By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports
Information
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- There are two very good reasons why the
Tennessee men's tennis team is ranked sixth in the nation: The
volunteers are strong and they are deep.
Saturday morning, sixth-ranked Tennessee swept to wins in every
event at the Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center in handing Tennessee
Tech a 7-0 loss in the season-opening dual match for both
squads.
In doubles action, Golden Eagle pairs managed to win a point in
all three events before each duo fell, 6-1. The top-ranked doubles
pair in the nation, Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese tool the
measure of Vasily Eremeev
and Oleksiy
Arovin in the No. 1 match, and in the No. 2 spot, the Vols pair
of Jarryd Chapli and Brandon FIcke, ranked 28th nationally, downed
Artem
Tarasov and Alberto
Esteban. At No. 3, it was Andrew Dromsly and Markus Kerner
getting the win over Gagan Jain and Alvaro
Cintas.
Tennessee also has two singles players ranked among the tops in
the nation. In the No. 1 spot, 16th ranked Reese took a 6-0, 6-1
win over Ereemeev. Arovin put up a fight against Libietis, ranked
34th nationally, in the No. 2 singles spot before the host claimed
a 6-4, 6-2 victory.
Tech won points in every set the rest of the day. At No. 3, it was
Chaplin outlasting Esteban for a 6-2, 6-3 victory, while at No. 4,
Bartosz Sawicki earned a 6-4, 6-2 win over Jain. Dromsky managed a
6-2, 6-1 victory over Tarasov at the No. 5 position, while Kerner
downed Cintas, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 6.
The Golden Eagles were paying attention to Tennessee's
performance, and hope to use it a a springboard into their next
match. Coach Kenny Doyle's squad will play next Saturday (Jan. 25)
at Chattanooga at 6 p.m.
#6 Tennessee 7, Tennessee Tech 0
Singles competition
1. #16 Hunter Reese (UT) def. Vasily Eremeev (TTU) 6-0, 6-1
2. #34 Mikelis Libietis (UT) def. Oleksiy Arovin (TTU) 6-4,
6-2
3. Jarryd Chaplin (UT) def. Alberto Esteban (TTU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Bartosz Sawicki (UT) def. Gagan Jain (TTU) 6-4, 6-2
5. Andrew Dromsky (UT) def. Artem Tarasov (TTU) 6-2, 6-1
6. Markus Kerner (UT) def. Alvaro Cintas (TTU) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #1 Mikelis Libietis/Hunter Reese (UT) def. Vasily
Eremeev/Oleksiy Arovin (TTU) 6-1
2. #28 Jarryd Chaplin/Brandon Fickey (UT) def. Artem
Tarasov/Alberto Esteban (TTU) 6-1
3. Andrew Dromsky/Markus Kerner (UT) def. Gagan Jain/Alvaro Cintas
(TTU) 6-1
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles
(1,5,6,2,3,4)