Men's Tennis Collects Singles Wins at ITA All-American Championships

TULSA, Okla. – A trio of Belmont University men's tennis players represented the Bruins in fine fashion at the 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Seniors Alfred Wallin and Tomas Luis, along with junior Ian Cruz, all won a match in singles qualifying action at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center this past weekend and early this week.
 
A native of Malmo, Sweden, Wallin reached the final round of qualifying after defeating Wake Forest's Matthew Thomson 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (5) in the opening round and receiving a walkover in the second round. In the round of 32 of the 128-man qualifying bracket, Wallin tested the University of Texas' Cleeve Harper. Despite the two exchanging service breaks early, Harper prevailed in a 6-4 first set before taking the second set, 6-2.
 
Factoring in the main draw and 16 qualifiers, Wallin was one of only 80 singles players remaining in the ITA All-American Championships.
 
On Saturday, both Luis and Cruz won their first-round matches in the pre-qualifying draw of 256. Luis defeated the University of Nebraska Omaha's Bryan Kuntz 6-3, 6-1, while Cruz glided to a 6-2, 6-1 victory over UT Arlington's Dante Carlos Teramo. In the round of 128, Cruz won a set off of Tulane's Alex Bancila but ultimately fell, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Luis was handed a 6-3, 7-5 loss by 12th-seeded Alan Magadan of the University of Texas at San Antonio.
 
Belmont now turn its attention to the ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships next week, which will be held Thursday-Monday, Oct. 12-16 at the Champions Club Tennis Complex at Rivermont Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
 
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