MTEN starts Southland play with shutout win over Nicholls

Friday, March 29

Abilene, Texas

11:44 a.m.

Abilene Christian

Nicholls

Photo by: Jeff Montgomery

MTEN starts Southland play with shutout win over Nicholls

3/29/2019 4:58:00 PM | Men's Tennis

ABILENE – Abilene Christian men's tennis began its Southland Conference slate and seven-match homestand Friday with a 7-0 shutout victory over Nicholls at the Eager Tennis Center. The Wildcats have won their last three decisions vs. the Colonels and are 4-1 against them since joining the league in 2014.

ACU (15-4) earned the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and 2 lines. Senior Josh Sheehy and freshman Riley Tran blanked Alvaro Barranco and Eduardo Marino, 6-0, followed by junior Jackson Fine and senior Cole Lawson topping Oleksandr Podgursky and Tobias Lentz, 6-4.

The Wildcats took a 3-0 lead on consecutive straight-set wins by Jonathan Sheehy at No. 2 and freshman Dimitris Azoides at No. 4. Sheehy came close to tossing Lentz the dreaded double bagel, winning, 6-0, 6-1, while Azoides beat Marino, 6-0, 7-5. Josh Sheehy then came back from a 5-4 deficit in the second set to beat Podgursky, 6-4, 7-6 (2) for his 12th win of the spring and match-clinching point.

Azoides is the clubhouse leader with 14 spring singles' victories as he is 9-1 over his last 10 matches. Most of his wins (six) have come at the No. 4 position.

Following Sheehy's win at No. 1, Tran defeated Moritz Borges, 7-5, 6-2, while junior Nikolas Moceanu and newcomer Akinori Wada won their matches at No. 3 and 6 in a 10-point super tiebreaker.

Head coach Hutton Jones this season has utilized 10 singles players, who have combined for a 73-37 (.664) overall record. The Wildcats' 14 doubles team are 28-19 (.596).

ACU returns to action Sunday at 3 p.m. vs. New Orleans.

Abilene Christian 7, Nicholls 0
Mar 29, 2019 at Abilene, Texas (Eager Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1. Josh Sheehy (ACU) def. Oleksandr Podgursky (NICM) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
2. Jonathan Sheehy (ACU) def. Tobias Lentz (NICM) 6-0, 6-1
3. Nikolas Moceanu (ACU) def. Dylan Loru (NICM) 7-6, 6-7, 10-7
4. Dimitris Azoides (ACU) def. Eduardo Marino (NICM) 6-0, 7-5
5. Riley Tran (ACU) def. Moritz Borges (NICM) 7-5, 6-2
6. Akinori Wada (ACU) def. Alvaro Barranco (NICM) 6-4, 1-6, 10-5

Doubles competition
1. Jackson Fine/Cole Lawson (ACU) def. Oleksandr Podgursky/Tobias Lentz (NICM) 6-4
2. Josh Sheehy/Riley Tran (ACU) def. Alvaro Barranco/Eduardo Marino (NICM) 6-0
3. Jonathan Sheehy/Dimitris Azoides (ACU) vs. Moritz Borges/Nestor Giribet Lopez (NICM) 3-5, unfinished

Match Notes
Nicholls 4-9 (0-1 SLC)
Abilene Christian 15-4 (1-0 SLC)
T-4:05 A-100