Jan. 31, 2015
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech continued its early season success with a victory over East Tennessee State, 6-1, in the opener of a Saturday men’s tennis double-header at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Taking the doubles point was the only real drama for the 72nd-ranked Yellow Jackets, who improved to 4-0 this spring. The Buccaneers dropped to 1-5.
Tech won the doubles point after sophomore Carlos Benito and senior Eduardo Segura outlasted the Buccaneers’ pairing of Riberio and Biosca in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-2), on court 1. Junior Nathan Rakitt and sophomore Cole Fiegel won their match on court two, easily defeating ETSU’s Ismael Merino and Robert Herrera, 6-4. On court three, ETSU’s No. 3 team of Yllera and Huertas knocked off the Jackets’ Eubanks and Kay, 6-4.
The Jackets went on to get straight-set wins from Benito at court 5, Rakitt at court 1 and Eubanks at court 2 to clinch the match. Benito defeated Herrera, 6-2, 6-2, to improve to 15-10 this year, while Rakitt got by #85 David Biosca, 6-4, 6-4, improving to 8-6. Eubanks, a freshman, defeated Rogerio Riberio, 6-4, 7-5, to clinch the match for Tech.
Segura earned Tech’s fifth point with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Sebastian Yllera at the No. 3 position. Michael Kay lost on court 4 to Connor Huertas, 3-6, 5-7, but Cole Fiegel collected the final singles win for the Jackets with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Ismael Merino.
“You have to be comfortable playing tiebreakers for the doubles point,” said head coach Kenny Thorne. “I’d rather that not have to happen. But as long as it turns out on our side, then we have to embrace it and go. In singles, I liked getting that second point on the board with Carlos finishing off his match. At the beginning, we were battling and it was tough all the way up and down. Again, credit goes to ETSU. They battled all the way though and made us work for it through the last match.”
Tech faces The Citadel in the back half on Saturday’s double-header at 5:30 p.m.
#72 Georgia Tech 6, ETSU 1
Jan 31, 2015 at Atlanta, Ga. (Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. #49 Nathan Rakitt (GT) def. #85 David Biosca (ETSU) 6-4, 6-4
2. Christopher Eubanks (GT) def. Rogerio Ribeiro (ETSU) 6-4, 7-5
3. Eduardo Segura (GT) def. Sebastian Yllera (ETSU) 6-3, 7-5
4. Conner Huertas (ETSU) def. Michael Kay (GT) 6-3, 7-5
5. Carlos Benito (GT) def. Robert Herrera (ETSU) 6-2, 6-2
6. Cole Fiegel (GT) def. Ismael Merino (ETSU) 6-4, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Carlos Benito/Eduardo Segura (GT) def. Rogerio Ribeiro/David Biosca (ETSU) 7-6 (7-2)
2. Nathan Rakitt/Cole Fiegel (GT) def. Ismael Merino/Robert Herrera (ETSU) 6-3
3. Sebastian Yllera/Conner Huertas (ETSU) def. Christopher Eubanks/Michael Kay (GT) 6-4
Match Notes:
ETSU 1-4, Georgia Tech 3-0 (national ranking #72)
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (5,1,2,3,4,6)
Match played indoors
