MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee jumped out with the doubles point but dropped four of the six singles matches, including three in three sets, as the 35th-ranked Blue Raiders lost 4-3 to No. 56 Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center in Blacksburg, Va.
The Blue Raiders fell to 2-1 on the year, while Virginia Tech upped its mark to 7-0.
Middle Tennessee won three tight doubles tilts to earn the first point of the match.
The third-ranked duo of Marco Born and Andreas Siljestrom defeated Alexei Sergeev and Brent Wilkins, 8-6, at No. 2 before Brandon Allan and Kai Schledorn won 9-8 over Arvid Puranen and David Rosenfeld at No. 1 for the doubles point. Rishan Kuruppu and Greg Pollack won the final match, 8-6, at No. 3 over Nicolas Delgado and Albert Larregola.
Middle Tennessee jumped ahead 2-0 in the match when freshman Morgan Richard defeated Tech's Brandon Corace at No. 6, 6-4, 6-3.
But the Hokies won the next four completed matches to take control and earn the team victory.
Delgado won 6-3, 7-5, over Kuruppu at No. 3, and Rosenfeld took care of Allan at No. 5, 6-7, 6-4, 6-1. Larregola then defeated Schledorn at No. 4, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2, and Sergeev sealed the VT victory at No. 2 with a 6-4, 5-7, 7-6, triumph over 97th-ranked Born.
Middle Tennessee's only other point of the match came at No. 1, where 48th-ranked Siljestrom won 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, over 98th-ranked Puranen.
The Blue Raiders return home next weekend, hosting 61st-ranked Indiana Saturday at Noon at the Racquet Club of Murfreesboro. There will be free pizza and soft drinks for all fans, while supplies last.
#56 Virginia Tech 4, #35 Middle Tennessee
SINGLES
1. (48) Andreas Siljestrom (MT) def. (98) Arvid Puranen (VT) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
2. Alexei Sergeev (VT) def. (97) Marco Born (MT) 6-4, 5-7, 7-6
3. Nicolas Delgado (VT) def. Rishan Kuruppu (MT) 6-3, 7-5
4. Albert Larregola (VT) def. Kai Schledorn (MT) 3-6, 7-6, 6-2
5. David Rosenfeld (VT) def. Brandon Allen (MT) 6-7, 6-4, 6-1
6. Morgan Richard (MT) def. Brandon Corace (VT) 6-4, 6-3
Finishing Order:
6, 3, 5, 4, 2*, 1
DOUBLES
1. Allen-Schledorn (MT) def. Puranen-Rosenfeld (VT) 9-8
2. (3) Born-Siljestrom (MT) def. Sergeev-Brent Wilkins (VT) 8-6
3. Kuruppu-Greg Pollack (MT) def. Delgado-Larregola (VT) 8-6
Finishing Order:
2, 1*, 3
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