Singles Play Lifts UNCW Past Pirates, 4-2

April 7, 2007

GREENVILLE, N.C. - UNC Wilmington rebounded from an early doubles point loss by claiming four singles matches and rallied past East Carolina 4-2 in non-conference men's tennis action Saturday afternoon at the ECU Tennis Complex.

The loss, which also concluded a three-match homestand for ECU, dropped the Pirates' overall record to 8-12. The Seahawks improved to 10-5 and have now captured wins in five of their last six matches.

UNC Wilmington quickly erased the 1-0 deficit by posting straight-set victories in the top four-seeded matches to earn the team triumph. Gustavo Bertei initially sparked the Seahawks by defeating Matt Peeler 6-2, 6-2 at No. 2 before Caio Piacentini handed Aleksey Kochetov a 6-3, 6-4 setback at No. 1. Grant Holland and Dennis Myers followed with 6-0, 7-5 and 7-6 (4), 6-3 wins over Stephen Whitwell and Bryan Oakley at the No. 3 and No. 4 slots, respectively, to secure UNCW's 10th victory of the spring season.

The Pirates jumped out to an early lead with a pair of doubles victories. After Sam McSpadden and Oakley teamed up for an 8-4 win over Brian Ford and Henrique Meloni at the No. 3 slot, Peeler and Brian Walters clinched the tally after earning an 8-5 triumph against Gustavo Bertei and Caio Piacentini at No. 2.

East Carolina used a 6-1, 7-5 singles decision by McSpadden over Ford at the No. 6 position to notch its other point of the match while the No. 5 battle between Walters and Christophe Yee was halted in the third set once the contest was decided because of cold temperatures.

The Pirates will return to action Wednesday with a road match at Elon beginning at 1:00 p.m.

UNC WILMINGTON 4, EAST CAROLINA 2
Singles Play
No. 1 - Caio Piacentini (UNCW) def. Aleksey Kochetov (ECU); 6-3, 6-4
No. 2 - Gustavo Bertei (UNCW) def. Matt Peeler (ECU); 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 - Grant Holland (UNCW) def. Stephen Whitwell (ECU); 6-0, 7-5
No. 4 - Dennis Myers (UNCW) def. Bryan Oakley (ECU); 7-6 (4), 6-3
No. 5 - Brian Walters (ECU) vs. Christophe Yee (UNCW); 7-5, 1-6, 3-2 (did not finish)
No. 6 - Sam McSpadden (ECU) def. Brian Ford (UNCW); 6-1, 7-5
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Holland/Myers (UNCW) vs. Kochetov/Whitwell (ECU); 7-4 (did not finish)
No. 2 - Peeler/Walters (ECU) def. Bertei/Piacentini (UNCW); 8-5
No. 3 - McSpadden/Oakley (ECU) def. Ford/Henrique Meloni (UNCW); 8-4
Team Records: UNC Wilmington 10-5, East Carolina 8-12

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