HARROGATE, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman men's and women's tennis teams kicked off their 2023 seasons at the Lincoln Memorial Invitational this past weekend and showed many flashes of early season success.
DAY 1
The Eagles started the LMU Invitational against in-state rival Tusculum, and the men split with the Pioneers in singles action.
The three wins for the Eagles came in two sets, as Marc Janse (7-5, 6-1), Gjorgii Jankulovski (6-2, 6-1), and Paul Gayk (6-3, 7-5) all secured victories against Tusculum. Marinus Van Dalen (6-7, 2-6), Lars Horjdik (4-6, 5-7), and Yehor Opanasenko (0-6, 6-7 [7-9]) had competitive showings in the three losses.
RESULTS:
Will Gee (TU) def. Marinus Van Dalen (C-N), 7-6/6-2
Marc Janse (C-N) def. Yuki Keda (TU), 7-5/6-1
Gjorgii Jankulovski (C-N) def. Miles Ray (TU), 6-2/6-1
Paul Gayk (C-N) def. Marco Jalalian (TU), 6-3/7-5
Rens Verhaar (TU) def. Yehor Opanasenko (C-N), 6-0/6-7/9-7
Anton Krondell (TU) def. Lars Horjdik (C-N), 6-4/7-5
In doubles matches against Tusculum, the Eagles took one of three, with Marc Janse and Yehor Opanasenko falling just short.
RESULTS:
Gee-Ray (TU) def. Horjdik-Van Dalen, 6-3
Gayk-Jankulovski (C-N) def. Verhaar-Krondell (TU), 6-3
Sharma-Ivars (TU) def. Janse-Opanasenko (C-N), 7-6
The Eagles secured a clean sweep against Lincoln Memorial in the second doubles round. The pairing of Marc Janse and Yehor Opanasenko responded after their close loss in the first round by blanking the doubles matchup against LMU.
RESULTS:
Horjdik-Van Dalen (C-N) def. Johnson-Mills (LMU), 6-0
Gayk-Jankulovski (C-N) def. Turner-Pavan (LMU), 6-4
Janse-Opanaseko (C-N) def. Pacheco-Malik (LMU), 6-2
On the women's side against Tusculum, it was also an even split in singles play, with all three losses going into tiebreakers. Anita Chornei responded after dropping the second set (1-6) by winning in the tiebreaker (10-8). Sindija Manovska earned a two-set sweep (7-6, 7-5), as did Natasha Forrest (7-5, 6-2).
RESULTS:
Sindija Manovska (C-N) def. Elodie Baechler (TU), 7-6/7-5
Anita Chornei (C-N) def. Paulina Loretz (TU), 7-5/1-6/10-8
Natasha Forrest (C-N) def. Valentina Loretz (TU), 7-5/6-2
Ylva Lanford (TU) def. Summer Reeves (C-N), 3-6/6-2/10-3
Johanna Palacios (TU) def. Leah McBride (C-N), 6-4/2-6/10-3
Johanna Selde (TU) def. Julia Speiser (C-N), 0-6/7-5/11-9
In doubles play, the women took on Lincoln Memorial in the first round, taking two out of three matches against the Railsplitters.
RESULTS:
Forrest-Reeves (C-N) def. Carrier-Pellizzari (LMU), 6-2
Chornei-Speiser (C-N) def. Ramonet-Palud (LMU), 6-2
Aray-Garcia (LMU) def. McBride-Manovska (C-N), 6-3
The women put out two pairings against Tusculum in the second round of doubles, splitting against the Pioneers.
RESULTS:
Forrest-Reeves (C-N) def. Floeth-Loretz(TU), 6-4
Baechler-V. Loretz (TU) def. Chornei-Speiser (C-N), 6-3
DAY 2
In the second day of action, the men and women both squared off against Lee.
The men secured two singles wins against the Flames, as Gjorgii Jankulovski (6-7, 6-2, 10-7) found his footing after dropping the first set, and Lars Horjdik (6-4, 6-2) cruised for his first singles win of the young season.
RESULTS:
Francisco Faria (LEE) def. Marinus Van Dalen (C-N), 6-3/3-6/10-5
Wihan Van Der Merwe (LEE) def. Marc Janse (C-N), 2-6/7-6/11-9
Gjorgii Jankulovski (C-N) def. Jordi Dasi (LEE), 6-7/6-2/10-7
Mike Groenendijk (LEE) def. Paul Gayk (C-N), 6-4/7-6
Viktor Yanev (LEE) def. Yehor Opanasenko (C-N), 7-5/6-2
Lars Horjdik (C-N) def. Yike Liu (LEE) 6-4/6-2
In doubles play against the Flames, C-N dropped two out of three, but both losses came by one game apiece.
RESULTS:
Faria-Van Der Merwe (LEE) def. Horjdik-Van Dalen (C-N), 7-6
Liu-Groenendijk (LEE) def. Gayk-Jankulovski (C-N), 7-6
Janse-Opanasenko (C-N) def. Dasi-Yanev (LEE), 6-4
The women also took two singles matches against the Flames, as Summer Reeves (6-4, 6-2) and Julia Speiser (7-6, 6-4) both won in two sets.
RESULTS:
Ashleigh Simes (LEE) def. Sindija Manovska (C-N), 6-1/6-0
Maria Duarte (LEE) def. Anita Chornei (C-N), 6-7/6-3/11-9
Maria Penalver Aguilo (LEE) def. Natasha Forrest (C-N), 6-1/6-4
Summer Reeves (C-N) def. Elizaveta Gnilozubova (LEE), 6-4/6-2
Kanna Kobayakawa (LEE) def. Leah McBride (C-N), 6-1/6-2
Julia Speiser (C-N) def. Hayden Smith (LEE), 7-6/6-4
In doubles, the Eagles took one of three matchups against the Flames, with Leah McBride and Sindija Manovska (6-1) winning dominantly.
RESULTS:
Simes-Duarte (LEE) def. Forrest-Reeves (C-N), 6-3
Kobayakawa-Penalver (LEE) def. Chornei-Speiser (C-N), 7-5
McBride-Manovska (C-N) def. Smith-Gnilozubova, 6-1
With some positive momentum after the two-day LMU invitational, the Eagles will look to build on it at the ITA Regionals in Sumter, South Carolina, this weekend.
