Both Iowa tennis teams competed at their respective Central Regionals this weekend, seeing ups and downs against the area’s top teams.
The full men’s roster traveled to Minneapolis on Oct. 19 and competed in singles and doubles matches.
On the first day of the tournament, the men’s team won four of its nine matches. Jason Kerst and Jake Jacoby won their singles matches, and freshmen Will Davies, Piotr Smietana, and Joe Tyler fell in their first singles matches of the tournament. Davies and Tyler bounced back and showed that age does not matter when their doubles team topped Creighton seniors Brooks Kendall and Alex Koca (8-2).
Jacoby and teammate Jonas Larsen won their doubles match on the tournament’s opening day against Oral Robert’s Barnabas Koncz and Alvaro Santamaria.
The second day of the tournament featured sophomore Kareem Allaf tear through his opponents. He won in the round of 64 when he topped Creighton’s Kendall in straight sets (6-2, 6-2), then raced through the round of 32 after topping Jackson Allen of Minnesota.
Allaf’s teammates did not equal his success. The round of 64 proved too much for the majority of Iowa’s squad. Senior Josh Silverstein fell to Arkansas’ Perdo Alonzo (6-1, 6-3). Jacoby lost to Minnesota’s Matic Spec (6-1, 6-0). Kerst was downed by Arkansas’ Josh Howard-Tripp (7-6, 6-2).
The third day was the end of the road for head coach Ross Wilson’s squad, when Allaf squared off with Oklahoma’s State’s Tristan Meraut. Allaf dropped a close match (7-6 [8], 6-4) in the round of 16.
The men’s team will be back in action for the final time in fall season at the Big Ten Singles and Doubles Championships in Lansing, Michigan, Oct. 27.
The women’s tennis team also brought its full roster to its Central Regional in Lawrence, Kansas. The squad entered the tournament with a number of its players seeded. Senior Zoe Douglas held the No. 6 seeding, sophomore Elise van Heuvelen had the No. 10, and freshman Yufei Long had No. 25.
Iowa’s seeds proved their ranking in the round of 128 when all three of the seeded Hawkeyes won. Douglas beat Creighton’s Darby Rosetter (6-3, 6-2), Van Heuvelen topped River Hart of Minnesota (6-3, 6-1), and Long continued her young success when she beat Southeast Missouri’s Alessandra Thompson (6-1, 6-1).
The Hawkeyes won three of their four doubles matches in the round of 64 on Oct. 20. The team of seniors Anastasia Reimchen and Montana Crawford topped Brandt and Wijesinghe of Bradly University (8-4). The team of Adorable Huckleby and Long toped South Dakota’s Nylund and Lazarevic. Iowa’s go-to team of Douglas and van Heuvelen beat Michigan State’s Torrico and Bosechen (7-4).
“It was a good day for us to see our tennis progressing and the level improving,” head coach Sasha Schmid said in a release. “Now, we need to manage our matches better once we get in positions to close out sets and win matches. We are looking forward to more opportunities to improve and compete.”
Oct. 20 did produce some more opportunities for the Hawkeyes, and Iowa took advantage of them. Douglas advanced through the round of 64 when she beat Minnesota’s Caitlyn Merzbacher (6-1, 3-6, 7-5). Douglas then won in the round of 32 when she topped Arkansas’ Tatum Rice (6-1, 6-2). Van Heuvelen and Long won their round of 64 matches but lost in the round of 32.
In doubles on Oct. 20, the teams of Huckleby/Long and Douglas/van Heuvelen won in the round of 32.
Oct. 21 saw more success from Douglas. The senior won against Caroline Ryba of Minnesota, 6-1, 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals. Her doubles team, with van Heuvelen again, topped Kansas’ Koch and Toran Ribes, 8-6. Long and van Heuvelen fell in the round of 32.
In the doubles’ quarterfinals, Douglas and Long fell to Oklahoma State’s Vladica Babic and Sofia Blanco (8-6), a pair ranked No. 15 nationally.
In the singles quarterfinal on Sunday, Douglas was toppled by Oklahoma State’s Babic for the second time in the tournament, ending her run.
