ELKHART, Ind. ---The Bethel Men's Tennis Team concluded their run at the ITA Regionals on Saturday, highlighted by
Victor Otin's run to the semifinals.
FRIDAY
In singles action, Otin pulled off two thrilling comeback victories. He defeated No. 3 seed Strahinja Radanovic 0-6, 6-3, 10-8 in the round of 16 before earning a 5-7, 6-1, 10-7 win over No. 6 seed Timo Novak in the quarterfinals to secure his spot in tomorrow's semifinal.
Dimitar Berdankov fell in the round of 16 to Sebastian Junghanns, 6-1, 6-3.
In consolation play, Lukas Slivar dropped his round of 16 match 8-2 against Enzo Naveda.
Pilots Daniel Jancic and Atanas Ivanov faced each other in the round of 16, with Ivanov taking the win 8-4. Ivanov then advanced to the semifinals after an 8-2 victory over Joshua Bavich and advanced to continue play on Saturday.
In doubles, Slivar and Berdankov battled well but fell 8-5 in the quarterfinals against Wai Ching Wah and Luca McManus.
SATURDAY
Bethel Men's Tennis closed out the ITA Regional with deep runs in both the main and consolation draws.
In singles, Victor Otin's impressive tournament ended in the semifinals, where he fell 6-3, 6-3 to Iago Ciucio.
In consolation play, Atanas Ivanov advanced all the way to the final after a strong week of performances, ultimately dropping a close 8-6 battle to Joshua Bavich.
Head Coach Jamal Henry shared, "Victor Otin really proved to himself and to others that he can play with anyone. Getting to the Main Draw Semifinals was such an accomplishment in a stacked field, and should be a huge confidence boost for him going forward.Overall, I couldn't have been more proud of the way we competed. The teams have a lot to be proud of and build off of as we finish up the fall season and get ready for conference in the spring." Regarding Atanas Ivanov, Henry wrote that he, "...really showed some grit in fighting back after his first loss to make it all the way to the end."
Men's Tennis will next compete on Wednesday, Oct. 1st at 2:30 PM. The Pilots will host Judson University at Ward Baker Park.
For more information about Bethel Pilots Athletics, check out bupilots.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X by searching @bupilots or #TheRightWayToPlay.
