Blue Raiders defeat Golden Eagles 6-1

Middle Tennessee won the doubles point to begin play and take a 1-0 lead in the match. Sophomore Shaun Waters and freshman Ben Davis defeated Vasily Emereev and Josh Girling 8-2 to start things off.

Then senior Kyle Wishing and r-freshman Dimitri Pippos fell 8-5 to Justin Kirstein and Alex Chen to even the doubles point. Junior Matthew Langley and freshman Elliot Barnwell led James Crawford and Lloyd Harris 6-1 before TTU's pair won three straight to make it 6-4. Then Langley and Barnwell pulled out the match by winning to straight for the 8-4 win and to take the lead in the match.

Davis defeated Emereev 6-2, 6-3 to begin singles action and make the score 2-0 in favor of the Blue Raiders.

Chen cut Middle Tennessee's lead to one, 2-1, with his 6-1, 7-6 win over Waters in No. 1 singles.

Barnwell won his first set easily 6-0 in No. 4 singles against Kirstein but fell 6-2 in the second set. In the third set, Barnwell battled and pulled out a 7-6 (9-7) win once again putting the Blue Raiders up by two, 3-1.

Pippos handled Murilo Oliviera in No. 5 singles defeating him 6-1, 6-0 to hand Middle Tennessee the match.

Rounding out the action for the Blue Raiders were Langley and Wishing. Langley battled against Girling in No. 2 singles winning the first set 7-5. He lost the second set 6-4 and then won a third set tie breaker 7-6 () to win his match.

Wishing pulled out his match 6-4, 3-6 and then won the supertie breaker 10-8.

The Blue Raiders will be back in action Saturday, Jan. 29 when they play host to Morehead State at Nashboro Village. The match is slated to begin at noon. Complete Results

Singles
1. CHEN, Alex (TTU) def. Shaun Waters (MT) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
2. Matthew Langley (MT) def. GIRLING, Josh (TTU) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6
3. Ben Davis (MT) def. EMEREEV, Vasily (TTU) 6-2, 6-3
4. Elliott Barnwell (MT) def. KIRSTEIN, Justin (TTU) 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (9-7)
5. Dimitri Pippos (MT) def. OLIVIERA, Murilo (TTU) 6-1, 6-0
6. Kyle Wishing (MT) def. CRAWFORD, James (TTU) 6-4, 3-6, 10-8

Doubles
1. Shaun Waters/Ben Davis (MT) def. EMEREEV, Vasily/GIRLING, Josh (TTU) 8-2
2. Elliott Barnwell/Matthew Langley (MT) def. CRAWFORD, James/HARRIS, Lloyd (TTU) 8-4
3. CHEN, Alex/KIRSTEIN, Justin (TTU) def. Kyle Wishing/Dimitri Pippos (MT) 8-5

Match Notes:
Middle Tennessee 2-0 Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,1,4,5,2)

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