Crawford wins Futures Tournament; Gators continue run at Regional Championships

Oliver Crawford claimed the title in Texas, while the Gators placed three into singles and doubles quarterfinals of ITA Regional Championships.

Crawford wins Futures Tournament; Gators continue run at Regional Championships

Sunday, October 21, 2018 | Men's Tennis

By: Corinne Simpson

HARLINGEN, Texas/ ATHENS, Ga. – Sophomore Oliver Crawford won the USA F28 Futures in Harlingen, Texas on Sunday.

Crawford, who earned a wildcard entry into main draw, defeated Andrew Watson (Great Britain, Memphis '18) 6-1, 6-1 for his first pro singles title. The South Carolina native had never advanced beyond the quarterfinals of any futures tournament.

Thoughts from Sophomore Oliver Crawford:
"I was a little bit nervous before the match with it being my first pro tournament final. I thought I controlled my nerves from the start very well. I played a very good tennis match and this title will be one I remember for the rest of my life."

Thoughts from Assistant Coach Tanner Stump:
"What a great week it has been for Oliver here in Harlingen. He seemed to get better and better as the week went on, culminating in a great performance today against Andrew Watson, graduate of the University of Memphis, who also had a phenomenal week and showed the highest character today and throughout the tournament. Oliver represented our brand in the highest character possible, as well, and I am just as proud as him for that as winning the title. I would like to thank all those in Harlingen who showed us great hospitality throughout our stay and made the tournament what it was. We will travel back and get Oliver some rest before he heads to the challenger in Charlottesville this weekend."

Up Next for Crawford:
With his singles championship at the UVA Masters, Crawford earned an entry to the challenger in Charlottesville. That tournament starts Oct. 27.

ITA Regional Championships
Florida advanced three into the singles quarterfinals and all three double pairs won and advanced to the elite eight.

Sophomores Duarte Vale and Andy Andrade and junior Johannes Ingildsen each won two singles matches as they advanced through the singles draw.

Senior McClain Kessler and freshman Lukas Greif dropped their first singles match of the day and were eliminated because their loss occurred in the second round.

Sophomore Brian Berdusco earned a win in the first consolation match, but after losing in the second round, he was also eliminated from the tournament.

In doubles, the Gators continued their strong performances. All three pairs won and advanced to the quarterfinals. Vale and Kessler and Andrade and Greif won 8-4, while Berdusco and Ingildsen battled to earn the 8-7 [4] victory.

ITA All-American Championships Results:

Main Draw Singles Round 2:
- Johannes Ingildsen def. Sergio Gomez Montesa (USF) 6-2, 6-1
- Duarte Vale def. Pierre Luquet (USF) 6-3, 6-4
- Cole Gromley (Georgia Tech) def. McClain Kessler 6-2, 6-1
- Stefano Di Alo (Georgia Southern) def. Lukas Greif 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
- Andy Andrade def. Sahil Deshmukh (UNF) 6-4, 7-5

Main Draw Singles Round 3:
- Ingildsen def. Richard Thongoana (Florida State) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
- Vale def. Alex Phillips (Georgia) 6-2, 6-2
- Andrade def. Andrew Li (Georgia Tech) 6-2, 1-0 ret [inj.]

Consolation Singles Round 1:
- Brian Berdusco def. Jorge Nunez (UNF) 6-0, 7-6 [4]

Consolation Singles Round 2:
- Antonio Muniz Hidalgo (Georgia Southern) def. Berdusco 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 [8]

Main Draw Doubles Round 3:
- Lukas Greif/Andy Andrade def. Finkelstein/Muniz Hidalgo (Georgia Southern) 8-4
- Johannes Ingildsen/Brian Berdusco def. Barton/Nani (UNF) 8-7 [4]
- Duarte Vale/McClain Kessler def. Stuart/Guillon (Mercer) 8-4

Up Next:

Main Draw Singles Quarterfinals:
- 10 A.M. - Johannes Ingildsen vs. Juan Pablo Grassi Mazzuchi (UCF)
- 10 A.M. – Duarte Vale vs. Adria Soriano Barrera (Miami)
- 10 A.M. – Andy Andrade vs. Jan Zielinski (Georgia)

Main Draw Doubles Quarterfinals:
- 4:30 P.M. - Duarte Vale/McClain Kessler vs. Felipe Escobar/Mateo Ruiz (FGCU)
- 4:30 P.M. - Lukas Greif/Andy Andrade vs. Sebastian Arcila/Alex Knaff (Florida State)
- 4:30 P.M. - Johannes Ingildsen/Brian Berdusco vs. Alvaro Fernandez Horta/Mehdi Laalej (FAU)

Thoughts from Coach Bryan Shelton:
"We had a good day here today as well. Duarte [Vale] is gaining confidence, so I am thrilled to see the hard work starting to pay off for him. Lukas [Greif] had a battle today and I was impressed with how he was able to lift his game. I've been seeing a lot of progress from him this past week. Joe [Johannes Ingildsen] found a way to win today without playing his best tennis. If he tweaks a few things, I can see him really take off in a positive direction. I loved our energy in doubles and our attitudes there. Our guys love doubles and they work really well together which speaks to how much they respect and care for each other. Overall, we are having fun and making the most of these opportunities."

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