AUBURN, Ala. – Three of the four representatives from the New Orleans Privateers won their first round qualifying match on the first day of the ITA Southern Regional, which took place on Thursday at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
FIRST ROUND QUALIFYING
Klein won his first round qualifying match by a score of 6-2, 7-5 over Samford's Max Rebol. A senior, Rebol finished last spring with an 11-5 record and has 26 career dual singles wins entering this season.
Three of the four Privateers made it past the first round of singles qualifying.
Misha Fomenkov made a strong opening statement with a straight set victory (6-3, 7-6) over Alabama's Avi Shugar. The Crimson Tide freshman was a four-star recruit and ranked in the top 100 nationally among under-18s.
Mats Westkamp also won his opening round qualifying tilt. Westkamp defeated Jacksonville State's Joaquin Vallejo in three sets (6-7, 6-4, 6-0). Vallejo, a sophomore, posted a 14-4 record in his freshman season with Jacksonville State.
Austin Vos was defeated in the opening round by Louisiana's Pierce Gilheany 6-3, 6-3.
SECOND ROUND QUALIFYING
Klein was defeated in the second round of qualifying to Jan Soren Hain of Ole Miss 6-2, 6-1. Hain won 11 matches in his freshman season with the Rebels in 2018-19.
Fomenkov lost by a single break in each set (6-4, 6-4) to Mississippi State's Florian Broska, who was the three-seed. Broska was ITA Southern Region Rookie of the Year in 2018 and had a 35-26 career singles record entering the season.
Westkamp fell on the short end of a competitive first set in his second match of the day. He eventually fell 7-5, 6-3 to the five-seed, Louis Delcour of South Alabama.
NEXT UP
Doubles first round action will take place on Friday afternoon. Westkamp and Vos will face Chris Andre and Juan Rodriguez (Alabama State). Fomenkov and Klein will take on the Jahub/Gilheany tandem (Louisiana).
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