TULSA, Okla. ??California's
Andre Goransson won twice on Saturday to advance to the main draw singles semifinals and etch his name into the record books at the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships. Additionally, with his first victory, Goransson booked a trip to another prestigious tournament this fall.
By reaching the singles quarterfinal round, the junior claimed automatic entry into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships on Nov. 12-15, held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.
He also became the first Golden Bear to reach the All-American quarterfinals since Conor Niland in 2002 when Goransson defeated Illinois' 46th-ranked Aron Hiltzik, 6-2, 6-1, in the round of 16 at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center.
In the quarterfinals Goransson ? a No. 9-16 seed at the tournament who's also ranked 22nd ? eliminated San Diego's Uros Petronijevic, 6-4, 6-3, to book his spot to Sunday's final four. The Hollviken, Sweden, native is the first Bear to reach the semis since John Paul Fruttero got that far in the 2000 All-American.
Goransson is attempting to become just the third Golden Bear to win the All-American singles championship since the inception of the tournament in 1979. Cal alumnus Scott McCain won the title that first year, and Steve DeVries took the crown in 1985. DeVries was the last Bear to appear in the singles final, as he was the 1986 runner-up.
Also playing in this year's main draw singles, Cal junior Florian Lakat ? ranked 36th ? lost in the round of 16 to Virginia's third-seeded and eighth-ranked Thai-Son Kwiatkowski, 6-3, 6-4, on Saturday.
The two Bears teamed up in consolation doubles in Tulsa. But the 25th-ranked Cal duo lost in Saturday's quarterfinal round to Wake Forest's second-seeded and fifth-ranked Skander Mansouri and Christian Seraphim, 4-6, 7-6(3), 1-0(6).
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. ? Cal's Billy Griffith won twice on Saturday to claim a spot in Sunday's Flight A Singles final at the UCSB Classic.
The Golden Bear sophomore beat UCSB's Oliver Sec, 6-2, 6-3, in the quarterfinals and defeated James Wade of UC Davis, 6-2, 6-1, in the semifinals.
Freshman teammate Gunther Matta almost duplicated Griffith's day. Playing in Flight C Singles, Matta beat LMU's Alex Bourgeois, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, in the quarters before losing to UCSB's Anders Holm, 6-3, 6-2, in the semis.
The UCSB Classic ends on Sunday.
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Cal Results at the Saint Francis Health System ITA Men's All-American Championships
Oct. 10, 2015, in Tulsa, Okla.
Michael D. Case Tennis Center
Main Draw Singles Round of 16
[9-16] No. 22 Andre Goransson (Cal) def. No. 46 Aron Hiltzik (Illinois) ? 6-2, 6-1
[3] No. 8 Thai-Son Kwiatkowski (Virginia) def. No. 36 Florian Lakat (Cal) ? 6-3, 6-3
Main Draw Singles Quarterfinal Round
[9-16] No. 22 Andre Goransson (Cal) def. No.30 Uros Petronijevic (San Diego) ? 6-4, 6-3
Doubles Back Draw Quarterfinal Round
[2] No. 5 Skander Mansouri/Christian Seraphim (Wake Forest) def. No. 25 Andre Goransson/Florian Lakat (Cal) ? 4-6, 7-6(3), 1-0(6)
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Cal Results at the UCSB Classic
Oct. 10, 2015, in Santa Barbara, Calif.
Flight A Singles Quarterfinal Round
Billy Griffith (Cal) def. Oliver Sec (UCSB) ? 6-2, 6-3
Flight A Singles Semifinal Round
Billy Griffith (Cal) def. James Wade (UC Davis) ? 6-2, 6-1
Flight A Doubles Back Draw
Brett Bacharach/Adam Levie (UC Davis) def. Billy Griffith/Ryan Shen (Cal) ? 8-2
Flight B Singles Quarterfinal Round
Nathan Eshmade (UCSB) def. Ryan Shen (Cal) ? 6-0, 6-2
Flight B Singles Back Draw
Ryan Shen (Cal) def. Armando Soemarno (Oregon) ? 3-0 (Ret.)
Jesse Ross (UC Davis) def. Wyatt Houghton (Cal) ? n/a
Wyatt Houghton (Cal) def. Roy Lederman (Stanford) ? n/a
Flight C Singles Quarterfinal Round
Gunther Matta (Cal) def. Alex Bourgeois (LMU) ? 5-7, 6-3, 6-0
Flight C Singles Semifinal Round
Anders Holm (UCSB) def. Gunther Matta (Cal) ? 6-3, 6-2
Flight C Doubles Back Draw
Jamie Thorp/Alex Bourgeois (LMU) def. Gunther Matta/Jordan Smith (Cal) ? 8-7
