Updated Bracket
NEW ORLEANS – University of New Orleans tennis players
Ricardo Campos,
Vinay Kamineni,
Abdelrahman Zaki and
Fanny Benincasa advanced to the semifinals of the their draws as the Big Easy Classic got underway at the University Tennis Center on Friday.
Kamineni and Zaki will now face the top-seed in their respective draws on Saturday. Benincasa will challenge the No. 2 seed in her bracket while Campos faces an unseeded opponent.
Zaki defeated Roy Knight of Nicholls State 6-4, 6-1 in the first round before sweeping past Xavier's Nikita Soifer 6-2, 6-1 to reach the top flight semifinal against Daniel Leitner of South Alabama.
The other top flight semifinal will also pit UNO against USA. as Campos will meet Shayaan Vezzadeh. Campos did not play a single match on the day due to a quarterfinal walkover that followed his opening round bye.
Kamineni had a bit more difficult time advancing to the 'Flight 2' semifinals, playing a pair of three-set matches. Kamineni topped XULA's Amir Rahbar 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 before rallying from a set down to top Alexandr Lidzar of Alcorn State 4-6, 6-0, 6-3. The senior will meet USA's Cody Hall.
Rounding out the group of semifinal qualifiers was Benincasa, who routed Anastasia Surkova of McNeese 6-2, 6-1. The third-seed in 'Flight 2', Benincasa will challenge Troy's Candela Munoz-Giron.
Other notable results on the day came from the Privateer men's doubles teams, which went 4-0 in their opening round matches. Each victor will advance to the 'Round of 16' along with the doubles' tandem of Campos and
Hossam Meligy, which received an opening round bye..
Play begins at 8:30 a.m. at the UTC with the main draw singles' matches. The tournament will continue through the day with the last slate of matches expected to go on the court at approximately 4 p.m.
BIG EASY TENNIS CLASSIC – UNO SCHEDULE/RESULTS
Friday, Sept. 21, 2012 RESULTS
Men's Flight 1 First Round
Abdelrahman Zaki (New Orleans) def. Roy Knight (Nicholls State) 6-4, 6-1
Men's Flight 1 Quarterfinal
Ricardo Campos (New Orleans) def. Saad Benkarine (Xavier (La.)), walkover
Abdelrahman Zaki (New Orleans) def. Nikita Soifer (Xavier (La.)) 6-2, 6-1
Men's Flight 2 First Round
Vinay Kamineni (New Orleans) def. Amir Rahbar (Xavier (La.)) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Men's Flight 2 Quarterfinals
Nico Mertens (Nicholls State) def.
Hossam Meligy (New Orleans) 7-5, 6-4
Vinay Kamineni (New Orleans) def. Alexandr Lidzar (Alcorn State) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
Men's Flight 3 First Round
Rui Silva (New Orleans) def. Evan Karatzas (Nicholls State) 6-3, 6-0
Coby Kramer (Tulane) def.
Sebastian Salazar (New Orleans) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4)
Jeoffrey Noblecourt (Nicholls State) def.
Guillermo Aylon (New Orleans) 6-7, 6-4, 7-5
Christoffer Appelgren (New Orleans) def. Jan Hellmich (South Alabama) 6-2, 6-2
Dominik Kardell (New Orleans) def. Tony Benjamin (Loyola (New Orleans)) 6-1, 6-0
Daniel Populus (New Orleans) def. Matthew Farnham (Loyola (New Orleans)) 6-2, 6-2
Men's Flight 3 Quarterfinals
Manel Estruege (Nicholls State) def.
Daniel Populus (New Orleans) 6-0, 6-2
Garry Amor (Alcorn State) def.
Dominik Kardell (New Orleans) 6-1, 6-2
Rui Silva (New Orleans) def.
David Malmgren (New Orleans) 6-2, 7-5
Jame Russell (Nicholls State) def.
Lovro Curcija (New Orleans) 6-3, 6-1
Siddarth Sivakumar (Nicholls State) def. Chris Appelgren (New Orleans) 6-0, 6-2
Women's Flight 1 First Round
Anita Lee (Southern Illinois) def.
Marta Sans (New Orleans) 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Natalia Cardiff (Nicholls) def.
