Micah Braswell, a junior on the University of Texas tennis team, has reached his first ITF final, on his home courts in Austin. Photo by Kayla Thompson
Expect another sunny yet cold day for the finals of the Greenview Development & Majestic Realty Men’s Pro Tennis Open at the Texas Tennis Center.
In a match that won’t start before noon on Sunday, No. 6 Andres Andrade of Ecuador, who won the 2021 NCAA singles title while playing for Florida, will face wild card Micah Braswell, a University of Texas junior.
Andrade, 23, is ranked No. 647, just off a career-high of No. 640 achieved in late October. He won a M15 title on clay in Ecuador in June. He has never faced the 21-year-old Braswell, 21, who was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2021.
Braswell opened his tournament by upsetting No. 4 Roberto Cid Subervi, 6-4, 3-6, 6-0. He then defeated Sebastian Gorzny, 6-3, 6-3. Braswell was up one set over Eric Hadigian when rain canceled the rest of Friday’s play. He maintained his momentum to win, 6-2, 6-3, in the quarterfinals Saturday morning. Later that day, he defeated Christian Sigsgaard, 6-3, 6-3, to reach Sunday’s championship match.
In his early rounds, Andrade defeated Noah Schachter, 6-1, 6-3, then rallied past Longhorn Siem Woldeab, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. On Saturday, Andrade upset No. 3 Alexander Cozbinov, 6-3, 6-3, before easing past No. 5 Colin Markes, 7-5, 6-1, to reach the final.
The doubles final, which kicks off the day at 11 a.m., has a college and international flair. The third-seeded pair of Demetris Aziodes, a Texas Tech senior, and Martin Breysach, a Baylor freshman, will face the duo of Philip Henning, who plays for Georgia, and Tyler Stewart, a Texas Tech sophomore. According to their ITF bios, Aziodes is Greek, Breysach is French, Henning is South African, and Stewart is from the West Texas city of Midland.
Aziodes and Breysach advanced to the final with two walkovers. Henning and Stewart had a more difficult path, defeating the fourth-seeded team of Sigsgaard and Markes 6-7 (2), 6-1, 11-9; then Piotr Pawalk and Maciej Rajski, 7-6 (4), 6-4, and in the semifinals, advancing past Tadeas Paroulek and Zsombor Velcz, 6-3, 6-1.
By Lindsey Plotkin