Binghamton University senior Sven Vloedgraven scored a monumental victory before being ousted from the ITA National Indoor Championship at Flushing Meadows over the weekend.
After losing his first match 6-1, 6-4 to No. 28 John Peers of Baylor, Vloedgraven rebounded in fine fashion, defeating No. 22 Jeff Dadarno of Texas A&M, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5. The win kept Vloedgraven alive in the tournament, and marked the highest-ranked opponent the Bearcat has ever beaten.
‘I played well, and I went for the right shots at the right time,’ Vloedgraven said. ‘I knew he’d be too good for me to win without playing well. Knowing that, I promptly gave away the first set. I was fortunate that in the other sets I broke him at 4-4 and 5-5 and served it out both times.’
Redemption was very much a motivating factor for No. 84 Vloedgraven, who suffered back-to-back losses in his opening matches at the same tournament last year.
‘It was great beating a quality opponent in a national tournament, especially after failing to advance last year,’ Vloedgraven said.
His victory earned him a spot in the consolation quarterfinals, where he was defeated by No. 13 Sanam Singh of the University of Virginia, 6-3, 6-3. The senior is still pleased with his performance, which came on the heels of a major victory in the ITA Northeast Regional Tournament this fall. Still, Vloedgraven recognizes that perhaps his greatest challenges lie ahead.
‘I hope that I, and the rest of the team, can keep it going in the spring,’ he said. ‘That’s our real season.’
After going 25-2, winning the America East Championship and appearing in the NCAA tournament last year, the men’s tennis team has painted an Events Center-sized target on their backs.
The Bearcats’ season is scheduled to begin Jan. 29. Their first match pits them against East Tennessee State at the ITA Kick Off Classic at the University of Virginia.