Nov. 7, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Senior Brett Helgeson’s (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) run at the ITA National Indoors came to an end on Friday, with a straight-set loss to Enrique Olivares of East Tennessee State University, 7-5, 7-5. Helgeson has now made it to the final 16 competitors at all three of his ITA events this fall, including the Midwest Regionals and the All-American Championships.
To advance to the Round of 16, Helgeson won his opening round match at the ITA National Indoors in three sets. Helgeson dropped the first set, 3-6, to fourth-seeded Alex Clayton of Stanford but battled back to take the second set in a tie-break, 7-6(5), setting up a decisive third set, in which he came out victorious, 7-5.
The National Indoors Championships are the second of three national tournaments administered by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) during the 2008-09 academic year. The University of Virginia is hosting the championships at the Boar’s Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va. On the ITA circuit this fall, Helgeson has also participated in the main draw of the ITA All American Championships in Tulsa, Okla. as well as the main draw of the ITA Midwest Regionals. At the All American Championships, Helgeson made a run to the round of 16, ultimately falling to number-one seeded Oleksandr Nedevyesov of Oklahoma State, 2-6, 2-6.
At the Midwest Regionals, Helgeson, #25 in the preseason ITA rankings, Helgeson made it to the quarterfinals before falling to Marek Michalicka of Wisconsin, 3-6, 5-7. Helgeson, who was the number four seed in the tournament, made it to the quarterfinals with a win over Roy Kalmanovich of Illinois, 6-2, 6-1, marking his third consecutive straight-set win at the event.
Helgeson’s teammates are taking part in the William & Mary Invite, which marks Notre Dame’s third team tournament of the fall season, and first since hosting the Tom Fallon Invitational on October 10-12. It is being held at William & Mary’s McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburgh, Va. (results for day one are still pending).
Aside from featuring the William and Mary Tribe, the flighted tournament also includes Maryland and the College of Charleston. The invite in organized as six singles flights and three doubles flights. Each player/doubles team earns points for victories amassed in each flight. The players/teams with the top point totals at the conclusion of the tournament will be named to the event’s All-Tournament Team. Play at the William & Mary Invitational continues on Saturday, Nov. 8, with singles competition beginning at 9 a.m., followed by two rounds of doubles play, beginning at 3 p.m. The schedule for Sunday, Nov. 9, will begin at 9 a.m. with doubles followed by singles competition at 10 a.m.