56th-ranked Blue Raiders tame Bisons for fourth-straight win

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The 56th-ranked Blue Raider men’s tennis team extended its winning streak to four matches with a 7-0 win over Lipscomb on Wednesday afternoon at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center. Middle Tennessee swept doubles and singles action as five Blue Raiders claimed singles victories in straight sets to give the Blue Raiders their seventh win in the last eight matches.

“Everyone was clicking on all cylinders today,” head coach Jimmy Borendame said. “I thought top to bottom we competed very well and I really think this team has found its groove.”

The four-match winning streak equals the longest since last season, with three of the four victories coming in the Sun Belt Championships in 2011. It is also the longest regular-season streak since the 2009 season when MT (12-6) won six in a row before heading into postseason play where the Blue Raiders won three more for a nine-match winning streak.

Marlon Brand and Yannick Born set the tone early with a convincing 8-1 win in the No. 1 doubles spot, then Matthew Langley and Ettore Zito claimed an 8-3 victory out of the three-hole. Ben Davis teamed with Cameron Dickerson for the first time this year and the duo pulled out an 8-7 triumph to complete the doubles sweep.

Forrest Edwards won by retirement to make it a 2-0 MT lead, and Dimitri Pippos’ 6-2, 6-3 win stretched it to a three-point cushion over the Bisons (5-7). Matthew Langley sealed the Blue Raider victory with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Ben Davis and Yannick Born also won in straight sets, while Ettore Zito took the victory in the super tiebreaker.

The Blue Raiders hit the road for the next two matches, traveling to Southern Miss Friday and Tulane Saturday. Both matches start at 1 p.m.

#56 Middle Tennessee 7, Lipscomb 0
Singles competition
1. Ben Davis (MT) def. Oliver Strecker (LIP) 6-3, 6-2
2. Matthew Langley (MT) def. David Salazar (LIP) 6-2, 6-3
3. Ettore Zito (MT) def. Daniel Hernandez (LIP) 6-3, 2-6, 10-8
4. Forrest Edwards (MT) def. Tanner Brown (LIP) 6-1, 3-3, retired
5. Dimitri Pippos (MT) def. Stuart Tierney (LIP) 6-2, 6-3
6. Yannick Born (MT) def. Chad Pierron (LIP) 6-2, 7-6

Doubles competition
1. Marlon Brand/Yannick Born (MT) def. Oliver Strecker/Stuart Tierney (LIP) 8-1
2. Cameron Dickerson/Ben Davis (MT) def. Tanner Brown/Daniel Hernandez (LIP) 8-7
3. Matthew Langley/Ettore Zito (MT) def. Chad Pierron/David Salazar (LIP) 8-3

Match Notes
Lipscomb 5-7
Middle Tennessee 12-6; National ranking #56
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (4,5,2,6,1,3)

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