Kmet upsets Longhorn Harper in ITA Main Draw

WACO, Texas - Abilene Christian junior Dario Kmet Friday advanced to the ITA Texas Regional Round of 32 following a huge 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 comeback victory over Texas Longhorn Cleeve Harper at Baylor's Hurd Tennis Center.
 

Harper, who was one of several competitors assigned a 9-16 seeding, was the 2022 NCAA Doubles National Champion (with Richard Ciamarra) and authored respective singles and doubles records last spring of 12-8 and 19-7. He also reached a career high singles ranking of 110.
 

"I'm really proud of him, not only because of the way he played but because of the way he competed," said ACU head men's tennis coach Juan Nunez. "Today's win is the result of what he's been doing the last couple of months.
 

"He been in a couple of matches with high-caliber opponents that we both felt like he could easily compete against at that level, and actually come away with some wins. Today's effort bring that to closure in a good way and backs up the feelings we've shared. Again, I'm really proud of him and look forward to tomorrow's matches." 
 

With the win, Kmet next plays Saturday at 10:30 a.m. vs. Texas A&M's Matthis Ross, who rallied from a set down Friday to beat Rice's Emir Sendogan, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.
 

Tomorrow's docket additionally includes Daniel Linkuns-Morozovs vs. SMU's Pranav Kumar and Savan Chhabra vs. TCU's Pedro Vives Marcos in the consolation round of 32.
 

The Wildcats today scored three doubles wins in the opening series of matches, but all three of those duos unfortunately were eliminated in the subsequent round.
 

Wildcats Benjamin McDonald and Ethan Scribner doubled up Kabeer Kapasi and Santiago Navarro of Rice, 8-4, while two other matches were settled in a tiebreak. Cesar Barranquero and Chhabra edged SMU's Blaine Hovenier and Kyle Sillman 8-7 (4), and Mihaly Deli and Jose Maria Rastrojo (ACU) topped TCU's Sander Jong and Andoni Garmendia, 8-6.
 

ACU won seven of 16 matches during Thursday's singles qualifying rounds, defeating opposition from SMU (x3), Lamar, TCU, Corpus Christi and Rice. 
 

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Dario Kmet (ACU) def. Cleeve Harper (Texas) - 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

Juampi Mazzuchi (Baylor) def. Daniel Linkuns-Morozovs (ACU) - 6-3, 6-2

Zsombor Velcz (Baylor) def. Savan Chhabra (ACU) - 6-1, 7-5
 

A. Martin-Thiriat (Incarnate Word) def. Jose Maria Rastrojo (ACU), 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-5)
 

Benjamin McDonald / Ethan Scribner (ACU) def. Kabeer Kapasi / Santiago Navarro (Rice), 8-4

Cesar Barranquero / Savan Chhabra (ACU) def. Blaine Hovenier / Kyle Sillman (SMU) - 8-7 (4)

Tomas Quesada Perez / Avery Zavala (Corpus Christi) def. Daniel Linkuns-Morozovs / Dario Kmet (ACU) - 8-7 (6)

Mihaly Deli / Jose Maria Rastrojo (ACU) def. Sander Jong / Andoni Garmendia (TCU), 8-6

Round of 32

Tadeas Paroulek / Zsombor Velcz (Baylor) def. Benjamin McDonald / Ethan Scribner (ACU), 8-3

Sander Jong / Lui Maxted (TCU) def. Cesar Barranquero / Savan Chhabra (ACU), 8-4

Finn Bass / Juampi Mazzuchi (Baylor) def. Mihaly Deli / Jose Maria Rastrojo (ACU), 8-4