Sept. 15, 2007

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - - Sophomore Spencer Heflin and freshman Michael Gaerthoeffner advanced to the Sunday semifinals at the Middle Tennessee Fall Invitational with wins on the first day of singles play, Saturday.

Heflin, a graduate of MUS in Memphis, won his opening match 6-2, 6-4 over Austin Peay's Leandro Tolosa-Zanklusen, then downed Morehead State's Dusan Milovanovic to advance to an 8:30 a.m. semifinal in Flight A2 singles, Sunday. Gaerthoeffner received a first round bye, then defeated Belmont's Ignacio Gesto, 6-0, 7-6 to pick up his first career singles win and to advance to a semifinal against Western Kentucky's Andy True.

Two other Tigers won their first matches of the day, as Benedikt Fischer defeated Belmont's Fausto Rocha, 6-1, 6-2, in A1 Singles, while Amrit Narasimhan defeated Mississippi State's Pjotrs Necajevs, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (5). Both players then dropped straight set decisions, as Fischer fell to Middle Tennessee's Joao Paoliello, 6-1, 6-3, while Narasimhan fell to Marc Rocafort, 6-1, 6-3, in the semifinal round.

Senior Jimmy Khougassian and sophomore Charlie Ramsay both battled, but dropped their opening day singles matches. Khougassian battled an injury, falling 6-1, 6-0 to Mississippi State's Ryan Farlow. Ramsay won his opening set 6-1, but then fell 6-2, 6-3 to Western Kentucky's Chad True.

The tournament will wrap up Sunday.