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No. 5 Tennessee tops No. 8 Texas, 4-1 in ITA National Team Indoors semifinals
02.14.2010 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 14, 2010
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- No. 8 Texas (6-1) picked up a singles win from senior Josh Zavala, but it was not enough Sunday afternoon, as No. 5 Tennessee knocked off the Horns by a 4-1 count in the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship at the Boar's Head Sports Club.
Tennessee opened the match by taking two of three doubles matches to nail down the doubles point. The match at third doubles pitted Texas' Jean Andersen and Daniel Whitehead against Tennessee's Tennys Sandgren and Matteo Fago. Andersen and Whitehead found themselves down 2-0 early on, but the Texas duo broke and held to even the match at two. At 3-all, Texas broke and held for a 5-3 lead, but held and broke in the ensuing two games to even the match at five. Texas broke and held again for a 7-5 lead, and the Vols managed to hold serve in the following game, but Texas served out the final game to win the match, 8-6.
At first doubles, the Vols' seventh-ranked duo of John-Patrick Smith and Davey Sandgren opened up a 4-1 lead over Texas' Dimitar Kutrovsky and Josh Zavala, but Texas held serve, broke Tennessee and held once more to even the match at four. The match remained on serve until the final game, when Texas yielded its serve after saving several match points. The Tennessee tandem prevailed, 8-6.
Tennessee's 12th-ranked duo of Rhyne Williams and Boris Conkic assumed a 4-1 lead over Texas' Ed Corrie and Kellen Damico at the second slot. Texas pulled within 7-5, but Tennessee held serve in the final game to preserve the win, 8-5 and clinch the doubles point for the Vols.
Texas' Zavala put the Horns on the board with a 6-3, 6-3 win at fifth singles over the Vols' 52nd-ranked Brewer, but Tennessee would secure the victory by claiming the next three decisions. Tennessee's 22nd-ranked Williams defeated Texas' Damico by a 6-2, 6-2 count at third singles, and the Vols' second-ranked Smith knocked off Texas' Kutrovsky by a 6-3, 6-4 count at first singles to stake Tennessee to a 3-1 lead. Minutes later, the Volunteers sealed the victory at fourth singles, where Tennys Sandgren knocked off Texas' Andersen, 6-3, 6-3.
Texas resumes play on Saturday, Feb. 20 when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas-San Antonio at UT's Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
#5 Tennessee 4, #8 Texas 1
ITA National Team Indoor Championship - Semifinals
Boar's Head Sports Club - Charlottesville, Va.
Doubles - Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2
1 #7 John-Patrick Smith/Davey Sandgren (Tenn) def. #22 Kutrovsky/Zavala (Texas) - 8-6
2 #12 Rhyne Williams/Boris Conkic (Tenn) def. Corrie/Damico (Texas) - 8-5
3 Andersen/Whitehead (Texas) def. Tennys Sandgren/Matteo Fago (Tenn) - 8-6
Singles - Order of Finish: 5, 3, 1, 4,
1 #2 John-Patrick Smith (Tenn) def. #5 Dimitar Kutrovsky (Texas) - 6-3, 6-4
2 #9 Ed Corrie (Texas) vs. #68 Boris Conkic (Tenn) - 6-0, 3-4, susp.
3 #22 Rhyne Williams (Tenn) def. Kellen Damico (Texas) - 6-2, 6-2
4 Tennys Sandgren (Tenn) def. Jean Andersen (Texas) - 6-3, 6-3
5 #38 Josh Zavala (Texas) def. #52 Matt Brewer (Tenn) - 6-3, 6-3
6 Matteo Fago (Tenn) vs. #104 Vasko Mladenov (Texas) - 6-3, 5-4, susp.
