Pirates Get Back In The Win Column Against Jacksonville State

Saturday, March 2

Greenville, N.C.

1 P.M.

East Carolina University

Jacksonville State University

Photo by: Rob Taylor

Pirates Get Back In The Win Column Against Jacksonville State

March 02, 2019 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. – With the match tied at 2-2, the ECU men's tennis team swept the final three singles matches to beat Jacksonville State 5-2 on Saturday afternoon at the River Birch Tennis Complex.

"Hats off to Jacksonville State, they really came at us from start to finish," said assistant coach Ian Van Cott. "I'm proud of how we were able to tough out a lot of really tight matches, but we have to be better. The guys know that and we will be ready for another tough one at North Florida on Wednesday."

It took all three doubles matches to decide the point. ECU had the early advantage when Austin Allen and Diogo Marques combined to beat Jordi Blanchar and Guillermo Agost 6-3 on court two. Jacksonville State leveled the proceedings after Joaquin Vallejo and Alexand Vishnevskiy beat Simon Labbe and Vlad Anghel 6-4 on court three. The Pirates took the 1-0 lead thanks to a 6-4 win for Wisse Jonker and Javier Renones over Sergio Lizarraga and Alijaz Kaplja on the top court.

In singles, that early lead looked like it might not be enough as Jacksonville State won four of the first singles sets. The Pirates dropped the first set on courts one, two, three and six, while Renones won his opening set on court four and Ronny Georgi did the same on court five.

Renones followed his opening set win with a dominant second set to beat Vishnevskiy 6-2, 6-0 and stay undefeated in dual matches this season. However, Jacksonville State answered with Agost beating Jonker 6-4, 6-2 on court three and Blanchar topping Labbe 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 on court six. That knotted the team score at 2-2 with three matches remaining.

Although Marques and Anghel both dropped their first set, Marques on court one in a tiebreaker and Anghel on court two, both were narrow defeats. In the second set, each player regrouped and won the second set to move onto the third and deciding set. Anghel took care of business in the third, beating Vallejo 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 to give ECU the lead once again. Marques' was a bit tighter, but he also won, topping Kaplja 6-7, (1-7), 7-5, 6-3 to clinch the match for the Pirates.

Georgi's match wih Mark Chigaazira was the closest of the day. The pair each won one of the first two sets in a tiebreaker. Georgi claimed the first while Chigaazira took the second. Although the match was decided by that point, both players went back and forth in the third set. Finally, Georgi came out on top, winning 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4.
ECU will head down to Florida for a midweek match. The Pirates battle North Florida on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

Singles Results
1. Diogo Marques (ECU) def. Alijaz Kaplja (Jacksonville State) 6-7, (1-7), 7-5, 6-3
2. Vlad Anghel (ECU) def. Joaquin Vallejo (Jacksonville State) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
3. Guillermo Agost (Jacksonville State) def. Wisse Jonker (ECU) 6-4, 6-2
4. Javier Renones (ECU) def. Alexand Vishnevskiy (Jacksonville State) 6-2, 6-0
5. Ronny Georgi (ECU) def. Mark Chigaazira (Jacksonville State) 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4
6. Jordi Blanchar (Jacksonville State) def. Simon Labbe (ECU) 7-6 (7-4), 6-1

Doubles Results
1. Wisse Jonker/Javier Renones (ECU) def. Sergio Lizarraga/Alijaz Kaplja (Jacksonville State) 6-4
2. Austin Allen/Diogo Marques (ECU) def. Jordi Blanchar/Guillermo Agost (Jacksonville State) 6-3
3. Joaquin Vallejo/Alexand Vishnevskiy (Jacksonville State) def. Simon Labbe/Vlad Anghel (ECU) 6-4

Match Notes
Jacksonville State 7-1
ECU 11-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (4,3,6,2,1,5)