Tulsa Lands Two Inside the Top-100 on the Latest ITA Rankings
11/16/2017 4:51:00 PM | Men's Tennis
TEMPE, Ariz. – The University of Tulsa men's tennis team has two players ranked inside the Top-100 for the first time in two years. Majed Kilani ranked No. 56 and Joshua Goodger, No. 82, have put together some top quality wins in the 2017-2018 campaign.
Junior Majed Kilani is ranked No. 56 and recorded a singles mark of 9-2 in the fall season. He opened the season with three wins at the Silverado Invitational. Kilani defeated UNLV's Ruben Alberts in three sets (4-6, 7-5, 6-1). The next day, he won in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-3, against Connor Heap of California. On the final day of the Silverado Invitational, Kilani defeated Johan Joenhagen from San Francisco in three sets (0-6, 6-4, 1-0 (3)). Kilani started October off with a win in the Main Draw of the Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championship, as he knocked off the No. 54 player in the nation, Logan Smith of USC, in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-2. Kilani suffered his first loss in the second round of the Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championship, against the No. 43 ranked player, N. C. State's Alexis Galarneau, 6-2 and 6-2. Kilani bounced back at the ITA Central Regionals, where he started off with a victory over Minnesota's Justyn Levin in three sets (6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-2). In the second round of regionals, Kilani defeated North Dakota's Lukas Buth in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-2. In the round of 16, Kilani faced the No. 1 seed and No. 18 ranked player in the country, Julian Cash from OSU. After Cash took the first set, 6-1, Kilani responded with back-to-back set wins, 7-5 and 6-3, to advance to the round of eight. Kilani then knocked off Oscar Mesquida of Arkansas, 6-4 and 6-2, to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, Kilani defeated Oklahoma's Alexander Bakshi, 6-3 and 6-4. Kilani suffered his second loss in the semifinals of the ITA Central Regionals against Nebraska's Toby Boyer, 7-6 (4) and 7-6 (4).
Freshman Joshua Goodger is currently No. 82 and has posted a 9-3 singles record. He opened the season winning his flight of the Drake Invite by winning four matches. In the opening round, he defeated Coe's Brady Anderson, 6-0 and 6-2. In the second round, Goodger knocked off Nebraska's Abdoul Ouattara in three sets (4-6, 6-4, 10-4). In the semifinals of the Drake Invite, Goodger defeated Nathan Reekie of Nebraska in three sets (2-6, 6-3, 10-2). In the championship match Goodger swept Drake's Tom Hands, 6-3 and 6-4. At the Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championship, Goodger qualified for the Main Draw after he won three qualifying matches. In the qualifying draw, Goodger defeated Wake Forest's Alan Gadjiev in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-2. Goodger then defeated the No. 57 nationally ranked John McNally of Ohio State in straight sets, 6-3 and 7-6. In his final match of the Qualifying Draw, Goodger knocked off Wichita State's Haru Inoue in straight sets, 7-6 and 6-1. In the first round of the Main Draw of the Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championship, Goodger was defeated by Tennessee Tech's Edu Mena, who is currently ranked No. 28, in straight sets, 6-0 and 7-6 (7-4). In a consolation match, No. 94 Robert Kelly of North Carolina knocked off Goodger in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-4. At the ITA Central Regionals, Goodger defeated Scott Hjelm of ORU in straight sets, 6-1 and 6-1. In the second round of the ITA Regionals, Goodger defeated Nebraska's William Grattan Smith, 6-2 and 6-3. Goodger's final match was against No. 73 Matic Spec. Spec defeated Goodger, 6-4 and 6-4.
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