Sore doubles lead to Govs tennis loss at EKU

APSU Men’s Tennis

Richmond, KY – Austin Peay State University men’s tennis team strayed from its game plan and lost 5-2 at Eastern Kentucky, Friday, in Ohio Valley Conference action.

The Govs (8-4; 1-1 OVC) dropped the doubles point for the second consecutive match and won only two singles matches. After opening the season winning nine straight doubles points, Austin Peay has ran into tough times, particularly at No. 1 doubles.

“It was a good match for us. It was tense and good competition,” head coach Malik Tabet. “I feel like we’re sending the message in the conference that while we’re a young team, we’re growing and improving. It’s still a learning process, but we’re very competitive.”

Sophomores Sean Bailey and Henrique Norbaito, a team that opened the season with nine straight wins, have now lost two in a row. Friday’s loss came after leading late in the match, and going on to fall in a tiebreaker. Sophomore John Storie and freshman Joao Pagan won Austin Peay’s only doubles match at No.3.

“We had a chance to play them a lot better than we did,” Tabet said. “We could’ve played better in doubles and there were some things in singles we can improve on. Joao and John got going quick and I thought that would swing the momentum in our favor, but Sean and Henrique didn’t pull it out in the tiebreak.”

With the momentum zapped, the Colonels (12-3; 1-0 OVC) were able to take the top singles matches, despite Norbiato losing a first-set tiebreaker at No. 2. Bailey worked to a straight-set win at No. 3, while Storie won the Govs other match at No. 6. Freshman Remi Calleja came out on the wrong end of a three-set battle at No.5, losing the first set in a tiebreaker, winning the second set, but falling 6-2 in the third.

Austin Peay will have little time to recoup with a 2:00pm, Saturday match at Morehead State on the horizon.

Eastern Kentucky 5, Austin Peay 2

Singles competition

• DAS, Alex (EKU) def. ADEMOVIC, Jasmin (APSU) 6-3, 6-1\
• KLIENTOVSKY, Hugo (EKU) def. NORBIATO, Henrique (APSU) 7-6, 6-1
• BAILEY, Sean (APSU) def. SCHROEDER, Niklas (EKU) 7-6, 6-3
• JANZ, Philip (EKU) def. PAGAN, Joao (APSU) 6-2, 6-1
• VERMA, Parul (EKU) def. CALLEJA, Remi (APSU) 7-6, 4-6, 6-2
• STORIE, John (APSU) def. MAIO, Joao (EKU) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles competition

• DAS, Alex/KLIENTOVSKY, Hugo (EKU) def. BAILEY, Sean/NORBIATO, Henrique (APSU) 9-8 (7-4)
• JANZ, Philip/SCHROEDER, Niklas (EKU) def. ADEMOVIC, Jasmin/CALLEJA, Remi (APSU) 8-5
• PAGAN, Joao/STORIE, John (APSU) def. PONS, Carles/VERMA, Parul (EKU) 8-6