Friday, March 07, 2003

Johnson City, Tenn. (Mar 7, 2003) - East Tennessee State's men's tennis team put an end to its early season slump Friday afternoon by sweeping Virginia Intermont 7-0 at the ETSU Tennis Center in Johnson City. "Obviously, I'm very happy with the win," said Buccaneer head coach Yaser Zaatini. "I expect more from our guys as the season goes along, but hopefully this will get us going in the right direction." ETSU (3-5) got some momentum going early by winning all three of its doubles matches. The No. 1 doubles tandem of Alejandro Salazar (Arequipa, Peru) and Marcos Pavlovich (Otamendi, Argentina) defeated Virginia Intermont's Jorge Ascencio and Thiago Barbosa, 8-2. The Buccaneers got a little scare at No. 2 doubles from David Halldorsson and Vinicius Bitencourt, but the duo of Diego Iglesias (Mar del Plata, Argentina) and Fernando Fiuri (Villa Maria, Argentina) fended off the Cobras 9-8 in the closest match of the afternoon. ETSU's Federico Ochoa (Manizales, Colombia) and Francisco Diaz (Weston, Fla.) knocked off Brandon Pike (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and Luis Lazo de la Vega (La Paz, Bolivia) 8-1 at the No. 3 slot. In singles action, Pavlovich battled his way to a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Ascencio to pick up his first win of the spring season at No. 1. Salazar took care of the Cobras' Barbosa 6-3, 6-0 at the No. 2 slot. In No. 3 singles, Iglesias picked up another ETSU point with his win over Halldorsson, 3-6, 7-6, 6-3. At No. 4, Fiuri defeated Virginia Intermont's Bitencourt 6-4, 6-0, while ETSU garnered another three-set victory with Moises Serrano's (Bucaramanga, Colombia) 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 win over Pike. Ochoa sealed the deal with a 6-1, 7-6 victory against Lazo de la Vega. East Tennessee State will be at home again Saturday, Mar. 8, when the Buccaneers host Winthrop at 10:30 a.m. East Tennessee State 7, Virginia Intermont 0 Singles 1.) Marcos Pavlovich (ETSU) def. Jose Ascencio (VI), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 2.) Alejandro Salazar (ETSU) def. Thiago Barbosa (VI), 6-3, 6-0 3.) Diego Iglesias (ETSU) def. David Halldorsson (VI), 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 4.) Fernando Fiuri (ETSU) def. Vinny Bitencourt (VI), 6-4, 6-0 5.) Moises Serrano (ETSU) def. Brandon Pike (VI), 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 6.) Federico Ochoa (ETSU) def. Luis Lazo de la Vega (VI), 6-1, 7-6 Doubles 1.) Salazar/Pavlovich (ETSU) def. Ascencio/Barbon (VI), 8-2 2.) Iglesias/Fiuri (ETSU) def. Halldorsson/Bitencourt (VI), 9-8 3.) Ochoa/Diaz (ETSU) def. Lazo de la Vega/Pike (VI), 8-1