TYLER, TEXAS – For the first time since 2021, UT Tyler has earned qualification into the ITA Cup in both doubles and singles as they took both crowns on Saturday afternoon at the Summers Tennis Center.
 
Carel Wessel and Daniil Felker combine to be the second doubles pair to qualify for the ITA Cup, following in the footsteps of both Joaquin Bianchi and Gonzalo Fernandez Gil who qualified in both 2021 and 2022.
 
Wessel also earned the South Central Singles Title, ensuring he would be the first ITA Cup qualifier in singles play since both Fernandez Gil and Bianchi earned that nod in 2021.
 
THURSDAY
 
Play for the Patriots began on Thursday with the round of 64 in singles. Eight Patriots began their tournament with a win in straight sets, as Job Japelj, Jordi Garcia Portell, Martin Despodov, Artiom Dorofeev, Daniil Felker, Trevor Short, Carel Wessel, and Malo Poulesquen each moved into the round of 32.
 
Felker, Wessel, and Poulesquen each would continue their singles action through the first day, as the trio each won in straight sets in dominant fashion to guarantee they would make it to the round of 16.

In the B draw of singles, Arthur Miquelard got his week started with a huge 6-0, 6-0 straight sets win to advance into the semifinals. He followed that up just a few hours later with a 6-1, 6-0 straight sets win, booking his spot in the finals of the B draw.
 
Over in doubles, the Patriots again found success, as the number 1 seeded Felker and Wessel combined for a dominant 8-5 win to open their tournament.
 
Right behind them was the pair of Garcia Portell and Arthur Miquelard, who paired up for a big 8-2 win. Despodov and Japelj along with Short and Carlo Kern combined for wins as well in their doubles matches as four Patriots pairs moved into the round of 16.
 
Japelj and Despodov would pair up against the number 5 seeded pair in their second round match, but the duo went unphased as they collected a dramatic 8-7 (7-2) victory to move into the final eight teams.
 
Felker and Wessel continued to show why they were the top seed, delivering an 8-5 win. They were joined by Garcia Portell and Miquelard as those two also put together an 8-6 win, setting up a showdown in the final eight of the doubles rounds.
 
FRIDAY
 
Friday began with singles action, as Daniil Felker and Carel Wessel looked to continue their charge late into the bracket. Felker would battle it out with the number 7 seed, but would ultimately fall in straight sets and bow out.
 
That left the stage for Carel Wessel, who continued his unrelenting form with a 6-2, 6-2 straight sets win to move into the semifinals.

In the B draw singles finals, Miquelard continued to show his frantic pace, winning the first set 7-6 (7-4) before rolling to a 6-1 win in set two to secure the B draw championship.
 
In doubles, Felker and Wessel would pair up to take on Garcia Portell and Miquelard in the quarterfinals. The match would go back and forth, extending all the way into a tiebreaker. That tiebreaker remained as close as it could be, but Felker and Wessel finally pulled away with a 9-7 tiebreaker win to move into the semifinals.
 
Despodov and Japelj would also battle in the quarterfinals, but they would fall 8-3 in their match to bow out of the competition and leave just Felker and Wessel.
 
That Patriots duo would set up their semifinals match on Friday against the pair of Bruno Sanchez and Justin Van Amerongen from Midwestern State. However, Felker and Wessel would prove to be too much, as they pulled away with a strong 6-2, 6-2 straight sets win.
 
SATURDAY
 
Saturday morning began with Wessel fighting it out in his singles semifinal match, which would ultimately determine what time the doubles championship would be played. He faced off against number 7 seed Pablo Segura from Lubbock Christian. A dramatic first set saw Wessel claim the tiebreaker 7-4, and then he turned up the heat with a strong 6-3 set two win to advance to the finals.
 
In those finals, Wessel would face off with number 16 seed Bruno Sanchez of Midwestern State. Wessel took a tight first set at 6-4, but Sanchez responded with a strong 6-2 win to force the match and the tournament to a deciding third set. It was there Wessel shined, breaking the serve of Sanchez to claim a 6-3 win and the ITA South Central Regional Singles Championship.
 
Just an hour after the conclusion of that match, Wessel was right back on the court, this time pairing with teammate Daniil Felker for the doubles championship.
 
The pair rolled to a 6-4 win in set four, but the number 2 seeded Midwestern State duo of Stephen Slocombe and Germano Setti responded with their own 6-3 win. That forced a tiebreaker for the third set and the crown, and the Patriots pair delivered an elite 10-2 victory that ultimately earned the top spot in the tournament.
 
Felker and Wessel will now set their sights on the ITA Cup that takes place October 10-13^th in Rome, Georgia.