Liberty University
Norfolk State
Swift Singles Wins Lift Flames over Spartans
3/28/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
After securing the doubles point, the Liberty men's tennis team took four straight singles wins to claim a 5-2 victory over Norfolk State, Wednesday, at the Esbenshade Tennis Courts.
Liberty ups its record to 13-5 with its third straight win. The 13 wins by the team ties the second-best total for the program, which was recorded in 2009. The program's all-time wins mark in a single season is 16, occurring in 1990. Meanwhile, Norfolk State drops below .500 with the loss, at 10-11.
The Flames quickly earned the doubles point behind victories in the No. 2 and No. 3 matches. Dillon Segur and Mandeep Yadav claimed the No. 3 match first, defeating Saheed Mourillon-Swift and Igor Braga, 8-1. Shea Thomas and Tristan Stayt then secured their ninth victory as a tandem, downing Christian Romanzini and Kent Austin, 8-1, as well. In the final doubles match, Siim Tuus and Giancarlo Lemmi dropped just their second match as a pair, with Arsenio Culver and Ben Marks earning the 8-7 (7) win in a tiebreaker.
Segur quickly set the Flames up 2-0 with the first Liberty singles victory in the No. 4 match. The Winston-Salem, N.C., native defeated Romanzini, 6-1, 6-4, to claim his 10th victory of his freshman campaign.
Senior Giancarlo Lemmi wrapped up the No. 3 match next, only dropping three games to Braga, 6-2, 6-1.
Another freshman stepped up in the No. 6 match, as Jorge Azuero maintained his unblemished singles mark by moving to 6-0. The Colombian downed Austin, 6-2, 6-1, to clinch the victory for the homestanding Flames.
Yadav posted the team's final point of the afternoon. After taking the first set, 6-4, from Daniel Grauel, Yadav breezed through the second set, 6-0, for his fifth win of the year.
The Spartans battled for their two points on the afternoon, taking them in the No. 1 and No. 2 match. Culver needed a tiebreaker to get past Tuus in the opening set, of the No. 1 match, while Marks needed a deciding breaker to defeat Thomas at No. 2.
Liberty will wrap up the week on Saturday, hosting Winthrop. The Big South match is slated to begin at 1 p.m. and live updates will be available for the contest.
Liberty 5, Norfolk State 2
DOUBLES
1. Culver/Marks (NSU) def. Tuus/Lemmi (LU), 8-7 (7)
2. Thomas/Stayt (LU) def. Romanzini/Austin (NSU), 8-1
3. Segur/Yadav (LU) def. Mourillon-Swift/Braga (NSU), 8-1
SINGLES
1. Culver (NSU) def. Tuus (LU), 7-6 (4), 6-1
2. Marks (NSU) def. Thomas (LU), 2-6, 6-1, 10-7
3. Lemmi (LU) def. Braga (NSU), 6-2, 6-1
4. Segur (LU) def. Romanzini (NSU), 6-1, 6-4
5. Yadav (LU) def. Gravel (NSU), 6-4, 6-0
6. Azuero (LU) def. Austin (NSU), 6-2, 6-1
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
4,3,6,5,1,2