FLUSHING, N.Y. – The Queens College men's tennis team opened their fall 2022 schedule by hosting the inaugural Alan Landes Invitational at the Queens College Tennis Bubble against common foes in the area from Saturday (Sept. 10) to Sunday (Sept. 11). 
 
The late Hall of Famer coached the Knights for 27 seasons leading them to 342 victories while helping Queens earn six NCAA Tournament bids. The 2005 and 2006 teams advanced to the Round of 32. 
The Knights welcomed East Coast Conference member St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans, NE10 foe Adelphi University Panthers, and players from Division I St. Francis College over the two-day. 
 
Queens played in eight brackets consisting of two doubles and six singles tournaments in a single-elimination style tournament. 
 
Winners
Doubles A Bracket: St. Francis College Jan Godfrey Seno/Luis Foix Sotos 
Doubles B Bracket: St. Francis College Lucas Fiox Sotos/Matheus Paiva
Singles A Bracket: Queens College Cameron Henricy (Las Palmas, Spain)
Singles B Bracket: Queens College Roni Rikkonen (Tampere, Finland)
Singles C Bracket: STAC Max Kendler
Singles D Bracket: Queens College Mariano Bibiloni (La Plata, Argentina)
Singles E Bracket: St. Francis College Matheus Paiva
Singles F Bracket: Queens College Tim Ostheimer (Frankfurt, Germany)
   
Doubles A Bracket
In the quarterfinals, junior Omar El Shehawey (Cairo, Egypt) / newcomer graduate student Lluis Miralles Miro (Barcelona, Spain) made their debut together but the duo would fall to the STAC pair of Tobias Fuerschuss/Ondrej Sramek to the score of 6-3. 
 
While the duo of graduate student Moritz Borges (Hunxe, Germany) / newcomer junior Roni Rikkonen (Tampere, Finland) picked up their first victory of the season as they defeated the St. Francis duo of Assil Boussayri/Habib Stambouli to the score of 6-3 to advance to the next round. 
 
In the last quarterfinal match of the bracket, newcomer sophomore Cameron Henricy (Las Palmas, Spain) / senior Kareem Rashad (Alexandria, Egypt) defeated the Spartans pair of Ody Papaioannou/Max Kendler in a tiebreaker to the score of 7-6 (8-6).
 
In the semi-final, Borges/Rikkonen advanced to the final with a victory over the Spartans duo of Fuerschuss/Sramek to the score of 6-3. While the Knights duo of Henricy/Rashad fell to the Terriers pair of Jan Godfrey Seno/Luis Foix Sotos in a tiebreaker to the final score of 7-6 (8-6).
 
In the final, the Terriers pair emerged victorious as they defeated the Knights duo of Borges/Rikkonen to the score of 6-4. 
 
Doubles B Bracket
In the quarterfinals, the Knights' senior pair of Mariano Bibiloni (La Plata, Argentina)  / Lucas Demuth(Buenos Aires, Argentina) defeated the Adelphi pair of Thiago Negrao/Thomas Horsley to the score of 6-4.
 
In the other quarterfinal match, junior Tim Ostheimer (Frankfurt, Germany) / sophomore Philipp Uhde (Heidelberg, Germany) defeated the Panthers duo of V. Le Goupil-Maier/Salomon Arce Lema to the score of 6-1. 
 
In the first semi-final, the SFC pair of Lucas Fiox Sotos/Matheus Paiva defeated the Knights duo of Bibiloni/Demuth to the score of 6-3. While the Knights duo of Ostheimer/Uhde picked up a victory over the STAC pair of Tony Khamassi/Ivan Laiz in a tiebreaker to the score of 7-6 (7-4).
 
But the Terriers would sweep both doubles brackets as Sotos/Paiva defeated Ostheimer/Uhde to the final score of 6-2. 
 
Singles A Bracket
In the quarterfinal round, Henricy started his singles career in style as he defeated Panthers Marko Jovanovic in three sets to the score of 4-6, 6-0, 10-5. Rashad would take a 1-0 lead in the first set but would have to retire hurt as Diego Garcia Gil advanced to the semi-final. 
 
Henricy would advance to the final as he defeated Spartans Fuerschuss in straight sets to the score of 6-4, 6-3 setting up a final matchup against Gil. 
 
Henricy would conclude the invitational with a 3-0 singles record as he defeated Gil in straight sets to the score of 6-3, 6-2. 
 
Singles B Bracket
In the QF, Miro defeated Adelphi's Gabriel Balestero in three sets to the score of 3-6, 6-4, 10-2 to advance to the semi-final. In the first semifinal, Rikkonen defeated Panthers Viktor Hockl in straight sets to the score of 6-4, 6-4. 
 
While Miro battled in his semi-final match-up against conference foe Lennart Lehmann but would pick up a three-set victory after dropping the first set 7-6, (7-4). Miro bounced back to win the second set 6-2 before a 10-8 victory set up a Knights final. 
 
In the final Rikkonen picked up the victory over teammate Miro to the score of 6-3, 6-4. 
 
Singles C Bracket
In the semi-final, junior Francisco Gonzalez (La Plata, Argentina) fell to Spartans Kendler in a three-set as Kendler picked up a 6-3, 2-6, 10-4 victory. In the other semi-final, Shehawey defeated Spartans Alberto Navarro to the score of 6-2, 7-5. 
 
In the final, Kendler would prevail over Shehawey in three sets with a 6-3, 2-6, 10-4 win. 
 
Singles D Bracket
Borges fell 6-4, 3-6, 5-10 to Terriers Lucas Deliano in the first quarter-final match. While Bibiloni won the first set 7-5 over Laiz, but the Spartans would retire hurt giving victory to Bibiloni. 
 
Bibiloni advanced to the final with a victory over Lucas Fiox Sotos with a 7-5, 1-6, 10-6 victory setting up the final against Terriers Deliano. 
 
The senior would have no trouble in his match as he quickly dispatch Deliano to the final score of 6-1, 6-2. 
 
Singles E Bracket
In the QF, Uhde fell to Paiva in a three-set thriller as the Terrier advanced with a 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 10-6 victory. 
 
In the semi-final, Demuth dispatched Adelphi Henrique Souza to the score of 7-6 (7-5), 6-0. 
 
But Demuth would fall in the final to Paiva to the final score of 7-5, 6-3. 
 
Singles F Bracket
In the final bracket, Ostheimer defeated St. Francis' Lucas Deliano to the score of 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the final.
 
In the final Ostheimer defeated Terriers Javier Latorre 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 to end the invitational with a 2-0 singles record. 
 
Post Tournament Quotes:
 
Head Coach Somadi Druker: "It was a great turnout to start the new season especially as we hosted our first Alan Landes Invitational. We had many friends and Alumni come out to support our team. We would like to thank Caroline Spector for supporting and making this event such a special experience for all our student athletes. The team performed well especially as we prepare for the ITA East Regional Tournament and the 2023 spring season."
 
Junior Omar El Shehawey: "The team has never looked sharper and we are excited and looking forward to the spring season."
 
Junior Roni Rikkonen: "Awesome to get some college matches after a summer break. Felt good to hit some balls, get some competition and especially win. Being a new member of the team, I love it already. Amazing guys and coaches. We are going to have a successful year with the team for sure. Go Knights!"
 
UP NEXT: Head coach Somadi Druker and her Knights will now use the next week and a half to prepare for their first team match of the season as they travel to West Long Branch, NJ on Wednesday (Sept. 21) against Division I member Monmouth University Hawks. First serve is set for 10:00 A.M.
 

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