GODFREY – Four top seeded players and four unseeded players won their qualifying matches Monday and secured a spot in the main draw of the 17th Annual Lewis and Clark Community College Men’s Pro Tennis Classic, a USTA Men’s Pro Circuit Future’s event.
Main draw singles and doubles action will begin tomorrow at 9 a.m. at the Andy Simpson Tennis Complex and will feature
No. 3 Noah Rubin, the 17-year-old Long Islander who won this year’s Boys Wimbledon Juniors, who will play American Spencer Papa.
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No. 4 Luke Bambridge, of the United Kingdom, will play Canadian Tommy Mylnikov, and Scott Clayton and Toby Martin, both of the United Kingdom, will compete.
Eight doubles matches will be played from 9 a.m. and throughout the afternoon. Former Lewis and Clark player Quinton Argent, of Australia, will partner with American Ben Thompson and play Americans Cameron Silverman and Quinton Vega not before 10 a.m.
In Monday’s action, No. 1 Eduardo Nava lost in a tiebreak to the University of North Carolina’s Brett Clark.
Clark lost the first set to 17-year-old Nava 6-1, but kept his focus and came back to take the second set 6-3.
“I changed my game plan,” Clark said. “I was a little too aggressive in the first set. I wanted to attack his backhand and make sure I didn’t give points away.”
The third set was back and forth, with Clark winning the last game to force a tiebreak. At the end of the set, Nava slammed a ball in frustration and was handed a point penalty for misconduct, 
giving Clark a 1-0 lead to start the tiebreak. Nava had previously been warned for throwing his racket earlier in the match.
“It was a strange way to start the tiebreak,” said Clark. “I got a quick 3-0 lead, and I think he took himself out mentally a little bit at the end.”
Nava received a lucky loser chance and will continue in the main draw on Wednesday.
St. Louis native Blake Strode fell to Mac Styslinger in straight sets. Strode lost a close first set 7-5, but seemed to tire in the second set, losing 6-1. He received a lucky loser chance to play in the main draw on Wednesday.
“Personally I thought I played pretty good in the first set, but I had some trouble moving in the second set. He was making me hit a lot of balls,” said Strode. “It happens, some days are tougher than others.”
No. 3 Ronnie Schneider bested Austin Ansari 6-3, 6-1 and will play again on Wednesday.
No. 4 Winston Lin defeated Andrew Goodwin 7-5, 6-1, and No. 5 Nick Chappell advanced after defeating Anthony Delcore 6-2, 7-5.
For more information call the tournament desk at (618) 468-6252 or visit www.lc.edu/usta. To view and download photos from the tournament, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/lewisandclarkcc.
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Story by Matt McFarlane
Caption: American Ronnie Schneider secured a spot in the main draw after defeating Austin
Ansari on Monday. Photo by S. Paige Allen, L&C photographer
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