By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Despite a fast start, the Tennessee Tech tennis team began its weekend road swing in Alabama with a 5-2 loss at Samford Friday afternoon.
The Golden Eagles (4-9) clinched the doubles point with wins in all three bouts, but were unable to find much singles success with just one victory in the six clashes.
Carlos Vicente and Gonzalo Garcia helped pave the way at the top of the doubles lineup with a 6-2 nod over Sami Kirberg and Jack Lyttle. Fanis Kontopoulos and Lucca Silva mirrored Vicente and Garcia's showing with a 6-2 win against Rossouw Norval and Daniel Orlita out of the No. 2 position, while Wenceslao Albin and Riku Kubota rounded out Tech's unblemished trio performance in doubles play with a 7-5 win over Max Rebol and Aleksandar Petrovic in the No. 3 slot.
Kubota would go on to provide the Golden Eagles with their lone singles win, coming back from an early deficit with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory against Jack Lyttle in the No. 6 slot.
The Bulldogs (6-6) collected the other five singles points, needing only two sets in three of the bouts. Daniel Orlita defeated Elias Grubert, 7-5, 7-6, in the No. 2 matchup, while Sami Kirbeg picked up a 6-3, 7-5 nod against Gonzalo Garcia in the No. 3 meeting and Max Rebol registered a 6-3, 6-3 win over Wenceslao Albin in the No. 5 get together.
The other two Samford points were three-set victories with a Rossouw Norval 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 triumph against Rafael Tosetto in the top spot and an Aleksandar Petrovic 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 win over Carlos Vicente in the No. 4 battle.
Tech will continue its stay in Alabama with a Saturday match at UAB. The contest is slated to begin at 1 p.m. CT.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
