Griz cap fall season with big-time wins at Gonzaga tourney

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Griz cap fall season with big-time wins at Gonzaga tourney

11/6/2022 6:54:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Complete Results

By: Montana Sports Information

SPOKANE - The Montana men's tennis team punctuated its fall tournament season with an exclamation mark this weekend at the Gonzaga Invitational in Spokane.

Two Grizzly freshmen, Tom Bittner and George Russell, each advanced to the championship match of their respective singles brackets, each competing for their first collegiate tourney title.

In doubles action, Montana won two titles. One, a championship in the white doubles bracket from Fernando Perez and Guillermo Martin. The other in the consolation rounds of the blue draw from Gustav Theilgaard and Russell, giving the freshman from the UK a doubles title and a singles final appearance in the same tourney.

"It was just a phenomenal, phenomenal effort by our guys. We feel really good about wrapping up our fall with this tournament," said head coach Jason Brown.

"The young guys really stepped up. To get two freshmen into two college tennis tournament finals is a really special thing. It basically never happens."

In the premiere blue singles draw, Bittner, a freshman from Germany, got wins over three opponents, one from Portland State and two from Idaho to reach the championship match.

The Grizzly would be out-gunned in the title round, however, falling to Gonzaga No. 1 Sasha Trkulka in a thrilling three-setter with two games going to a tiebreaker 6-1, 6-7(3), 7-6(3).

The win highlights a successful fall for Bittner, who also starred for the Griz at the ITA Mountain Regional tourney with a win over Northern Arizona star Facundo Tumosa and a narrow loss to Utah's Franco Capalbo.

"Tom's tennis level this fall has just been outstanding. I couldn't be more impressed with his professionalism and effort, especially for a freshman. I'm very proud of him for that. He's been really fantastic," said Brown.

In the white singles draw, Russell got his shot at a championship with wins over Big Sky foes from Eastern Washington, Portland State, and Idaho in the opening rounds. He too would eventually run out of gas in the final match, however, dropping a 6-3, 7-5 decision to Gonzaga's Pablo Gomez Galvan.

Montana won its first championship of the weekend early on Sunday with the Grizzlies' Spanish duo of Martin and Perez beating opponents from Portland State, Idaho, and Gonzaga to claim a title in the white doubles bracket.

After falling in the opening rounds, Theilgaard and Russell bounced back to win a title in the consolation bracket of the blue doubles draw. The pair picked up a big win in the semifinal over the Sleight/Pearson duo from the University of Washington 8-3 to advance to the final. The sophomore/freshman pair then went on to beat the Bats/de la Bassetire duo from Gonzaga 8-3 to claim the title.

"We're a very young team, and we've had some up and down results this fall. I think everybody has been working really hard, and we wanted to finish on a high note. So, we feel really good about that," added Brown.

"We talked about how this was great preparation for the spring duals season. It's a team sport. Not everybody is going to play their best at all times, but we can pick each other up and the guys responded. Now we'll take a few days off and get back to prepping for the spring season."

Montana now turns its attention to the spring championship duals season, set to open early in the new year in mid-January.

Gonzaga Invitational Results

Blue Singles Draw

R32
Mario Duron (Idaho) def. Fernando Perez (UM) 6-2, 6-4

R16
Leon Roider (GU) def. Moritz Stoeger (UM) 6-3, 6-4
Tom Bittner (UM) def. Gregory Grunig (PSU) 7-5, 6-2
Gustav Theilgaard (UM) def. Andrea Brignacca (PSU) 6-0, 6-2

QF
Taiyo Kurata (Idaho) def. Gustav Theilgaard (UM) 6-2, 6-7(8), 6-3
Tom Bittner (UM) def. Bruno Casino (Idaho) 6-3, 6-4

SF
Tom Bittner (UM) def. Taiyo Kurata (Idaho) 6-3, 6-4

F
Sasha Trkulja (GU) def. Tom Bittner (UM) 6-1, 6-7(3), 7-6(3)

Consolation Rounds

North QF
Andrea Brignacca (PSU) def. Moritz Stoeger (UM) 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 1-0(5)

White Singles Draw

R32
Bruno Ortega (EWU) def. Josh Watkins (UM) 6-1, 6-0

R16
Guillermo Martin (UM) def. Jonas Hembro Mathiasen (PSU) ret (inj.)
George Russell (UM) def. Drew Dillon (EWU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Gus Krauel (GU) def. Jake Watkins (UM) 6-3, 6-2

QF
Guillermo Martin (UM) def. Jacob Sleight (UW) 6-3, 6-2
George Russell (UM) def. Andrin Zuellig (PSU) 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4

SF
Pablo Gomez Galvan (GU) def. Guillermo Martin (UM) 6-3, 6-2
George Russell (UM) def. Alejandro Salvador (Idaho) 6-2, 6-4

F
Pablo Gomez Galvan (GU) def. George Russell (UM) 6-3, 7-5

Consolation Rounds

North QF
Tyler Dalos (EWU) def. Josh Watkins (UM) 6-2, 3-6, 1-0(3)
Gregory Grunig (PSU) def. Fernando Perez (UM) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (8)
Adam Taylor (Idaho) def. Jake Watkins (UM) 7-5, 6-4

Blue Doubles Draw

R16
Theilgaard/Russel (UM) def. Sarlvik/Paz (EWU) 8-4

QF
Trkulka/Roider (GU) def. Theilgaard/Russel (UM) 8-6
Semerak/Brignacca (PSU) def. Stoeger/Bittner (UM) 8-5

Consolation Rounds

North SF
Theilgaard/Russel (UM) def. Sleight/Pearson (UW) 8-3
Bats/de la Bassetire (GU) def. Stoeger/Bittner (UM) 8-2

North F
Theilgaard/Russel (UM) def. Bats/de la Bassetire (GU) 8-3

White Doubles Draw

QF
Perez/Martin (UM) def. Kuszynski/Grunig (PSU) 8-6
Gomez Galvin/Krauel (GU) def. Watkins/Watkins (UM) 8-6

SF
Perez/Martin (UM) def. Salvador/Asenov (Idaho) 8-4

F
Perez/Martin (UM) def. Gomez Galvin/Krauel (GU) 8-6

Consolation Rounds

North SF
Kuszynski/Grunig (PSU) def. Watkins/Watkins (UM) 8-3