Deep Doubles Runs Highlights Tennis Weekend at ITA Regional Championships

Links: Women's Results | Men's Results

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – Headlined by successful runs through the women's doubles draw for sophomore Mia Briggs (York, Maine) and freshman Cassie Restrepo (Miami, Fla.), and an impressive showing in the men's doubles bracket for seniors Mikhail Belov (Krasnoarmeyskoy, Russia) and Frank Vega (Lima, Peru), the Merrimack College tennis programs competed at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) East Regional Championships over the weekend in Flushing, N.Y.

Beginning with the women, Briggs and Restrepo were one of eight pairings remaining at the regional tournament, reaching the quarterfinal round. The duo's quest for a doubles title began with a blanking of Saint Thomas Aquinas in the opening round followed by a 8-4 triumph against a combination from the District of Columbia. In the Round of 16, Briggs and Restrepo fell down to Concordia, 4-1, before roaring back to win by a 9-7 margin to reach the quarterfinals.

Restrepo was also one of three Warriors to reach the main singles draw out of the qualifying bracket. She won both qualifying tilts before winning her opening-round matchup to reach the Round of 32 in the main draw. Junior Lauren Persson (Barnstable, Mass.) accomplished the same feat, including a three-set first-round upset of Stonehill's top singles option to reach the second round. Senior captain Danielle Dunn (Middleton, Mass.) also reached the main draw from qualifying, while senior Mana Seifaei (North York, Ontario) won her first singles match in the main bracket before bowing out in the next round.

Senior captain Mackenzie Blair (Thomaston, Mass.), junior Meredith Wedro (La Crosse, Wis.), sophomore Roberta Marcos (Monterrey, Mexico) and freshman Abbie Sartori (Amesbury, Mass.) also played in the qualifying portion of the singles bracket. Blair and Dunn paired together in the doubles, as did Persson and Seifaei. All three of the women's doubles combinations won at least one match in the main draw.

Belov and Vega united as Merrimack's top two returners to pair together in the men's tournament, edging out opposition from Franklin Pierce (8-6) and Queens (9-7) to reach the Round of 16. Merrimack's other doubles pairings in the draw included senior Thomas O'Brien (Lancaster, Pa.) and junior Alex Slobin (Fairfield, Conn.), as well as sophomores Alex Fedorov (Guilderland, N.Y.) and Paul Weidinger (Leipzig, Germany).

In the singles venue, Belov, Fedorov, O'Brien, Slobin and Weidinger all appeared in the qualifying bracket. Fedorov won both of his matches to reach the main draw, topping opponents from Sciences and Jefferson University. Belov won his first match, 8-0, over Concordia before falling in the second round against Chestnut Hill.

Vega earned a berth directly into the main singles draw, besting Bentley's Dylan Granat in straight sets to reach the Round of 32. Fedorov's run ended in the opening round against Ricard Sec of Queens.

The men has one more fall tournament on deck, heading to Connecticut College on Saturday, Oct. 7. The women return to dual-match play this week with a contest at Assumption on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.