NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Tech men's tennis team may have come home with a loss Saturday in the season opener against Vanderbilt, but the 39th ranked Commodores were kept on there toes every step of the way as the Golden Eagles battled out each match.
Tech fell 7-0 to Vanderbilt in the first dual match of the spring season. The match was played at Vanderbilt's indoor tennis center.
"It was our first match, and it was a tough one," junior, Justin Kirstein said. "It helped us to get out some nerves for the rest of the season, though."
Kirstein (in photo) teamed with Alex Chen in doubles play at the start of the match, and the duo fell, 8-1, in the No. 3 position. At No. 1, Josh Girling andVasily Eremeev, a new addition to the team, fell 8-4, while and Lloyd Harris and James Crawford took an 8-2 loss in the No. 2 doubles.
"They just outplayed us in doubles," Harris said.
The pace picked up in the singles with Chen at No. 2, Eremeev at No. 3 and Kirstein at No. 4 all in tight first sets.
After battling out a long first set, Eremeev fell 7-6, 6-1 to Junior, Charlie Jones from Vanderbilt.
Kirstein met up with an opponent he saw at the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships in the fall, where he fell 6-4 in the third, with opportunities in the match.
"He played a little bit better this time," Kirstein said after falling 6-3, 6-3 to Vanderbilt's Blake Bazarnik. "I fought to the end but it came down to the important points where he just played bigger and better."
Chen's match againt senior Adam Baker was a fight until the very end. In the first set, Chen had the advantage at 5-4 but dropped the set, 7-5. Chen took the momentum in the second set though, capturing the set at 6-4. In a third set, 10-point tiebreaker, Chen lost the match, 10-4.
Girling, who played the No. 1 position for Tech, lost to Ryan Lipman, 6-1, 6-3. Another new addition for Tech, Murilo DeOlivieria lost 6-1, 6-2, and Crawford fell 6-3, 6-4 in the sixth position.
The Golden Eagles will be back in Nashville tomorrow at noon for their second dual match against Middle Tennessee. The match will be played at Middle Tennessee's indoor court facility, the Nashboro Village.
Vanderbilt University Tennis
Tennessee Tech vs Vanderbilt (Jan 22, 2011)
#39 Vanderbilt 7, Tennessee Tech 0
Jan 22, 2011 at Nashville, Tenn. (Currey Tennis Center (Indoor))
| Singles competition |
| 1. #43 LIPMAN,Ryan (VANDY) def. GIRLING, Josh (TTU) 6-1, 6-3 |
| 2. Baker, Adam (VANDY) def. CHEN, Alex (TTU) 7-5, 4-6, 10-4 |
| 3. JONES,Charlie (VANDY) def. EREMEEV, Vasily (TTU) 7-6, 6-1 |
| 4. BAZARNIK,Blake (VANDY) def. KIRSTEIN, Justin (TTU) 6-3, 6-3 |
| 5. SALCEDO,Bryant (VANDY) def. OLIVIERA, Murilo (TTU) 6-1, 6-2 |
| 6. ZOTOV,Alex (VANDY) def. CRAWFORD, James (TTU) 6-4, 6-3 |
| Doubles competition |
| 1. LIPMAN,Ryan/BAKER, Adam (VANDY) def. EREMEEV, Vasily/GIRLING, Josh (TTU) 8-4 |
| 2. JONES,Charlie/ZOTOV,Alex (VANDY) def. HARRIS, Lloyd/CRAWFORD, James (TTU) 8-2 |
| 3. SALCEDO,Bryant/DiVALERIO, Alex (VANDY) def. CHEN, Alex/KIRSTEIN, Justin (TTU) 8-1 |
