Texas Tech Athletics
ITA All-American Championships
Tech wraps up play at ITA All-American Championships
September 26, 2024 | Men's Tennis
TULSA, Okla. – Texas Tech Red Raiders Sebastian Abboud and Piotr Pawlak finished play at the ITA All-American Championships on Thursday afternoon.
The six-seeded and No. 7-ranked duo of Abboud and Pawlak opened competition at the ITA All-American Championships with a first-round main draw match against No. 13-ranked Alex Chang and Michael Wright of California. The Red Raiders went down early by a 1-3 score, but they immediately switched the momentum as they won the next five games to claim the first set by a 6-3 score.
Set two was a lot closer as Tech was down 0-2 before breaking and holding serve to tie it at 2-all. The Red Raiders took a 4-2 lead on another break and hold before the Golden Bears won three-consecutive games for the 5-4 advantage. Abboud and Pawlak would tie the set at 5-5 and then 6-6 to force the tiebreaker.
In the breaker, California went ahead 5-0, but the Red Raiders were able to win three-straight points to make it 5-3. Tech would save two set points but the Bears pairing would even the match with a 7-6 (5) second set.
In the third-set 10-point tiebreaker, Chang and Wright were able to lead 3-0 before the Red Raiders tied it at 3-3, then retook the lead with a 4-3 score. California won the next four points before Tech won two to make it 7-6. The Red Raiders had saved two match points before the Bears won the contest with a 10-8 third set.
In their first-round consolation doubles match, Abboud and Pawlak had another tough matchup, this time against the No. 47-ranked tandem of Joshua Dous Karpenschif and Erik Schiessl of Florida State. The Red Raiders and Seminoles each had early breaks in the first set, until FSU broke Tech's serve at 4-4, then held its own to take set one by a 6-4 score.
The Red Raiders were able to even things up with a second set win. The set went back-and-forth until Abboud and Pawlak held a 4-2 advantage. Florida State tried to come back, but the Red Raiders would ultimately win the set with a 6-3Â outing to force a 10-point breaker. The Seminoles came out firing in the tiebreak set, only allowing Tech four points as they would clinch the match with a 10-4 score.
Up next, the Red Raiders compete at the Big 12/SEC Challenge on Oct. 4-6 in Waco, Texas.
Doubles Results
No. 13 Alex Chang/Michael Wright (California) def. #7 Sebastian Abboud/Piotr Pawlak, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 1-0 (8)
#47 Joshua Dous Karpenschif/Erik Schiessl (FSU) def. #7 Sebastian Abboud/Piotr Pawlak, 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (4)
Players Mentioned
