Trojans Send Three to Semi-Finals

Saturday, October 8

Macon, GA.

All Day

Troy University

Mercer Gridiron Classic

10/8/2016 5:52:00 PM | Tennis (M)

By: Russ Schaffer

MACON, Ga. – After two days of play at the Mercer Gridiron Classic, the Trojans have three players who will compete in the semifinals on Sunday in Andre Baldo, Austin Racine and Jaiqi Duan.

The most impressive victory on the day came by the freshman Duan, who upset the second-seeded player in his draw, Pedro Ecenarro of Georgia College, 6-4, 6-4 after defeating Laurent Mailloux of Florida Southern 7-5, 7-6.

In the Jets division, Baldo won over Florida Southern 6-2, 6-3 and Amer Bedwan won over Point University 6-1, 6-1. Baldo, the second seed, then defeated Bedwan, the seventh seed, 6-2, 6-3.

Racine was able to move on with a comeback win over Alabama State 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 and another win over Alabama State in the quarterfinals with another three-set win 6-2, 5-7, 11-9.

The only doubles play for Troy on the day was a narrow 7-6 loss to the fourth-seeded Mercer by Mustapha Belcora and Redwan.

Gabriel Niculescu had a heart breaker with a 7-6, 6-3, 8-10 loss to the one-seeded Sam Philp of Mercer. Mustapha Belcora also fell in the round of 16 with a 4-6, 1-2 loss to Middle Georgia.

Freshman Shazz Perrani, playing in his first collegiate match, picked up a singles win in consolation play with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Berry.

NOTEWORTHY
•  After having two singles winners last week, the Trojans will have the chance to win three out of four singles draws on Sunday.

•  The Trojans still have not been shutout in any round of play this season.

•  The 11-9 third-set win in the quarterfinals by Racine was the longest set thus far on the year.

UP NEXT
Play will continue tomorrow morning with semi-finals matches and then the finals.

For more information on Troy tennis, as well as all of Troy Athletics, visit TroyTrojans.com. Fans can also find the Trojans on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat by searching for Troy Athletics.

Vikings Division
Round of 16
Sam Philp (Mercer) (1) d. Gabriel Niculescu (Troy) 6-7, 6-3, 10-8
Giles Hussey (Georgia St) (8) d. Takura Mlambo (Alabama St) 7-6, 6-4
Olivier Stuart (Mercer) d. Asad Siyyid (Point) (7) 7-6, 6-1
Nisanth Rebello (Middle Georgia) d. Mustapha Belcora (Troy) (3) 6-4, 2-1 (ret)
Jannik Kumbier (Georgia College) (5) d. Ion Efrim (Alabama St) 5-7, 6-2, 10-5
Nicolas Guillon (Mercer) d. JC Alcala (Georgia Southern) (4) 7-6, 5-7, 10-5
Jiaqi Duan (Troy) (6) d. Laurent Mailloux (Florida Southern) 7-5, 7-6
Pedro Ecenarro (Georgia College) (2) d. Eddie Landin (Georgia Southern) 6-1, 6-3

Quarterfinals
Giles Hussey (Georgia St) (8) d. Sam Philp (Mercer) (1) 7-5, 7-6
Nisanth Rebello (Middle Georgia) d. Olivier Stuart (Mercer) 6-3, 5-7, 10-6
Nicolas Guillon (Mercer) d. Jannik Kumbier (Georgia College) (5) 7-5, 7-6
Jiaqi Duan (Troy) (6) d. Pedro Ecenarro (Georgia College) (2) 6-4, 6-4

Jets Division
Round of 16
Alvaro Conesa (Middle Georgia) d. Santiago Suarez (Georgia Southern) (1) 6-4, 5-7, 12-10
Tomas Fernandez (Alabama St) d. Anton Waern (Georgia College) (8) 7-5, 7-6
Efstathios Tsiranidis (Mercer) d. Diego Finkelstein (Georgia Southern) (3) 6-2, 1-6, 11-9
Ruben Vanoppen (Mercer) (6) d. Colby Gandy (?Middle Georgia) 7-5, 6-2
Fernando Guardia (Mercer) (5) d. Miguel Alvarez-Hevia (Florida Southern) 6-2, 6-2
Abhin Sharma (Georgia St) (4) d. Artemie Amari (Georgia Southern) 3-6, 6-3, 10-8
Amer Bedwan (Troy) (7) d. Austin Atin (Point) 6-1, 6-1
Andre Baldo (Troy) (2) d. Oscar Soderlund (Florida Southern) 6-2, 6-3

