Bulldogs Upend Liberty, 4-2, to Open 2010 Big South Men's Tennis Championship
April 22, 2010 | Men's Tennis
RADFORD, VA - In the opening match of the 2010 Big South Men's Tennis Championship, #5 Gardner-Webb defeated #4 Liberty, 4-2, Thursday afternoon to advance to Friday's semifinals.
Action began with doubles play, where the Big South All-Conference team of Evgeny Slesarev and Rafael Altmayer defeated Siim Tuus and Tristan Stayt (8-5) at the No.1 position. Liberty evened things up when the team of Juan Reyes and Louis Steyn defeated Adam Knutsson-Sundblad and Roman Piftor (8-6) at the No. 3 position, yet the Bulldogs earned the doubles point when the team of Andrew Veeder and Jeremie Tardif defeated Giancarlo Lemmi and Chad Simpson (8-6) at the No. 2 position.
In singles play, the Flames (12-10) quickly gained an advantage, with victories at the No. 5 and No. 2 positions, with Steyn defeating Tardif (6-2, 6-2) and Stayt defeating Veeder (6-1, 6-4).
The Bulldogs (12-13) quickly came back, with Knutsson-Sundblad getting the 6-2, 6-1 win over Reyes at the No. 6 position. At the No. 1 position, Slesarev, the Big South Men's Tennis Player of the Year, defeated Tuus (6-2, 6-2), and at the No. 3 position, Altmayer defeated Lemmi (6-3, 6-2) to seal the overall victory for Gardner-Webb.
The match at the No. 4 position between Piftor and Simpson was unfinished since the overall match was already decided.
Today's win gives the Gardner-Webb men's tennis team its first ever Big South tournament victory.
Gardner-Webb will now face #1 Radford at 10:00 AM in the semifinals Friday morning of the 2010 Big South Men's Tennis Championship, with the match taking place in Radford, Va. The winner of the match will advance to Sunday's championship match.
RESULTS
#5 Gardner-Webb 4, #4 Liberty 2
DOUBLES
1. Evgeny Slesarev/Rafael Altmayer (GWU) d. Siim Tuus/Tristan Stayt (LU), 8-5
2. Andrew Veeder/Jeremie Tardif (GWU) d. Giancarlo Lemmi/Chad Simpson (LU), 8-6
3. Juan Reyes/Louis Steyn (LU) d. Adam Kuntsson-Sundblad/Roman Piftor (GWU), 8-6
SINGLES
1. Slesarev (GWU) d. Tuus (LU), 6-2, 6-2
2. Stayt (LU) d. Veeder (GWU), 6-1, 6-4
3. Altmayer (GWU) d. Lemmi (LU), 6-3, 6-2
4. Simpson (LU) vs. Piftor (GWU), 1-6, 6-1, 1-0, unfinished
5. Steyn (LU) d. Tardif (GWU), 6-2, 6-2
6. Knutsson-Sundblad (GWU) d. Reyes (LU), 6-2, 6-1
