TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of West Alabama men's tennis duo of Matias Iturbe and Kuzma Gomziakov advanced to the championship match of the inaugural ITA Division II Individual National Championships before finishing as national runners-up in doubles competition on Sunday.
The Tiger tandem entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed and put together an impressive run through the national draw, earning a spot in the championship match against Joshua Hinton and Charles Lefort of Mississippi College.
Iturbe and Gomziakov made a statement in the semifinals, knocking off the tournament's No. 1-seeded pairing of Bruno Sanchez and Filip Vacula of Midwestern State to secure their place in the finals.
Before that, the Tigers' tandem defeated Julio Enrique Troncosco/Maurizio Gutierrez in the opening round, (7-6, 6-4), Alex Despoja/Anton Krondell, (7-5, 6-4) in the Round of 16, and Mattia Ricci/Matias Ruiz, (6-4, 6-1) in the Quarterfinals.
The duo carried its momentum into Sunday's championship match, battling for the national title before ultimately falling to Hinton and Lefort to finish as the tournament's doubles runners-up.
The national championship appearance caps an impressive fall campaign for the West Alabama pairing.
Iturbe and Gomziakov's performance at the national championships marks a strong showing for the Tigers on the national stage as they continue their preparation for the spring season.
