University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennis: Smith Falls in Three Sets to Delic at Challenger
November 10, 2011 | Men's Tennis
Nov. 9, 2011
Four-time All-American John-Patrick Smith had his chances early but could not capitalize in a three-set loss to Amer Delic of Bosnia in the first round of the Knoxville Challenger on Wednesday.
Playing singles on his home courts for the first time since May, Smith fell 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 to the former top-100 Delic at Goodfriend Tennis Center in a match that lasted two and a half hours.
"There are a few things I need to work on, obviously, but it's a good experience," Smith said. "I'm looking forward to the new year now. I've got one tournament left, and hopefully I can continue to serve well and do the right things to get ready for next year."
Smith generated nine break point chances against Delic, including four in the opening set. He had a break chance in Delic's first service game and midway through the set he was up 0-40 but could not close out the game.
Delic, who is currently ranked No. 187, broke Smith to wrap up the first set 7-5.
"It was a big game. If could have won that game, I could have held and won the first set," Smith said. "If things had worked out, there might not have even been a third set."
Smith jumped ahead early in the second set, but Delic broke back at 4-3. The former Vol was able to settle down, and with the crowd backing him, he broke Delic at 5-5 and served out the set for force a third.
In the third set, Smith was broken at 2-3 and that spelled the difference.
Currently ranked No. 500 in the world in singles, Smith has just one more event on the USTA Pro Circuit calendar. He is scheduled to play in next week's Champaign Challenger on the Illinois campus in Champaign, Ill., where the Vols played in February.
Smith also plans to compete in the Australian Open Wild Card Playoff in December when he returns to Australia.
IN DOUBLES
Former Vol Adam Hubble teamed up with Frederik Nielsen of Denmark to score a 7-5, 7-5 win against American qualifiers Devin Britton and Denis Kudla on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals.
Wednesday's victory was Hubble's first doubles win on the Challenger level since taking almost a year off because of injury.
Tennys Sandgren and Rhyne Williams, who both turned pro over the summer, play their opening doubles match Thursday evening against Delic and Australia's Chris Guccione. Their match follows the 6 p.m. match.
