Men's Tennis Blanks SIU, 7-0

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's 45th-ranked men's tennis team swept all three doubles and all six singles matches in defeating Southern Illinois Friday night at the Racquet Club of Murfreesboro.

The Blue Raiders (8-1) won their sixth straight match after defeating 62nd-ranked Virginia Tech earlier in the day.

Middle Tennessee had little trouble with the Salukis after squeaking out a 4-3 win over Virginia Tech in the afternoon.

In doubles, the 29th-ranked duo of Brandon Allan and Kai Schledorn defeated SIU's Sergio Sanchez and Julian Angel Botero, 8-4, at No. 1, while the 58th-ranked tandem of Andreas Siljestrom and Marco Born won 8-2 at No. 2 over Rodrigo Lama and Tomas Gonzalez. Greg Pollack and Anant Sitaram took care of SIU's Bojan Ilievski and Alexandru Nomicos at No. 3, 8-2.

The Blue Raiders won all six singles matches in straight sets.

Siljestrom, ranked 68th in singles, won 6-3, 6-1, over Nomicos at No. 1, while Schledorn defeated Lama, 6-4, 6-3, at No. 2. Pollack took a 6-0, 6-0, decision over Sanchez at No. 3, and Sitaram defeated Gonzalez, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 4.

Allan won 6-1, 6-2, over Ilievski at No. 5, while Marc Boiron made his dual match debut with an 8-4 victory over Nick Bauer at No. 6.

Middle Tennessee now gears up for a weekend trip to face Ole Miss and Mississippi State on February 26-27.

"I am extremely pleased with the way we played today. Virginia Tech was a legitimate Top 20 team," Blue Raider head coach Dale Short said. "They were ready for us and we really dodged a bullet.

"I think our schedule has positioned us well for our matches next weekend. It will be a little different with the matches scheduled outdoors, but we're playing well right now and that's always a positive."

#45 Middle Tennessee 7, Southern Illinois 0
SINGLES
1. (68) Andreas Siljestrom (MT) def. Alexandru Nomicos (SIU), 6-3, 6-1
2. Kai Schledorn (MT) def. Rodrigo Lama (SIU), 6-4, 6-3
3. Greg Pollack (MT) def. Sergio Sanchez (SIU), 6-0, 6-0
4. Anant Sitaram (MT) def. Tomas Gonzalez (SIU), 6-2, 6-2
5. Brandon Allan (MT) def. Bojan Ilievski (SIU), 6-1, 6-2
6. Marc Boiron (MT) def. Nick Bauer (SIU), 8-4

DOUBLES
1. (29) Allan-Schledorn (MT) def. Sanchez-Julian Angel Botero (SIU), 8-4
2. (58) Siljestrom-Marco Born (MT) def. Lama-Gonzalez (SIU), 8-2
3. Pollack-Sitaram (MT) def. Ilievski-Nomicos (SIU), 8-2

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