YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The IU Indy men's tennis team opened its fall slate at the YSU Invitational this weekend, competing in two days of singles and doubles action at Youngstown State. The Jaguars were represented across three singles flights and two doubles flights, highlighted by a run to the A Draw singles final from Owen Nguyen.
 
Nguyen led the Jaguars in singles play, winning his first two matches to advance to the semifinals of the A Draw. He opened the tournament with a straight-set victory over Youngstown State's Alex Woitten, 6-3, 7-6 (2), before battling past Case Western Reserve's Rowan Matorin in three sets, 7-5, 2-6, 10-3. Nguyen's run came to an end in the semifinals against Case Western Reserve's Jon Totorica, 6-3, 6-4.
 
Ellison Minnaar also represented the Jaguars in the A Draw. Minnaar fell to Case Western Reserve's Deepinder Singh, 7-5, 6-4, in his opening match before rebounding in consolation play. He defeated Marquette's Even Solheim in three sets, 6-2, 3-6, 11-9.
 
In the B Draw, Brandon Pham started the weekend with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 victory over Case Western Reserve's Derek Shiffer. Pham then went the distance with Duquesne's Yu-Shun Lai in the quarterfinals. After taking the opening set, Pham ultimately fell, 4-6, 6-3, 15-13. He bounced back in the consolation draw with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Marquette's Hugh Perrill.
 
Pumiphat Sukkho competed in the C Draw and received a first-round bye before facing Case Western Reserve's Luke Saylor in the quarterfinals. Saylor earned the 6-4, 7-5 victory, sending Sukkho into the consolation bracket. Sukkho responded with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Duquesne's Uvan Patel.
 
The Jaguars also competed in two doubles flights. Pham and Minnaar teamed up in the A Draw, falling to Marquette's Remi St-Laurent and Even Solheim, 6-2, in their opening match. The IU Indy duo responded in consolation action, defeating Mercyhurst's Petar Belosevic and Daniel Stadler, 6-2.
 
In the B Draw, Sukkho and Nguyen paired together against Mercyhurst's Mykhailo Polishchuck and Tom Oliver. The Mercyhurst tandem took the match, 6-3. They also answered with a win in the consolation bracket, defeating a duo of Mercyhurst's Kirin Do and Marquette's Marcos Vazquez, 6-1.
 
The YSU Invitational marked IU Indy's first tournament of the fall season and gave the Jaguars an opportunity to compete against players from Youngstown State, Case Western Reserve, Duquesne, Marquette and Mercyhurst.