#BEtennis Championship Quarterfinals Deliver Competitive Matchups
CAYCE, S.C. – Seven teams advance to the Saturday semifinals of the 2017 BIG EAST Tennis Championship presented by Jeep after a full day of quarterfinal action produced some outstanding tennis.
The day opened with three men’s matches at 9 a.m., setting the courts for a competitive day of BIG EAST Tennis. Top-seeded DePaul took down No. 8 Creighton 4-0 after securing the doubles point and recording wins in the No. 1, 3 and 6 positions, all in straight sets.
No. 3 Butler and No. 6 Villanova followed with a back-and-forth battle as the teams made it a one-point match. The Wildcats grabbed the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and 3 spots, but the Bulldogs rebounded in singles for a 3-1 lead. Relentlessly, Villanova tied the match at 3-3, with a two-set victory from Stefan Suarez at No. 2 and three-set win from Thomas Dodson at No. 5 singles spot. The deciding factor came down to court No. 3, where Butler’s Mikheil Khmiadashvili's 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 performance clinched a 4-3 victory for the Bulldogs.
The seventh-seeded Hoyas rounded out the morning with a 4-2 victory over 2016 champion St. John’s. The Blue & Gray got off to a strong start by earning a tightly-contested doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 3 spots. In singles play, GU picked up three more victories. Peter Beatty recorded a win in straight sets, when he won 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1. The Red Storm tied the match at 2-2 by winning two of the first three completed singles matches. However, the Hoyas clinched the match when Ian Witmer won at No. 6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 and Marco Lam won at No. 3 by a score of 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.
In the lone men’s quarterfinal matchup of the afternoon, No. 5 Marquette blanked No. 4 Xavier, 4-0. After securing the doubles point, Marquette’s Brett Meyers moved MU ahead 2-0 with a 7-5, 6-0 win at No. 6 while senior Kristiyan Trukov quickly followed with a 6-2, 6-4 victory of his own at No. 5. Freshman Like Smrek would clinch the Marquette win with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-0 win over Xavier’s Jeremy Schneider at No. 2.
Both men’s semifinals will begin Saturday at 9 a.m. with DePaul matching up with Marquette and Butler St. John’s going up against Georgetown.
On the women’s side, No. 1 St. John’s rallied for a 4-1 win over No. 8 Creighton. After dropping the doubles point, the Red Storm claimed the match by taking the first four completed singles including a match-clinching victory from Olaya Inclan Solis at the No.5 spot.
Later in the afternoon, No. 2 DePaul held off No. 6 Villanova, 4-0 with a stellar performance from Patricia Lancranjan and Florence Abbot, who led the way for the Blue Demons (15-7) with wins in singles and doubles. In the 4-5 match, No. 4 Xavier upended No. 5 Marquette 4-1. After securing the doubles point, the Musketeers seized the match with a straight-set victory from Sophia Abelson at No. 5.
No. 6 Seton Hall closed out the day with a 4-1 triumph over No. 3 Georgetown. The Pirates took a 2-0 lead after earning the doubles point and a straight-set singles victory from Michal Matson at No. 4. The Hoyas fought back with a win at No.3, but the Hall would ultimately take the match with wins at the No. 2 and No. 5 spots.
The women’s semifinals will take place at 12:30 with St. John’s taking on Xavier and Seton Hall clashing with DePaul. Check @BIGEASTChamps, #BIGEASTtennis along with the Championship Central for the most up-to-date information.