CHENEY, Wash. - The Gonzaga University men's tennis team saw itself play matches against each other but at the end of the second day of the Eastern Washington University Fall Classic Saturday, one Bulldog advanced to the championship round in one singles bracket while three advanced to the semifinals in the other singles bracket.
In the Singles Flight A, seniors Zhia Hwa Chong and Scott Sullivan had to face each other in the quarterfinals. Sullivan defeated his teammate 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the semifinals. On the other side of the bracket, freshman Alvaro Nazal continued to put up impressive victories in his collegiate debut as he defeated his opponent out of Eastern Washington University and will face his teammate Levin Guillermo, who won his quarterfinal match 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (5), in the semifinals.
Sophomore Pablo Mosquera Pérez cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory in the Singles Flight B quarterfinals but played to a tough battle against top seed Kyle Koetje of Eastern Washington in the semifinals. He won the first set 6-1, Koetje forced a tiebreaker after taking the second set 6-2 but it was Mosquera Pérez who pulled the upset with a 1-0 (8) third-set victory.
Freshman Vladimir Mijatovic won his quarterfinal match 6-3, 7-6 (4) and put up a battle in the semifinals. He won the first set 4-6 but lost the next two 6-3, 1-0 (8).
In the back draw of the Singles Flight A, freshman Olivier Jamin turned in a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the quarterfinals. In the Singles Flight B, senior Jake Davis won 6-3, 6-4 in the second round and 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Sophomore Muzeen Ismath opened his day in singles with a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the second round followed by a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 1-0 (9) victory in the quarterfinals. Ismath and Davis will meet in the semifinals to determine who will represent the Zags in the final round.
After posting victories in the second round, sophomore Jack Schoebel and freshman Chris Dalton faced each other in the quarterfinals. Dalton won the first set 7-5 but Schoebel bounced back and won the second 7-6 (4). Dalton won the tiebreaker 1-0 (8) and advanced to the semifinals.
While the Bulldogs showed dominance in singles play, they struggled in doubles. Chong and Sullivan, who were awarded the top seed, were upset 8-3 by Boise State University's Erik Sheldon and Aidan Reid in the quarterfinals. Davis and Guillermo also dropped their match in the quarterfinals, losing 8-5 to a doubles pairing out of the University of Montana.
The tournament wraps up Sunday with a 9 a.m. start.
