ROCK HILL, S.C. --  The Tennessee Tech tennis team did all it could to prevent Winthrop from having a successful home opener Sunday afternoon, but the host Eagles earned a 5-2 victory over the visiting Golden Eagles at Memorial Courts. 

In the doubles round, Winthrop freshmen Steven Patrick and Juan Pablo Boada took care of business with a quick 8-2 victory at the No. 3 spot over Golden Eagle freshmen Alvaro Cintas and Othon Lima. Vasily Eremeev and Artem Tarasov salvaged a win for the Golden Eagles in the No. 2 position, 8-7, over Dylan Comerford and Corey Decandia.

The deciding doubles point came down to the close battle on the No. 1 court, where Syrym Abdukhalikov and Alejandro Augusto put up a tremendous fight. However, Wintrhop's Peter Nagovnak and Yuta Hirokawa clinched the point with an 8-7 victory.

The Golden Eagles captured wins in the two top singles positions. Abdukhalikov remained unbeaten in spring play at 4-0 with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Comerford in the No. 1 spot, while Augusto outlasted Nagovnak, 7-5, 6-4, in the No. 2 contes. 

At positions three through six, Winthrop was able to post straight set victories to win the match.

Tennessee Tech vs Winthrop University
Sep 24, 2004 at Winthrop University
(Winthrop Memorial Courts)

Winthrop University 5, Tennessee Tech 2
Singles competition
1. Syrym Abdukhalikov (TTU) def. COMERFORD, Dylan (WUMT) 6-4, 7-5
2. Alejandro Augusto (TTU) def. NAGOVNAK, Peter (WUMT) 7-5, 6-4
3. HIROKAWA, Yuta (WUMT) def. Vasily Eremeev (TTU) 6-1, 6-1
4. BOADA, Juan (WUMT) def. Artem Tarasov (TTU) 6-1, 6-0
5. DECANDIA, Corey (WUMT) def. Alvaro Cintas (VIS) 6-2, 6-0
6. CHEN, Michael (WUMT) def. Othon Lima (TTU) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. HIROKAWA, Yuta/NAGOVNAK, Peter (WUMT) def. Syrym Abdukhalikov/Alejandro Augusto (TTU) 8-7
2. Vasily Eremeev/Artem Tarasov (TTU) def. COMERFORD, Dylan/DECANDIA, Corey (WUMT) 8-7
3. BOADA, Juan/PATRICK, Steven (WUMT) def. Alvaro Cintas/Othon Lima (TTU) 8-2

Match Notes:
Tennessee Tech 0-6
Winthrop University 2-2
Official: 2 T-4 hours