Sunday, March 27, 2005

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Mar. 27, 2005) - East Tennessee State defeated UT Chattanooga by a score of 6-1 in a windy battle on Sunday afternoon on the ETSU tennis courts. With the win, the Bucs pick up their 10th straight victory and improve to 12-3 overall and 6-0 in SoCon action. The Mocs are dealt the loss and fall to 14-6, 4-3.

Action began in doubles with a point for ETSU. Moisés Serrano (Cartagena, Colombia) and Sebastian Serrano (Cartagena, Colombia) finished first for the Bucs at No. 3 with an 8-5 win over the Mocs' Josh Bales and Mark Fynn. Felix Insaurralde (Asunción, Paraguay) and Lisandro Picardo (Mar del Plata, Argentina) then wrapped up action on the second court securing the point for ETSU with a win over Badr Bouabdellah and Tim Kutschera, 8-5. At No. 1 Oscar Posada (Valencia, Venezuela) and Fernando Fiuri (Villa Maria, Argentina) defeated Ryan Fitzgerald and Artyom Vlasenko.

In singles, ETSU's Fiuri brought in the first win at No. 3 over Fynn (6-3, 6-2). Posada then completed his match at No. 1 with a win over Arturo Navarro (6-2, 6-3). Insaurralde collected the match clincher at No. 2 in a 6-2, 6-2 win over Ryan Fitzgerald. The Bucs added to their total with two more wins from S. Serrano at No. 6 and Picardo at No. 5 before Artyom Vlasenko would record the only point for the Mocs in the match at No. 4 over M. Serrano in a tough 6-3, 3-6, 10-3 match for the 6-1 final.

"The scores indicate the way we played today," commented Head Coach Yaser Zaatini. "Overall, the guys were able to control most of the courts and hang in their on the court we were down on."

ETSU now enjoys a brief rest before hosting Winthrop on Wednesday, March 30 at 2:30 p.m., while UT Chattanooga continues SoCon action as they travel to face Furman University at 2:00 p.m. on the same day.

ETSU 6, UT Chattanooga 1

Doubles

1.  Posada/Fiuri (ETSU) d.  Fitzgerald/Vlasenko (UTC) 8-6

2.  Insaurralde/Picardo (ETSU) d. Bouabdellah/Kutschera (UTC) 8-5

3.  M. Serrano/S.Serrano (ETSU) d. Josh Bales/Fynn (UTC) 8-5

Order: 3, 2, 1

Singles

1.  Oscar Posada (ETSU) d. Arturo Navarro (UTC) 6-2, 6-3

2.  Felix Insaurralde (ETSU) d. Ryan Fitzgerald (UTC) 6-2, 6-2

3.  Fernando Fiuri (ETSU) d. Mark Fynn (UTC) 6-3, 6-2

4.  Artyom Vlasenko (UTC) d. Moisés Serrano (ETSU) 6-3, 3-6, 10-3

5.  Lisandro Picardo (ETSU) d. Badr Bouabdellah (UTC) 6-3, 7-5

6.  Sebastian Serrano (ETSU) d. Tim Kutschera (UTC) 6-3, 6-2

Order: 3, 1, 2*, 6, 5, 4

*-Clinching Point