Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis versus Utah Invitational on October 3, 2025
Men's Tennis
vs Utah Invitational
Friday, October 11
Salt Lake City, UT
TBD
University of Utah
vs
Utah Invitational
Photo by: Steve C. Wilson
Men's Tennis Starts Strong at Utah Invitational
10/11/2019 5:53 PM | Men's Tennis
Utes win 14-of-18 matches to open the tournament.
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah men's tennis team opened the fall season Friday, hosting the Utah Invitational at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center. The Utes picked up four doubles wins and 10 singles wins on the first day of action in the three-day event.
The Utes opened the round robin tournament with two rounds of doubles matches Friday morning. All three doubles teams for Utah won their opening fall match to get the event started. Senior Azat Hankuliyev and sophomore Mathias Gavelin cruised to a 6-0 victory over Montana State's Espinoza and Daamgard. Junior Russell Benkaim and sophomore Paul McCallie teamed up and also rolled in their first match, winning 6-2 against Montana State's Stoner/Zelver.
The third duo for Utah competing is the freshmen pair of Rian Ta and Rafael Grovas. The duo picked up their first win as Utes in a back-and-forth match. Ta and Grovas traded sets with Southern Utah's pairing of Shin/Sepuvelda, but ultimately came out on top, 7-6. In the second round of doubles, Benkaim and McCallie picked up another 6-2 doubles win, this time taking down Southern Utah's Parker/Erro.
In singles play, the Utes got off to a dominant start, winning five of six matches in the first round. Benkaim, Hankuliyev, Gavelin, and Grovas all won in straight sets to pick up their first singles win. Ta battled in a marathon match after the freshman dropped his first set, 4-6. Ta was able to notch a 7-5 second set win, and ultimately come out on top in the third set 6-2.
The next flight of singles matches began with McCallie downing SUU's Ortega, 7-5, 6-1, for a bounce-back win after previously dropping his first singles match. Hankuliyev matched up against SUU's Tordoff where the two played an extremely tight match. Hankuliyev trailed Tordoff 5-6 in the first set, but rallied to win the next two to pull off the 7-5 first set victory. He then went on to win 6-4 in the second set to go undefeated in singles play on Friday.
The final four matches left for the Utes all were pushed to third sets. Benkaim dropped a tight first set, 6-7, but bounced back in another close set and posted a 6-4 second set win. In the third set, Benkaim secured the match after taking down SUU's Parker, 6-3. Gavelin trailed late in his first set, but caught momentum to win the set, 7-5. After dropping the second set, Gavelin cruised to a 6-2 third set win to take the match.
Grovas started strong in his second singles match, but momentum faded and he dropped the next two sets against SUU's McCaig. Utah's final match of the day belonged to Ta, where he had yet another long, grueling match. Ta downed SUU's Erro 6-2 in the first, but fell short in the second set. The third set went back-and-forth as the previous one did, but Ta pulled ahead late to win the third set 6-4.
Utah will be back in action for more of the Utah Invitational with doubles matches beginning tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. MT at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center. Â
Doubles - Day 1 Results
Russell Benkaim/Paul McCallie (UU) def. Stoner/Zelver (MSU), 6-2
Mathias Gavelin/Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Espinoza/Daamgard (MSU), 6-0
Rian Ta/Rafael Grovas (UU) def. Shin/Sepuvelda (SUU), 7-6
Sitar/Brown (MSU) def. Mathias Gavelin/Azat Hankuliyev (UU), 6-1
Russell Benkaim/ Paul McCallie (UU) def. Parker/Erro (SUU), 6-2
Espinoza/Daamgard (MSU) def. Rian Ta/Rafael Grovas (UU), 6-3
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Singles – Day 1 Results
Russell Benkaim (UU) def. Sitar (MSU), 6-2, 6-3
Espinoza (MSU) def. Paul McCallie (UU), 6-1, 6-3
Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Daamgard (MSU), 6-2, 6-3
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. Brown (MSU), 6-4, 6-4
Rafael Grovas (UU) def. Zelver (MSU), 6-2, 7-5
Rian Ta (UU) def. Montiero (MSU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Paul McCallie (UU) def. Ortega (SUU), 7-5, 6-1
Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Tordoff (SUU), 7-6, 6-4
Shin (SUU) def. Rafael Grovas (UU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
Russell Benkaim (UU) def. Parker (SUU), 6-7, 6-4, 6-3
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. McCaig (SUU), 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
Rian Ta (UU) def. Erro (SUU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
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The Utes opened the round robin tournament with two rounds of doubles matches Friday morning. All three doubles teams for Utah won their opening fall match to get the event started. Senior Azat Hankuliyev and sophomore Mathias Gavelin cruised to a 6-0 victory over Montana State's Espinoza and Daamgard. Junior Russell Benkaim and sophomore Paul McCallie teamed up and also rolled in their first match, winning 6-2 against Montana State's Stoner/Zelver.
