There are few experiences like winning big in Las Vegas, and the Vandal men’s tennis team did just that, as they won the doubles championship in the ITA Mountain Regional Championship.
“We knew that this was going to be a big tournament and that there would be some tough competition there and there definitely was,” said Jeff Beaman, director of tennis.
This tournament, from Oct. 19 through Oct. 23 was the last before the National Indoor Championships the first weekend of November in New York. Those who do not qualify for nationals will go to Eugene, Ore., for the Pacific Northwest Tournament.
Three of four Vandal teams advanced on day one. Two more fell in the next round leaving Cirstea and Dobbs, a brand new pairing for the Vandals, who were there to cash in.
“They really meshed with their styles of play and their personalities on the court,” Beaman said.
The pairing defeated an Air Force Academy team 8-5 in the first round and then a Utah State team in the second round 9-7. Next they met the No. 2 team in the tournament from Boise State University and won 9-7.
From there it was on to the quarter finals where they beat a BYU team 8-4 and the semifinals where they beat Weber State’s top team 8-5.
Only the No. 1 seeded team in the tournament, Phil Anderson and Jadon Philips of New Mexico, stood between the Vandals and the championship.
After only a week of formal practice as partners, Cirstea and Dobbs sealed the title for Idaho.
“Sometimes you have a pairing and you try it out and it clicks and it turns out that pairing clicked this weekend,” Beaman said.
Beaman said this is the first time in program history Idaho is sending
players to the indoor national tournament.
Cirstea and Dobbs are bound for one of the biggest events in collegiate tennis.
“They are really excited to see New York and see the national tennis center where the U.S. Open is played,” Beaman said. “To be qualified for that level of competition, they are real fired up.”
Singles competition presented a greater challenge for the Vandals. Five of Idaho’s eight players advanced through the round of 128, all winning in straight sets.
Abid Akbar defeated Idaho State’s Jorge Suarez 6-0, 6-1 and Alan Shin won in two straight sets as well, 6-1, 6-2 over Nevada’s Moez Charqui. Andrew Dobbs, Cesar Torres and Jose Bendeck also won in the first round.
Only Shin survived the second round. Beaman said all the men played tough second round matches, especially freshman Cesar Torres who lost to the winner of the singles championship.
“As long as he continues to develop he can compete with the top-level players,” Beaman said.
Shin advanced to the round of 32 where he was eliminated.
Beaman said he was pleased with the weekend’s results, and that he would have liked to have gone farther in singles but that everybody played tough and it was great to see Cirstea and Dobbs win the championship.
“We had no idea who our doubles pairings would be coming into the fall season and now we have a solid No. 1 pairing,” Beaman said.
He said the fall season may be close to over but there is plenty of work to be done in doubles and in singles as they prepare for the spring season.
“After the tournaments we will have a chance to break down what guys need to get better at and focus on that at our individual workout part of the year,” Beaman said.