Liberty University
No. 3 seed Coastal Carolina
Chanticleers Come Back to Defeat Flames, 4-3
4/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The Flames earned the first point of the night, Thursday, but No. 3 seeded Coastal Carolina won four of the six singles matches to eliminate Liberty from the Big South Men's Tennis Championship.
With the loss, Liberty concludes its 2012 season with a 15-8 record. The Chanticleers, now 14-5, advance to the semifinal round of the event, where they will take on Presbyterian College on Friday at 1 p.m. The Blue Hose upset the No. 2 seed and hosts, UNC Asheville, 4-3.
The Flames jumped out to the quick 1-0 advantage by taking two doubles victories. Shea Thomas and Tristan Stayt continued their steady doubles play from the regular season, winning their 14th match as a duo. The pair knocked off the Chanticleers' Matias DiPasquale and Garki Yedigarian, 8-5. Next, the all-conference duo of Giancarlo Lemmi and Siim Tuus defeated Coastal Carolina's No. 1 pair, Danny Heidecker and Yusuke Kusuda, 8-5, to earn the match's first poing.
The Flames looked to have held momentum moving into singles, as Lemmi increased the edge to 2-0 with a straight-set win over Kusuda in the No. 3 match, 6-3, 6-2. However, the Chanticleers responded by claiming the next three singles contests which went final.
Heidecker pulled out a 6-1, 7-5 win over the Flames' No. 1 Tuus, while Yedigarian came from a set down to upend Liberty freshman Dillon Segur, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 4.
Leo Christofides provided the Chanticleers their first lead of the night, closing out Thomas in three sets. After dropping the first set, 6-4, Thomas battled back in the second set, 7-5, to tie the No. 2 match at one set apiece. Christofides wrapped up his victory by taking the third set, 6-4.
Mandeep Yadav took a tight first set against John Karle, 7-6, in the No. 6 match, before quickly moving through the second set, 6-1, to square the overall match, 3-3.
In the No. 5 match, Liberty freshman Jorge Azuero claimed the first set, 7-5, before Matias DiPasquale leveled the contest, 7-6, in the second set. The Chanticleer closed out his match and the overall match by taking the deciding set, 6-1.
Coastal Carolina 4, Liberty 3
DOUBLES
1. Lemmi/Tuus (LU) def. Heidecker/Kusuda (CCU), 8-5
2. Thomas/Stayt (LU) def. DiPasquale/Yedigarian (CCU), 8-5
3. Yadav/Azuero (LU) vs. Barr/Karle (CCU), unfinished
SINGLES
1. Heidecker (CCU) def. Tuus (LU), 6-1, 7-5
2. Christofides (CCU) def. Thomas (LU), 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
3. Lemmi (LU) def. Kusuda (CCU), 6-3, 6-2
4. Yedigarian (CCU) def. Segur (LU), 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
5. DiPasquale (CCU) def. Azuero (LU), 5-7, 7-6, 6-1
6. Yadav (LU) def. Karle (CCU), 7-6, 6-1
