Esunge Ndumbe Reaches Horizon League Individual Championships Quarterfinals

CLEVELAND – On the opening day of the inaugural Horizon League Individual Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, the Belmont University men's tennis team collected four singles victories as junior Ferris State transfer Esunge Ndumbe advanced to the quarterfinals. The Keller, Texas (Keller HS), native went 2-0 in singles action Friday at Cleveland State's Medical Mutual Tennis Pavilion.
 
In the round of 32, Ndumbe defeated Tennessee Tech's Lucas Bitzer 7-6 (4), 6-2 before giving up only six games in another straight-set win in the round of 16. Ndumbe topped Northern Kentucky's Emilio Bravo 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals where he will face Tennessee State's Jonasz Dziopak Saturday morning at 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET.
 
Saturday's singles semifinals are scheduled for 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. ET, while the championship match will be played Sunday morning at 10 a.m. CT/11 a.m. ET.
 
Both junior Tennessee Wesleyan transfer Sabi Roi and freshman Charlie Robin also won first-round matches Friday. Roi cruised past the Tigers' Alex Adamec 6-1, 6-2, while Robin defeated Indiana University Indianapolis' Konner Gunwall 6-4, 6-1. Despite falling in the round of 16, the two played hard-fought three-set matches. Robin took the opening set off of Tennessee State's Dziopak, the Tigers' No. 1 player the last two years.
 
On Saturday, graduate Niklas von Hellens will take on the Norse's Hector Salvador in a singles consolation match. In doubles action Saturday afternoon, senior Diego Castro and von Hellens will go up against Northern Kentucky's Xavier Ecarma and Bravo while Ndumbe and Roi face Tennessee State's Dziopak and Chris Bogelin. Both doubles tandems were unable to get past their first-round opponents. Castro and von Hellens were edged 7-5 in a tiebreaker against IU Indy's Nate Day and Gunwall.
 
The Bruins' complete results from Friday can be found below.
 
Doubles
(Round of 16) Filip Avdeev/Matteo Ceradelli (Youngstown State) def. Esunge Ndumbe/Sabi Roi (Belmont), 8-4
(Round of 16) Nate Day/Konnor Gunwall (IU Indy) def. Diego Castro/Niklas von Hellens (Belmont), 8-7 (5)
 
Singles
(Round of 32) Sabi Roi (Belmont) def. Alex Adamec (Tennessee State), 6-1, 6-2
(Round of 32) Chris Bogelin (Tennessee State) def. Niklas von Hellens (Belmont), 6-1, 7-6 (3)
(Round of 32) Charlie Robin (Belmont) def. Konnor Gunwall (IU Indy), 6-4, 6-1
(Round of 32) Esunge Ndumbe (Belmont) def. Lucas Bitzer (Tennessee Tech), 7-6 (4), 6-2
(Round of 16) William Rassat (Youngstown State) def. Sabi Roi (Belmont), 6-1, 6-2
(Round of 16) Jonasz Dziopak (Tennessee State) def. Charlie Robin (Belmont), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
(Round of 16) Esunge Ndumbe (Belmont) def. Emilio Bravo (Northern Kentucky), 7-6 (4), 6-2
 
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