N.C. Wesleyan senior Jhonny Acosta grabbed the attention of the college tennis scene over the weekend.
Acosta, from Paraguay, was named an NCAA Division III All-American after his championship performance at the ITA Fall South Regional tournament in Rome, Ga. Acosta won six consecutive singles matches without dropping a set to win the tournament title.
Acosta capped his performance with a straight-set, 6-2, 7-6, victory on Sunday against Methodist College’s Jordan Theron, who was the top seed in the tournament.
Acosta was serving with match point at stake, and entered into a long volley with Theron. After returning several balls with his backhand, Acosta was able to move his opponent around with his forehand.
The Bishops’ top player won after Theron couldn’t keep Acosta’s final forehand smash inbounds.
Acosta will return to Rome Oct. 14-17 after his title earned him a spot in the ITA Cup, where he will compete against the top tennis players across all NCAA divisions. His win was a shining moment for the Bishops program, as 13 of the previous 14 winners had been a player from Emory University.
“Jhonny Acosta’s performance to become the 2021 ITA South Regional Champion was the toughest performance I have ever witnessed by a NC Wesleyan player,” Bishops head coach Albie Brice said in a release. “En route to the championship, Jhonny fully embodied the spirit of a Battling Bishop and claimed victory in the trenches of a very elite field.
“Jhonny has now set a competitive standard for his teammates and all future Battling Bishops tennis players.”
Acsota opened the tournament on Friday with a 6-3, 6-1 win. He then won his second match of the day, 6-0, 6-2, to advance to Saturday’s third round. The senior then picked up two more straight-set wins on Saturday, including a quarterfinals win over a player from Emory.
He added another win on Sunday morning as he defeated Emory’s No. 2 in straight sets, before claiming the title over Theron, a USA South Conference rival.
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