CARY, N.C. -- Seniors Jake Munns and Jake Bhangdia reached the finals of the doubles main draw to lead the Furman men's tennis team this weekend at the ITA Carolina Regional Championships at the Cary Tennis Park in Cary, N.C. The tournament showcased the top men's tennis players from the states of North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Paladin duo opened the tournament with an 8-1 victory over Clemson's Mike Agee and Jaxson Wiley then beat Jacob Bicknell and Sam Dively of Elon, 8-6, in the round of 32. Munns and Bhangdia came from behind to defeat Tadas Babelis and Yannai Barkai of N.C. State, 3-6, 6-3, 10-7, in the round of 16 then downed East Carolina's Simon Labbe and Agustin Tamagnone, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. Furman held off Duke's Andrew Zhange and Michael Heller, 6-4, 3-6, 10-8, in the semifinals before falling to Mac Kiger and Simon Soendergaard of North Carolina, 6-7, 6-3, 10-7, in Tuesday's final.
Senior Clarke Wilson and junior Henrik Atlevi teamed up for two victories in the doubles main draw. The Paladins held off UNCW's Dillon Gooch and Cole Groetsch, 8-6, then defeated Martins Rocens and Joseph Schrader of N.C. State, 8-6.
Three Paladins reached the round of 32 in the main singles draw. Atlevi defeated Davidson's William Clark, 6-4, 6-3, then topped Cole Groetsch of UNC Wilmington, 7-6(4), 6-1, and Wilson beat N.C. A&T's Jorge Goenaga, 6-3, 7-6(3), before downing Matt Thompson of Wake Forest, 6-2, 6-3. Bhangdia posted a 6-0, 6-3 win over Hugh Knapp of UNC Greensboro then defeated Daniel Groom of UNC Wilmington, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(9).
Furman picked up two additional wins in the main draw, as junior Drew Singerman defeated Charlotte's Henry Lieberman, 6-4, 6-3, and Munns beat Winthrop's Miha Velicki, 6-3, 6-1.
In the singles consolation draw, sophomore James Roelofse scored four-straight wins. He won 6-4, 3-0 over Fernando Bernardes of USC Upstate when the first round match was retired then defeated UNCW's Dillon Gooch, 6-4, 6-4, in the round of 32. In the round of 16, Roelofse came from behind for a 3-6, 6-1, 10-6 victory over Breno Plentz of Gardner-Webb, then he claimed a 6-1, 6-3 advantage versus Winthrop's Connor Williamson in the quarterfinals. The remaining consolations matches were not played due to inclement weather in the Cary area.
Also in the consolation draw, junior Ivan Mitric defeated Charleston's Karl Mosterd, 6-0, 6-3.
The Paladins will conclude the fall season at the Furman Duals this weekend, Oct. 26-27, at the Mickel Tennis Center in Greenville, S.C.
Complete Furman Results
ITA Carolina Regional Championships
Singles Main Draw
Rd 128 Henrik Atlevi (Furman) def. William Clark (Davidson), 6-4, 6-3
Rd 64 Henrik Atlevi (Furman) def. Cole Groetsch (UNCW), 7-6(4), 6-1
Rd 32 Bar Botzer (Wake Forest) def. Henrik Atlevi (Furman), 6-1, 7-5
Rd 128 Clarke Wilson (Furman) def. Jorge Goenaga (N.C. A&T), 6-3, 7-6(3)
Rd 64 Clarke Wilson (Furman) def. Matt Thompson (Wake Forest), 6-2, 6-3
Rd 32 Raphael Lambling (USC) def. Clarke Wilson (Furman), 6-2, 6-0
Rd 128 Jake Bhangdia (Furman) def. Hugh Knapp (UNCG), 6-0, 6-3
Rd 64 Jake Bhangdia (Furman) def. Daniel Groom (UNCW), 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(9)
Rd 32 Daniel Rodrigues (USC) def. Jake Bhangdia (Furman), 6-2, 6-3
Rd 128 Drew Singerman (Furman) def. Henry Lieberman (Charlotte), 6-4, 6-3
Rd 64 Robin Catry (N.C. State) def. Drew Singerman (Furman), 6-4, 6-1
Rd 128 Jake Munns (Furman) def. Miha Velicki (Winthrop), 6-3, 6-1
Rd 64 Josh Peck (UNC) def. Jake Munns (Furman), 6-2, 6-2
Rd 128 Melios Efstathiou (Wake Forest) def. James Roelofse (Furman), 6-1, 6-0
Rd 128 Daiki Tanabe (Coastal Carolina) def. Ivan Mitric (Furman), 6-3, 6-2
Singles Consolation
Rd 64 James Roelofse (Furman) def. Fernando Bernardes (USC Upstate), 6-4, 3-0, retired
Rd 32 James Roelofse (Furman) def. Dillon Gooch (UNCW), 6-4, 6-4
Rd 16 James Roelofse (Furman) def. Breno Plentz (Gardner-Webb), 3-6, 6-1, 10-6
Rd 8 James Roelofse (Furman) def. Connor Williamson (Winthrop), 6-1, 6-3
Rd 64 Ivan Mitric (Furman) def. Karl Mosterd (Charleston), 6-0, 6-3
Rd 32 Thomas Brown (USC) def. Ivan Mitric (Furman), 6-3, 2-6, 11-9
Doubles Main Draw
Rd 64 Munns/Bhangdia (Furman) def. Agee/Wiley (Clemson), 8-1
Rd 32 Munns/Bhangdia (Furman) def. Bicknell/Dively (Elon), 8-6
Rd 16 Munns/Bhangdia (Furman) def. Babelis/Barkai (N.C. State), 3-6, 6-3, 10-7
Rd 8 Munns/Bhangdia (Furman) def. Labbe/Tamagnone (ECU), 6-3, 6-3
Rd 4 Munns/Bhangdia (Furman) def. Zhang/Heller (Duke), 6-4, 3-6, 10-8
Rd 2 Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) def. Munns/Bhangdia (Furman), 6-7, 6-3, 10-7
Rd 64 Wilson/Atlevi (Furman) def. Gooch/Groetsch (UNCW), 8-6
Rd 32 Wilson/Atlevi (Furman) def. Rocens/Schrader (N.C. State), 8-6
Rd 16 Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) def. Wilson/Atlevi (Furman), 6-2, 5-7, 10-3
Rd 64 Enslin/Harris (Gardner-Webb) def. Singerman/Mitric (Furman), 8-5
