Oct. 5, 2008

Mason went 15-5 on Saturday at the Mount St. Mary's Invitational with one loss coming off injury and a win coming from a forfeit. Dan Schneider, Brian Fitzgerald, Lee Wexler, and Zach Schneider all went undefeated on day one. Flight C singles is the only flight that the Patriots do not have someone in running for the championship.

Seven of the first eight singles matches where won by Mason and three out of four won in doubles competition. The second round of singles did not see similar results as five of the eight went to win their second match and one of the wins coming in the consolation bracket.

In Flight B competition Imran Nayeem and Arjun Sanghvi paired up and showed great poise as quickly took the lead and command of the match 4-1, but after a sudden charge from Mount St. Mary's pair of Sam Walton and Jastin Mostowtt they found themselves clinging to a 6-5 lead but finished with an 8-5 win. Jorge Osuna and Lee Wexler served up countless aces to victory and a impressive 8-0 win.

Dan Schneider went two for two on the day for singles and is set for a Mason final in Flight B where he will square off against Lee Wexler. In the second match fatigue played a role. Schneider began to run more and cause unforced errors, but seemed calm about it taking all of it in stride. As the match went on both opponents were tired, but Schneider began to make terrific placement of shots where they would be unreachable or unreturnable.

Lee Wexler showed his promise as a freshman using great strategy by attacking his opponent's weak points. The first match ended in a retirement due to injury for Wexler's opponent, but the second match proved to be highly competitive. In the first set, Wexler lost 6-4, but rebounded in the second set 6-2. With the score tied at a set a piece they went into a super breaker where it was much of the same in the second set as Wexler came out with the win of the super breaker and the match 10-2.

In flight C, Imran Nayeem took his first match of the day in a quick fashion winning with a masterful drop shot. Winning the first match 6-0, 6-2; Nayeem faced his second singles match opponent and found struggles early shutting his opponent out. After losing the first set, 7-6, Nayeem faced the same struggles in the second set, but managed to squeak out enough to take it 7-6. In the super breaker Nayeem could not find a place to put the ball where he could place it so Glaessner could not get to and ended up losing the match 7-6, 6-7, 10-4.

Matt Vaughn also played in flight C and started out slow and never seemed to find his forehand losing the first match 6-3, 6-4. In the second match it was a different story. Vaughn found his stroke in his second match and won 6-1, 6-2. In Flight D, Arjun Sanghvi kicked off the action for this flight and showed great improvement. Sanghvi's first match was a long one and ended up going to a super breaker and eventually winning the match 6-1, 7-6(1-7 in the tiebreaker), and 10-8 in the super breaker. Unfortunately Sanghvi's success could not continue as he struggled to find a way to beat his second opponent. As the first set ended 6-4 in favor for Chet Milot of Loyola, the second set was much of the same as with Milot taking the win and the match 7-5.

Zach Schneider took both games 6-2, 6-3 in his first match. Schneider had good control over the ball to create shots that left his opponent standing. Even when he was winning convincingly in the match, Schneider held every shot to that standard and maintained it thru out his day.

The Flight A singles rendered three wins and one forfeit. Brian Fitzgerald played exceptionally taking both his matches, but was marred by injury to Jorge Osuna. Osuna won his first singles match almost as convincingly as Fitzgerald's 6-0, 6-0, by winning 6-2, 6-1. In the second match Osuna employed his tireless effort and shots that were always calibrated for winning. In the eighth game of the first set Osuna went to take a point on his way to set point by charging the net as his opponent lofted the ball perfectly for an over head swing and guaranteed point. After he had completed the shot Osuna landed on his toes and rolled his ankle. He will not compete in any matches tomorrow and was forced to forfeit the match due to injury.

Flight A Singles
Brian Fitzgerald (Mason) def. Matt Wodzinkski (RM) 6-0, 6-0
Brian Fitzgerald (Mason) def. Kenyan Sanai (L) 6-4, 6-1
Jorge Osuna (Mason) def. Andrew Maranucci (MSM) 6-2, 6-1
Pierce Norton (L) def. Jorge Osuna (Mason) 2-5 ret.
Flight B Singles
Dan Schneider (Mason) def. Jamie Russo (L) 6-4, 6-0
Dan Schneider (Mason) def. Favio Osorio (MSM)  6-3, 7-5
Lee Wexler (Mason) def. Igor Naves (RM) 6-4, 3-0 ret.
Lee Wexler (Mason) def. Kevin Zingler (L) 4-6, 6-2, 10-2
Flight C Singles
Imran Nayeem (Mason) def. Jastin Mostowtt (MSM) 6-1, 6-2
Patrick Glaessner (L) def. Imran Nayeem (Mason) 7-6, 6-7, 10-4
Dan D'Agostino (L) def. Matt Vaughn (Mason) 6-2, 6-4
Matt Vaughn (Mason) def. Sam Walton (MSM) 6-1, 6-2
Flight D Singles
Arjun Sanghvi (Mason) def. Aaron Haas (RM) 6-1, 7-6 (1-7), 10-8
Chet Milot (L) def. Arjun Sanghvi (Mason) 6-4, 7-5
Zach Schneider (Mason) def. Rob Mattison (L) 6-2, 6-3
Zach Schneider (Mason) def. Naz Doroush (RM) 6-2, 6-3
Flight A Doubles
Sanai/Norton (L) def. Lipstock/Vaughn (Mason) 8-1
Fitzgerald/Schneider win by forfeit
Flight B Doubles
Wexler/Osuna (Mason) def. Gates/Waites (MSM) 8-0
Sanghvi/Nayeem (Mason) def. Walton/Mostowtt (MSM) 8-6