Kontopoulos knocks off Vandy’s Sraberg in final day of Commodore Scramble
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Fanis Kontopoulos secured the Tennessee Tech tennis team’s lone singles win, while the TTU tandem of Riku Kubota and Elias Grubert collected a doubles nod to highlight the final day of action at the Commodore Scramble.
SUNDAY 9/16 RECAP
By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Junior Fanis Kontopoulos secured the Tennessee Tech tennis team's lone singles win, while the TTU tandem of Riku Kubota and Elias Grubert collected a doubles nod to highlight the final day of action at the Commodore Scramble.
Kontopoulous, a Tech newcomer out of Corinthos, Greece, knocked off Vanderbilt's Adam Sraberg in straight sets with a 6-1 first-set win and a 7-6 second-set nod.
After a pair of singles wins on Saturday to catapult freshman Elias Grubert into the loser's bracket consolation championship match, the Parana, Argentina native was upended with a three-set loss to Lipscomb's Pedro Uribe. Grubet carded a 6-1 victory in the first set, but proceeded to drop the next two with a 6-3 second-set loss and a 6-2 defeat in the third set.
Rafael Tosetto and Riku Kubota rounded out Tech's Sunday singles action with losses to in-state foes. Tosetto was clipped by Vanderbilt's Panu Virtanen with a 6-1, 6-1 defeat, while Kubota was edged by Lipscomb's Pablo Caffarena, 6-1, 7-5.
Despite the singles defeat, Kubota flourished during doubles play, teaming up with Elias Grubert to seize a 6-3 win over Furman's Drew Singerman and Jake Bhangdia.
Rafael Tosetto and Fanis Kontopoulous were upended 6-3 by Belmont's Joan Valy and Vanderbilt's Adam Sraberg.
SATURDAY 9/15 RECAP
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The four members of the Tennessee Tech men's tennis team in action in Nashville closed out the second day of play at the Commodore Scramble Saturday.
Freshman Elias Grubert was the lead man for the Golden Eagles, earning two victories in singles play to advance to the loser's bracket consolation championship match. He collected wins of (6-1, 6-2) and (6-2, 6-2) over Lipscomb's George Wong and Vanderbilt's Vikram Chari, respectively.
Fellow freshman Rafael Tosetto earned a tough-fought win over Lipscomb's Pablo Caffarena (3-6, 7-6, 6-1) early in the day. He would later fall in a three-set tilt with Fabien Salle of Louisville, (4-6, 6-0, 6-3).
Riku Kubota played just once in singles play on Saturday, but made the lone match count by fighting to a (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) win over Furman's Drew Singerman. Junior Fanis Kontopoulos dropped a match-up with Vanderbilt's Marucs Ferreira (6-2, 6-4) and would later fall to Commodore Alex Ross (2-6, 7-5, 6-1).
On the doubles side of the action, the Tech combo of Tosetto/Kontopoulos collected a (6-4) victory over the Furman duo of Singerman/Bhangdia. The Golden Eagle team of Kubota/Grubert fell to a combination of a Belmont and Vanderbilt player, Valy/Lee, (6-3).
FRIDAY 9/14 RECAP
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four members of the Tennessee Tech tennis team were in action at the Commodore Scramble Friday, kicking off the three-day event, hosted by Vanderbilt, with both doubles and singles play.
Tech's doubles play got off to a hot start, with both teams earning first-round victories. The duo of junior Fanis Kontopoulos and rookie Rafael Tosetto pulled off a 7-5 thriller over Vanderbilt's Ferreira/Chari combo, advancing to the quarterfinals. Louisville's team of Gomez/Salle upended the Golden Eagle duo later in the day, (6-1).
Riku Kubota and freshman Elias Grubert made a nice impression with a (6-4) win over the Vanderbilt team of Straberg/Ross to advance to the quarterfinals. It was another Louisvlle tandem, however, that would end the Tech duo's run as Lancaster/Hedley defeated Kubota/Grubert (6-1). Both Golden Eagle doubles teams will play in winner's bracket consolation matches on Saturday.
It was the North Carolina Central transfer, Kontopoulos, that led the way for the Golden Eagles in singles play. The junior earned a comeback victory over Furman's Jake Bhangdia, (4-6, 6-2, 6-2) to advance to the quarterfinals of the B Draw. He will square off with Vanderbilt's Marcus Ferreira on Saturday at approximately 10 a.m. CT.
Louisville's Brandon Lancaster earned the narrow edge over Tosetto, defeating the youngster (6-2, 5-7, 6-4). Tosetto will move on to the loser's consolation bracket of the A Draw, facing Pablo Caffarena of Lipscomb in a 10 a.m. bout. Kubota took on Vanderbilt's Maxwell Freeman in the first round, falling (3-6, 2-6) to set up a Saturday morning match-up with Furman's James Roelofse in the loser's consolation bracket of the A Draw.
Grubert narrowly lost to Joan Valy of Ohio Valley Conference rival Belmont, falling (6-4, 4-6, 5-7). He will face off with Lipscomb's David Skrabut in the B Draw loser's consolation bracket on Saturday, also at 10 a.m.
Photo by Tony Marable
