Results (PDF)

• Juniors Edward Ayers and Jakob Nielsen won two doubles matches to reach the Round of 16
• That included a win over the No. 15 seed team from Penn State
• Ayers and Nielsen each also won a singles match during the prestigious tournament
 
FAIRFAX, Va. – The George Mason University doubles tandem of juniors Edward Ayers and Jakob Nielsen put together an outstanding run to the Round of 16 to lead the Patriots at the highly-competitive ITA Regional this weekend in Blacksburg, Va.
 
The duo opened their competition with an impressive 8-6 victory in the Round of 64 over the tournament's No. 15 seed – Penn State's Alp Sentay and Christos Antonopoulos. In the Round of 32, Ayers and Nielsen continued their excellent play with a victory over conference rival Duquesne. They defeated the Isaacs/Mascioli tandem, 8-5, to advance to the Sweet 16.
 
In that round, the Patriots faced a top-25 ranked doubles pairing from the University of Virginia. The Green & Gold fought hard in that battle but ultimately fell, 8-3.
 
At the top of the doubles bracket, Mason's youthful tandem of sophomore Ryan Charles and freshman Erick Rivas opened their first ITA Regional doubles tournament with an exceptional performance in the Round of 64. They took down the Saint Joseph's Massart/Sauter tandem easily, 8-2.
 
In the Round of 32, the Patriots faced the No. 12 doubles team in the nation. That duo from Virginia Tech of Henrik Korsgaard and Alex Ribeiro won the match, but Charles and Rivas fought hard and took four games off the nationally elite duo. All in all, it was an excellent performance from the Patriot pairing.
 
In singles play, Ayers and Nielsen each claimed first round victories.
 
Ayers claimed a win over William & Mary's Jack Kelly. The San Antonio product easily dispatched of his opponent in straight sets (6-1, 6-2). Ayers then fell in the Round of 64 to Inigo Torre Martin of VCU.
 
Nielsen won his match over Hampton's Fernando Fernandez in straight sets as well, 7-5, 6-0. He then went three sets in his Round of 64 match against Old Dominion's Oliver Tobisch. After Tobisch won the opening frame, 7-5, Nielsen bounced back to take the second by the same margin. But Tobisch rallied to win the third set and claim the match.
 
The Patriots have now concluded their 2018 fall season and will resume play with the spring dual season in early 2019.
 
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