By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Things never quite worked out Saturday for the Tennessee Tech tennis team, which dropped a 5-2 Ohio Valley Conference match at Eastern Illinois. The Golden Eagles (2-10/1-2 OVC) got wins in the two top singles positions, but that was all they could muster in falling to the host Panthers (5-5/2-1 OVC).
EIU took the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3, while the middle spot was tied at 7-7 when it was called off. At No. 1, the Panther pair of Kevin Bauman and Robert Skolik took the measure of Oleksiy Arovin and Alberto Esteban, 8-5, for the first win of the afternoon. Shortly afterward, Moritz Kandt and Grant Thompson defeated Gagan Jain and Alvaro Cintas, 8-5, at the No. 3 spot, and EIU held a 1-0 lead.
The lead went to 2-0 when Skolik finished off Vasily Eremeev in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, at the No. 4 position.
Arovin improved to 10-2 in dual matches and gave Tech some hope with an easy 6-1, 6-2 victory Kandt at the No. 1 position, making it a 2-1 Eastern Illinois lead.
That hope was erased quickly when EIU posted straight set wins in the bottom two rungs of the lineup ladder to clinch the match with a 4-1 lead. First, Bauman downed Gonzalo Munoz, 6-0, 6-2, at the No. 6 match, and Henderson followed with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Cintas on the No. 3 court.
Esteban continued his fight at No. 2 singles, eventually claiming a 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Thompson to make it 4-2. The final point went to EIU when RUi SIlva outlasted Jain at No. 5. After Jain took the tiebreaker in the first set, 7-6 (8), Silva took the next two sets, 6-3, 6-2.
Tech closes its road trip Sunday with a 10 a.m. match at SIU Edwardsville. Weather conditions may force the contest indoors. Live stats will be available here. On Saturday, SIUE lost a 4-0 match to Jacksonville State.
Eastern Illinois 5, Tennessee Tech 2
Singles
No. 1 - Oleksiy Arovin (TTU) def. Moritz Kandt, 6-1, 6-2
No. 2 - Alberto Esteban (TTU) def. Grant Thompson, 6-1, 2-6, 6-3
No. 3 - Ryan Henderson (EIU) def. Alvaro Cintas, 6-4, 6-4
No. 4 - Robert Skolik (EIU) def. Vasily Eremeev, 6-4, 6-0
No. 5 - Rui Silva (EIU) def. Gagan Jain, 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-2
No. 6 - Kevin Bauman (EIU) def. Gonzalo Munoz, 6-0, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 - Kevin Bauman/Robert Skolik (EIU) def. Oleksiy Arovin/Alberto Esteban, 8-5
No. 2 - Ryan Henderson/Rui Silva (EIU) vs. Artem Tarasov/Vasily Eremeev,unfinished (7-7)
No. 3 - Moritz Kandt/Grant Thompson (EIU) def. Gagan Jain/Alvaro Cintas, 8-5
Order of Finish:
Doubles - 1,3
Singles - 4,1,6,3,2,5
Records:
Tennessee Tech - 2-10/1-2 OVC
Eastern Illinois - 5-5/2-1 OVC