Flames Fall in First Match at ITA Kickoff Weekend

FORT WORTH, Texas. – Despite a promising doubles round, No. 3 seed Liberty (1-1) men's tennis fell 4-0 to No. 2 seed and No. 17 Michigan State in the first leg of the ITA Kickoff Weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. The Flames await the result of No. 1 seed and No. 2 TCU facing off against No. 4 seed Pacific later this evening.

Carl Roothman and Ernst Gouws picked up a big victory on court 2 in doubles but the Spartans held on in the No. 1 doubles match to earn the initial point of the match. Michigan State rolled to two strong two-set victories on courts one and two in singles. The Spartans clinched the match in a back-and-forth three-set, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory in the No. 4 singles match.

Liberty's No. 3 singles, Siwanat Auytayakul had just entered a tie-break in the third set, going unfinished 1-6, 6-1, 6-6.

#17 Michigan State 4, Liberty 0

Singles Competition
1. #27 Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. Joaquim Almeida (LIBERTYM) 6-2, 6-2
2. #83 Max Sheldon (MSU) def. Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) 6-3, 6-1
3. #40 Matthew Forbes (MSU) vs. Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 1-6, 6-6, unfinished
4. Vuk Radjenovic (MSU) def. R Santiago Arraez (LIBERTYM) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
5. Taym Alazmeh (MSU) vs. Chase Robinson (LIBERTYM) 7-6, 4-6, 3-2, unfinished
6. Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) vs. Ernst Gouws (LIBERTYM) 6-1, 1-1, unfinished

Doubles Competition
1. #94 Ozan Baris/Aristotelis Thanos (MSU) def. #23 Joaquim Almeida/Siwanat Auytayakul (LIBERTYM) 6-4
2. Ernst Gouws/Carl Roothman (LIBERTYM) def. #107 Matthew Forbes/Max Sheldon (MSU) 6-4
3. Taym Alazmeh/Mitchell Sheldon (MSU) def. Chase Robinson/Trey Stinchcomb (LIBERTYM) 6-2

Match Notes:
Liberty 1-1
Michigan State 4-0; National ranking #17
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (2,1,4)

Up Next
Liberty (1-1) returns to action Sunday with their opponent and match time to be determined following the results of the match between No. 1 seed TCU (3-0) and No. 4 seed Pacific (0-0).

Schedule

Flames Fall in First Match at ITA Kickoff Weekend

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Team Stats

Players Mentioned

Joaquim Almeida

Siwanat Auytayakul

Ernst Gouws

Chase Robinson

Carl Roothman

Trey Stinchcomb