HARBATSIUK AND SMITH EACH POST VICTORIES, BUT EVENTUALLY FALL AT THE ITA ALL-AMERICAN’S

10/6/2010

TULSA, Okla. - Sacramento State senior Kiryl Harbatsiuk and junior Jason Smith were each victorious in singles and doubles play at the ITA All-American Tennis Championships, but eventually were eliminated from tournament play.

The premier hard court event of the fall collegiate season which features the top players in Div. I, Harbatsiuk and Smith were the lone Hornet men’s representatives to be selected for the event. Harbatsiuk and Smith were two of 128 players from across the nation that competed in the qualifying singles draw (Oct. 4-6). The tandem also appeared in the doubles qualifying draw.

Harbatsiuk went 2-1 in singles play, falling just one victory shy of becoming the first player in program history to reach the main draw of the event. He began the tournament on Monday by defeating Ohio State’s Steven Williams, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1, before winning again on Tuesday over Tulane’s Idan Mark, 6-2, 7-6 (4).

A win today would have secured the reigning two-time Big Sky Conference MVP a spot in the 64-player main draw, but Harbatsiuk fell in straight sets to No. 6 seed Nick Meister of UCLA by a score of 6-2, 6-3. Still, Harbatsiuk reaching the third round of the qualifying draw matches the furthest a Hornet has ever gone in the tournament (Smith advanced to the third round last year).

Smith lost in his first-round matchup this year, falling to Ohio State’s Devin McCarthy by a score of 6-4, 6-3. He followed that up with a win in the consolation round on Tuesday over Virginia Tech’s Luka Somen, 6-2, 6-2.

Smith and Harbatsiuk then teamed up to play in the doubles qualifying draw where the tandem posted a 1-1 record. The duo began the tourney by beating a team from North Carolina, 8-6, before falling yesterday evening to No. 5 seed Nicholas Andrews and Jonathan Dahan of Cal by an 8-3 score.

Harbatsiuk (No. 75) and Smith (No. 88) are both currently ranked in the ITA preseason singles rankings (the ITA ranks the top 125 players in the nation). Harbatsiuk is the reigning two-time Big Sky MVP and a three-time first team all-conference selection while Smith has been named first team all-league each of his first two seasons.

Sacramento State returns to action when the team participates in its third fall tournament at the USTA/ITA Northwest Regional Championships in Stanford, Calif., on Oct. 15-19.

SINGLES DRAW

QUALIFYING ROUND

KIRYL HARBATSIUK
Oct. 4 - Round 1 - def. Steven Williams (Ohio State), 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1
Oct. 5 - Round 2 - def. Idan Mark (Tulane), 6-2, 7-6 (4)
Oct. 6 - Round 3 - lost to #6 Nick Meister (UCLA), 6-2, 6-3

JASON SMITH
Oct. 4 - Round 1 - lost to Devin McCarthy (Ohio State), 6-4, 6-3
Oct. 5 - Consolation Round 1 - def. Luka Somen (Virginia Tech), 6-2, 6-2

DOUBLES DRAW

QUALIFYING ROUND

KIRYL HARBATSIUK/JASON SMITH
Oct. 5 - Round 1 - def. Zach Hunter/William Parker (North Carolina), 8-6
Oct. 5 - Round 2 - lost to #5 Nicholas Andrews-Jonathan Dahan (Cal), 8-3