PERKINSTON, Miss. - The 2025 Southern JUCO ITA Small College Regional Championship held September 24–27 at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, brought together the top junior college tennis talent from across the region. Among standout performances, Hinds Community College's Pablo de Haro Esteban emerged as the Singles A Draw champion after a series of impressive victories.

Seeded fourth out of 25 players, Esteban's journey to the title was anything but easy. In the Round of 16, he battled back from a set down to defeat Mississippi Gulf Coast's Ryland Buford, 2-6, 6-2, 10-5. He followed that with a hard-fought quarterfinal win over Jake Bucek of Copiah-Lincoln CC, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). The semifinal proved to be his most dominant performance, as he dismantled Carlos Diaz Sanchez of Northwest MS CC in straight sets, 6-1, 6-0.

The final was a true test of endurance and mental strength. Facing Badlwim Jared Escobar Cifuentes of Meridian CC, Esteban prevailed in a nearly three-hour thriller on Saturday afternoon, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-5.

With the win, Esteban earned an automatic berth to the 2025 ITA Cup, scheduled for October 16–19 at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Georgia. The ITA Cup is the only national championship event that brings together the top singles and doubles players from NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA, and JUCO levels. With limited draw sizes, the tournament showcases only the best from each region.

Colleges represented at this year's regional event included Copiah-Lincoln, East Central, Hinds, Holmes, Itawamba, Jones, Meridian, Mississippi Gulf Coast, Northwest MS, and Southwest MS.

Esteban now joins an elite national field, ready to compete for a JUCO national title in Rome next October.

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