Nov. 17, 2002

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Michigan State men's tennis team could not advance to the final day of competition of the Big Ten Singles Indoor Championships Sunday (Nov. 16) as the Spartans fell in both the main draw and 7-8 division bracket. Sophomore Andrew Formanczyk (Rochester Hills, Mich.) was the final member of the Green and White to be ousted from the tournament.

Formanczyk, seeded sixth, defeated Minnesota's Chris Wettengel, 7-6, 6-1, to advance to the quarterfinals where another Golden Gopher, Manuel Lievano, awaited him. Lievano opened strong, taking the first set, 6-1. Looking to reach the semifinals, Formanczyk escaped the second set, winning in a tiebreaker. Lievano, however, would regain momentum in the third set and squeaked into the next round, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4.

Sophomore Cameron Marshall (Louisville, Ky.) was also still alive in the main draw when the second day of competition began. But he could not pull out another upset, falling to fourth-seed Ryler Deheart of Illinois in the third round, 6-2, 6-0. Marshall defeated ninth-seed Alex Kasarov of Wisconsin Saturday to reach the Sweet Sixteen.

In the consolation round, junior Eric Simonton (Annandale, N.J.), who missed last fall due to injury, eliminated in-state rival Brett Baudinet of Michigan in the second round, 6-2, 6-4. The third round would be more difficult as Simonton and Iowa's Hunter Skogman would open up their match by splitting the first two sets. But as they played to a third-set tiebreaker, Skogman took control and won the match, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6.

Senior Jimmy McGuire (Columbus, Ohio), who beat Wisconsin's Alex Conti in the consolation first round Saturday, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, would fall to Penn State's Nate Emge Sunday in the second round of a tough three-set match, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Junior Mike Jonckheere (London, Ontario) picked up a win Saturday in the 7-8 division consolation first round, defeating Purdue's Sounak Chatterjee, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3. But Jonckheere eventually lost in the quarterfinals to Iowa's Chaitu Malempati in Sunday's action, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2. Junior Josh Efros (West Bloomfield, Mich.) fell in the quarterfinals as well to Parker Ross of Iowa, 6-4, 7-6.

The Spartans will now prepare for the spring dual match season as Butler and Wright State will venture to East Lansing and the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility for a doubleheader, Jan. 18.

Day Two Results From The Big Ten Singles Championships
Main Draw Third Round
Andrew Formanczyk (MSU) def. Chris Wettengel (MINN) 7-6, 6-1
Ryler Deheart (ILL) def. Cameron Marshall (MSU) 6-2, 6-0

Main Draw Quarterfinals
Manuel Lievano (MINN) def. Andrew Formanczyk (MSU) 6-1, 6-7, 6-4

Main Draw Consolation First Round (Late Saturday)
Joel Cunney (OSU) def. Chris Mitchell (MSU) 6-1, 1-6, 7-6
Eric Simonton (MSU) def. Colin Foster (PUR) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
Jimmy McGuire (MSU) def. Alex Conti (WIS) 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
Chris Shaya (MICH) def. Adam Hourani (MSU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Main Draw Consolation Second Round
Eric Simonton (MSU) def. Brett Baudinet (MICH) 6-2, 6-4
Nate Emge (PSU) def. Jimmy McGuire (MSU) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5

Main Draw Consolation Third Round
Hunter Skogman (IOWA) def. Eric Simonton (MSU) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6

7-8 Division Consolation First Round (Late Saturday)
Josh Efros BYE
Mike Jonckheere (MSU) def. Sounak Chatterjee (PUR) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3

7-8 Division Consolation Quarterfinals
Parker Ross (IOWA) def. Josh Efros (MSU) 6-4, 7-6
Chaitu Malempati (IOWA) def. Mike Jonckheere (MSU) 4-6, 7-6, 6-2