Pacer Tennis Records Strong Showing on Opening Day of ITA Region Championships

SUMTER, S.C.  - The USC Aiken men's and women's tennis teams had a strong showing during the opening day of the 2009 Wilson Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Southeast Region Championships.

The region championships are hosted this year by Francis Marion and they are being held at the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C. The event continues through the championships on Monday.

In the men's singles "A" flight, Pacer freshman Ben Klass (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) bested Erskine College's Caleb Barnes 6-2, 6-4 to move on to the round of 32.

Klass was joined in the round of 32 by teammates Greg Andrade (Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Filipe Garcia (Valinhos, Brazil). Andrade downed AAS' Daniel Regan 6-3, 6-3 to move on to the next round on Saturday, while Garcia picked up a 6-1, 6-2 win over Mount Olive College's Alexandre Queiros to advance to the round of 32.

On the women's side, USC Aiken's Mathilde Grenet (Doumont, France) earned a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Peach Belt Conference rival Anna Larson of UNC Pembroke to move to the round of 32.

Grenet was the only Pacer women's tennis player to advance out of the women's "A" singles draw.

In the women's "B" singles draw, sophomore Courtney Hall (Watkinsville, Ga.) earned a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Coker's Stephanie Harrelson to advance to the next round. Hall will not be the only Pacer participating in the "B" singles flight on Saturday with Melanie Schneider (Gensingen, Germany) and Bridgette Gale (St. Augustine, Fla.) both receiving byes into the round of 32.

In men's doubles, the USC Aiken tandem of Klaas and Juan Manuel Guglielmeti (Mar del Plata, Argentina) won 8-4 over Flagler College's Skyler Engel and Tim Hansson to move to the round of 16.

The USC Aiken doubles team of Garcia and Andrade won 8-6 over Flagler's Peter Coulis and Gino Ramirez to move to the second round of action.