FRESNO, Calif. – For the first time since 2015, an MSU Denver men's tennis player has made the semifinals of an ITA regional tournament.
 
Eighth-seeded Carlos Pinedo won twice Friday -- defeating Adam Large of Concordia-Irvine (Calif.) 7-6 (4), 6-1 and David Strassburger of Point Loma (Calif.) 6-4, 7-5 (5) – to reach the final four of the 64-team West Regional. The Roadrunners' last semifinalist in a regional was Joey Tscherne, at the 2015 South Central Regional.
 
"Carlos just keeps figuring out ways to win," MSU Denver coach Josh Graetz said. "I'm really not sure that he's even playing his best tennis yet, but he's figuring it out and getting it done. It's pretty awesome to watch."
 
Pinedo faces Sebastian Herrera of Biola (Calif.) in a Saturday semifinal.
 
He was nearly joined on the other side of the bracket by 11^th-seeded teammate Jeanloup Auzias, who beat Jan Simon of Concordia-Irvine in the round of 16 before losing to fifth-seeded Yassine Smiej, also from Concordia-Irvine 6-2, 6-0 in the quarters.
 
"I'm really proud of those of those guys," Graetz said. "Jeanloup has a really good win over a solid player and competed hard, had great energy. In his quarterfinal match he probably just ran out of steam a bit and his opponent is a really solid player."
 
Pinedo also advanced to the semifinals in doubles with teammate Andy Caruana before falling.
 
"Carlos was probably on-court for 6 ½ hours today," Graetz said.
 
Pinedo/Caruana defeated a Concordia-Irvine duo 8-4 before falling to a team from Azusa Pacific (Calif.) 8-4. Auzias and Billy McDermott also played in the doubles quarterfinals but lost 8-6 to another Azusa Pacific duo after falling behind 6-0 and fighting back for a 6-6 tie.
 
In the women's doubles bracket, Ava Neuburger-Higby and Isabel Heras reached the semifinals with an 8-3 win over a team from Azusa Pacific, but were knocked off 8-4 by an Academy of Art (Calif.) tandem.
 
Meanwhile, there is an MSU Denver player alive in three of the four singles brackets. Besides Pinedo in the men's winner's bracket, Caruana for the men and Neuburger-Higby for the women are still playing in the consolation brackets.
 
Caruana defeated Moises Cure of Colorado Mesa 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8) and Nabeel Khan of Point Loma 6-1, 6-4 to reach the consolation semifinals.
 
Neuburger-Higby is in the consolation final after sandwiching two wins by walkover around a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Maike Waldburger of Colorado Mesa.
 
Friday's results:
MEN'S SINGLES
Main Draw
Third Round (Round of 16)
(8) Carlos Pinedo def. Adam Large (Concordia-Irvine) 7-6 (4), 6-1
(11) Jeanloup Auzias def. Jan Simon (Concordia-Irvine) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (12-10)
Quarterfinals
(8) Carlos Pinedo def. David Strassburger (Point Loma) 6-4, 7-6 (5)
Yassine Smiej (Concordia-Irvine) def. (11) Jeanloup Auzias 6-2, 6-0
Consolation
Round of 16
Andy Caruana def. Moises Cure (Colorado Mesa) 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-8)
Quarterfinals
Andy Caruana def. Nabeel Khan (Point Loma) 6-1, 6-4
 
MEN'S DOUBLES
Main Draw
Quarterfinals
Bohlen/Velicki (Azusa Pacific) def. (8) McDermott/Auzias 8-6
Pinedo/Caruana def. Caddies/Smiej (Concordia-Irvine) 8-4
Semifinals
Nuno/Walter (Azusa Pacific) def. Pinedo/Caruana 8-4
 
WOMEN'S SINGLES
Consolation
Round of 16
Ava Neuburger-Higby def. Gaby Carvajal (Biola), walkover
Quarterfinals
Ava Neuburger-Higby def. Maike Waldburger (Colorado Mesa), 6-0, 6-2
Semifinals
Ava Neuburger-Higby def. Isabelle Coman (Colorado Mesa), walkover
 
WOMEN'S DOUBLES
Main Draw
Quarterfinals
(5) Neuburger-Higby/Heras def. Liga/Kane (Azusa Pacific) 8-3
Semifinals
Ragona/Shiac (Academy of Art) def. (5) Neuburger-Higby/Heras 8-4