Liberty University
Duke James Bonk Invite Day 2
Liberty Takes Two Doubles and Four Singles Matches, Saturday at Duke Invite
9/21/2019 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Liberty won six total matches on the second day of competition at the Duke James Bonk Invite, Saturday at Cary Tennis Park.
"We are looking for a deeper level of focus, accuracy and reset tomorrow," said Liberty Men's Tennis Head Coach Derek Schwandt.
The Flames picked up a pair of doubles victories on Saturday morning. After receiving a bye to the consolation final in the Royal doubles draw, Liberty freshmen Goncalo Ferreira and Deji Thomas-Smith bested William & Mary's Sebastian Quiros 6-4. Ferreira and Thomas-Smith each won doubles titles with different partners, last weekend at the Liberty University Invitational.
In a consolation match in the Black doubles flight, senior Chase Burton and sophomore Ian Sturgill cruised to a 6-0 triumph over Collin Thomson and Cole Brainard of Charlotte.
Saturday's action featured two rounds of singles. Burton, Thomas-Smith, Steve Mundt and William Barker were each victorious in one match.
Burton rebounded from a loss in his first match during the morning session (7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-1 to Elon's Nicholas Condos) in the Blue singles draw. The Flames senior trailed in his second match against Charlotte's Constandinos Christoforou but won a tiebreaker in the second set before eventually taking the match, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-3. Burton will face Ross Gilbert of Gardner-Webb, tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
After suffering a setback in his first match of the day (7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-1 to Gardner-Webb's Breno Plentz), Thomas-Smith (Royal singles draw) managed to get past Charlotte's Collin Thomson 6-3, 2-1, retired. The Flames freshman will square off with UNF's Nilo Duarte, Sunday morning (10 a.m.).
Mundt (Blue singles) topped Gilbert of Gardner-Webb in his consolation quarterfinal match by a 6-1, 6-3 score. The Flames sophomore then fell to North Florida's Dominik Barton (6-1, 7-6 (7)) in the consolation semifinal round. Mundt will wrap up his weekend with a 9 a.m. match tomorrow against Condos of Elon.
Barker, competing in the Black singles flight (round robin format), defeated Elon's Max Zucker 6-1, 6-1 in his late morning match. Gardner-Webb's Victor Putter knocked off Barker 6-3, 7-5, Saturday afternoon. Barker will close out his tournament with a bout against Charlotte's Cole Brainard on Sunday at 10 a.m. The Statesville, N.C. native is the only Flames player with a 2-1 singles mark.
Through two days of play, Liberty has seven singles victories and two doubles triumphs.
The third and final day of the invite starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday and features one round of singles.
