By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Kentucky made things interesting Saturday in Cookeville, and the match between the two teams picked to battle for first place in the Ohio Valley Conference hung in the balance late in the afternoon.
But Tennessee Tech, unbeaten at home this season and perfect in OVC play, emerged with victories in the final two singles matches of the contest to claim a 5-2 victory over the Colonels.
After Tech rolled out to a 3-0 lead, the Colonels posted a couple of wins to make it a 3-2 contest.
That's when Jorge Alfonzo clinched the victory by walking off the court in the No. 5 match with a straight set, 6-4, 6-2 victory with a 4-2 lead. Moments later, Marcos Bernardes finished off a three-set comeback win over Sebastian Mueller, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, for the final margin.
The win was Tech's 13th consecutive OVC regular season match, including eight last year and all five this season. Tech improved to 4-0 at home this season and 9-6 overall. EKU, which came into the contest with a three-match OVC win streak, saw its record slip to 15-11 and 4-2 in league matches.
The Golden Eagles swept the doubles point, getting wins at No. 2 and No. 3 for a 1-0 match lead. Eduardo Mena and Bernardes posted a 6-3 win over Ramon Von Flymen and Indra Patwardhan at No. 2, and Alfonzo teamed with Guillermo Nicolas for a 6-2 win over Diego Asis and Guillem Sanchis at No. 3.
Mena made quick work of his No. 1 singles match, downing Von Flymen, 6-3, 6-3, and Nicolas did the same at No. 3 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Guillem Sanchis.
That's when things became interesting as EKU captured the next two points. At No. 5, Diogo Soares earned a 6-4, 6-2 win over Carlos Tajes, and in the No. 2 spot, Alex Alvaro claimed a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Alberto Esteban.
That set the stage for Alfonzo's clincher and some icing on the cake by Bernardes.
The Golden Eagles hit the road for their next two matches, visiting SIUE on Friday and Eastern Illinois Saturday.
Tennessee Tech 5, Eastern Kentucky 2
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Cookeville, Tenn.
DOUBLES
No. 1 – Alex Arovin/Alberto Esteban (TTU) vs. Sebastian Mueller/Alex Alvaro (EKU), 6-5, unfinished
No. 2 – Eduardo Mena/Marcus Bernardes (TTU) def. Ramon Von Flymen/Indra Patwardhan (EKU), 6-3
No. 3 – Jorge Alfonzo/Guillermo Nicolas (TTU) def. Diego Asis/Guillem Sanchis (EKU), 6-2
SINGLES
No. 1 – Eduardo Mena (TTU) def. Ramon Von Flymen (EKU), 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 – Alex Alvaro (EKU) def. Alberto Esteban (TTU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 3 – Gillermo Nicolas (TTU) def. Guillem Sanchis (EKU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 4 – Marcos Bernardes (TTU) def. Sebastian Mueller (EKU), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
No. 5 – Diogo Soares (EKU) def. Carlos Tajes (TTU), 6-4, 6-2
No. 6 – Jorge Alfonzo (TTU) def. Florian Graskamp. 6-4, 7-5
Records:
Tech (9-6, 5-0 OVC)
Eastern Kentucky (15-11/4-2 OVC)
Order of Finish:
Doubles (2, *3)
Singles (1,3,5,2,*6,4)
Notes:
Loss snaps three-match win streak for EKU
Tech wins 13th consecutive OVC regular season match, including eight last season
Tech now 4-0 at home in 2016
