Georgia Tech’s Nathan Rakitt Falls Short in BB&T Atlanta Open Qualifier

Georgia Tech’s Nathan Rakitt, who received a wild card into the BB&T Atlanta Open qualifier, fell short losing to Michael Shabaz 6-1, 6-2 Saturday.

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Rakitt, who is a junior out of Marietta, Georgia, became the fourth straight Yellow Jackets’ tennis player to compete in a U.S. Open Series event in as many years. He earned All-ACC honors last spring and has a 41-34 career singles record with the Yellow Jackets including rattling off 22 wins as a freshman in 2012-13. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) had Rakitt ranked No. 115th nationally this past spring.

Another Tech All- American, Juan Spir , is competing in the BB&T Atlanta Open in the doubles draw with fellow Columbian countryman Alejandro Gonzalez. Spir is the All-Time Georgia Tech leader in doubles wins with 103.

Spir won a couple of doubles titles with former teammate Kevin King and last year the pair played in this very event together.

Also in tennis news: Incoming Georgia Tech freshman Elijah Melendez from Suwanee, Ga won a ITA Summer Circuit doubles title last weekend with his teammate Andy Martinez who is from Atlanta. Melendez and Martinez defeated Daniel Bednarcyzk and Michael Sellito from Indiana in a match tiebreaker 8-7.

Elijah Melendez; who is ranked a four-star player by the Tennis Recruiting Network, joins Tech teammate to be, Cole Fiegel as a champion in the ITA circuit this summer. Fiegel won a singles championship last weekend in Tallahassee, Fla.

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