Men’s Tennis: Cajuns Sun Belt Champions

Men’s Tennis: Cajuns Sun Belt Champions

SUN BELT RELEASE

Mobile, Ala. – Another chapter in the rivalry between Middle Tennessee and Louisiana-Lafayette was written in Sunday’s championship match at the 2006 Sun Belt Men’s Tennis Championship.

In this year’s finale the Ragin’ Cajuns did the celebrating as they edged out the Blue Raiders 4-3 Sunday evening at the Lubel Memorial Tennis Courts on the campus of South Alabama.

The win avenged a 4-3 loss to MT in last year’s championship match.

Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom took the first doubles match by beating Amanjot Singh and Dusan Tabak 8-5 at No. 1 play. Morgan Richard and Greg Pollack then defeated Evghenii Corduneanu and Arlen Domoney 8-5 at No. 3 to put the Blue Raiders up 1-0.

MT would pull ahead 3-0 after Brandon Allan was victorious over Tabak 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 4 singles spot and Born defeated Corduneanu 7-5, 6-2 at No. 2 play.

With their backs against the wall, the Cajuns stuck with it, gaining the final four points of the championship.

Shaun Ellison got it going with a 6-3, 6-3 No. 5 win against Rishan Kuruppu. Robin Ley then picked up another point with a 7-6, 6-2 No. 3 win against Kai Schledorn.

Attention then shifted to court one where Singh and Siljestrom were tangled after two sets. Singh would pull away in the third set, capping off a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win.

For his efforts, Singh was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

“It seems like every time these two teams play it goes back and forth," said Louisiana-Lafayette Head Coach Justin McGrath after the match. “They were the better team when we met last year, but we were the better team today."

Tennis Match Results

Apr 23, 2006 at Mobile, Ala.

#32 Middle Tennessee 3, #43 Louisiana-Lafayette 4

Singles competition

1. Amanjot Singh (UL) def. #46 Andreas Siljestrom (MT) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

2. Marco Born (MT) def. #95 Evghenii Corduneanu (UL) 7-5, 6-2

3. Robin Ley (UL) def. Kai Schledorn (MT) 7-6, 6-2

4. Ben Allen (MT) def. Dusan Tabak (UL) 6-2, 6-2

5. Shaun Ellison (UL) def. Rishan Kuruppu (MT) 6-3, 6-3

6. Arien Domoney (UL) def. Greg Pollack (MT) 6-2, 6-4

Doubles competition

1. #4 Marco Born/Andreas Siljestrom (MT) def. #54 Dusan Tabak/Amanjot Singh (UL) 8-5

2. Shaun Ellison/Robin Ley (UL) def. Brandon Allan/Kai Schledorn (MT) 8-6

3. Greg Pollack/Morgan Richard (MT) def. Evghenii Corduneanu/Arien Domoney (UL) 8-5

Match Notes:

Louisiana-Lafayette 16-6; National ranking #43

Middle Tennessee 15-7; National ranking #32

Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,2,5,3,6,1)

Louisiana-Lafayette receives the Sun Belt Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA

Tournament. Amanjot Singh named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

-Daryl Cetnar

Sports Information Director

Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns