MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - The 22nd-ranked Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders defeated Texas Tech, 4-0, Saturday in the semifinals of the HEB Invitational in Corpus Christi, Texas, tying the school record for best start with the squad's 12th straight victory.
The Blue Raiders (12-0) won the doubles point, but it didn't come easy. The 20th-ranked doubles pairing of Oliver Foreman and Robert Gustafsson won 9-7 (5) at No. 1 over Richard Crabtree and Ben Gudzelak, and 38th-ranked Daniel Klemetz and Kirk Jackson got a 9-7 win over Devin Wakeford and Royce Ramey. Middle Tennessee dropped the No. 3 doubles match, with Trevor Short and Rishan Kuruppu losing 8-6 to Alfonso Perez and Michael Innerebner.
In singles, 15th-ranked Klemetz took care of 59th-rated Ramey, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 1, but Robert Gustafsson and Oliver Foreman both split sets at Nos. 2 and 3. Short won his match at No. 6 by default over Perez due to unsportsmanlike conduct. And Michael Staniak again sealed the victory for Middle Tennessee at No. 4, winning 6-3, 7-5 against Innerebner.
The Blue Raiders take on 70th-ranked Memphis Sunday in the tournament finals at 11 a.m. Middle Tennessee defeated UM, 4-3, in Murfreesboro on March 2.
Middle Tennessee 4, Texas Tech 0
SINGLES
(15) Daniel Klemetz (MT) def. (59) Royce Ramey (TTU) 6-3, 6-2
(63) Robert Gustafsson (MT) vs. Ben Gudzelak (TTU) DNF
Oliver Foreman (MT) vs. Richard Crabtree (TTU) DNF
Michael Staniak (MT) def. Michael Innerebner (TTU) 6-3, 7-5
Kirk Jackson (MT) vs. David Knaszak (TTU) DNF
Trevor Short (MT) def. Alfonso Perez (TTU) 3-6, 1-0, default
DOUBLES
(20) Foreman/Gustafsson (MT) def. Crabtree/Gudzelak (TTU) 9-8 (5)
(38) Klemetz/Jackson (MT) def. Devin Wakeford/Ramey (TTU) 9-7
Perez/Innerebner (TTU) def. Short/Kuruppu (MT) 8-6
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