FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 16, 2024) - The NAU Men's tennis team started the fall schedule in Tucson, Arizona at the Wildcat Invitational this weekend. Eight of the nine players on the roster competed in the tournament.
The Wildcat Invitational featured players from Arizona, New Mexico, New Mexico State, UNLV, Gonzaga, San Diego State, and GCU. Through the three-day tournament, NAU had three wins in doubles and 11 wins in singles.
Senior
Dani Torres had much success for the Lumberjacks reaching the finals of both his doubles and singles draw. Torres was paired up with sophomore
Jakub Prachar as they claimed a 6-2 victory in the first round and a 6-4 win in the second. They would come short of winning their bracket losing to Arizona pair Alexander Rozin and Filip Gustafsson in a tiebreaker, 7-6.
Torres and Prachar also saw success in the singles side as both went 2-1 in their bracket. Torres made it to the championship after beating Paul Janson from San Diego State, 6-3, 7-5, and Tobaias Wallin from New Mexico State, 6-4, 6-3. Prachar beat Roko Stipetic from New Mexico State, 6-2, 7-5, but would then lose the next round. However, Prachar would bounce back and win the consolation match, 1-6, 6-4, 10-5, over Thomas Navarro from UNLV.
New NAU player freshman Noa Tcherniak got a win beating New Mexico's Phil Bosin, 6-1, 2-6, 10-7. This was Tcherniaks' first win in singles as a Lumberjack.
NAU freshman
Kai Mills had quite the debut picking up two wins. Mills beat Dusan Rsovac from UNLV, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. Then picked up his second win over Gonzaga player kai-Luca Ampaw, 6-7, 7-6, 7-5.
Freshman
Jakub Volesky played in a round-robin style bracket, where he was able to pick up a win when he beat Liam Spiers from San Diego State 7-6, 6-2. This was Volesky's first win as a Lumberjack.
Sophomore
Semen Agynskyy started from where he left off last season with a strong performance going 2-1 in singles. He beat GCU's Jonathan De Silva, 6-2, 7-5, as well as beating Tom Dunlop from Gonzaga, 7-5, 6-4, in the west side of the bravo draw.
Freshman
Ivan Perisic was unable to pick up a win going 0-3. In his final match of the tournament, it was a battle against Stipetic losing, 7-6, 6-4.
Junior
Takumi Katsuda got his first NAU win when he beat UNLV's Roberto Hernandez in straight sets, 6-0, 6-3.
The Lumberjacks now look toward the ITA All-American tournament which begins on Sept. 21. In Tulsa, Oklahoma.
