Blue Raiders Outlast Louisville, 4-1

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee won the doubles point and picked up singles victories at Nos. 2, 3 and 4, as the 34th-ranked Blue Raiders defeated 42nd-ranked Louisville, 4-1, Sunday on the final day of the Great Northwest Shootout in Seattle, Wash.

The Blue Raiders (6-3) ended the three-day event with a victory after suffering two close losses at host Washington and then Texas Tech. Head coach Dale Short was very pleased with his team's efforts after the losses on Friday and Saturday.

"We won the doubles and that gave us a really good lift and then we went out and played well in singles," Short said. "We're really hurting and the guys gave great effort to battle the way they did through all three matches. The win is a big plus over a very good team."

Middle Tennessee won both completed doubles matches, with 16th-ranked Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom defeating Damar Johnson and Pablo Camacho, 8-4, at No. 1, and Marc Boiron and Joao Poaliello winning 8-6 against UL's Chris Herrlinger and Ben Clos.

The Blue Raiders then won singles outings in the middle of the lineup to post the victory, all of them in three sets.

Marc Rocafort was first off the court with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, victory over Robert Rotaru at No. 4, but UL's Kenneth Nordheim came back with a 7-6, 7-6, triumph over Boiron at No. 5.

Born then outlasted Johnson at No. 2, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, before Morgan Richard won the deciding match, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, against David Simon at No. 3.

Middle Tennessee returns home next Sunday, February 18, facing Mississippi State at 1 p.m. at the Racquet Club of Murfreesboro.

#34 Middle Tennessee 4, #42 Louisville 1
SINGLES
1. (41) Andreas Siljestrom (MT) led (71) Slavko Radman (UL), 7-6 (5), 3-6, 3-2 (DNF)
2. Marco Born (MT) def. Damar Johnson, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6
3. Morgan Richard (MT) def. David Simon (UL), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Marc Rocafort (MT) def. Robert Rotaru (UL), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Kenneth Nordheim (UL) def. Marc Boiron (MT), 7-5, 7-6
6. Joao Pailiello (MT) led Horatiu Oltean (UL), 2-6, 6-4, 4-3 (DNF)
Order of Finish: 4,5,2,3*

DOUBLES
1. (16) Siljestrom-Born (MT) def. Johnson-Pablo Camacho (UL), 8-4
2. Rocafort-Richard (MT) vs. Radman-Simon (UL), DNF
3. Marc Boiron-Paoliello (MT) def. Chris Herrlinger-Ben Clos (UL), 8-6
Order of Finish: 1,3*

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