TCU
ITA All-American Tournament
Frog Doubles Reach Main Draw in Tulsa
10/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Oct. 8, 2008
TULSA, Okla.--Both TCU men's doubles teams secured spots in the main draw of the D'Novo All-American Championships Wednesday by posting their third consecutive wins of the qualifying round at Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
Each Frog duo overcame early deficits to earn positions among the final 32 teams in the tournament.
Senior Kriegler Brink and sophomore Zach Nichols, the ninth-seeded tandem of the draw, overcame a 4-0 deficit to Tennessee's Boris Conkic and Matteo Fago on their way to an 8-5 victory that sent them into the main draw. Sophomore Emanuel Brighiu and junior Adrian Simon, who upset the draw's No. 5 seed Tuesday during first-round play, posted a comeback of their own to take down Minnesota's pairing of Dimo Bilankov and Sebastian Gallego, 8-4.
TCU head coach Dave Borelli was thrilled with the way the Frogs persevered in the face of adversity Wednesday.
"Those were some amazing comebacks," Borelli said. "Our guys just did not quit. We have been trying to focus on that early this year, and I think we have made progress in that area."
In singles play, Brink, the lone remaining Frog in action, was eliminated by Mississippi's Bram Ten Berge, the draw's No. 11 seed, 6-1, 6-2. The loss to the ITA's (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) 58th-ranked player dropped Brink only one win shy or reaching the main singles.
The All-American Championships continues Thursday through Saturday. Brink and Nichols will face Maryland's Boris Fetbroyt and Andy Orban, the nation's sixth-ranked doubles team, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, while Brighiu and Simon will take on Georgia's Jamie Hunt and Nate Schnugg, the No. 8 tandem in the ITA's doubles ratings, at 5 p.m.
Wednesday Results
Men's Qualifying Singles - Third Round
(11) Bram Ten Berge (Mississippi) def. Kriegler Brink (TCU) 6-1, 6-2
Men's Qualifying Doubles - Third Round
(9) Kriegler Brink/Zach Nichols (TCU) def. Boris Conkic-Matteo Fago (Tennessee) 8-5
Emanuel Brighiu/Adrian Simon (TCU) def. Dimo Bilankov/Sebastian Gallego (Minnesota) 8-4
Thursday Schedule
Men's Main Draw Doubles- First Round
(9) Kriegler Brink/Zach Nichols (TCU) vs. (6) Boris Fetbroyt-Andy Orban (Maryland), 5:30 p.m.
Emanuel Brighiu/Adrian Simon (TCU) vs. (8) Jamie Hunt-Nate Schnugg (Georgia), 5 p.m.
Players Mentioned
