MACON, Ga. – The Jacksonville State men's tennis team enjoyed a successful weekend in Macon, Ga., at the Mercer Gridiron Classic. Joaquin Vallejo earned a share of the B Draw championship, and the doubles team of Guillermo Agost and Jordi Blanchar finished runners-up in the B Draw.
 
"We played very well in the tournament," head coach Andres Amroes said. "I was happy with the way we competed. We're a very young team that is playing at a high level. We are showing the results of our practice."
 
Vallejo, the freshman from Paraguay, received a share of the B Draw championship following four victories throughout the bracket. He earned a win over the one-seeded Eddie Landin of Georgia Southern in the second round and topped the fourth-seeded Kevin Huynh to advance to the finals. He was set to compete against USC Upstate's Ignacio Garrida for the championship, outright, but the finals were canceled due to rain.
 
Agost and Blanchar also earned four victories, including a win over one-seeded Murphy McCullough and Carlos Garcia of Georgia Southern in the semifinals to reach the finals matchup. The freshman/sophomore team came up just short of the title, falling to Kennesaw State's Corey Smith and Harrison Wood in the finals of the B Draw bracket.
 
Among the Gamecocks' singles competitors, freshman Aljaz Kaplja picked up a first-round win over Troy's Jiaqi Duan (6-3, 6-1) in the A Draw, and junior Andres Gomez advanced to the quarterfinals of the C Draw.
 
In doubles action, sophomore Pablo Caffarena and Vallejo earned a win over Troy's Jiagi Duan and Antonio Selma (7-5) in the first round of the A Draw.
 
Next on the fall schedule for the Gamecocks is the ITA Regional Tournament in Baton Rouge, La. The men visit the Louisiana capital Oct. 19-22 for the prestigious meet.
 
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