COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- The tough early-season non-conference
schedule didn't help the Tennessee Tech tennis team in builing up
an impressive record, but it did the job of helping the Golden
Eagles prepare for Ohio Valley Conference play.
On Sunday, Tech completed a sweep of its OVC weekend matches,
downing Morehead State, 5-2, to remain unbeaten in the league at
2-0. On Saturday, Tech stunned preseason favorite Eastern Kentucky,
4-2. With Sunday's victory, coach Kenny Doyle's team has now won
three matches in a row and improved to 4-7 overall.
Tech captured the doubles point, then took three of the first four
singles events to be completed with junior Syrym Abduhkhalikov [in
photo at right] clinching the winner with a straight set victory at
the No. 1 position.
The Golden Eagles face three more OVC matches this week, beginning
Wednesday when Murray State visits the Tech campus for a 12 p.m.
contest. Tech will play at Tennessee State Saturday and
Jacksonville State Sunday.
Artem Tarsov and Vasily Eremeev
got Tech rolling against Morehead State with an 8-2 win in their
No. 2 doubles match, topping Justin Harlow and David Clifford. The
Golden Eagles clinched the doubles mark shortly afterward when Alejandro
Augusto and Justin Kirstein
wrapped up an 8-4 win over Nathan Martin and Nathan Blum at the No.
3 spot.
Morehead's pairing of Seve Day and Kevin Deligny took an early
lead in the No. 1 doubles match, but saw it evaporate behind
determined play from Abduhkalikov and Alex Chen. The MSU duo
held on for a 9-8 (7) victory.
Augusto was the first man off the courts in singles play, sweeping
to a quick, 6-1, 6-1 win over Deligny at No. 3, while Chen was
close behind with a 6-1, 6-2 victory at No. 2 over Clifford. It
gave Tech a 3-0 lead in the match.
Day gave the visiting Eagles a ray of hope with a 6-3, 6-2 win
over Tarasov at No. 4, but Abduhkalikov put away any doubts with a
straight set, 6-4, 6-1 win over Harlow in the No. 1 position.
Kirstein battled back after dropping the first set to gain a 4-6,
6-1, 6-1 win over Martin at No. 5 singles, before Roger White
finished the action with 6-4, 4-6 (10-8) decision against Eremeev
at No. 6.
Tech improved to 37-11 in the all-time series with Morehead State, including a 28-3 record over the Eagles since 1986.