Labbe Helps Pirates Open Season With 4-3 Win

Sunday, January 20

Greenville, N.C.

12 Noon

East Carolina University

James Madison University

Photo by: Rob Taylor

January 20, 2019 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

GREENVILLE, N.C. – In the season opener for both squads, the ECU men's tennis team fought back late to top James Madison 4-3 on Sunday afternoon in the ECU Indoor Tennis Center.

"We're glad to get through that today," said head coach Shawn Heinchon. "Tough test for us right out of the gates. I thought we played really good doubles, which ultimately made the difference in us winning the match. James Madison played really good singles and did everything they could to beat us. I think we got a little fortunate coming down the stretch, but we'll take it. Congrats to Simon (Labbe), he showed some guts getting through that last match. On to tomorrow."

The Pirates started the match of on the right foot by taking the doubles point. James Madison won the first doubles match, as Paul Mendoza and Tate Steinour topped Wisse Jonker and Vlad Anghel. Austin Allen and Diogo Marques, playing together for the third time after going 2-0 together during the fall, dominated William Karpinski and Gonzalo Adis 6-1 on court three. ECU clinched the point when Javier Renones and Simon Labbe beat Pierre Kohler and Alvaro Arce 6-4 on court two. That win moved the pair to a team-best 5-1 this season.

The first three Pirates to take the court were Anghel on court one, Marques on court two and Jonker playing on court three. Jonker continued ECU's momentum by jumping out to a 4-1 en route to a 6-2 first set win. In the second set, Jonker and Mendoza were tied at two games apiece before Jonker won four of the next five games to close out the match.

With ECU holding that 2-0 lead, the Dukes began to fight back. First, Arce used a deuce point in the second set to top Marques 6-4, 6-3. Anghel, who dropped the first set, claimed the second set 6-3 to force a decisive third set. But Kohler took an early lead in the final set and closed it out 6-2 to tie the match at 2-2.

The Dukes took their first lead of the match on another deuce point. Roberts topped Ronny Georgi 6-3, 6-4 on court four to give James Madison a 3-2 lead.

Renones ensured that the match would be decided on court six by pulling out a tight match against Adis. The junior from Santander, Spain won on consecutive 6-4, 6-4 sets on court five

With the match tied at 3-3, it all came down to Labbe in his first collegiate dual match. Labbe fell behind Karpinski early, dropping the first set 6-4. However, the freshman battled through a second set full of break points, winning 6-3 to force the decisive third set. In the third set, Karpinski broke Labbe and then held his own serve for a 2-0 lead. Labbe answered by protecting his own serve and breaking Karpinski to level the set at two games apiece. The rookie added another two games, before taking a 5-2 lead with an ace on a deuce point. Labbe added one more break point to clinch the set and the match for the Pirates.

With the win, ECU improves to 1-0 while James Madison drops to 0-1. It is the fourth straight year ECU has started its season with a win and the second straight year that win has come by the final score of 4-3.

ECU will return to the courts tomorrow afternoon when the Pirates host The Citadel at 2:30 p.m., in the ECU Indoor Tennis Center.