ECU Drops 6-1 Match At VCU

Sunday, February 16

Richmond, VA

12 noon

East Carolina University

VCU

Photo by: Rob Taylor

February 16, 2020 | Men's Tennis

Box Score Box Score

RICHMOND, VA. – A three-match winning streak came to an end for the ECU men's tennis team as the Pirates lost 6-1 at VCU on Sunday afternoon.

"VCU has a very good team and did a better job than us on the bigger points, especially early on in the doubles," said head coach Shawn Heinchon. "Some of the singles were close, but for the most part, they were just stronger than us in the end. For us to grow or really get to where we want to be, we are going to need to do better against teams like them."

ECU drops to 7-2 on the season while the Rams improve to 7-2.

The doubles point came down to a pair of tiebreakers. VCU had taken the match on court two when VCU's 54th-ranked pairing of Inigo Torre Martin and Rayane Stable beat Javier Renones and Wisse Jonker 6-3. That left ECU needing both of the remaining matches. The Pirates got one when Diogo Marques and Federico Masetti topped David Cierny and Tomas Balazi 7-6 (7-5) on court three. But the Pirates could not win a second tiebreaker, as Lleyton Cronje and Charles Bertimon knocked off Simon Labbe and Agustin Tamagnone 7-6 (7-2) to clinch the point for the Rams.

With the first four singles matches taking the court, each team won the opening set on two courts. Only one court was finished in two sets though, as Bertimon closed out a 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) win over Labbe on court two.

On court one and three, the Pirates had won the opening set, but neither Marques nor Renones could close out their respective matches in straight sets. Tamagnone dropped his opening set to Stable on court four, but he won his second set to keep the match alive. Unfortunately for the Pirates, two of those three final sets went the way of VCU. Martin closed out a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Renones on court three and then Tamagnone fell to Stable 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 to allow VCU to clinch the match.

ECU got one point on the scoreboard when Marques battled through three sets to beat Cronje 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6-0) on court one. That

Marques' win was the only point ECU could muster against the Rams. With the match clinched, VCU got a win on court five after Cierny topped Jonker 6-3, 6-2. Then Masetti dropped a 6-2, 6-1 match to Timo Zgraggen on court six to close out the match.

ECU will be back home next weekend for a pair of matches, hoping to improve on its 5-0 home record. First up will be a 2 p.m., match on Friday afternoon at the River Birch Tennis Center.

Singles Results
1. Diogo Marques (ECU) def. Lleyton Cronje (VCU) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (6-0)
2. Charles Bertimon (VCU) def. Simon Labbe (ECU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Inigo Torre Martin (VCU) def. Javier Renones (ECU) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. Rayane Stable (VCU) def. Agustin Tamagnone (ECU) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
5. David Cierny (VCU) def. Wisse Jonker 6-3, 6-2
6. Timo Zgraggen (VCU) def. Federico Masetti (ECU) 6-2, 6-1

Doubles Results
1. Lleyton Cronje/Charles Bertimon (VCU) def. Simon Labbe/Agustin Tamagnone (ECU) 7-6 (7-2)
2. No. 54 Inigo Torre Martin/Rayane Stable (VCU) def. Javier Renones/Wisse Jonker (ECU) 6-3
3. Diogo Marques/Federico Masetti (ECU) def. David Cierny/Tomas Balazi (VCU) 7-6 (7-5)

Order of Finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,3,1,4,5,6)