TULSA, Okla. – Three members of the UCLA men’s tennis team took to the courts of Michael D. Case Tennis Center for the ITA All-American Championships and unofficial start to the 2023-24 season.
Senior Jorge Plans Gonzalez, redshirt freshman Emon van Loben Sels and sophomore Azuma Visaya took part in singles prequalifying and qualifying matches.
Van Loben Sels, who sat out the 2022-23 season, was victorious in his long-awaited debut. It was a comeback effort for the Sacramento, Calif. native, who overcame Pablo Perez Ramos of the New Jersey Institute of Technology for the 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 result. Visaya made quick work of Virginia Tech’s Frank Thompson, logging a 6-3, 6-2 win.
The second round saw a reversal of fortunes for van Loben Sels, who dropped a 5-7, 6-0, 6-0 decision to Alberto Orso of the Hokies. Visaya also came up on the wrong end of a three-setter, with Mikael Vollback of Northern Illinois advancing past him with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Plans Gonzalez, a Clemson transfer, got his start in the qualifying stage. He was edged out of a second-round spot by Duke’s Michael Heller, who prevailed 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-4. Plans Gonzalez was also stopped just shy of his first win as a Bruin in a consolation match with Middle Tennessee’s Leo Raquin, falling by a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 score.
Tournament action continues Oct. 6-8, when the Bruins converge on UCSB’s Arnhold Tennis Center and the UCSB Classic.
ITA All-American Championships
9/30-10/8/2023 at Tulsa, OK (Michael D. Case Tennis Center)
| Singles competition | |
| Prequalifying | |
| PQ1 | Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) def. Pablo Perez Ramos (NJIT) 1-6, 7-5, 6-4 |
| PQ1 | Azuma Visaya (UCLA) def. Frank Thompson (Virginia Tech) 6-3, 6-2 |
| PQ2 | Alberto Orso (Virginia Tech) def. Emon van Loben Sels (UCLA) 5-7, 6-0, 6-0 |
| PQ2 | Mikael Vollbach (Northern Illinois) def. Azuma Visaya (UCLA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 |
| Qualifying | |
| Q1 | Michael Heller (Duke) def. Jorge Plans Gonzalez (UCLA) 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 |
| Qualifying Consolati | |
| QC1 | Leo Raquin (Middle Tennessee) def. Jorge Plans Gonzalez (UCLA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
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