Blue Raiders Fall to Vandy, 4-3

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Evan Dufaux won four of the final five games to take a victory at No. 6 and give 54th-ranked Vanderbilt a 4-3 victory over 23rd-ranked Middle Tennessee Wednesday afternoon at the Racquet Club of Murfreesboro.

The Commodores (10-7) overcame a 2-0 deficit to take a 3-2 lead, but the Blue Raiders (13-6) fought back with a victory at No. 5 to tie the dual. Dufaux and Greg Pollack was the deciding match at No. 6, with Pollack taking a one-set lead before Dufaux won 12 of the final 17 games of the match to post the victory for Vandy.

For the third match in a row the Blue Raiders won the doubles point but struggled in singles.

Pollack and Anant Sitaram won 8-5 at No. 3 over Dufaux and Ryan Preston before Brandon Allan and Kai Schledorn defeated 26th-ranked Scott Brown and Jason Pinsky, 8-5, at No. 1 for the first point of the match.

Marco Born put Middle Tennessee up 2-0 with a 6-2, 6-3, triumph over Matthew Lockin at No. 2, but the Commodores came roaring back.

Brown, ranked 45th in singles, won a tough first set and finished off 97th-ranked Andreas Siljestrom, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 1. Pinsky then defeated Schledorn, 6-3, 6-4, at No. 3, and Preston fought off a valiant effort from Sitaram at No. 4, 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

Allan evened the match at three with a 7-5, 6-3, win at No. 5 over Sachs, leaving Pollack and Dufaux with the dual match in their hands.

The Blue Raiders host Arkansas-Little Rock Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center in the final home match of the year.

#54 Vanderbilt 4, #23 Middle Tennessee 3
SINGLES
1. (45) Scott Brown (VU) def. (97) Andreas Siljestrom (MT), 6-4, 6-2
2. Marco Born (MT) def. Matthew Lockin (VU), 6-2, 6-3
3. Jason Pinsky (VU) def. Kai Schledorn (MT), 6-3, 6-4
4. Ryan Preston (VU) def. Anant Sitaram (MT), 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
5. Brandon Allan (MT) def. Nathan Sachs (VU), 7-5, 6-3
6. Evan Dufaux (VU) def. Greg Pollack (MT), 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Order of Finish: 2,1,3,4,5,6

DOUBLES
1. Allan-Schledorn (MT) def. (26) Brown-Pinsky (VU), 8-5
2. (18) Siljestrom-Born vs. Andy Mack-Sachs (VU), DNF
3. Pollack-Sitaram (MT) def. Dufaux-Preston (VU), 8-6
Order of Finish: 3,1

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