ABILENE - Abilene Christian's men's tennis team finished the home and Southland Conference portions of its 2014 schedule Friday with a hard fought and often heated 5-2 victory over its soon-to-be-former conference rival Oral Roberts at the Eager Tennis Pavilion.
The win lifted the Wildcats' season and conference marks to 14-10 and 5-1, while the Golden Eagles - who soon will be flying back to the Summit League after just two years in the Southland - fell to 7-12 and 0-6.
A majority of this afternoon's matches were very close from start to finish. In doubles, the Wildcats No. 2 and 3 tandems edged their opponents by matching 8-6 scores to earn the dual's first point, and then they were forced to three sets at the No. 4 to 6 singles positions - making that decisive fourth point a hard one to secure.
Straight set wins by
Guilherme Gesser and
Nicklas Wingord at No. 3 and 2 pushed the Wildcats' lead out to 3-0 not long after the conclusion of doubles, but then ORU's Fabian Zierleyn brought his team to within two points at 3-1 after beating
Borja Cortés at No. 1, 6-4, 6-2.
The score would remain that way for the better part of two hours as freshmen
Nico Agritelley and sophomores
Jason Proctor and
Marco Bensley all lost their second sets after being up 1-0. And if they all lost again in the third, the match would go to the Golden Eagles.
Luckily for the Wildcats, Bensley again would emerge as the hero just like he did during their 4-3 home victory over Nicholls on April 5. The South African native today won his first set against Cole Guy, 6-4, but dropped the second set by the same score. In the third set, Bensley jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to watch Guy trim his deficit to a single at 3-2 and 4-3 - but that's as close as the ORU rookie could get as Bensley won the final two points to clinch ACU's fifth home victory.
Also winning again today was Agritelley at the No. 4 spot over senior Parker Allen. The Wildcat freshman won his first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (4), but Allen led the second set from wire to wire in winning 6-4. The two then played a see-saw third set, which ended with Agritelley capturing the final three points after trailing 4-3.
Agritelley's victory was his seventh straight as he finished conference play with a 4-1 record (16-7 overall). And his earlier No. 2 doubles win alongside Gesser improved their spring record to 8-4.
In between Bensley's and Agritelley's wins, Proctor lost a very tough, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 match at No. 5 to Michael Sosnowski. Proctor, however, did beat Sosnowski (w/Zierleyn) at No. 3 doubles to give ACU that all-important first point.
Proctor is 14-7 in doubles this season, and today's partnership with Bensley was only their third appearance together of the spring.
ACU will finish its season next weekend in Omaha, Neb., where it will face teams from Nebraska-Omaha, Grand Canyon and New Jersey Tech.
Wildcats keep Oral Roberts winless in conference play with 5-2 triumph
ABILENE - Abilene Christian's men's tennis team finished the home and Southland Conference portions of its 2014 schedule Friday with a hard fought and often heated 5-2 victory over its soon-to-be-former conference rival Oral Roberts at the Eager Tennis Pavilion.
The win lifted the Wildcats' season and conference marks to 14-10 and 5-1, while the Golden Eagles - who soon will be flying back to the Summit League after just two years in the Southland - fell to 7-12 and 0-6.
A majority of this afternoon's matches were very close from start to finish. In doubles, the Wildcats No. 2 and 3 tandems edged their opponents by matching 8-6 scores to earn the dual's first point, and then they were forced to three sets at the No. 4 to 6 singles positions - making that decisive fourth point a hard one to secure.
Straight set wins by
Guilherme Gesser and
Nicklas Wingord at No. 3 and 2 pushed the Wildcats' lead out to 3-0 not long after the conclusion of doubles, but then ORU's Fabian Zierleyn brought his team to within two points at 3-1 after beating
Borja Cortés at No. 1, 6-4, 6-2.
