JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the first time this season, Carson-Newman men's tennis (5-2, 0-0 SAC) will take to the courts of the Buddy Catlett Tennis Complex as the 2022 SAC season gets underway Friday and Saturday. The Eagles will play host to the visiting Coker Cobras on Friday before welcoming in the Limestone Saints on Saturday.

Carson-Newman comes into SAC play after wrapping up their nonconference season last weekend with a mixed bag of results against the Belmont Abbey Crusaders and Lee Flames from the Knoxville Racquet Club.

Against the Crusaders, it was a clean sweep in doubles that got C-N started on the right foot. From there, it would be the Eagles taking four of the six singles matches to clinch a valuable 5-2 win. C-N secured the doubles point over Belmont Abbey as in number two doubles, Ids Waterbolk (Bennekom, Netherlands) and Gjorgji Jankulovski (Macedonia) clinched the doubles point with a 7-5 win over Zachary Blythe and Nelson Stafford.

In singles, it was Lars Hordijk who built upon C-N's the lead as he took the 2-6, 6-1, 10-6 result at number four singles. Then, Marc Janse, played in number two singles as he secured another win in 2022 with a 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 win to bump C-N's lead to 3-1. The Eagles kept the momentum rolling as freshman Marnix Van Dalen took a 6-4, 6-2 win in number one singles to move C-N's point total to four. Finally, Ids Waterbolk would clinch the fifth and final point for the Eagles over BAC as he won 6-2, 6-2 at number five singles.

In Saturday's nightcap, the Eagles would suffer their second loss of the spring as it was the Flames of Lee taking a near 4-3 victory over C-N. The Eagles would yet again see Ids Waterbolk and Gjorgji Jankulovski win their doubles match, but that would be the only doubles match to go in C-N's favor.

However, the Eagles did not give up as a trio of singles win kept it close but were not enough to continue the hot start of 2022 for C-N.

Freshman Marnix Van Dalen gathered his fourth straight singles win after meeting the two-set minimum against Ramirez Ribey of Lee, 6-2, 6-2 at number one singles. Following suit was Marc Janse, who built his personal singles win streak to five straight with a 6-2, 6-3 victory in number two singles action. The final Eagle to win on Saturday night was Lars Hordijk in number five singles. Going up against Lee's Johnston, Hordijk captured the first set 7(4)-6 before coming back and winning the match with a 6-3 decision in set two.

"The men are playing tough and gritty this year," head coach Jim Frederick said.

SCOUTING COKER

Carson-Newman and Coker will square off for the second straight year on March 4 as last year's meeting went 4-3 in favor of the Eagles from Hartsville.

The Eagles started the day off winning the doubles point and from there, it was back-and-forth to gain every point and claim the overall victory.

Gabriel Dabdab notched his third singles win on the season while he and Ids Waterbolk were successful in number one doubles as well last year. For Waterbolk last season, he claimed the victory for the Eagles with a victory of 6-4, 7-6 at number three singles.

The Eagles also saw victories from Marc Janse at number two singles and Julian Froehlich at number five singles to secure the team win and move to .500 in 2021.  

The most recent action came for Coker as they opened up South Atlantic Conference play last weekend against Newberry. The Cobras were able to pick up the 4-3 win and move to 1-0 in SAC play thus far in 2022. It would be the Wolves taking the doubles point, but Coker responded well as they won from number two, three, and four singles before it was on the shoulders of freshman Nolan Smith.

Smith, the newly named SAC Men's Tennis Player of the Week, secured the deciding victory as he won 7-6 (10-4), 7-5 at number six singles.

Prior to arriving in Mossy Creek, Coker would face Queens (N.C.) from the Queen City on Tuesday.

The Cobras came up short against Queens (N.C.) by a 6-1 score. The Cobras picked up one victory in doubles, as the No. 2 team of Jannis Jung/Isaac MacMillian was victorious 6-2, but the Royals would win the doubles point. MacMillan continued his winning ways by defeating Queens' Win Steveker by a 6-2,6-0 margin at the No. 3 singles spot. 

SCOUTING LIMESTONE

Carson-Newman is no stranger to starting SAC play against the Saints as they have seen Limestone to start SAC play in consecutive seasons, as last February was a 4-3 win for the Eagles from Gaffney.

In last year's meeting, it was once again Gabriel Dabdab picking up wins in both number one doubles alongside Waterbolk and at number four singles.

"The boys came back from two matches to none down and having lost the first three sets in the matches on the court," head coach Jim Frederick said. "However, they were able to eventually win two of those matches."  

Rintaro Oka also took a win over the Saints in number one singles as he won a nail-biting three-set thriller by a score of 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3). The other victories for C-N came from Marc Janse who won 6-1, 6-2 at no. 2 singles and Julian Froehlich who won 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4.  

So far in 2022, Limestone has been unstoppable as they have started 3-0 as they last played against Southern Wesleyan on Feb. 21. The Saints went 5-1 in singles and 2-1 in doubles, including a variety of lopsided victories.

Senior Emilio Samhan held a flawless performance with a 6-0, 6-0 straight sets victory while freshman Andre Zamorano secured another point for the blue-and-gold with a 6-0, 6-1 win. Sophomore Luis Zamorano wasted little time as he picked up a 6-1, 6-1 decision to help the winning alive for Limestone. Finally, Luis Yanine had to overcome an early deficit to get a victory as he won 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (8-0).

In doubles, it was Wes Koehler and Sebastian Rogerson who would win 6-2 as the Saints picked up a doubles win as well due to a SWU forfeit.

Opening serve between C-N and the Cobras is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Friday while the Eagles and Saints get underway at 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. This weekend's action will commence from the Buddy Catlett Tennis Complex in Jefferson City on the campus of Carson-Newman.

"We knew we would play a lot of close matches and they are continuing to fight," Frederick said. "It will be nice to be at home and we are ready to play as we enter SAC play for the rest of our season."

Be sure to keep up with all things Carson-Newman men's tennis at cneagles.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

-CN-