Nick Zieziula

BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo kicked off the Can-Am Invitational Tournament with some impressive wins as four Bulls moved to third round competition in singles play while two doubles pairs also advanced with a pair of victories on Friday.

In the A flight singles, UB's Nick Zieziula (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) moved to the third round with wins over Jerome Gagnon of Montreal, 6-2, 6-2 and Mark Furman of York, 6-0, 6-0. Zieziula will face freshman teammate Mike Rockman (Toronto, Ontario/Thornhill) in Saturday's third round. Rockman breezed past Montreal's David Desrochers, 6-3, 6-3 in the opening round and downed Niagara's Erick Garcia,6-1, 6-2 in the second round. UB junior Randy Rocchio (East Amherst, NY/Williamsville East) was defeated in his first round match, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, by York's Alex Sautchenko.

Rangga Prayudha

In the B flight singles, freshman Albert Alant (Pretoria, South Africa/Niskayuna (NY)) and senior Rangga Prayudha (Jakarta, Indonesia/Hilton Head Prep (SC)) each advanced with a pair of victories. Alant knocked off Maciek Zarzychi of Montreal, 6-3, 6-3, and followed with a 6-0, 6-1 win over John Abella of Niagara. Prayudha moved on with a 6-0, 6-0 win over York's Kenneth Wong and a 6-3, 7-6 (3) decision over Niagara's Andrew Mayer. Joe Popielarczyk (Buffalo, NY/McKinley) was defeated in his first round match by Nicolas Gagnon of Montreal, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, but downed Brad Cole of York, 7-5, 2-0 ret., in the loser's bracket.

UB's doubles duos of Popielarczyk and Mike Zappone (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury) and Rocchio and Zieziula will meet in a semifinal on Saturday. Popielarczyk and Zappone downed Dany Faigeux and Samy Saad of Montreal, 6-2, 6-3, in the first round and then needed three sets to defeat Kenneth Wong and Brad Cole of York, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. Rocchio and Zieziula, meanwhile, made short work of their opponents, dropping Montreal's Jerimie Theriault and Geoffroy Desautels, 6-0, 6-1 and Toronto's Kevin Chow and Ben Bison, 6-0, 6-2. UB's other doubles team, Prayudha and Ivan Chamdani (Jakarta, Indonesia/Hilton Head Prep (SC)) won their first round match over Furman and Sautchenko of York, 6-1, 6-4, but fell in the second round to Niagara's Jason Ramos and Garcia, 6-1, 6-1.

Play continues Saturday at the UB Tennis Complex at 9 am. The finals will be held Sunday at Niagara University.

Buffalo/Niagara Can-Am Tennis Tournament

Men's results

Teams: Buffalo (UB), Niagara (NU), Montreal (UM), Youngstown State (YSU), Toronto (UT), York (YU), McMaster (MC)

A Singles first round: Nick Zieziula (UB) d. Jerome Gagnon (UM), 6-2, 6-2. Mark Furman (YU) d. Tom Barth (YSU), 7-6, 7-5. Erick Garcia (NU) d. Andrew Anderson (UT), 7-6, 6-0. Mike Rockman (UB) d. David Desrochers (UM), 6-3, 6-3. Alex Sautchenko (YU) d. Randy Rocchio (UB), 6-1, 4-6, 6-4. Kris Hrisovulus (NU) d. Rod DeCastro (MC), 6-2, 6-3. RJ Pepino (YSU) d. Marciej Mandus (MC), 6-2, 6-4. Craig Mercer (UT) d. Jason Ramos (NU), 6-1, 7-5.

Second round: Zieziula (UB) d. Furman (YU), 6-0, 6-0. Rockman (UB) d. Garcia (NU), 6-1, 6-2. Sautchenko (YU) d. Hrisovulus (NU), 6-2, 6-2. Mercer (UT) d. Pepino (YSU), 7-6 (7), 6-4.

Second round consolations: Barth (YSU) d. Gagnon (UM), 6-4, 6-2. Desrochers (UM) d. Anderson (UT), 6-3, 6-1.

B Singles first round: Nicolas Gagnon (UM) d. Joe Popielarczyk (UB), 2-6, 7-5, 6-1. Kevin Schaffert (YSU) d. Brad Cole (YU), 6-2, 6-4. John Abella (NU) d. Ben Bison (UT), 7-6, 6-2. Albert Alant (UB) d. Maciek Zarzychi (UM), 6-3, 6-3. Rangga Prayudha (UB) d. Kenneth Wong (YU), 6-0, 6-0. Andrew Mayer (NU) d. Dave Sherwood (MC), 6-1, 6-0. Bran Meek (YSU) d. Szakacs (MC), 6-3, 6-0. Armin Milani (UT) d. Dave Reuter (NU), 6-1, 6-2.

Second round: Schaffert (YSU) d. Gagnon (UM), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Alant (UB) d. Abella (NU), 6-0, 6-1. Prayudha (UB) d. Mayer (NU), 6-3, 7-6 (3). Meek (YSU) d. Milani (UT), 6-1, 6-1.

Second round consolations: Popielarczyk (UB) d. Cole (YU), 7-5, 2-0 ret. Zarzychi (UM) d. Bison (UT), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Szakacs (MC) d. Reuter (NU), 6-3, 6-4.

Third round consolations: Mayer (NU) d. Milani (UT), 6-4, 3-6, 6-0.

A Doubles first round: Joe Popielarczyk/Mike Zappone (UB) d. Dany Faigeux/Samy Saad (UM), 6-2, 6-3. Kenneth Wong/Brad Cole (YU) d. Justin Bech/Jason Trapp (YSU), 6-2, 6-1. Kevin Chow/Ben Bison (UT) d. Kris Hrisovulus/John Abella (NU), 6-2, 6-2. Randy Rocchio/Nick Zieziula (UB) d. Jerimie Theriault/Geoffroy Desautels (UM), 6-0, 6-1. Rangga Prayudha/Ivan Chamdani (UB) d. Mark Furman/Alex Sautchenko (YU), 6-1, 6-4. Jason Ramos/Nick Garcia (NU) d. Dom Spagonulo/Irwin Liu (MC), 6-1, 6-2. Jay Barlow/Connor Casey (MC) d. RJ Pepino/Kevin Schaffert (YSU), 6-2, 7-6 (5). Armand Pede/Dennis Wagner (UT) d. Dave Reuter/Joe Dante (NU), 6-1, 6-2.

Second round: Popielarczyk/Zappone (UB) d. Wong/Cole (YU), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5. Rocchio/Zieziula (UB) d. Chow/Bison (UT), 6-0, 6-2. Ramos/Garcia (NU) d. Prayudha/Chamdani (UB), 6-1, 6-1. Barlow/Casey (MC) d. Pede/Wagner (UT), 6-1, 6-2.

Second round consolation: Faigeux/Saad (UM) d. Bech/Trapp (YSU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Hrisovulus/Abella (NU) d. Theriault/Desautels (UM), 6-2, 6-3.