MTEN to Wrap up Fall with Bulldog Classic

Oct. 29, 2015

Bulldog Classic Notes | Bulldog Classic Draws

Name	Year	Singles	Doubles	Notable
Connor Arend	So.	2-0	0-1	Reached semifinals of Black Bracket at EWU
Patrick Lapke	Jr.	0-0	0-0	Making collegiate debut at Bulldog Classic
Emilio Moreno	Fr.	1-0	1-1	Advanced in EWU's Red Bracket before withdrawing
Ronzai Saurombe	Jr.	2-1	1-1	Made GU debut at EWU, reaching Red Quarterfinals
Hayden Smith	Sr.	2-1	3-0	14-7 career singles record in tournaments
Jordan Smith	Fr.	2-1	3-0	Won Doubles Flight in first NCAA competition
Vicente Varas	Sr.	3-1	0-1	Won first career main bracket title in Cheney

LAST TIME OUT:

Gonzaga had a solid showing at the ITA Northwest Regionals last weekend with three Bulldogs advancing in the main bracket and two - Hayden Smith and Jordan Smith - reaching the Round of 32. Three Zags have advanced to the Round of 64 in five of the last six Regional tournaments, and at least one Bulldog has reached the Round of 32 every year since 2010. Additionally, Jordan picked up a win over a nationally-ranked opponent, beating Pacific's Miguel Diaz in three sets during the Round of 64. Diaz entered the tournament ranked No. 124 by the ITA.
In doubles, the Smiths combined for a main bracket win in the Round of 64, beating Pacific's Daniel Alameh and Alex Giannini 8-5 to open the tournament. The two other GU doubles teams were eliminated in the first round, and there was no consolation doubles play at this year's ITA Regionals.

THE NORTHWEST COMES TO SPOKANE:

Five teams from the Northwest will compete in Spokane this weekend. Portland, Portland State, Idaho, Eastern Washington, Montana, and Montana State will all see action at The Stevens Center. The Zags have faced players from Eastern Washington and Idaho at the EWU Fall Invitational, and they've seen competition from the two Portland schools at the ITA Northwest Regionals last weekend.

TAKING THE WAY-BACK MACHINE:

This is the second year of the Bulldog Classic, and it will be difficult for Gonzaga to improve on last year's showing. The Zags swept the main brackets of their own tournament (last year called the Gonzaga Fall Tournament) with Alvaro Nazal winning the Blue Singles, Sergio Chip the Red Singles, and Nazal and Nick Kamisar the Doubles Bracket. Chip didn't drop one set en route to his singles title, and Nazal only lost one, that in a tiebreak.
Both Vicente Varas and Connor Arend played in the tournament last season as well. Arend made his collegiate debut, picking up a doubles victory with Chris Dalton, but losing twice in singles play. Varas played in the Blue Singles bracket, the highest flight of individual play. Although Varas lost in the opening round of the main bracket, he did tally a consolation singles win. He and Chip also reached the quarterfinals of the Doubles Consolation bracket as well.

AGENTS SMITH:

Senior Hayden Smith and freshman Jordan Smith are having strong starts to the 2015-16 season as both have posted four or more singles wins through two tournaments. Hayden reached the semifinal of the EWU Fall Classic's top singles bracket while Jordan is one of two Zags with five singles wins. They both picked up two main bracket wins at the ITA Regionals last weekend, with one of Jordan's coming over a nationally-ranked player.
For as good as they've been in singles play, the two Smiths have been just as strong in doubles, winning the EWU Fall Classic's doubles bracket and reaching the Round of 32 at the ITA Northwest Regionals. In Cheney, they beat a pair of Idaho Vandals in the semifinal and championship rounds, and in Seattle, they took down a duo from WCC rival Portland to advance in the main bracket. At 4-1, they have the best doubles record on the squad and went undefeated until the second round of Regionals.

LEGION VARAS:

Senior Vicente Varas is one of two Zags tied for the team lead with five singles victories this season. He picked up his first career main bracket title by winning the Black Bracket at the EWU Fall Classic, and Varas won twice last weekend, including a smooth 6-2, 6-2 win over Piers Foley of Washington. That is the Sammamish, Wash., native's third career win over a Pac-12 player; he beat two players from Oregon as a freshman. In his four-year GU career, Varas is 20-15 in singles play with 12 of those wins coming in the last two seasons.

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