Blue Raiders Defeat Georgia Tech, 6-1

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee 53rd-ranked men's tennis team put on an exhibition Saturday, winning the doubles point and all but one singles match in a 6-1 victory over 35th-ranked Georgia Tech at the Racquet Club.

The Blue Raiders improve to 5-1 on the season, the team's best start since a 12-0 beginning in 2001, while the Yellowjackets fell to 3-1.

Middle Tennessee started strong, winning the doubles point behind the No. 1 and 3 combos in the lineup.

Andreas Siljestrom and Marco Born, ranked 58th in doubles, defeated David North and Marko Rajevac, 8-5, at No. 1, but 29th-ranked Brandon Allan and Kai Schledorn lost to Scott Blackmon and Jose Muguruza, 8-6, at No. 2. Greg Pollack and Anant Sitaram gave the Blue Raiders the first point of the match with an 8-6 win over Sukhura Young and Jordan Belass at No. 3.

In singles the Blue Raiders won the top four spots in the lineup as well as No. 6 to defeat the Yellowjackets for the second straight time at home.

Siljestrom, ranked 68th in singles, defeated 35th-ranked Muguruza, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, at No. 1, and Born won 6-4, 6-3, over North at No. 2. Schledorn upped his mark to 6-0 in dual match singles with a 6-4, 6-1, triumph over Rajevac at No. 3, while Sitaram defeated Young, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, at No. 4.

Georgia Tech's only win in singles came at No. 5, where Belass took care of Pollack, 6-2, 7-6 (4). Allan gave Middle Tennessee the final point of the match with a 6-2, 6-7 (5), 10-5, win over George Guelesiani at No. 6.

"This was a very good win for us as a team," Middle Tennessee head coach Dale Short said. "We played better in doubles, which we needed to, and played really well in singles.

"It was good to see Andreas and Marco play well, and Kai continues to be very solid for us."

The Blue Raiders play the second in a four-match homestand on Sunday, hosting Furman at noon at the Racquet Club.

#53 Middle Tennessee 6, #33 Georgia Tech 1
SINGLES
1. (68) Andreas Siljestrom (MT) def. (35) Jose Muguruza (GT), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Marco Born (MT) def. David North (GT), 6-4, 6-3
3. Kai Schledorn (MT) def. Marko Rajevac (GT), 6-4, 6-1
4. Anant Sitaram (MT) def. Sukhura Young (GT), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
5. Jordan Belass def. Greg Pollack (MT), 6-2, 7-6 (4)
6. Brandon Allan (MT) def. George Guelesiani (GT), 6-2, 6-7 (5), 10-5

DOUBLES
1. (58) Siljestrom-Born (MT) def. North-Rajevac (GT), 8-5
2. Scott Blackmon-Muguruza (GT) def. (29) Allan-Schledorn (MT), 8-6
3. Pollack-Sitaram (MT) def. Young-Belass (GT), 8-6

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