University of Georgia Athletics
Mahjoob, Perez Peña Earn Spots in Semifinals at ITA Southeast Regional
October 15, 2023 | Men's Tennis
ATLANTA — Freshman Cyrus Mahjoob and junior Miguel Perez Peña of the Georgia men's tennis team continued their successes at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southeast Regional Championships on Sunday morning. The Bulldogs each won their respective singles main draw quarterfinal matches at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex and will now face off in the semifinal round.
"Today was an incredible effort by both Cyrus and Miguel," head coach Manuel Diaz said. "What really showed through in their matches were their discipline and strength. Both players were extremely tough today against very good opponents. I think this team is starting to really acquire a sense of belief and identity that we've always had as a program. Even though this team has so many newcomers, they have really come together and are pointed in the right direction. That's what makes us coaches very happy about this group."
With one of Mahjoob and Perez Peña set to earn a spot in the singles finals, Georgia is guaranteed to be represented at the ITA National Fall Championships in San Diego on Nov. 1-5. The event is considered one of the premier fall tournaments in college tennis. The field of 32 is comprised of the two ITA Regional Championship finalists from each of the 12 regions, two ITA wild cards, an ITA Cup wild card, a Milwaukee Tennis Classic wild card and the four ITA All-American semifinalists.
Perez Peña moved to 9-2 on the year with a dominant win over Richard Biagiotti (Georgia Tech). The Castellon de la Plana, Spain native earned his third straight-set victory of the season by a 6-3, 6-3 score. Perez Peña now moves into his second-straight tournament semifinal against a Bulldog, previously beating teammate Niels Ratiu in the red draw semifinals at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships on Sept. 30.
Fifth-seeded Jeremy Jin (Florida) started in control of the quarterfinal match against Mahjoob, taking the first set 6-1. Despite falling behind a break in the second set, Mahjoob stayed composed and managed to win the final five of six games in the set to force a third.
"Coach Hunt was with Cyrus during his match and did an incredible job helping him make changes," said Diaz. "Cyrus was down both a set and 4-2 in the second. He really had to make significant adjustments. He trusted Coach Hunt and executed to perfection."
Mahjoob took control in the third set and eventually won the match 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 over [5] Jin. This marks the third three-setter in his first collegiate season, winning all three matches. Mahjoob now stands with an 8-3 singles record. Monday's match against [9] Perez Peña will be the second straight tournament semifinal for Mahjoob, where he fell in the black draw semifinals at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships also on Sept. 30 to Maxwell Smith (Clemson).
Action at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships will conclude on Monday morning beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The singles semifinals between Mahjoob and Perez Peña will begin at 10 a.m., with the winner moving on to the finals at 1 p.m.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Instagram and X @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and the web at GeorgiaDogs.com.
Singles Results – Day Four
Singles Main Draw
Quarterfinals
Cyrus Mahjoob (UGA) def. [5] Jeremy Jin (UF) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
[9] Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) def. Richard Biagiotti (GT) 6-3, 6-3
"Today was an incredible effort by both Cyrus and Miguel," head coach Manuel Diaz said. "What really showed through in their matches were their discipline and strength. Both players were extremely tough today against very good opponents. I think this team is starting to really acquire a sense of belief and identity that we've always had as a program. Even though this team has so many newcomers, they have really come together and are pointed in the right direction. That's what makes us coaches very happy about this group."
With one of Mahjoob and Perez Peña set to earn a spot in the singles finals, Georgia is guaranteed to be represented at the ITA National Fall Championships in San Diego on Nov. 1-5. The event is considered one of the premier fall tournaments in college tennis. The field of 32 is comprised of the two ITA Regional Championship finalists from each of the 12 regions, two ITA wild cards, an ITA Cup wild card, a Milwaukee Tennis Classic wild card and the four ITA All-American semifinalists.
Perez Peña moved to 9-2 on the year with a dominant win over Richard Biagiotti (Georgia Tech). The Castellon de la Plana, Spain native earned his third straight-set victory of the season by a 6-3, 6-3 score. Perez Peña now moves into his second-straight tournament semifinal against a Bulldog, previously beating teammate Niels Ratiu in the red draw semifinals at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships on Sept. 30.
Fifth-seeded Jeremy Jin (Florida) started in control of the quarterfinal match against Mahjoob, taking the first set 6-1. Despite falling behind a break in the second set, Mahjoob stayed composed and managed to win the final five of six games in the set to force a third.
"Coach Hunt was with Cyrus during his match and did an incredible job helping him make changes," said Diaz. "Cyrus was down both a set and 4-2 in the second. He really had to make significant adjustments. He trusted Coach Hunt and executed to perfection."
Mahjoob took control in the third set and eventually won the match 1-6, 7-5, 6-1 over [5] Jin. This marks the third three-setter in his first collegiate season, winning all three matches. Mahjoob now stands with an 8-3 singles record. Monday's match against [9] Perez Peña will be the second straight tournament semifinal for Mahjoob, where he fell in the black draw semifinals at the Southern Intercollegiate Championships also on Sept. 30 to Maxwell Smith (Clemson).
Action at the ITA Southeast Regional Championships will conclude on Monday morning beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The singles semifinals between Mahjoob and Perez Peña will begin at 10 a.m., with the winner moving on to the finals at 1 p.m.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Bulldogs by following UGA Men's Tennis on social media on Instagram and X @UGATennis, on Facebook @UGAMensTennis, and the web at GeorgiaDogs.com.
Singles Results – Day Four
Singles Main Draw
Quarterfinals
Cyrus Mahjoob (UGA) def. [5] Jeremy Jin (UF) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
[9] Miguel Perez Peña (UGA) def. Richard Biagiotti (GT) 6-3, 6-3
Players Mentioned
Georgia Men's Tennis NCAA Round 2 vs NC State - Postmatch Interview - Coach Hunt
Sunday, May 04
Georgia Men's Tennis NCAA Round 1 vs UNCW - Video Recap
Saturday, May 03
Georgia Men's Tennis SEC Tournament vs Oklahoma Post-match Interview - Coach Hunt
Thursday, April 17
Georgia Men's Tennis Feature - Lifelong Bond: Miguel Perez Peña and Oscar Pinto Sansano
Tuesday, April 15