Tennis streak stretches to 12 as Tech tops Eastern Kentucky, 4-3
RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Tennessee Tech tennis team pulled out a 4-3 victory Saturday at Eastern Kentucky, improving to 4-0 in Ohio Valley Conference action this year and running its regular season OVC winning streak to 12 straight.
RICHMOND, Ky. -- The Tennessee Tech tennis team pulled out a 4-3
victory Saturday at Eastern Kentucky, improving to 4-0 in Ohio
Valley Conference action this year and running its regular season
OVC winning streak to 12 straight. Tech is now tied for first place
in the OVC with Austin Peay.
As they have done in every OVC match, the Golden Eagles claimed
the doubles point for a 1-0 lead that would prove to be crucial to
winning the match.
Syrym Abdukhalikov and Alejandro Augusto dispatched Alex Alvaro
and Daridge Saidi, 8-3, on the No. 1 court to start things. The
pair is 4-0 in OVC matches.
Shortly after, Vasily Eremeev and Artem Tarasov also moved to 4-0
in OVC matches with an 8-2 win over Juanjo De La Llera and Maio
Joao, in the No. 2 spot.
With the doubles point already decided, the No. 3 match went
unfinished.
Unlike Friday, when Abdukhalikov was the last one off the courts
with a match-clinching win at Morehead State, the Golden Eagle
senior got things done quickly in sinlges play. He improved to 9-2
in dual matches and 4-0 in the OVC with a 6-4, 6-2, straight-set
win over Saidi.
EKU tied the match by grabbing the next two points. At No. 3, De
La Llera downed Tarasov, 6-3, 6-2, and down at No. 6, Florian
Graskamp notched a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Othon Lima.
Eremeev was the next player off the courts, bumping Tech to a 3-2
lead in the match with a three-set, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory at No. 4.
He improved his record to 3-0 in OVC singles action.
Augusto, last year's OVC Freshman of the Year, battled through
three sets to win the deciding point. He defeated Alvaro, 7-6, 2-6,
6-1, at No. 2, as the Golden Eagles built a 4-2 lead.
Maio and Arturo Santa Ruiz fought through a marathon contest at
No. 5, before EKU earned the point in a tie-breaker, 6-4, 6-7,
10-8.
The Golden Eagles are home for their next three matches, including
a contest that was rescheduled from earlier this year. On
Wednesday, the Golden Eagles welcome Jacksonville State for a 1
p.m. match that had to be moved due to cold weather two weeks ago.
On Saturday, Tech will host SIU Edwardsville at noon, and Sunday
it's Eastern Illinois, also at noon.
Admission is free for all of Tech's home matches.
Tennessee Tech 4, Eastern Kentucky
3 03/30/13 at Richmond, Ky.
(Coach Tom Higgins Tennis Courts)
Doubles competition
1. Syrym Abdukhalikov/Alejandro Augusto (TTU) def. ALVARO,
Alex/SAIDI, Daridge (EKU) 8-3
2. Vasily Eremeev/Artem Tarasov (TTU) def. DE LA LLERA,
Juanjo/Joao Maio (EKU) 8-2
3. DOMBROWSKI, Jan/SMETS, Lucas (EKU) vs. Alvaro Cintas/Othon Lima
(TTU) 7-3, unfinished
Singles competition
1. Syrym Abdukhalikov (TTU) def. SAIDI, Daridge (EKU) 6-4, 6-2
2. Alejandro Augusto (TTU) def. ALVARO, Alex (EKU) 7-6, 2-6,
6-1
3. DE LA LLERA, Juanjo (EKU) def. Artem Tarasov (TTU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Vasily Eremeev (TTU) def. SMETS, Lucas (EKU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
5. Joao Maio (EKU) def. Arturo Santa Ruiz (TTU) 6-4, 6-7, 10-8
6. Florian Graskamp (EKU) def. Othon Lima (TTU) 6-0, 7-5
Match Notes: Eastern Kentucky (9-12, 4-2);
Tennessee Tech (4-9, 4-0)
Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 2); Singles (1, 3,
6, 4, 2*, 5)
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