Liberty University
Campbell
Flames Claim Victory in Regular Season Finale
4/7/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The Liberty Flames men's tennis squad concluded its 2016 regular season with a 4-3 victory over Campbell, this afternoon.
Liberty's victory helped the Flames improve to 10-10 on the season, including a 4-4 mark in Big South action. The Camels fall to 8-12 and 3-5 in conference play.
Liberty collected the critical doubles point, winning from the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles positions. Sam Matheson and Egon Samaai began doubles play with a 6-0 victory over Jonathan O'Neal and Lorenz Schwab in the No. 1 doubles position.
The Flames' duo of David Bush and Diego Castano aided Liberty in claiming the doubles point by upending Nicolas Rakitin and Gerard Sola, 6-4, from the No. 2 doubles position.
Campbell claimed a brief 2-1 edge over Liberty, after receiving straight-set victories in both the No. 5 and No. 6 singles positions to begin the individual matches.
Samaai evened the contest at two apiece, as the South Africa native defeated Rakitin in straight sets in No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-4.
Liberty reclaimed the lead for good when Matheson, currently ranked No. 102 in the ITA National Rankings, bested Lukas Schaefer in three sets. Matheson slipped in the first set 6-1, but bounced back to win the match after earning 6-1, 6-2 victories in the second and third sets.
With the Flames ahead 3-2, freshman Eddie Gutierrez claimed a three-set victory of his own to seal the Liberty victory. Gutierrez dropped the first set in a tiebreak, 7-6(7-1). The Mexico native then rebounded for back-to-back victories in the second and third sets, 6-4, 6-0. Gutierrez's victory provided Liberty with the 4-2 advantage.
Campbell's Schwab claimed the final singles victory from the No. 4 slot, but it was a little too late as the Flames captured 4-3.
Liberty will return to action in the upcoming Big South Men's Tennis Championship to be played in Lynchburg, Va. The event will begin for the Flames on April 14.
Liberty 4, Campbell 3
Doubles
- Matheson/Samaai (LU) def. O'Neal/Schwab (CU), 6-0
- Bush/Castano (LU) def. Rakitin/Sola (CU), 6-4
- Schaefer/Datashvili (CU) def. Gutierrez/Burgess (LU), 6-2
Singles
- No. 102 Matheson (LU) def. Schaefer (CU), 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
- Samaai (LU) def. Rakitin (CU), 6-4, 6-4
- Gutierrez (LU) def. O'Neal (CU), 6-7(1-7), 6-4, 6-0
- Schwab (CU) def. Castano (LU), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
- Sola (CU) def. Bush (LU), 6-0, 6-2
- Werner (CU) def. Burgess (LU), 6-2, 6-3
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
1,2,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
5,6,2,1,3,4