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Tennis: No. 49 MTS Holds Off Men in SBC Semifinals; Women Bounced by South Alabama in QuarterfinalsNo.49 Middle Tennessee Holds Off Cajuns Men’s Tennis In SBC Semifinal
Contact: Jeff Schneider
LAFAYETTE, La. – No.49 Middle Tennessee fended off a Ragin’ Cajuns upset bid as the Louisiana men’s tennis team saw its season come to an end with a 4-1 defeat in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Championships on Friday at Cajun Courts.
“This was a very disappointing result because we feel that we are a better team than Middle Tennessee,” head coach Mark Jeffrey said. “It’s just a disappointing way to end the season. This leaves a really bad taste in your mouth, and makes you want to work extremely hard to make sure these close matches won’t go against us.”
In what was a tightly contested match from first ball to match point, the Blue Raiders (19-7) picked up the doubles point winning a tiebreaker on court two.
Teammates Rick de Groot and Jake Wynan knocked off the 67th ranked duo of Ben Davis and Victor Cornea, 8-4, at the No.1 position.
Edgar Lopez and Jarred Wynan just came up short in a tie break against Christopher Lang and David Fox, 9-8 (7-5).
Middle Tennessee jumped out to a 3-0 lead picking up wins at the No.2 and 5 positions.
Sophomore Damian Farinola got the Cajuns (15-12) on the board with his straight set victory over Lang on court three, 6-4, 6-2. The win is the 14th of the year for Farinola and ties him for the team lead with de Groot and Hunter Johnson.
With the Cajuns up on courts one and four in the third set, Jarred Wynan was edged out by Yannick Born in a marathon three-set match that included three tiebreaks, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2).
“These guys are going to have to commit for the summer months to get better.” Jeffrey stated. “We need to improve a whole lot more because I want this team to be top 25 nationally. We are going to have a great summer and work really hard. We have to make up our minds and do the work.”
For info and updates on men’s tennis follow the team on twitter @CajunMensTennis.
#49 Middle Tennessee 4, Louisiana 1
Singles competition 1. Rick de Groot (UL) vs. Davis, Ben (MT) 6-3, 6-7 (8-10), 5-4, unfinished 2. Cornea, Victor (MT) def. Edgar Lopez (UL) 6-0, 6-3 3. Damian Farinola (UL) def. Lang, Christoph (MT) 6-4, 6-2 4. Jake Wynan (UL) vs. Zito, Ettore (MT) 5-7, 7-5, 4-3, unfinished 5. Fox, David (MT) def. Hunter Johnson (UL) 7-5, 6-3 6. Born, Yannick (MT) def. Jarred Wynan (UL) 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-2)
Doubles competition 1. Rick de Groot/Jake Wynan (UL) def. #67 Davis, Ben/Cornea, Victor (MT) 8-4 2. Lang, Christoph/Fox, David (MT) def. Jarred Wynan/Edgar Lopez (UL) 9-8 (7-5) 3. Brand, Marlon/Born, Yannick (MT) def. Hunter Johnson/Yates Johnson (UL) 8-5
Match Notes: Middle Tennessee 19-7; National ranking #49 Louisiana 15-12 Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (2,5,3,6)
Click below for information on the 2013 Tennis Reunion on April 19 & 20, 2013.
Cajuns Women’s Tennis Bounced From SBC Championship By South Alabama
Contact: Jeff Schneider
LAFAYETTE, La. – The Ragin’ Cajuns women’s tennis team saw its comeback bid cut short as Louisiana fell to fourth seeded South Alabama 4-2 in the Sun Belt Championship quarterfinals on Friday at Cajun Courts.
“I want to thank the girls for a great season,” head coach Greg Harkins said. “We reached some great milestones this year including a winning record at home and 14-plus wins. I want to thank the administration and community for their support all season. Today was a tough match, but we fought from beginning to end. I give a lot of credit to South Alabama. They were able to hold us off at the end.”
The Jaguars (16-9) opened the match up with a 1-0 lead after taking the doubles point. The duo of Mariya Krachok and Ramona Ghermani clinched the point on court two with a 8-4 win.
In singles competition, South Alabama increased its advantage to 2-0 with a win on court three.
Freshman Nicole Breaux pulled the Cajuns (14-12) within a point defeating Krachok in straight sets at the No.2 position, 6-0, 6-4. Breaux finished the season with a 12-10 record in her freshman campaign.
After Paula Sanchez notched a point for the Jaguars on court six, Sophie van den Aarssen picked up the second point of the match for Louisiana topping Michaela Meszarosova 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 at No.1 to earn her 11th victory of the season.
“I was impressed with the efforts of Nicole and Sophie today,” Harkins mentioned. “Neither of them were going to be denied today and they came out and played a great match.”
USA closed out the match on court four as Bailey VanDyke couldn’t overcome a first set tiebreak loss to fall 7-6 (7-1), 7-5 to Mary Angela Martin.
“We learned a lot this season that will carry over to next year,” Harked noted. “I really like the direction this team is headed. We still have some work to do, but we are getting there.”
For info and updates on Ragin’ Cajuns women’s tennis follow the squad on twitter @CajunW10ns.
South Alabama 4, Louisiana 2
Singles competition
1. Sop. Van den Aarssen (UL) def. Meszarosova, Mchaela (USA) 7-6 (7-2), 6-0
2. Nicole Breaux (UL) def. Krachok, Mariya (USA) 6-0, 6-4
3. Newton, Emily (USA) def. Melissa Burckhartt (UL) 6-0, 6-0
4. Martin, Mary Angela (USA) def. Bailey VanDyke (UL) 7-6 (7-1), 7-5
5. Juliette Clement (UL) vs. Papke, Cinta Maria (USA) 2-6, 7-5, 0-1, unfinished
6. Sanchez, Paula (USA) def. Hannah Appleyard (UL) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Newton, Emily/Meszarosova, Mchaela (USA) def. Juliette Clement/Melissa Burckhartt (UL) 8-4
2. Krachok, Mariya/Ghermani, Ramona (USA) def. Sop. Van den Aarssen/Nicole Breaux (UL) 8-4
3. Bailey VanDyke/Hannah Appleyard (UL) def. Papke, Cinta Maria/Martin, Mary Angela (USA) 6-5
Match Notes:
South Alabama 16-9
Louisiana 14-12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (3,2,6,1,4)
— Ragin’ Cajuns — — Jeff Schneider Cox Communications Athletics Center Office: (337) 482-6332
— Jeff Schneider Cox Communications Athletics Center Office: (337) 482-6332
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