Domijan and Frank Advance in NCAA Singles Championship
Story Links
ATHENS, Ga. – Three members of the Virginia men’s tennis team returned to action at the Dan Magill Tennis Center on Wednesday as play began in the NCAA Singles Championship. Less than 17 hours after falling in the team final, Mitchell Frank (Annandale, Va.), Alex Domijan (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) and Jarmere Jenkins (College Park, Ga.) were back on the courts to open play in the 64-player tournament.
Frank, the tournament’s No. 2 seed, downed No. 22 Anthony Rossi of Kentucky 6-4, 6-4. Domijan, ranked No. 39 nationally, defeated No. 6 seed Evan King of Michigan 6-3, 6-2. Jenkins, the No. 4 seed, fell to 2010 NCAA Singles Champion Bradley Klahn of Stanford, currently ranked No. 36 nationally, 7-5, 6-3.
Domijan went up an early break in his match and led the first set 4-1. King broke back to get on serve at 4-3, but Domijan responded by winning the next two games to take the opening set. The players traded breaks in the first two games of the second set, before Domijan rolled off four straight games to take a 5-1 lead. After King held, Domijan served out his 6-3, 6-2 victory. Domijan plays George Coupland of Mississippi State in the second round.
Frank and Rossi held serve through the first eight games of the first set in their match before Frank broke to take a 5-4 lead. Frank held serve in the ensuing game to take the set 6-4. In the second set, Frank went up a break early at 2-1 only to have Rossi break back in the next game. Frank went back up a break at 4-3 and eventually served out the set for a 6-4, 6-4 victory. Frank will play Ray Sarmiento of USC in the second round.
Jenkins went up an early break in the first set and held that advantage for most of the set of his match. However, with Jenkins serving for the set at 5-4, Klahn broke back to even it at 5-all. Klahn held for 6-5 and then broke Jenkins again to win the set 7-5. The second set remained on serve until Klahn broke to take a 4-2 lead. The players held serve the rest of the way as Klahn closed out the 7-5, 6-3 win.
Thursday’s play will consist of the second round of singles and the first round of doubles. In addition to Domijan and Frank’s singles matches, Jenkins and Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) will start play in the 32-team doubles draw. The team of Jenkins and Courtney, a No. 5-8 seed, will play Fredik Ask and Billy Bertha of Wisconsin in the first round.