WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Norfolk State men's tennis team opened its 2013 fall season at the Georgetown Classic over the weekend.
In the doubles competition, junior Igor Braga and sophomore Robin Riethmueller teamed up to get a pair of wins in their bracket. Braga and Riethmueller defeated Christopher Newport's Greg Cistulli and Michael Dodd, 8-1, and they also had an 8-6 win over Georgetown's Casey Distaso and Max Novak. Braga and Riethmueller suffered an 8-7(3) loss in the quarterfinals to George Washington's Ulrik Thomsen and Daniel O'Conner.
Sophomore Dzmitry Zyhmantovich and senior Peter Ramstromer-Pello competed together and suffered an 8-7 (7-4) loss to John Hopkins' Mike Buxbaum and Jordan Portner. Junior Daniel Grauel and sophomore Samuel Lemberger fell to Nick Garcia and Noah Joachim of John Hopkins, 8-7 (10-8).
NSU also picked up some wins in the singles competition. Zyhmantovich defeated George Washington's Sinan Ipeker, 6-2, 6-0 and John Hopkins' Emerson Walsh, 6-1, 6-3. He also picked up a 6-3, 6-0 win against Georgetown's Daniel Khanin before falling in the semifinals to ASA's Jack Boling, 6-4, 6-4.
Riethmueller defeated Joachim of John Hopkins, 6-3, 6-3. He also posted a 7-5, 6-0 win over Georgetown's Distaso as well as a 6-0, 2-6, 10-4 victory over Buxbaum of John Hopkins before suffering a 6-2, 7-5 loss to ASA's Tim Srkala.
Lemberger posted a 6-4, 7-6(3) win against Christopher Newport's Dodd before falling to Georgetown's Yannik Mahlangu, 7-5, 6-2.
Grauel defeated Christopher Newport's Steven Boslet, 6-3, 7-6(7) before suffering a 6-4, 6-2 loss to Shane Korber of Georgetown.
Ramstromer-Pello lost in the first round to Georgetown's Casey Distaso 6-4, 7-5. He then lost to Noah Joachim of John's Hopkins 7-6, 4-6, 11-9.
Rounding out singles play for the Spartans was Braga, who fell to George Washington's O'Conner, 6-2, 6-3. Although he lost in the opening round, Braga was able to win the consolation bracket as he defeated Christopher Newport's Michael Dodd, 6-3, 6-0, and claimed the victory after Georgetown's Alex Tropiano retired in the second set due to injury, 6-7(3), 0-1.
The Spartans will travel to Philadelphia, Pa., for the Penn Invitational on Sept. 27-29.
