Tennis Posts 5-2 Victory

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Morgan Richard and Marc Rocafort won the deciding doubles match in a tiebreaker and senior Andreas Siljestrom posted the deciding singles victory, as 45th-ranked Middle Tennessee defeated South Florida, 5-2, Saturday in Tampa, Fla.

The Blue Raiders (10-11) ended a four-match losing streak and sent the homestanding Bulls (6-11) to their fifth consecutive loss.

Middle Tennessee shook up the doubles lineup, breaking up the twin towers of Siljestrom and senior Marco Born.

Born and Marc Boiron lost, 8-5, at No. 3 to Ales Svigelj and Marc Jaeger, but Siljestrom and Joao Paoliello defeated Henning Hipp and Daniel Daudt by the same score at No. 2. Richard-Rocafort then outlasted Mahmoud Hamed and Thomas Estrada, 8-6, in a tiebreaker, giving the Blue Raiders the first point of the match.

Hipp quickly tied the match, though, with a 6-3, 6-0, victory over Alex McCann at No. 5, and USF won the first set at Nos. 2, 4 and 6. But the middle of the Blue Raider lineup responded with victories to secure the team victory.

Rocafort defeated Hamed, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 3, before Born, ranked 113th nationally, winning 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 2, giving Middle Tennessee a 3-1 edge.

USF's Diego Toledo pulled the Bulls within 3-2 with a 6-4, 6-2, triumph over Paoliello at No. 6, but Siljestrom, ranked 69th nationally, defeated Svigelj, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, at No. 1 for the deciding point. Richard won the final match, 4-6, 7-5, 10-6, over Estrada at No. 4.

Middle Tennessee travels to Lafayette, La., for the Sun Belt Shootout next weekend, with the host Ragin' Cajuns as well as South Alabama and Denver.

#45 Middle Tennessee 5, South Florida 2
SINGLES
1. (69) Andreas Siljestrom (MT) def. Ales Svigelj (USF), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
2. (113) Marco Born (MT) def. Marc Jaeger (USF), 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
3. Marc Rocafort (MT) def. Mahmoud Hamed (USF), 6-4, 6-4
4. Morgan Richard (MT) def. Thomas Estrada (USF), 4-6, 7-5, 10-6
5. Henning Hipp (USF) def. Alex McCann (MT), 6-3, 6-0
6. Diego Toledo (USF) def. Joao Paoliello (MT), 6-4, 6-2
Order of Finish: 5,3,2,6,1*,4

DOUBLES
1. Rocafort-Richard (MT) def. Hamed-Estrada (USF), 9-8 (6)
2. Siljestrom-Paoliello (MT) def. Hipp-Daniel Daudt (USF), 8-5
3. Svigelj-Jaeger (USF) def. Born-Marc Boiron (MT), 8-5
Order of Finish: 3,2,1*

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