HIXSON, Tenn. – By the time Alex Arovin was pushed to a third set Sunday afternoon, the match was resting on his shoulders.
The all-OVC slammer didn't let the pressure affect him, using stinging serves and overpowering groundstrokes to earn a 6-2 victory in the deciding set and clinch the fourth point of the day for Tennessee Tech (1-2), giving the Golden Eagle tennis team an eventual 5-2 win at Chattanooga and the team's first dual match victory of the season.
Arovin (serving in photo above) had a perfect day in the Hixson Racquet Club, also teaming with Alberto Esteban to post a victory in the top doubles match, Tech's first win of the day. The pair defeated John Peacey and Lucas Plesky, 6-2. Moments later, Eduardo Mena and Alvaro Cintas combined to dispose of Luke Saunders and Nick Wingord by the same score on the No. 2 doubles court, giving the Golden Eagles the doubles point and a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Mocs (1-7) regrouped and raced to a strong start in singles action, putting up two wins in the first two matches to finish and taking a 2-1 lead in the match. At No. 5, Gino Delavalle tied the match for the Mocs with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Carlos Tejas, and in the No. 4 spot, Plesky followed with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Cintas to give the Mocs a 2-1 advantage.
Mena brought the Golden Eagles back to even with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Saunders in the No. 3 match, and Esteban claimed his second win of the day, posting a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Pavels Grigorjevs on the No. 2 court.
With Tech up by a 3-2 count in the match, Tech needed just one more win, but Chattanooga wouldn't go quietly.
On "center court" in the No. 1 battle. Arovin notched a 6-4 win in his first set with Wingord, but the Moc junior fought back to claim a 6-4 win in the second set.
Over on the No. 6 court, Othon Lima took a 7-5 win in his first set, but dropped a 7-6 (6) marathon to Derrick Brown.
That's when Arovin stepped forward and rolled to his 6-2 win to clinch his match, the point and win the day for coach Kenny Doyle's team.
With the match result determined, Lima and Brown played a one-set finale that went to Lima for the final point of the afternoon.
The win broke a three-year, three-match losing streak to Chattanooga by the Golden Eagles.
The Golden Eagles will spend the next few days preparing for a busy weekend. On Saturday, Tech will play back-to-back matches against the University of Tennessee, followed by a contest against UNC Asheville on Sunday.
Tennessee Tech 5, Chattanooga 2
Feb 08, 2015 at Chattanooga (Hixson Racquet Club)
Doubles Competition
1. Alex Arovin/Alberto Esteban (TTU) def. John Peacey/Lucas Plesky (UTC) 6-2
2. Eduardo Mena/Alvaro Cintas (TTU) def. Luke Saunders/Nick Wingord (UTC) 6-2
3. Pavels Grigorjevs/Derrick Brown (UTC) def. Artem Tarasov/Othan Lima (TTU) 6-0
Singles Competition
1. Alex Arovin (TTU) def. Nick Wingord (UTC) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
2. Alberto Esteban (TTU) def. Pavels Grigorjevs (UTC) 6-3, 6-4
3. Eduardo Mena (TTU) def. Luke Saunders (UTC) 6-4, 7-5
4. Lucas Plesky (UTC) def. Alvaro Cintas (TTU) 6-3, 6-4
5. Gino Delavalle (UTC) def. Carlos Tejas (TTU) 6-0, 6-1
6. Othan Lima (TTU) def. Derrick Brown (UTC) 7-5, 6-7 (6), 1-0
Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,4,3,2,1,6)
T-2:40 A-32
