University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
All-American Main Draw
Clark and Kelly Finish As Doubles Runner-Up In Tulsa
October 12, 2015 | Men's Tennis
The UNC men's tennis doubles team of Brett Clark and Robert Kelly finished as the runner-up at the ITA All-American Championships Monday in Tulsa, Okla. Playing at the University of Tulsa's Michael D. Case Tennis Center, Clark and Kelly fell to Virginia's Thai-Son Kwiatkowski and Mac Styslinger 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (7) in the final.
Kwiatkowski also claimed the singles crown, beating Tulane's Dominik Koepfer. The doubles final followed the singles and the Virginia duo started hot, winning three of the first four games before Clark and Kelly stormed back to win five in a row and claim the first set, 6-3. Kwiatkowski and Styslinger took the second 6-2, sending the match into the 10-point tiebreaker. The advantage went back and forth until the teams were tied at seven, then Virginia took the next three points to claim the victory.
In addition to Clark and Kelly's run through the doubles draw, teammate Ronnie Schneider reached the quarterfinals of the singles draw. Based on their play in Tulsa, both Schneider and the Clark-Kelly doubles team earned automatic qualifier spots for the 2015 USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships Nov. 12-15 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
“This was a great tournament,” said UNC coach Sam Paul at the end of a week in Tulsa. “I'm very pleased with what our guys did. They've learned a lot and it puts them in a good position for the rest of the year. This is the kind of experience we want to use to get better. Now we'll look forward to playing in New York.”
For full draws and results, click here.
