Liberty University
Old Dominion
Flames Fall to Monarchs 6-1 on Friday, Split Season Series
2/19/2021 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
The host Old Dominion Monarchs avenged a loss to the Liberty Flames at the beginning of February with a 6-1 home victory, Friday afternoon at the Folkes-Stevens Center.
The two teams split the season series after Liberty claimed the first match 4-3 on Feb. 1 at Crosswhite Athletic Club in Lynchburg. The Flames fall to 5-4 on the year and see their four-match winning streak halted. Old Dominion improves to 3-5 this season and has won three straight contests.
Old Dominion 6, Liberty 1
Singles Competition
1. Tomislav Podvinski (ODUM) def. Nicaise Muamba (LIBERTYM) 7-6, 1-6, 1-0 (11-9)
2. Luca Maldoner (ODUM) def. Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) 7-6, 6-1
3. R. Marques Da Silva (LIBERTYM) def. Francois Le Tallec (ODUM) 7-6, 6-1
4. Younes Lalami (ODUM) def. Deji Thomas-Smith (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 6-7, 1-0 (10-5)
5. Oliver Tobisch (ODUM) def. Goncalo Ferreira (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-4
6. Jannik Giesse (ODUM) def. Zion Heaven (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles Competition
1. Jannik Giesse/Younes Lalami (ODUM) def. Goncalo Ferreira/Josh Wilson (LIBERTYM) 6-3
2. #25 Luca Maldoner/Nicola Vidal (ODUM) def. Deji Thomas-Smith/Christiaan Worst (LIBERTYM) 6-2
3. R. Marques Da Silva/Nicaise Muamba (LIBERTYM) def. Francois Le Tallec/Pearse Dolan (ODUM) 6-0
Liberty 5-4
Old Dominion 3-5
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,6,2,3,4,1)
T-2:42
How It Happened
• The Monarchs seized an early 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point. Old Dominion's No. 1 and 2 doubles tandems proved to be the difference.
• Liberty's No. 3 unit of Rafael Marques Da Silva and Nicaise Muamba defeated Francois Le Tallec and Pearse Dolan 6-0 in the first completed match. ODU's top unit, Jannik Giesse and Younes Lalami, got past Goncalo Ferreira and Josh Wilson of the Flames 6-3.
• The Monarchs' nationally-ranked tandem, No. 25 Luca Maldoner and Nicola Vidal (No. 2 doubles), bested Liberty's Deji Thomas-Smith and Christiaan Worst 6-2 to win the doubles point.
• ODU's Oliver Tobisch, Giesse and Maldoner each won in straight sets, with Maldoner providing the fourth point for the team victory. Tobisch (No. 5 singles) knocked off Ferreira 6-3, 6-4, while Giesse (No. 6 singles) won 6-4, 6-4 over the Flames' Zion Heaven. Maldoner's victory came on court two, 7-6, 6-1 over Wilson.
• Liberty's lone victory in the match came from Marques Da Silva, 7-6, 6-1 in the No. 3 singles contest.
• The Monarchs' fifth and sixth points both came in third-set super (10 point) tiebreakers once the outcome had already been decided. Lalami beat Thomas-Smith 6-1, 6-7, 1-0 (10-5) at No. 4 singles. Podvinski took down reigning ASUN Player of the Week Muamba 7-6, 1-6, 1-0 (11-9).
• All nine matches (three doubles, six singles) today were different matchups from the Feb. 1 match.
• ODU is now 11-1 all-time versus Liberty. The Flames' victory on Feb. 1 was their first in program history over the Monarchs.
Next Up
• Liberty will play at William & Mary (1-2) on Sunday in what will be the second meeting between the two teams in seven days. The Flames topped the Tribe 5-2 on Monday in their first-ever match in the new Liberty Indoor Tennis Center. First serve will be at 1 p.m. at the McCormack-Nagelsen Tennis Center in Williamsburg, Va.
• The Flames have won the last three meetings in the series. Prior to that, William & Mary claimed the first seven meetings between the two programs.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1,2
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
5,6,2,3,4,1