HARBATSIUK BECOMES FIRST PLAYER IN SCHOOL HISTORY TO WIN THE ITA NORTHWEST REGIONAL SINGLES TITLE

10/19/2010

STANFORD, Calif. -- With a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Cal’s Christoffer Konigsfeldt in this afternoon’s championship match, Sacramento State senior Kiryl Harbatsiuk became the first player in school history to win the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northwest Regional Championships singles title.

The event, which began on Oct. 15, showcased the top players from the following ITA Northwest Region schools: Cal, Eastern Washington, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon, Pacific, Portland, Portland State, Sacramento State, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, San Jose State, Santa Clara, UC Davis, Washington and Washington State. Harbatsiuk was the last man standing from a field that began with 128 players.

With the championship, the Minsk, Belarus, native earns an automatic berth into the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, slated for Nov. 4-7 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y. Harbatsiuk will join winners and finalists from the various ITA Regional Championships around the country, plus at-large selections, to make up the singles field of 32 players.

Harbatsiuk went a perfect 6-0 at the tournament, winning four three-set matches over the final two days to secure the title. Among his six wins included victories over three players from Cal, and one player each from Stanford, San Francisco and Pacific.

Harbatsiuk, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, defeated two seeded players today, including No. 2 Alex Clayton of Stanford (3-6, 6-4, 6-3) in the semifinals and No. 5 seed Konigsfeldt of Cal in the championship match.

Yesterday’s victories for Harbatsiuk included a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over Cal’s Riki McLachlan in the Round of 16, and a 6-3, 2-6, 6-3 win over Pacific’s Fernando Ristow in the quarterfinals. The victory over Clayton in the semis was especially gratifying as Harbatsiuk’s only loss last season in dual-match play came against Clayton on Jan. 23, 2010 in a third-set super tiebreaker. Harbatsiuk, who is the defending two-time Big Sky Conference MVP, went on to finish the year with a 26-1 dual record.

Harbatsiuk also reached the round of 16 in the doubles draw with teammate Marko Starcevic before losing to a tandem from Santa Clara by an 8-3 score.

A total of seven Sacramento State players appeared at the event, comprised of Harbatsiuk, Starcevic, Jason Smith, Aliaksandr Malko, Daniel Diaz, Javier Millan and Josh Lorentzen. Smith reached the Round of 16 in the singles draw, while Malko, Diaz and Lorentzen each reached the second round before falling. The doubles teams of Malko and Millan advanced to the Round of 16 before losing.

All of Sacramento State’s results from the tournament can be accessed by clicking on the link above the story.

The Hornets return to action for the Saint Mary’s Invitational, which will be held from Oct. 29-31 in Moraga.