Wong Moves into Semifinals at USTA/ITA Northwest Championships

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

BEAVERTON, ORE. -- Joshua Wong (Sr., Hilo, HI/Hilo HS) of Willamette University earned victories in the Round of 16 and the quarterfinals in singles on Sunday, Sept. 23 during the USTA/ITA Northwest Small College Championships at the Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation Tennis Center. Wong advanced into the semifinals to take on Andy Riggs of Whitman College on Monday, Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. (PDT).

Wong, the #2 seed, is the highest remaining seed in the singles bracket. Riggs is seeded #4. In the other semifinal match, Colton Malesovas of Whitman, tied for the #13 seed, will take on Giancarlo Battaglia of Pacific, who is seeded seventh.

Top-seeded Andrew La Cava of Whitman was defeated by Malesovas in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 6-3.

Wong outlasted Sam Sadeghi of Whitman in the Round of 16 in a highly competitive match that featured a tie-breaker to decide the first set. Wong won 7-6, 7-5 to claim a spot in the quarterfinals. Sadeghi was one of several athletes seeded #9.

In Wong's quarterfinal match, he faced Steven Roston of Whitman. Wong claimed a 6-2 victory in the first set, and then downed Roston in the second set, 6-4.

Riggs gained a match-up with Wong by defeating Preston Mann of George Fox University, 6-0, 6-1, in the Round of 16 and by edging out his own teammate, James Rivers from Whitman, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals.

In consolation singles, Jack Schreiber (So., Solana Beach, CA/The Grauer School) won two matches before losing in the quarterfinals. He downed Scott Monismith from Lewis & Clark College in the first consolation round, 8-6, and then defeated rolled past Levi Huddleston of Whitworth University, 8-1.

Michael Cutter from the University of Puget Sound gained a narrow win over Schreiber in the quarterfinals, 7-5, 6-4.

Will Cooper (So, Gresham, OR/Centennial HS) opened the consolation bracket with a win over Joe Trousdale from Linfield College, 8-6. Cooper lost to Graham Baker of Puget Sound, 8-4, in the second round.

Wong and freshman Samuel Wexman won their first match of the consolation bracket, 8-3, over Ty Tanaka and Kolin Wong from Pacific University. In the second round of consolation matches, Matt Goebel and Troy Patterson of Whitworth defeated Wong and Wexman (scores not available).