Quarterfinals
Alvaro Conesa (Middle Georgia) d. Tomas Fernandez (Alabama St) 6-3, 6-0
Ruben Vanoppen (Mercer) (6) d. Efstathios Tsiranidis (Mercer) 6-3, 7-5
Abhin Sharma (Georgia St) (4) d. Fernando Guardia (Mercer) (5) 7-5, 4-6, 10-5
Andre Baldo (Troy) (2) d. Amer Bedwan (Troy) (7) 7-5, 6-1

Raiders Division
Round of 16
Murphy McCollough (Georgia Southern) (1) d. Nathan Connelly (Georgia College) 6-1, 6-0
Adam Brown (Georgia Southern) (7) d. Masao Perret (?Middle Georgia) 6-1, 2-6, 10-4
Sachin Khurana (Mercer) (6) d. Blaine Miller (Florida Southern) 6-1, 7-5
Valentin Horvat (Georgia St) (4) d. Jordan Mark (Mercer) 6-1, 6-3
Austin Racine (Troy) (5) d. Andrej Trajkovsky (Alabama St) 4-6, 6-3, 10-2
Szabin Pusztay (Alabama St) (3) d. Mark Bucknam (Florida Southern) 6-0, 6-3
Rafa Hewett (Point) (8) d. Brian Wilson (Florida Southern) 6-2, 6-2
Phillip Johnston (Mercer) (2) d. Leandro Otero (Middle Georgia) 7-6, 6-4

Quarterfinals
Murphy McCollough (Georgia Southern) (1) d. Adam Brown (Georgia Southern) (7) 6-4, 6-1
Valentin Horvat (Georgia St) (4) d. Sachin Khurana (Mercer) (6) 5-7, 6-2, 10-3
Austin Racine (Troy) (5) d. Szabin Pusztay (Alabama St) (3) 6-2, 5-7, 11-9
Rafa Hewett (Point) (8) d. Phillip Johnston (Mercer) (2) 6-4, 2-6, 10-7

Consolation Singles
Brian Slivonik (Florida Southern) d. Dani Casablancas (Georgia Southern) 6-3, 6-1
Octavio Tamola (Middle Georgia) d. Fabian Lundberg (Florida Southern) 6-3, 6-3
Alejandro Prada (Middle Georgia) d. Ryan Miner (Berry) 6-2, 6-2
Griffin Davis (Berry) d. Jordan Clayton (?Middle Georgia) 6-2, 6-0
Shazz Perrani (Troy) d. Jake Ward (Berry) 6-3, 6-0
Sam Fried (Mercer) d. Daniel Alligood (Berry) 6-1, 6-7, 11-9
Austin Atin (Point) d. Laurent Mailloux (Florida Southern) 2-6, 6-4, 11-9
JC Alcala (Georgia Southern) d. Asad Siyyid (Point) 6-1, 6-1
Masao Perret (?Middle Georgia) d. Brian Wilson (Florida Southern) 6-4, 6-1
Diego Finkelstein (Georgia Southern) d. Anton Waern (Georgia College) 6-1, 7-5
Santiago Suarez (Georgia Southern) d. Matthew Blakely (Berry) 6-0, 6-2

Vikings Division
Semifinals
Guardia/Guillon (Mercer) d. Hussey/Sharma (Georgia St) 6-2
Philp/Vanoppen (Mercer) (2) d. Alcala/Landin (Georgia Southern) (4) 6-1

Texans Division
Semifinals
Stuart/Tsiranidis (Mercer) (4) d. Belcora/Bedwan (Troy) (1) 7-6
Suarez/Amari (Georgia Southern) (2) d. Fernandez/Skvorc (Alabama St) (3) 6-4