ABILENE - The sixth-ranked Abilene Christian men's tennis team began its 2012 season with two big road victories in Murray, Kentucky Friday afternoon. The Wildcats first defeated NCAA DI opponent Murray State, 6-0, and then upended a quality side from DII Southern Indiana, 6-3.
"Southern Indiana is a very tough team," said ACU head coach Hutton jones. "They beat a 14th-ranked team from Drury last season and I think they're much better this year. They had us down early in each of the doubles matches, but we showed some signs of toughness and came back. I was very pleased with the way this young team responded to the challenge."
Jones admitted that he was "kind of nervous" as he looked across the courts and saw three true freshmen starting for the Wildcats, but added that all of them "had some good stuff" and "can be really good for this team."
No. 4 and 6 singles players
Guilherme Gesser and
Michael Morris were both with the Wildcats in the fall but were held out of action until the season's final tournament at Tyler College. And at No. 5 singles is Borja Cortes, who recently joined ACU this winter after transferring from Laredo Community College.
All three rookies won their first matches vs. Murray State, which included a three-set comeback win for Cortes over Max McLean (1-6, 6-3, 6-0), but in the nightcap against Southern Indiana, Cortes and Morris fell, respectively, to Michael Kuzaj and Rodrigo Flores. Cortes won his first set, 6-4, vs. Kuzaj, but then lost 6-2 in the second, and was edged in the tiebreak, 10-8.
In the upper half of the lineup, ACU's veterans
Hans Hach,
Alfredo Desiati and
Nick Plum all won in straight sets through both of Friday's duals. Hach - the No. 1 player in all of DII - beat Arthur Valle of Murray State, 6-2, 6-1, and then scorched Southern Indiana's Juan Quiroz, 6-2, 6-2.
Desiati won by scores of 6-1, 6-4 and 6-3, 6-2, while Plum was victorious by scores of 6-3, 6-3 and 7-6, 6-1.
In doubles competition, the tandem of Desiati and Cortes went 2-0 with scores of 8-1 and 8-6. Hach won with both Gesser vs. Murray State, 8-4, and Plum against Southern Indiana, 8-5.
ACU returns to action Saturday with a doubleheader in Richmond, Kentucky vs. host Eastern Kentucky and Northern Kentucky.
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#6 Abilene Christian 7, Murray State 0
Feb 03, 2012 at Aurora, Ky. (Kenlake Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1.
Hans Hach (ACUM) def. VALLE, Arthur (MUR) 6-2, 6-1
2.
Alfredo Desiati (ACUM) def. BERARDO, Jose (MUR) 6-1, 6-4
3.
Nick Plum (ACUM) def. HEIBEL, Daniel (MUR) 6-3, 6-3
4.
Guilherme Gesser (ACUM) def. JEFFERS, Tyler (MUR) 6-1, 6-4
5. Borja Cortes (ACUM) def. McLEAN, Max (MUR) 1-6, 6-3, 6-0
6.
Michael Morris (ACUM) def. GERLACH, Dylan (MUR) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles competition
1.
Hans Hach/
Guilherme Gesser (ACUM) def. VALLE, Arthur/HEIBEL, Daniel (MUR) 8-4
2.
Alfredo Desiati/Borja Cortes (ACUM) def. BERARDO, Jose/GERLACH, Dylan (MUR) 8-1
3.
Nick Plum/
Kyle Plum (ACUM) def. JEFFERS, Tyler/McLEAN, Max (MUR) 8-1
#6 Abilene Christian 6, Southern Indiana 3
Feb 03, 2012 at Aurora, Ky. (Kenlake Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1.
Hans Hach (ACUM) def. Juan Quiroz (SIU) 6-2, 6-2
2.
Alfredo Desiati (ACUM) def. Santiago Lopez (SIU) 6-3, 6-2
3.
Nick Plum (ACUM) def. Ben Boesing (SIU) 7-6, 6-1
4.
Guilherme Gesser (ACUM) def. Diego Gimenez (SIU) 6-4, 6-4
5. Michael Kuzaj (SIU) def. Borja Cortes (ACUM) 4-6, 6-2, 10-8
6. Rodrigo Flores (SIU) def.
Michael Morris (ACUM) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles competition
1.
Hans Hach/
Nick Plum (ACUM) def. Juan Quiroz/Diego Gimenez (SIU) 8-5
2.
Alfredo Desiati/Borja Cortes (ACUM) def. Michael Kuzaj/Santiago Lopez (SIU) 8-6
3. Ben Boesing/Rodrigo Flores (SIU) def.
Guilherme Gesser/
Michael Morris (ACUM) 8-5