The third duo for Utah competing is the freshmen pair of Rian Ta and Rafael Grovas. The duo picked up their first win as Utes in a back-and-forth match. Ta and Grovas traded sets with Southern Utah's pairing of Shin/Sepuvelda, but ultimately came out on top, 7-6. In the second round of doubles, Benkaim and McCallie picked up another 6-2 doubles win, this time taking down Southern Utah's Parker/Erro.
In singles play, the Utes got off to a dominant start, winning five of six matches in the first round. Benkaim, Hankuliyev, Gavelin, and Grovas all won in straight sets to pick up their first singles win. Ta battled in a marathon match after the freshman dropped his first set, 4-6. Ta was able to notch a 7-5 second set win, and ultimately come out on top in the third set 6-2.
The next flight of singles matches began with McCallie downing SUU's Ortega, 7-5, 6-1, for a bounce-back win after previously dropping his first singles match. Hankuliyev matched up against SUU's Tordoff where the two played an extremely tight match. Hankuliyev trailed Tordoff 5-6 in the first set, but rallied to win the next two to pull off the 7-5 first set victory. He then went on to win 6-4 in the second set to go undefeated in singles play on Friday.
The final four matches left for the Utes all were pushed to third sets. Benkaim dropped a tight first set, 6-7, but bounced back in another close set and posted a 6-4 second set win. In the third set, Benkaim secured the match after taking down SUU's Parker, 6-3. Gavelin trailed late in his first set, but caught momentum to win the set, 7-5. After dropping the second set, Gavelin cruised to a 6-2 third set win to take the match.
Grovas started strong in his second singles match, but momentum faded and he dropped the next two sets against SUU's McCaig. Utah's final match of the day belonged to Ta, where he had yet another long, grueling match. Ta downed SUU's Erro 6-2 in the first, but fell short in the second set. The third set went back-and-forth as the previous one did, but Ta pulled ahead late to win the third set 6-4.
Utah will be back in action for more of the Utah Invitational with doubles matches beginning tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. MT at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center. Â
Doubles - Day 1 Results
Russell Benkaim/Paul McCallie (UU) def. Stoner/Zelver (MSU), 6-2
Mathias Gavelin/Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Espinoza/Daamgard (MSU), 6-0
Rian Ta/Rafael Grovas (UU) def. Shin/Sepuvelda (SUU), 7-6
Sitar/Brown (MSU) def. Mathias Gavelin/Azat Hankuliyev (UU), 6-1
Russell Benkaim/ Paul McCallie (UU) def. Parker/Erro (SUU), 6-2
Espinoza/Daamgard (MSU) def. Rian Ta/Rafael Grovas (UU), 6-3
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Singles – Day 1 Results
Russell Benkaim (UU) def. Sitar (MSU), 6-2, 6-3
Espinoza (MSU) def. Paul McCallie (UU), 6-1, 6-3
Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Daamgard (MSU), 6-2, 6-3
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. Brown (MSU), 6-4, 6-4
Rafael Grovas (UU) def. Zelver (MSU), 6-2, 7-5
Rian Ta (UU) def. Montiero (MSU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Paul McCallie (UU) def. Ortega (SUU), 7-5, 6-1
Azat Hankuliyev (UU) def. Tordoff (SUU), 7-6, 6-4
Shin (SUU) def. Rafael Grovas (UU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
Russell Benkaim (UU) def. Parker (SUU), 6-7, 6-4, 6-3
Mathias Gavelin (UU) def. McCaig (SUU), 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
Rian Ta (UU) def. Erro (SUU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4
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Players Mentioned
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