Jan. 23, 2009

Virginia Defeats No. 15 Illinois 6-1 in Home Opener
The No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team opened its 2009 home schedule with a 6-1 win over No. 15 Illinois Friday night before a crowd of 649 at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The Cavaliers improve to 2-0 with the win, while the Fighting Illini (3-1) suffered their first loss.

Virginia opened the match by sweeping the doubles contests. The Cavaliers got an early win at No. 3, where Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) and Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) topped Marc Spicijaric and Brian Livingston 8-5.

The Cavaliers used the momentum of doubles, along with the excitement of the jersey retirement ceremony for former Cavalier great Somdev Devvarman at intermission, to get off to a fast start in singles. Virginia won all six first sets and quickly completed three wins to clinch the dual match.

No. 49 NC State Men's Tennis Falls to No. 45 Louisville
The No. 49 NC State men's tennis team suffered its first loss of the season to No. 45 Louisville on Friday, Jan. 23, in Raleigh, N.C. The Pack lost 4-3 after winning the doubles point, but only securing victories in two of the six singles matches. NC State falls to 2-1, and the Cardinals are now 3-0.

Senior Jay Weinacker and freshman Jaime PUlgar quickly downed the No. 44 nationally ranked doubles duo, Robert Rotaru and Alejandro Calligari, 8-1, at No. 2 to start the day, but the other two doubles matches went down to the wire.

Pulgar was the first to finish his singles match, taking down Rotaru, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 4. Senior Derek Stephens fell to No. 65 SImon CHilds, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 3. No. 55 Weinacker suffered his first loss of the season to No. 47 Austen Childs, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2), and No. 124 Welte lost to Maksimcuk, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, at No. 2.