BRONXVILLE, N.Y. – After establishing their dominance at the regional level, the Concordia College (N.Y.) men's tennis duo of senior Eymeric Chevalier (Bordeaux, France) and sophomore Michele Fenoaltea (Rome, Italy) head to Rome, Ga., to take on the other seven Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division II regional champions at the ITA Cup. The pair will compete for a berth in the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships in the doubles draw, with Fenoaltea also competing in the singles bracket. Concordia, the No. 41 team in the final ITA rankings of the 2017-18 season, is one of four programs to be represented in both draws, while Fenoaltea is just one of two individuals to qualify for both championships.
Match Information: ITA Cup
Date: Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018 – Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018
Location: Rome, Ga. | Rome Tennis Center
SINGLES DRAW | DOUBLES DRAW
About the Singles Draw
The singles draw features four individuals nationally ranked by ITA in the final 2017-18 poll, with top-seed Kiranpal Pannu from defending National Champions Columbus State the highest ranked at No. 2. Second-seed Pierre Montrieul from the second-ranked Barry University, Fenoaltea's opening round opponent, finished last year as the seventh-ranked individual while third-seed Jakob Schnaitter from No. 5 Azusa Pacific University placed 45th by the ITA and fourth-seeded Chase Bartlett from No. 35 St. Edwards University ranked 61st. Lima Renato from No. 7 University of Indianapolis, Arthur Figuiere of No. 19 Bluefield State and Fraco Oliva from No. 47 Northwest Missouri State round out the field.
Fenoaltea qualified for the ITA Cup by posting seven-consecutive victories in the ITA East Regional singles bracket to go from the second qualifying round to the Clippers first singles champion since 2015. His undefeated outing at the ITA East Regional earned the sophomore Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Men's Tennis Player of the Month distinction.
About the Doubles Draw
Sitting atop the doubles bracket is Columbus State's Alvaro Regalado and Zach Whaanga, the top-ranked duo by the ITA. Second-seeded Alejandro Valarezo and Paul Haase from No. 23 Washburn University features half of the sixth-ranked doubles pairing in Valarezo, with Schnaitter representing half of the 15th ranked pair at the third seed alongside APU teammate Kesina and No. 22 Embry Riddle University's Andres Donayre and Ortiz Couder earning the fourth seed and the Clippers' pairing's opening round opponent with Donayre being a part of the 20th ranked duo last season. Dario Huber and Matej Kostadinov from UIndy, Ben Westwick and Alberto Diaz of No. 15 Midwestern State University and Cormac McCooey and Unai Amilleta Gonzalez from No. 39 Mercyhurst make up the rest of the draw.
Chevalier defended his doubles championship, won last year with Alessandro Evangelisti, with five-straight triumphs including a 7-6, 1-6, 1-0 (12) three-set final over Willem Van Biezen and Bas Van Biezen from Southern New Hampshire. Chevalier and Evangelisti ended the 2017-18 campaign as the No. 32 pair in the country.
Fenoaltea became the first Clipper to win both the singles and doubles title in the same season since Daniele Piludu in 2012.
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