Five Raiders Win Twice

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Sophomore Marc Rocafort reached the finals of the Championship Singles Flight and junior Joao Paoliello, redshirt freshman Richard Cowden, sophomore Alex McCann and senior Marc Boiron all won twice in singles, leading Middle Tennessee's men's tennis team Saturday during the 21st Annual MT Fall Invitational at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center.

Rocafort, ranked 76th nationally in singles after posting a 28-12 mark in 2006-07, won a pair of matches to reach the Championship Singles Flight title match. Rocafort defeated Louisville's Viktor Maksimcuk, 6-4, 6-1, before winning 6-1, 6-3, over 98th-ranked Amrit Narasimhan of Memphis in the semifinals. Rocafort will face Mississippi State's 40th-ranked Phillippe Frayssinoux in the finals on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

Junior Morgan Richard won 6-2, 6-4, over Morehead State's Greg Johnstone in the quarterfinals of the Championship Singles Flight before running into Frayssinoux, who defeated Richard, 6-3, 6-3, in the semifinals.

Paoliello and Cowden both reached the semifinals in Flight A1 singles. Paoliello defeated Belmont's Felipe Cirna Lima, 6-2, 6-1, and Benedikt Fisher of Memphis, 6-1, 6-3. He will face Morehead State's Greg Anderson in the semifinals on Sunday.

Cowden outlasted Morehead State's Charles Williams, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, before taking out former Blue Raider Lucas de Brito of Austin Peay, 7-6 (4), 6-1. Cowden will take on Belmont's Javier Rodriguez in the semifinals on Sunday.

In Flight A2 singles, McCann won by default in his first match before defeating Austin Peay's Patrick Puertolas, 6-0, 6-0. McCann will face Spencer Heflin of Memphis in the semifinals on Sunday.

Newcomer Chris Nowak won his first match, 7-6, 6-3, against Austin Peay's Jay Wilkinson, but dropped a 7-5, 6-2, decision to Western Kentucky's Andy True in the quarterfinals.

In Flight A3 singles, Boiron defeated Austin Peay's Bret Shaw, 6-1, 6-1, before winning 6-1, 6-3, over Western Kentucky's David Bowman. Boiron will face Louisville's Morten Sivertsen in the finals of the draw Sunday.

Draws for the tournament and complete results may be found at http://www.goblueraiders.com/content.cfm/id/27519.

ONE OTHER TENNIS NOTE: Middle Tennessee's Kevin Green and Michael Paul will be heading to San Diego, Calif., this week for the Wheelchair U.S. Open that starts on Wednesday. Green and Paul are the defending champions at the event.

CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Marc Rocafort (MT) def. Viktor Maksimcuk (Louisville), 6-4, 6-1
Morgan Richard (MT) def. Greg Johnstone (Morehead State), 6-2, 6-4

Semifinals
Marc Rocafort (MT) def. (98) Amrit Narasimhan (Memphis), 6-1, 6-3
(40) Phillippe Frayssinoux (Mississippi State) def. Morgan Richard (MT), 6-3, 6-3

FLIGHT A1 SINGLES
Round of 16
Joao Paoliello (MT) def. Felipe Cirna Lima (Belmont), 6-2, 6-1
Richard Cowden (MT) def. Charles Williams (Morehead State), 6-4, 4-6, 6-1

Quarterfinals
Joao Paoliello (MT) def. Benedikt Fisher (Memphis), 6-1, 6-3
Richard Cowden (MT) def. Lucas de Brito (Austin Peay), 7-6 (4), 6-1

FLIGHT A2 SINGLES
Round of 16
Alex McCann (MT) def. Zach Zola (Belmont), default
Chris Nowak (MT) def. Jay Wilkinson (Austin Peay), 7-6, 6-3

Quarterfinals
Alex McCann (MT) def. Patrick Puertolas (Austin Peay), 6-0, 6-0
Andy True (Western Kentucky) def. Chris Nowak (MT), 7-5, 6-2

FLIGHT A3 SINGLES
Quarterfinals
Derrick Davison (MT) def. Currie Martin (Western Kentucky), 6-4, 6-4
Marc Boiron (MT) def. Bret Shaw (Austin Peay), 6-1, 6-1

Semifinals
Morten Sivertsen (Louisville) def. Derrick Davison (MT), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
Marc Boiron (MT) def. David Bowman (Western Kentucky), 6-1, 6-3

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