The SIU men’s tennis team proved itself at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Regional in Norman, Okla., this weekend.

Junior Jonny Rigby was the only Saluki to start in the main singles draw. He defeated Nebraska junior Bradford Zitsch in the first round before he lost to Oklahoma senior Nick Papach.

Four of the five Salukis who competed in the qualifying draw also advanced to the quarterfinals. Senior Szymon Opieczonek and sophomore Michal Kianicka received first-round byes in the qualifying round.

Opieczonek defeated SIU-Edwardsville junior Jacob Perkins in the second round.

Kianicka defeated University of Missouri-Kansas City sophomore Mike Psarros in the second round to advance to the main draw.

Freshman Alex Pozo defeated freshman Ignace Warson of University of Nebraska-Omaha in the first round and freshman Alex Koca of Creighton in the second.

Freshman Daniel Martinez defeated junior Braxton Bates of Oral Roberts University in the first round and senior Gary Notkin of South Dakota State in the second.

In his first collegiate singles match, freshman Aiden Saggers defeated Oklahoma sophomore Sam Grey in the first round before he lost to freshman Alejandro Capdequi of Oral Roberts.

In doubles, Martinez and Saggers dropped their first round match to Notkin and junior Mateus Moreira of South Dakota State. Opieczonek and Pozo fell to junior Santiago Munoz and freshman Branch Terrell of Arkansas in their first match.

Rigby and Kianicka defeated sophomore Lucas Gerch and senior Nicolai Ferrigno of Oklahoma State in the first round and senior Jovan Parlic and freshman David Herrerias of Arkansas in the second. The Salukis’ top doubles team fell to freshman Linus Erhart and junior Scott Elsass of Nebraksa in the third round.

The Salukis’ next tournament is the SIU Classic at home against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 18.

Thomas can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @tdonleyde