COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee Tech got victories from the top
two and bottom two spots in the singles lineup to clinch a 5-2 Ohio
Valley Conference victory Saturday afternoon over visiting Murray
State.
The Golden Eagles improved to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in OVC
matches.
After beginning the match with doubles play indoors, Tech was able
to claim the point with wins at No. 1 and No. 3.
Josh Girling and Nick Stafford earned an 8-3 win over Ben Clos and
Jorge Caetano at the top spot. At No. 3, Oscar Pachon and Arturo
Santa Ruiz posted an 8-4 win. In between, Murray's No. 2 tandem of
Luka Milicevic and Renaldo Domoney took a 9-8 win from Alex Chen
and Lloyd Harris.
Two of Tech's singles wins came in straight sets, putting the
Golden Eagles ahead by a 3-0 count and needing just one more win to
clinch the match. Chen rolled to a 6-3, 6-3 at No. 1 over Clos, and
down at No. 5, Santa Ruiz posted a 6-4, 6-0 win over Semensin.
Two of the other four matches went three sets, while two were
determined with a tie-breaker.
At No. 2, Girling handed the Golden Eagles the win with a 4-6,
6-3, 6-2 win over Caetano. The No. 3 spot went to Milicevic, who
beat Stafford, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The remaining matches on the court were determined by a tie-break
after the players had split their first two sets. At No. 4, Domoney
edged Kirstein, 5-7, 6-4, 10-8. The last match off the courts went
to Pachon at No. 6, 5-7, 6-0, 10-8.
Coach Kenny Doyle's team plays at Morehead State Tuesday, then
hosts Tennessee State Friday afternoon.
Tennessee Tech 5, Murray State 2
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Tech Campus Courts/Cookeville, Tenn.
Singles
No. 1 – Alex Chen (TTU) def. Ben Clos, 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 – Josh Girling (TTU) def. Jorge Caetano, 4-6, 6-3,
6-2
No. 3 – Luka Milicevic (MUR) def. Nick Stafford, 4-6, 6-4,
6-4
No. 4 – Renaldo Domoney (MUR) def. Justin Kirstein, 5-7 6-4,
10-8
No. 5 – Arturo Santa Ruiz (TTU) def. Jadir Semensin, 6-4,
6-0
No. 6 – Oscar Pachon (TTU) def. Jose Berardo, 5-7, 6-0,
10-8
Doubles
No. 1 – Girling/Stafford (TTU) def. Clos/Caetano, 8-3
No. 2 – Milicevic/Domoney (MUR) def. Chen/Lloyd Harris,
9-8
No. 3 – Pachon/Santa Ruiz (TTU) def. Mason Johnson/Semensin,
8-4
Records
Tennessee Tech 7-4/4-1 OVC
Murray State 1-4/0-1 OVC