COLUMBUS, Ohio- With its 4-0 win over Cleveland State in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Division I Championships Saturday, the second-ranked Ohio State men’s tennis team advanced to the second round of the event and will face East Tennessee State at noon Sunday at Stickney Tennis Center. The Buckeyes are one of 16 teams serving as host of the First and Second Rounds.  

The victory Saturday extended Ohio State’s win streak in Columbus to 72 and head coach Ty Tucker’s NCAA championships record has improved to 15-8.

The Buckeyes began the match by claiming the doubles point. Freshmen Matt Allare and Shuhei Uzawa beat Brad Groleski and Chris Klepatz by an 8-4 score at the No. 3 doubles spot. No. 14 Drew Eberly and Justin Kronauge downed Rob West and Robert Fox, 8-5, at No. 2 doubles to clinch the doubles point for the Scarlet and Gray.

The Buckeyes continued their dominance in singles by winning the three required matches without dropping a set. Each victorious Buckeye won their first set 6-0. No. 33 junior Steven Moneke swept past Ryan Hamning at No. 2 singles. The Alten-Busick, Germany, native beat Hamning 6-0, 6-1 to win his 26th-consecutive singles match.

Kronauge, a native of Centerville, Ohio, cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Groleski at No. 3 singles to put the Buckeyes up 3-0. Kronauge has won his last 15 singles matches. Allare, who was competing in his first singles match since March 23, won his match against Fox at No. 5 singles to seal Ohio State’s place in the second round. The Mason, Ohio, native won by a 6-0, 6-3 margin, and has won 11-consecutive singles matches.

In a battle of respective conference players of the year, the Big Ten’s Bryan Koniecko led the Horizon Leagues Phil Orno 6-4, 2-1 at the top singles spot. Eberly led Klepatz 6-1, 3-2 at No. 4 singles. Balazs Novak was beating West at No. 6 singles by 6-1, 5-0 score.

No. 2 Ohio State 4, Cleveland State 0
May 10, 2008
2008 NCAA Tournament
Columbus, Ohio
Stickney Tennis Center
 
Singles Competition
1. No. 16 Bryan Koniecko (OSU) led Phil Orno (CSU) 6-4, 2-1
2. No. 33 Steven Moneke (OSU) def. Ryan Hamning (CSU) 6-0, 6-1
3. No. 22 Justin Kronauge (OSU) def. Brad Groleski (CSU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Matt Allare (OSU) def. Robert Fox (CSU) 6-0, 6-3
5. Balazs Novak led Rob West (CSU) 6-1, 5-0
6. Drew Eberly (OSU) led Chris Klepatz (CSU) 6-1, 3-2

Doubles Competition
1. No. 10 Steven Moneke/Bryan Koniecko (OSU) led Phil Orno/Ryan Hamning (CSU) 6-4
2. No. 14 Drew Eberly/Justin Kronauge (OSU) def. Rob West/ Robert Fox (CSU) 8-5
3. Matt Allare/Shuhei Uzawa (OSU) def. Brad Groleski/Chris Klepatz (CSU), 8-4

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,3,5)
2008 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships First Round

In the second match of the day, East Tennessee State beat Notre Dame, 4-2, in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Men’s Tennis Championships and will face second-seed Ohio State at noon Sunday. The Buccaneers claimed the doubles point and two quick singles matches to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Notre Dame fought back and won two singles matches of its own to pull the score within one at 3-2. Senior Sebastian Serrano sealed the match for ETSU when he claimed a 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles over Sheeva Parbhu.

No. 41 East Tennessee State 4, No. 26 Notre Dame 2
May 10, 2008
2008 NCAA Tournament
Columbus, Ohio
Stickney Tennis Center

Singles competition
1. No. 44 Brett Helgeson (UND) def. No. 57 Enrique Olivares (ETSU) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
2. Sebastian Serrano (ETSU) def. No. 111 Sheeva Parbhu (UND) 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4
3. Predrag Burmazovic (ETSU) def. Andrew Roth (UND) 6-1, 6-2
4. Lisandro Picardo (ETSU) def. Stephen Havens (UND) 6-3, 6-3
5. David Anderson (UND) vs. Oscar Posada (ETSU) 6-4, 1-6, 5-4, unfinished
6. Daniel Stahl (UND) def. Daniel Isaza (ETSU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. Oscar Posada/Alex Ahlgren (ETSU) def. Brett Helgeson/Sheeva Parbhu (UND) 8-6
2. Sebastian Serrano/Enrique Olivares (ETSU) def. Andrew Roth/Santiago Montoya (UND) 8-4
3. Tyler Davis/Stephen Havens (UND) vs. Lisandro Picardo/Daniel Isaza (ETSU) 7-7, unfinished

Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (4,3,6,1,2)
2008 NCAA Division I Men's Tennis Championships First Round