May 20, 2009
Five Big Ten individual athletes won their opening-round matches Wednesday in the singles portion of the 2009 NCAA Championships at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas, hosted by Texas A&M University. Second-round competition will resume on Thursday.
Two members of the national runners-up Ohio State men's tennis team emerged from first-round action in senior captains Bryan Koniecko and Steven Moneke. Koniecko, the tournament's third overall seed, topped SEC Freshman of the Year Carlos Cueto of Florida in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. The ninth-ranked Moneke defeated 2009 ITA National Rookie of the Year Bradley Klahn of Stanford (7-6, 7-6).
Illinois also saw two athletes advance to the NCAA Round of 32 in freshman Dennis Nevolo and sophomore Roy Kalmanovich. Nevolo cruised through the opening round with a straight sets win over Yoann Re from Virginia Tech, while Kalmanovich also notched a straight sets victory, upsetting Boise State's 24th-ranked Clancy Shields.
Minnesota's Ishay Hadash advanced to the second round after ousting the tournament's 10th-ranked Cory Parr of Wake Forest for the second time this season with a straight-set, 6-3, 7-6, victory.
OSU's No. 25 Justin Kronauge will not advance in the singles draw after dropping a three-set decision to San Diego's Dean Jackson in Wednesday's opening round. The Buckeye junior will return to tournament action on Thursday, teaming up with Moneke in doubles competition. The No. 14-ranked duo will square off against No. 36-ranked Damon Gooch and Philip Nemec of Elon.
Two Badgers saw their NCAA tournament runs end Wednesday as Wisconsin's No. 29-ranked Moritz Baumann and No. 57-ranked Marek Michalicka dropped their first-round matches. The Badger duo have yet to qualify for the doubles competition but remain the first alternate out.
Wednesday's NCAA Singles Results (Round of 64):
No. 39 Dennis Nevolo (Illinois) def. No. 55 Yoann Re (Virginia Tech) 6-3, 6-0
No. 50 Roy Kalmanovich (Illinois) def. No. 24 Clancy Shields (Boise State) 6-2, 6-1
No. 60 Ishay Hadash (Minnesota) def. No. 10 Cory Parr (Wake Forest) 6-3, 7-6
No. 3 Bryan Koniecko (Ohio State) def. 23 Carlos Cueto (Florida) 6-3, 6-2
No. 9 Steven Moneke (Ohio State) def. Bradley Klahn (Stanford) 7-6, 7-6
No. 52 Dean Jackson (San Diego) def. No. 25 Justin Kronauge (Ohio State) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Weinacker (North Carolina State) def. No. 57 Marek Michalicka (Wisconsin) 7-6, 6-3
Britton (Mississippi) def. No. 29 Moritz Baumann (Wisconsin) 7-5, 6-3
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