SALISBURY, N.C. - With the end of the conference season around the corner the Newberry men's tennis team broke a four match losing streak to pick up an important 6-3 victory over Catawba at the Johnson Tennis Center on Tuesday.
The Wolves (11-10, 2-4 SAC) took an early lead over the Indians (14-7, 3-4 SAC) when at No. 1 doubles sophomores Vinicius Botelho (Fortaleza, Brazil) and Michael Saunders (Christchurch, New Zealand) won by a score of 8-1. At No. 3 doubles freshman Carlos Nicolopulos (Valencia, Venezuela) and junior Cal Loveridge (Derby, Derbyshire, England) won in only their second match as a pairing.
Up 2-1 at the end of doubles play the Wolves picked up a singles point when Botelho won in straight sets at No. 2. With the score 3-2 in the Wolves' favor Saunders picked up a victory at No. 1 singles, in what head coach Mark Gardiner described as a “dog fight”.
As the bottom half of lineup took to the courts the Wolves clinched the match as Nicolopulos won in three sets at No. 5. Newberry's sixth and final point came at No. 6 singles where David Sons won in three sets over his opponent.
Newberry returns home on Thursday to host Tusculum in a makeup date after the originally scheduled meeting was postponed due to imminent weather. The Pioneers and Wolves are set to hit the Cannon Tennis Courts at 2 p.m.
Newberry 6, Catawba 3
Mar 27, 2012
Salisbury, N.C.
Johnson Tennis Center
Singles
1. Michael Saunders (NEWM) def. Alex Macdonald (CATAWBA) 6-4, 6-3
2. Vinicius Botelho (NEWM) def. Thomas Mitchell (CATAWBA) 6-4, 6-2
3. Jess Goodall (CATAWBA) def. Mohammed Chakir (NEWM) 6-4, 6-0
4. Matthew Nicholson (CATAWBA) def. Cal Loveridge (NEWM) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Carlos Nicolopulos (NEWM) def. Uri Yarkoni (CATAWBA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
6. David Sons (NEWM) def. Kevin Budrawich (CATAWBA) 6-3, 4-6, 10-5
Doubles
1. Vinicius Botelho/Michael Saunders (NEWM) def. Thomas Mitchell/Uri Yarkoni (CATAWBA) 8-2
2. Alex Macdonald/Matthew Nicholson (CATAWBA) def. Mohammed Chakir/David Sons (NEWM) 8-3
3. Cal Loveridge/Carlos Nicolopulos (NEWM) def. Jess Goodall/Kevin Budrawich (CATAWBA) 8-5
Match Notes
Newberry 11-10, 2-4 SAC
Catawba 14-7, 3-4 SAC
