By Gavin Lapaille

The No. 26 University of Louisville men’s tennis doubles team of seniors Slavko Radman and Damar Johnson finished runner up in the ITA Midwest Regional on Tuesday at the University of Minnesota. Radman and freshman, David Simon, also advanced to the quarterfinals of single action during the tournament.

“We preformed well,” said U of L head coach Rex Ecarma. “We saw some of the best tennis – sometimes it didn’t last the entire match – but maybe a set or a set and a half out of the guys we brought here, so I am definitely pleased with that.”

In the first round of doubles action, the top-seeded Radman and Johnson defeated Illinois’ Billy Heiser and Mark Spicijaric 8-5, while sophomore, Robert Rotaru and Simon, beat Bradley’s Matt Metully and Evgeny Samolov 8-6. Radman and Johnson next went on to dismantle Iowa’s Scott Newmark and Evan West 8-3 in the second round while Rotaru and Simon were eliminated from doubles play after losing to Toledo’s Mohammed Al Nahbhani and Jared Miller 8-5.

Radman and Johnson then beat Indiana’s David Bubenicek and Dara McLoughlin 8-6 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, the pair again came out victorious, winning easily over Ohio State’s Drew Eberly and Justin Kronage 8-3, followed by another win in the semifinals against Michigan State’s Adam Monich and Nick Rinks 8-6 to lock up a spot in the finals. There they met number two-seeded and Big East conference foe Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish’s team of Ryan Keckley and Sherra Parbhu, ranked 36th in the country, edged the U of L duo 9-8 (5) to win the ITA Midwest Regional title and the automatic bid to the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championship, Nov. 2-5, at Ohio State University. Although finishing a respectable second, Johnson and Radman were a bit disappointed with their loss in the finals.

“We didn’t use our best strengths to our advantage,” said Radman. “Our return was working well the entire tournament and then in the finals it just disappeared.”

“Right now, we are just a little disappointed to make it all the way to the finals and come up short,” said Johnson.

In the first round of singles play, the 29th ranked Radman defeated Wisconsin’s Felipe Billido 6-2, 6-1, while Simon scored an upset in defeating the tournaments 17th-seeded Brent Helgesson of Notre Dame. Johnson was unable to advance past the first round, losing to Northern Illinois’ Brian Livingston 4-6, 6-2, 6-4. In other matches, Rotaru lost to Wisconsin’s Nolan Polley 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 and freshman, Chris Herrlinger, was defeated by Illinois’ Brendon Davis 6-2, 7-5.

In the second round, Radman defeated Michigan State’s Adam Monich 6-4, 7-5 while Simon came from behind to beat Ball State’s Aaron Phillips 6-7, 7-5, 6-0. Both remaining Cardinals lost hard-fought matches in the round of 16, with Radman going down, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, to Ohio State’s Steven Moneke and Simon losing to Ohio State’s Drew Eberley 1-6, 7-6, 6-1.

The squad doesn’t play another team match until Jan. 14, when they take on Northwestern in Evanston, Ill. The next home match is Jan. 20, against the Western Michigan Broncos at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.