TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler tennis wrapped up competition at the ITA South Central Regional Championship with a pair of titles, as Samuel Antwi captured the men's singles championship and Yona Bancarel and Maria Antonio Ortega teamed up to win the women's doubles title.
Antwi led the way for the Patriots in men's singles, advancing to Sunday's championship match with a pair of dominant victories on Saturday. He opened the day with a 6-2, 6-0 quarterfinal win over Lubbock Christian before defeating Midwestern State 7-5, 6-0 in the semifinals to secure his spot in the final.
Poulesquen also earned a place in the championship match after defeating Lubbock Christian's top-ranked player 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the finals.
The all-Patriot championship matchup guaranteed UT Tyler the top two finishes in men's singles. Antwi claimed the title Sunday, defeating his teammate Poulesquen 6-2, 6-3 to secure the championship and give the Patriots a one-two finish in the draw.
On the women's singles side, Bancarel's impressive run came to an end Saturday in the quarterfinals against Midwestern State. The top-seeded Patriot finished her singles competition after advancing through the earlier rounds of the tournament. Bancarel returned to the court in women's doubles alongside Ortega, and the pair delivered a championship performance to close out the tournament. The Patriots advanced to Sunday's final after battling back in Saturday's semifinal against Midwestern State. After dropping the opening set 6-2, Bancarel and Ortega responded with a 6-4 win in the second set before securing the match with a 10-8 victory in the deciding tiebreak.
The duo carried that momentum into Sunday's championship match against St. Mary's. After taking the opening set, the Patriots dropped the second set 7-5, sending the match to a deciding tiebreak. Bancarel and Ortega came through under pressure, winning the tiebreak 10-8 to claim the women's doubles championship.
The two titles capped a successful weekend for UT Tyler tennis, highlighted by Antwi's individual championship, Poulesquen's runner-up finish and Bancarel and Ortega's run to the top of the women's doubles draw.
