LAS VEGAS, Nev. - University of Denver senior
Enej Bonin (Koper, Slovenia) beat New Mexico's Samir Iftikhar to win his second USTA/ITA Mountain Regional title Sunday at Darling Tennis Center.
Bonin, who beat Iftikhar 6-0, 6-3 in the finals, also won the 2010 USTA/ITA Mountain Regional title and advanced to the semifinals last year.
"Enej played a very smart, strategic match and competed extremely well in very windy conditions," assistant coach Chris Lam said. "When he is focused like that he is a very tough player to beat. We are very excited to have him going to the ITA National Indoors for the second time in 3 years.
Bonin's win clinches an automatic berth to the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships on Nov. 8-11 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
USTA/ITA All-American
Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012
Singles Finals
(DU) Enej Bonin def. Samir Iftikhar (UNM) 6-0, 6-3
Idaho Pair Repeat at ITA Mountain Regional
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - With an 8-5 win in the championship match, Idaho men's tennis players Abid Akbar and Marius Cirstea claimed Idaho's second straight ITA Mountain Regional doubles title, and the second involving Cirstea.
The duo now advances to the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships Nov. 8-11 at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y., the site of the US Open.
Akbar and Cirstea beat UNLV's pairing of Ace Matias and Bernard Schoeman in the championship match to take home the crown. The pairing won back-to-back 9-8 decisions in the quarterfinals and semifinals to get to the finals, completing a run of five straight victories after a first-round bye in the six-round draw.
"This is a great accomplishment for Abid and Marius," Idaho coach Jeff Beaman said. "It's their senior year for both guys and they've really been focused on achieving this goal. I'm looking forward to the national championships, and with the way they're playing, they have a chance to bring a national championship to Idaho."
Last year was the first time Idaho tennis was represented in the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, an even that features a 20-team doubles draw consisting of regional champions and highly ranked pairings.