Sept 22, 2012; Blacksburg, VA, USA; A general view of the fans during the game between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Bowling Green Falcons at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
The Virginia Tech Men’s Tennis team had a solid season but just about the whole team is done for the season after losing to Vanderbilt in the NCAA Championship. However, the Hokies still have one player in the hunt for a men’s singles title and could be a sleeper to make a deep run in the NCAA Men’s Singles Tennis Championships. Unsurprisngly, this player is the Hokies’ top tennis player and this guy will also have a couple more opportunities to win.
This is sophomore Amerigo Contini who is looking to make a deep run and win a NCAA Men’s Tennis Singles title.
Of course, Contini entered the NCAA Championships as an underdog as the Hokie was not expected to get past the first round after being placed against the 7th-ranked player in the country, Oklahoma’s Axel Alvarez Llamas. Contini was the 20th-ranked player so he knew that he could pull off the upset but it did not seem lkely that this upset would happen in the oepning orund of this 64 player tournament. However, Contini got the job done thanks partly to a little luck.
Axel Alvarez Llamas dropped out of the field for an unknown reason and was replaced in the tournament by Tim Kopinski of Illinois who is ranked 63rd in the country. The matchup became easier on paper but Contini would be tested in this match by Kopinski who almost took at Contini in straight sets. However, Contini kept pushing and won in 3 sets 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 to advance to the Round of 32.
Now, the section of the bracket for Contini is a little more open and has a great chance to go on a run. Contini will go against Florida’s Florien Diop in the Round of 32 with the match set to start at 1 P.M. Diop is ranked 51st nationally so Contini will likely be challenged but he is the favorite entering this match. Many top seeds have already fallen and Contini will have to watch out for the upset but Contini definitely has a great chance to go on a long run and possibly win a national title.
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