Miguel Secures Two Wins on Day 4 of ITA Atlantic Regionals
10/14/2023 6:32:00 PM | Men's Tennis
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Luis Felipe Miguel continued rolling on Saturday, earning two victories on the day at the ITA Atlantic Regional. Liberty is hosting the six-day, 24-team, event at the Liberty Tennis Complex.
Saturday marked the first day of the gold singles and doubles brackets. Miguel earned three victories in the silver draw to advance into the gold bracket. Senior Rafael Marques Da Silva made his first appearance today in both the gold singles and doubles brackets.
The Flames went 2-2 as a team today with two other Liberty athletes, Thando Longwe-Smit and Deji Thomas-Smith participating.
Miguel was forced to battle in both of his matches on Saturday. In his singles match, the sophomore was opposed by Penn State's Miko Eala. The entire match was a tug-of-war where it looked like Eala was going to pull away after grabbing a 5-2 lead in the final set. Miguel used the home crowd to his advantage, rattling off three straight games to tie the match at 5-5. The two eventually went to a tiebreak that Miguel was able to jump out ahead of and not look back. The final score was Miguel advancing with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) victory.
Miguel was paired with long-time partner Deji Thomas-Smith for a doubles match against Virginia Tech's Frank Thompson and Benjamin Pomeranets. Much like Miguel's first match, no team was able to separate from the other, leading to an intense tiebreaker. With the Flames faithful reacting to every point, the Liberty duo managed to edge the Hokies' pair 8-7 (7-5).
Miguel is scheduled to play a singles match in the round of 16 of the gold bracket against Virginia's James Hopper. Miguel and Thomas-Smith are currently set to play at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Quote from head coach Derek Schwandt
"We are thankful for the competition on our home courts. We got great support from the Liberty Flames and we are definitlly going to take a lot from this tournament and get better."
How it Happened
Miguel and Liberty return to action at the ITA Atlantic Regional on Sunday at the Liberty Tennis Complex.
Saturday marked the first day of the gold singles and doubles brackets. Miguel earned three victories in the silver draw to advance into the gold bracket. Senior Rafael Marques Da Silva made his first appearance today in both the gold singles and doubles brackets.
The Flames went 2-2 as a team today with two other Liberty athletes, Thando Longwe-Smit and Deji Thomas-Smith participating.
Miguel was forced to battle in both of his matches on Saturday. In his singles match, the sophomore was opposed by Penn State's Miko Eala. The entire match was a tug-of-war where it looked like Eala was going to pull away after grabbing a 5-2 lead in the final set. Miguel used the home crowd to his advantage, rattling off three straight games to tie the match at 5-5. The two eventually went to a tiebreak that Miguel was able to jump out ahead of and not look back. The final score was Miguel advancing with a 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) victory.
Miguel was paired with long-time partner Deji Thomas-Smith for a doubles match against Virginia Tech's Frank Thompson and Benjamin Pomeranets. Much like Miguel's first match, no team was able to separate from the other, leading to an intense tiebreaker. With the Flames faithful reacting to every point, the Liberty duo managed to edge the Hokies' pair 8-7 (7-5).
Miguel is scheduled to play a singles match in the round of 16 of the gold bracket against Virginia's James Hopper. Miguel and Thomas-Smith are currently set to play at 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Quote from head coach Derek Schwandt
"We are thankful for the competition on our home courts. We got great support from the Liberty Flames and we are definitlly going to take a lot from this tournament and get better."
How it Happened
- Miguel is currently 5-0 in his first-ever appearance at the ITA Atlantic Regionals.
- Marques Da Silva comeback attempt fell short in his appearance against Virginia Tech's Maxine St. Hilaire. The final score was 7-5, 6-3. The senior will play on the back end of the gold bracket on Sunday.
- Marques Da Silva was paired with Longwe-Smit in a doubles match, facing Virginia Tech's Ryan Fishback and Alberto Orso. The pair was nearly able to mount a comeback after being down 6-4 but was unable to grab a lead after forcing a tiebreaker. The final score of the match was 8-7 (7-4). The two will play a consolation side on Sunday.
Miguel and Liberty return to action at the ITA Atlantic Regional on Sunday at the Liberty Tennis Complex.
Players Mentioned
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