Louisville, Ky. - The Carson-Newman men's tennis team won its first match of the 2017 season, 5-4 against Bellarmine University on Friday night.
"Great win for the guys," Carson-Newman head tennis coach Jean Love said. "We started down 2-1 after doubles play, but we fought hard to stay positive and play some good singles."
The match came down to the final singles match between Kevin Mendes (Chattanooga, Tenn.) and Andrew Jones at the No.6 spot. Mendes lost the first set 4-6, but battled back to win the final two sets 6-2, 6-0 and give the Eagles their first victory of the 2017 season.
"Kevin Mendes closed out the match for us, he was the deciding point as he came back to win in three sets," Love said.
Preseason second-team All-South Atlantic Conference performer Joao Pedro Oliveira (Brazil) claimed his first victory of the 2017 campaign. Oliveira won in straight sets at the No.1 singles position. Stefano Daza (Venezuela) and Gabriel Dabdab (Brazil) each picked up their second victories of the season at the No.3 and No.4 singles positions.
Rodolfo Schwarz (Brazil) has yet to win a singles match this season and Jesus Bacete-Sanz (Spain) suffered his first setback of the 2017 season.
In doubles action Carson-Newman (1-2) won their first match at the No.2 position over Bellarmine (0-4) 8-6, with the doubles tandem of Oliveira and Dabdab. The Knights took the other two doubles matches with ease over the Eagles.
The Eagles home opener will be on Friday, Feb. 24 against Tennessee Wesleyan at 1:00 p.m.
-CN-