Foreman-Jackson Win Doubles Title

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's Oliver Foreman and Kirk Jackson teamed to defeat Mithu Murali and Mariano Pettigrosso of Arkansas-Little Rock, 8-3, in the Flight I doubles final Sunday afternoon on the final day of play in the MT Men's Fall Invitational at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center.

The Blue Raider duo enabled Foreman to enact a little revenge after dropping a three-plus-hour singles match to Pettigrosso in the semifinals Sunday morning. Top-seed Pettigrosso defeated Foreman, 7-6, (5), 3-6, 6-4, before winning the singles title with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory over Simon Rea of Tennessee.

Foreman and Jackson were able to cap a solid opening tournament for the Blue Raiders and head coach Dale Short, one in which two MT players reached the Flight I singles semifinals and another lost in the Flight II singles final.

"We battled hard all day and just weren't able to pull out some close matches," Short said after the three-day tourney. "But Oliver and Kirk played very well at the end of the day and were able to cap off a good team effort."

MT's Trevor Short also lost in the Flight I singles semifinals, dropping a 6-2, 6-3 decision to Rea. Freshman Greg Pollack defeated David Crouzet of Evansville Sunday morning to reach the Flight II singles finals, but Pollack's run to a title ended with a 6-2, 6-3 defeat at the hands of Juan Carlos Baca of Arkansas-Little Rock.

The Blue Raiders will next take part in the Southern Intercollegiates in Athens, Ga., September 21-24.

SUNDAY RESULTS

SINGLES

Flight I

Semifinals

Mariano Pettigrosso (Arkansas-Little Rock) def. Oliver Foreman (Middle Tennessee) 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-4

Simon Rea (Tennessee) def. Trevor Short (Middle Tennessee) 6-2, 6-3

Finals

Mariano Pettigrosso (Arkansas-Little Rock) def. Simon Rea (Tennessee) 7-6 (4), 6-2

Flight I Consolation

Semifinals

Alan Savidor (Southern Illinois) def. Martan Tamala (UT-Martin) 6-3, 6-7 (8), (10-8)

Anthony Wollsschlager (Evansville) def. Peter Allnut (UT-Martin) 6-4, 7-5

Finals

Anthony Wollsschlager (Evansville) def. Alan Savidor (Southern Illinois) 6-1, 6-1

Flight II

Semifinals

Juan Carlos Baca (Arkansas-Little Rock) def. Gerado Ascencio (Freed-Hardeman) 6-3, 7-5

Greg Pollack (Middle Tennessee) def. David Crouzet (Evansville) 6-3, 6-2

Finals

Juan Carlos Baca (Arkansas-Little Rock) def. Greg Pollack (Middle Tennessee) 6-2, 6-3

Flight II Consolation

Semifinals

Thiago Barbosa (Freed-Hardeman) def. Rodney Covington (Tennessee State) 6-7 (5), 6-1, (10-8)

Jarrad Bunt (Arkansas-Little Rock) def. Marek Pawelec (Morehead State) 6-3, 6-0

Finals

Jarrad Bunt (Arkansas-Little Rock) def. Thiago Barbosa (Freed-Hardeman) - Default

Flight III

Finals

Derrick Boland (Evansville) ef. Alejandro Hernandez (Morehead State) 6-3, 6-1

Flight III Consolation

Finals

Jay Clark (UT-Martin) def. Derrick Kinchela (Evansville) 6-4, 6-4

DOUBLES

Flight I

Finals

Oliver Foreman/Kirk Jackson (Middle Tennessee) def. Mithu Murali/Mariano Pettigrosso (Arkansas-Little Rock) 8-3

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