By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
April 22, 2018
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Before the match began at Centennial Sportsplex, Belmont looked confident. After all they had beaten the Tennessee Tech men's tennis team 5-2 just a week earlier to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
However, the Golden Eagles weren't fazed. After all, the tournament championship was a familiar spot for them, having won the previous two and eight all time.
So when Tech earned a 4-3 victory, going all the way down to the final pairing and freshman Riku Kubota, the Golden Eagles may not have won it decisively, but they certainly earned it.
Kubota, facing the Bruins' Stephen Goldman, was all that was left between the two teams and the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was a nailbiter all the way, with the contest even at three and each competitor with a set win. But the Tech freshman rifled off victories to earn the final three games for a 6-3 win in the third and final set.
As that final point fell, Kubota's teammates ran to him and formed an impromptu dogpile.
But to just sum up the championship as the one pairing would be a disservice to what was a tremendous match for the Golden Eagles.
Tech opened up the conference finale by winning the singles point as Arthur Justo and Marc Mila knocked off Hendrik Inno and Marko Ilic 6-3, then Eduardo Mena and partner Gonzalo Garcia took a 6-4 win over Vincent Sterkens and David Faulkner. The Bruins (14-11) won the middle doubles grouping as Goldman and Zak Khan beat Wenceslao Albin and Kubota 6-2.
As singles play began, the Golden Eagles started strong as Jorge Alfonzo topped Khan in identical 6-2 sets to take a 2-0 lead, but Belmont evened the match as Illic beat Albin 6-2, 7-5, then Sterkens won 6-4, 6-2 over Mila.
The previous week, Inno, selected as the OVC's Player of the Year, breaking Mena's two-year string of winning the award, defeated Mena 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 – only the second time the Tech senior had lost in conference play.
Mena took the defeat to heart and was determined not to fail this time. It was a battle in the first set, Inno emerging victorious 7-6. But Mena dominated the final two sets, winning 6-3 and 6-0 in the decider to put Tech back up 3-2.
Belmont collected a point as Jake Briggs topped Gonzalo Garcia 6-2, 6-2, knotting the championship at three points each, leaving Kubota v. Goldman to decide the victor.
With their third-straight and ninth-overall OVC Championship in tow, the Golden Eagles (10-11) await the NCAA selection show to reveal their next stop.
Photo | Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
