South Bend, IND. ––––– In an exciting finish to the weekend, Indiana Men’s Tennis wrapped up their competition on Sunday at the highly anticipated Fighting Irish Mini Duals, held at the state-of-the-art Courtney Tennis Center.
Over the weekend, four talented Hoosiers were in action: Braeden Gelletich, Karan Raghavendra, Nikola Kolyachev, and Matteo Antonescu, each aiming to showcase their skills against formidable opponents.
In doubles play, the formidable duo of Gelletich and Raghavendra secured an impressive victory in their opening match, overcoming Western Michigan’s Adrian Quiros and Alex Antonopoulos with a nail-biting score of 7-6(2). They continued their strong performance in the second round, where they defeated DePaul’s Sven Moser and Thomas Giles with a decisive score of 6-4.
Competing alongside them, Nikola Kolyachev and Matteo Antonescu triumphed in their first-round matchup against Notre Dame’s Yu Zhang and Jameson Corsillo. They clinched the win with a closely contested score of 7-6(5).
In singles play, Gelletich delivered a stunning performance throughout the four rounds. In round one, he decisively defeated Adrian Quiros in straight sets with a convincing score of 6-2, 6-2. Continuing his winning streak, Gelletich triumphantly overcame Sven Moser in round two, finishing with scores of 6-4, 6-1.
Displaying undeniable skill and determination, Gelletich notched another impressive victory in round three against Wisconsin’s Sachiv Kumar, winning the match 7-6(3), 6-2. He capped off his remarkable weekend with a hard-fought win over Michigan’s Alex Cairo in a thrilling three-set match, finishing with scores of 7-5, 5-7, 1-0(7).
Looking ahead, Indiana will return to action this weekend as the Hoosiers prepare to send players to two prestigious events: the ITA Sectional Championship and the Big Ten Individual Championships.
Final Results
Round One
Doubles
- B. Gelletich/K. Raghavendra (IU) def. A. Quiros/A. Antonopoulos (WMU), 7-6(2).
- N. Kolyachev/M. Antonescu (IU) def. Y. Zhang/J. Corsillo (ND), 7-6(5).
Singles
Round Two
Doubles
- B. Gelletich/K. Raghavendra (IU) def. S. Moser/T. Giles (DEP), 6-4.
- M. Bengtsson/O. Megargee (NW) def. N. Kolyachev/M. Antonescu (IU), 7-6(4)
Singles
Round Three
Singles
Round Four
Doubles
- A. Cairo/W. Cooksey (MICH) def. B. Gelletich/K. Raghavendra (IU), 7-6(2).
Singles
**Interview with Indiana Men’s Tennis Coach Mark Johnson About the Fighting Irish Mini Duals**
*Interviewer:* Coach Johnson, the Fighting Irish Mini Duals have just wrapped up, and your team had an impressive showing. Can you share your thoughts on how the competition went for the players this weekend?
*Coach Johnson:* Absolutely! The Mini Duals are a fantastic opportunity for our players to face off against some tough opponents and really test their skills. I’m very proud of how our guys competed. Going 11-5 in singles is no small feat, and it shows that the hard work they’re putting in during practice is paying off.
*Interviewer:* Braeden Gelletich and Karan Raghavendra had a great run in doubles, winning both of their matches. What do you think contributed to their success?
*Coach Johnson:* Their success really came down to their teamwork and communication on the court. They’ve been playing together for a while now, and it shows. In that first match, they kept their composure in a tense tiebreak, which is crucial in doubles. They built on that momentum moving into the second match, showing great synergy and strategy throughout.
*Interviewer:* Nikola Kolyachev and Matteo Antonescu also participated. How did they perform, and what are your insights on their potential moving forward?
*Coach Johnson:* Nikola and Matteo showed great determination as well. They faced strong competition and had some tough matches. While they didn’t finish with the same results as Braeden and Karan, I see a lot of potential in them. Both of them have the talent, and with more experience in these high-pressure situations, I’m confident they’ll improve and start racking up wins.
*Interviewer:* With the season progressing, what areas do you think the team needs to focus on to keep improving?
*Coach Johnson:* We need to continue working on our consistency, especially in singles matches. It’s important for our players to remain mentally strong throughout each match, maintaining focus no matter the score. We’ll also be emphasizing doubles coordination moving forward, as strong doubles play can often set the tone for singles matches.
*Interviewer:* Thank you for your insights, Coach. Best of luck as the team continues their season!
*Coach Johnson:* Thank you! We appreciate the support, and I’m excited to see how we grow as the season unfolds.
