TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
MEN’S BRACKET
For Immediate Release
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Media Contact: Randy Lieberman (504-556-0872 or lieberman@sunbeltsports.org)
UT Arlington wins the 2016 Men’s Tennis Championship
NEW ORLEANS – The UT Arlington Mavericks won the 2016 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Championship with a 4-1 win against South Alabama on Sunday at the City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center in New Orleans, La.
UT Arlington junior Mario Muniesa clinched the match with a 6-4, 7-5 win against South Alabama sophomore Olivier Gingras in the No. 3 singles match. Muniesa fought back by winning three straight games in the second set after he fell behind 5-4.
Singles play led the way for UT Arlington (18-10) as the Mavericks bounced back after losing the doubles point. South Alabama (15-12) won the tightly-contested doubles point via a tiebreaker at the No. 1 position. The Mavericks won the first doubles contest at the No. 2 spot as senior Carlos Arbiza and freshman Mauricio Del Rio defeated South Alabama’s pair of senior Tim Srkala and junior Dallas Teague. The Jags struck back with a win at the No. 3 spot from junior Tuki Jacobs and senior Juan Troglia. The doubles point came down to the No. 1 line with South Alabama’s Gerhard Gruindelingh and Olivier Gingras and UT Arlington’s Daniel Armengol and Jhonathan Gonzalez. The match went to a tiebreaker tied at 6-6 where Gingras and Gruindelingh took an 8-7 edge and served out the tiebreaker to claim the doubles point for the Jags.
Del Rio put the Mavericks on the board first in singles as he notched a 6-1, 6-2 win in the No. 6 position against South Alabama freshman Lucas Gonzalez. Arbiza won next with 6-4, 6-3 triumph in the No. 5 position to give the Mavericks a 2-1 edge in the team score.
Junior Jhonathan Gonzalez rallied from being down 5-2 in the second set to notch a 6-1, 7-5 win in the No. 2 position. Gonzalez’s win set up Muniesa’s match-clinching victory in the No. 3 position to close the nearly 3 ½-hour match.
UT Arlington awaits its seed in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show for the 2016 Men’s Tennis Championship will air on Tuesday, May 3, at 4:30 p.m. CT on NCAA.com.
UT Arlington Mavericks vs South Alabama Jaguars
Apr 24, 2016 at New Orleans, La.
(City Park/Pepsi Tennis Center)
UT Arlington Mavericks 4, South Alabama Jaguars 1
Singles competition
1. Tuki Jacobs (USA) vs. Guanarteme Nuez (UTA) 5-7, 6-3, 3-2, unfinished
2. Jhonathan Gonzalez (UTA) def. Juan Troglia (USA) 6-1, 7-5
3. Mario Muniesa (UTA) def. Olivier Gingras (USA) 6-4, 7-5
4. Gerhard Gruindelingh (USA) vs. Daniel Armengol (UTA) 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 2-1, unfinished
5. Carlos Arbiza (UTA) def. Dallas Teague (USA) 6-4, 6-3
6. Mauricio Del Rio (UTA) def. Lucas Gonzalez (USA) 6-1, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Olivier Gingras/Gerhard Gruindelingh (USA) def. Daniel Armengol/Jhonathan Gonzalez (UTA) 7-6 (9-7)
2. Carlos Arbiza/Mauricio Del Rio (UTA) def. Tim Srkala/Dallas Teague (USA) 6-2
3. Tuki Jacobs/Juan Troglia (USA) def. Mario Muniesa/Guanarteme Nuez (UTA) 6-4
Match Notes:
UT Arlington Mavericks 18-10
South Alabama Jaguars 15-12
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (6,5,2,3)
2016 Men's Tennis Championship
#2 South Alabama vs. #5 UT Arlington
Championship Match
Official: Dale Williamson T-3:26 A-276