Kristina Martic (New Orleans) 6-4, 6-2
Women's Flight 2 First Round
Olivia Durden (Troy) def. Soledad Arroyo (New Orleans) 6-4, 6-0
Fanny Benincasa (New Orleans) def. Simone-Alyse Ewell (Xavier (La.)), walkover
Women's Flight 2 Quarterfinals
Fanny Benincasa (New Orleans) def. Anastasia Surkova (McNeese State) 6-2, 6-1
Women's Flight 3 First Round
Isla Brock (Nicholls) def. Victoria Svennson (New Orleans) 6-1, 4-6, 6-0
Paula Sanchez (New Orleans) def. Kate Potapova (Alcorn State), walkover
Women's Flight 3 'Round of 16'
Catherine Gauthier (Nicholls) def. Paula Sanchez (New Orleans) 6-1, 6-3
Men's Doubles First Round
David Malmgren/
Rui Silva (New Orleans) def. Matthew Farnham/Devon Belcher (Loyola (New Orleans)) 8-0
Lovro Curcija/
Christoffer Appelgren (New Orleans) def. Jan Hellmich/Sebastian Kirmse (South Alabama) 8-6
Sebastian Salazar/
Guillermo Aylon (New Orleans) def. Guillermo Collado/Manel Estruege (Nicholls State) 8-4
Dominik Kardell/
Daniel Populus (New Orleans) def. Garry Amor/Bhavratan Singh (Alcorn State) 8-6
Women's Doubles First Round
Kristina Martic/Soledad Arroyo (New Orleans) def. Patricia Normand/Merilin Tipp (Alcorn State) 8-0
Paula Sanchez/Victoria Svennson (New Orleans) def. Meghen Debaroncelli/Frances Bonnin (Loyola (New Orleans)) 8-6
SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE
Men's Flight 1 Semifinals
Abdelrahman Zaki (New Orleans) vs. Daniel Leitner (South Alabama)
Ricardo Campos (New Orleans) vs. Shayann Vaezzadeh (South Alabama)
Men's Flight 2 Semifinals
Vinay Kamineni (New Orleans) vs. Cody Hall (South Alabama)
Men's Flight 3 Quarterfinals
Rui Silva (New Orleans) vs. Coby Kramer (Tulane)
Men's Flight 3 Consolation 'Round of 16'
Lovro Curcija (New Orleans) vs. Max Tkachenko (Alcorn State)
David Malmgren (New Orleans) vs. Evan Karatzas (Nicholls State)
Sebastian Salazar (New Orleans) vs. Guillermo Collado (Nicholls State)
Guillermo Aylon (New Orleans) vs. Vitali Vasileuski (Alcorn State)
Iain Sneddon (Tulane) vs.
Hossam Meligy (New Orleans)
Women's Flight 1 Consolation Semifinals
Kristina Martic (New Orleans) vs. Brionne Flowers (Xavier (La.)
Women's Flight 2 Semifinals
Fanny Benincasa (New Orleans) vs. Candela Munoz-Giron (Troy)
Women's Flight 3 'Round of 16'
Paula Sanchez (New Orleans) vs. Catherine Gauthier (Nicholls)
Men's Doubles 'Round of 16'
David Malmgren/
Rui Silva (New Orleans) vs. Shayann Vaezzadeh/Blake Gregor (South Alabama)
Sebastian Salazar/
Guillermo Aylon (New Orleans) vs. Garry Amor/Alexandr Lidzar (Alcorn State)
Ricardo Campos/
Hossam Meligy (New Orleans) vs. Etham Frankel/Coby Kramer (Tulane)
Lovro Curcija/
Christoffer Appelgren (New Orleans) vs. Siddarth Sivakumar/Damian Despetovski (Nicholls State)
Daniel Populus/
Dominik Kardell (New Orleans) vs. Nikita Soifer/Viktor Svoboda (Xavier (La.))
Women's Doubles 'Round of 16'
Victoria Svennson/Paula Sanchez (New Orleans) vs. Natasha Tomishima/Jennifer Dien (Southern Illinois)
Kristina Martic/Soledad Arroyo (New Orleans) vs. Parija Maloo/Marie Aubert (Nicholls)
