Liberty University
ITA All-American Championships
Main Draw Bound: Wilson and Worst Make Program History at ITA All-Americans
10/4/2022 10:42:08 PM | Men's Tennis
Liberty’s doubles pairing of Josh Wilson and Christiaan Worst made program history on Tuesday at the ITA All-American Championships, punching their ticket to the doubles main draw with a victory.
Wilson and Worst defeated Arkansas’ Adrien Burdet and Melvin Manuel in three sets, 6-0, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6), in the third round of qualifying at Tulsa’s Michael D. Case Tennis Center. The Flames duo is the first in school history to advance to the doubles main draw at the prestigious event featuring the best players in the nation.
Wilson and Worst will face No. 10-ranked Sema Pankin and Eleftherios Neos of Portland in their first doubles main draw match, tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. Eastern. The Flames duo is one of only 32 pairings in the main draw.
Thoughts From Head Coach Derek Schwandt
“Josh and Christiaan are doing a great job of responding. If things are going well, respond. If they are down a break, respond. They are communicating great and enjoying the battle.”
Key Stats & Notes
• Wilson and Worst went 3-0 in doubles qualifying to advance to the main draw.
• Yesterday, Wilson and Worst were triumphant in both of their doubles contests. They defeated Wake Forest’s Melios Efsthathiou and Bozo Barun (0-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-5)) and UC Santa Barbara’s No. 40 Phillip Jordan and Kai Brady (4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-6)).
• The duo has a 5-1 record this fall and 13-2 mark since joining forces midway through the spring 2022 season.
• Wilson fell today in his second round of singles qualifying to SMU’s Pranav Kumar in two sets, 6-1, 6-1. The senior from Reigate, United Kingdom finishes 1-1 in singles at the tournament. Wilson defeated nationally-ranked No. 70 Robin Catry of NC State in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, Monday.
• Through four days of competition at ITA All-Americans, Liberty sports a 4-1 doubles record and 4-4 singles mark. The Flames are finished competing in singles, with each player posting a 1-1 record. Liberty’s Rafael Marques Da Silva and Beau Pelletier finished 1-1 in doubles.
Up Next
Wilson and Worst will face a stern test tomorrow against Portland’s No. 10 Sema Pankin and Eleftherios Neos. First serve is 5:30 p.m. from the Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
Cracked Racquets is set to provide a CrossCourt Cast during the main draw. Offering an elevated experience from the traditional live-stream broadcast, this CrossCourt Cast will offer viewers a unique experience to keep up with all of the best matches on the court at both the ITA Men’s and Women’s All-American Championships, while hearing expert commentary from Mark Bey and Alex Gruskin.
Tournament Website: https://bit.ly/3B34wEo
Live Video Stream: https://bit.ly/3CbPldx
Remaining Schedule
Wednesday Through Sunday – Main Draw