The score would remain that way for the better part of two hours as freshmen
Nico Agritelley and sophomores
Jason Proctor and
Marco Bensley all lost their second sets after being up 1-0. And if they all lost again in the third, the match would go to the Golden Eagles.
Luckily for the Wildcats, Bensley again would emerge as the hero just like he did during their 4-3 home victory over Nicholls on April 5. The South African native today won his first set against Cole Guy, 6-4, but dropped the second set by the same score. In the third set, Bensley jumped out to a 3-0 lead only to watch Guy trim his deficit to a single at 3-2 and 4-3 - but that's as close as the ORU rookie could get as Bensley won the final two points to clinch ACU's fifth home victory.
Also winning again today was Agritelley at the No. 4 spot over senior Parker Allen. The Wildcat freshman won his first set in a tiebreak, 7-6 (4), but Allen led the second set from wire to wire in winning 6-4. The two then played a see-saw third set, which ended with Agritelley capturing the final three points after trailing 4-3.
Agritelley's victory was his seventh straight as he finished conference play with a 4-1 record (16-7 overall). And his earlier No. 2 doubles win alongside Gesser improved their spring record to 8-4.
In between Bensley's and Agritelley's wins, Proctor lost a very tough, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 match at No. 5 to Michael Sosnowski. Proctor, however, did beat Sosnowski (w/Zierleyn) at No. 3 doubles to give ACU that all-important first point.
Proctor is 14-7 in doubles this season, and today's partnership with Bensley was only their third appearance together of the spring.
ACU will finish its season next weekend in Omaha, Neb., where it will face teams from Nebraska-Omaha, Grand Canyon and New Jersey Tech.
Abilene Christian 5, Oral Roberts 2
Apr 18, 2014 at Abilene, Texas (Eager Tennis Pavilion)
Singles competition1. Fabian Zierleyn (ORU) def.
Borja Cortés (ACU) 6-4, 6-2
2.
Nicklas Wingord (ACU) def. Amar Saletovic (ORU) 6-4, 6-2
3.
Guilherme Gesser (ACU) def. Jack Busby (ORU) 6-4, 6-0
4.
Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Parker Allen (ORU) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-4
5. Michael Sosnowski (ORU) def.
Jason Proctor (ACU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
6.
Marco Bensley (ACU) def. Cole Guy (ORU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles competition1. Jack Busby/Jason Mechali (ORU) def.
Borja Cortés/
Nicklas Wingord (ACU) 8-7 (7-1)
2.
Guilherme Gesser/
Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Parker Allen/Amar Saletovic (ORU) 8-6
3.
Jason Proctor/
Marco Bensley (ACU) def. Fabian Zierleyn/Michael Sosnowski (ORU) 8-6
Match NotesOral Roberts 7-12 (0-6 SLC)
Abilene Christian 14-10 (5-1 SLC)
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,2,1,6,5,4)
T-4:35 A-227
1. Fabian Zierleyn (ORU) def.
Borja Cortés (ACU) 6-4, 6-2
2.
Nicklas Wingord (ACU) def. Amar Saletovic (ORU) 6-4, 6-2
3.
Guilherme Gesser (ACU) def. Jack Busby (ORU) 6-4, 6-0
4.
Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Parker Allen (ORU) 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-4
5. Michael Sosnowski (ORU) def.
Jason Proctor (ACU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
6.
Marco Bensley (ACU) def. Cole Guy (ORU) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Jack Busby/Jason Mechali (ORU) def.
Borja Cortés/
Nicklas Wingord (ACU) 8-7 (7-1)
2.
Guilherme Gesser/
Nico Agritelley (ACU) def. Parker Allen/Amar Saletovic (ORU) 8-6
3.
Jason Proctor/
Marco Bensley (ACU) def. Fabian Zierleyn/Michael Sosnowski (ORU) 8-6
Match Notes
Oral Roberts 7-12 (0-6 SLC)
Abilene Christian 14-10 (5-1 SLC)
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (3,2,1,6,5,4)
T-4:35 A-227
