundo Bermejo (UNM) def. Jakub Novak (GCU) 6-3, 6-3
Jakub Novak (GCU) def. Alex Scemanenco (SDSU) 7-6, 7-6

Flight 3
Lucas Landaluce (NMSU) def. Laurent Magne (GCU) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
Nick Wade (UNCO) def. Laurent Magne (GCU) 6-2, 6-3
Laurent Magne (GCU) def. David Nguyen (NAU) 6-2, 6-0
Luis Flores (NMSU) def. David Weber (GCU) 6-7, 6-4, 6-1

Extra Matches

Sebastian Herrera (NMSU) def. David Weber (GCU) 6-4, 6-2
David Weber (GCU) def. Nick Wade(UNCO) 6-2, 6-3
Daniel Dillon (NAU) def. Laurent Magne (GCU) 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (10-5)

DOUBLES

Flight 1
Nicolas Buitrago/Tim Curnier (NMSU) def. Freddie Grant/David Weber(GCU) 6-3
Adolfo Arroyo/John Giesberts (UNCO) def. Freddie Grant/David Weber(GCU) 6-2
Louis Menard/Jordy Visser(NMSU) def. Can Franke/Laurent Magne(GCU) 7-6
Facundo Tumosa/Eban Straker-Meads (NAU) def. Can Franke/Julian Mueller (GCU) 6-2
Valentin Lang/Jakub Novak (GCU) def. Kyle Pease/Nick Wade (UNCO) 7-5
Valentin Lang/Jakub Novak (GCU) def. Jake Trondson/ Alexander Maggs (UNM) 6-4
Louis Menard/Jordy Visser (NMSU) def. Valentin Lang/Jakub Novak (GCU) 7-5

Flight 2
David Nguyen/ Mikael Purne (NAU) def. Max Kirsch/ Alex Exsted (GCU/UNCO) 6-3
David Ball/Brocton Andrus (BYU) def. Max Kirsch/Alex Exsted (GCU/UNCO) 6-2
Julian Kenzlers/Thomas Pundey (UNCO) def. Laurent Magne/Sasha Kovacevic (GCU) 6-4
Lucas Landaluce/Sebastian Herrera (NMSU) def. Laurent Magne/Sasha Kovacevic (GCU) 6-2