Thursday, 03/29/2012

Freshman Dillon Segur recorded his 10th singles victory of the season, Wednesday, against Norfolk State.

After securing the doubles point, the Liberty men's tennis team took four straight singles wins to claim a 5-2 victory over Norfolk State, Wednesday, at the Esbenshade Tennis Courts.

Liberty ups its record to 13-5 with its third straight win.  The 13 wins by the team ties the second-best total for the program, which was recorded in 2009.  The program's all-time wins mark in a single season is 16, occurring in 1990.  Meanwhile, Norfolk State drops below .500 with the loss, at 10-11.

The Flames quickly earned the doubles point behind victories in the No. 2 and No. 3 matches.  Dillon Segur and Mandeep Yadav claimed the No. 3 match first, defeating Saheed Mourillon-Swift and Igor Braga, 8-1.  Shea Thomas and Tristan Stayt then secured their ninth victory as a tandem, downing Christian Romanzini and Kent Austin, 8-1, as well.  In the final doubles match, Siim Tuus and Giancarlo Lemmi dropped just their second match as a pair, with Arsenio Culver and Ben Marks earning the 8-7 (7) win in a tiebreaker.

Segur quickly set the Flames up 2-0 with the first Liberty singles victory in the No. 4 match.  The Winston-Salem, N.C., native defeated Romanzini, 6-1, 6-4, to claim his 10th victory of his freshman campaign.

Senior Giancarlo Lemmi wrapped up the No. 3 match next, only dropping three games to Braga, 6-2, 6-1.

Another freshman stepped up in the No. 6 match, as Jorge Azuero maintained his unblemished singles mark by moving to 6-0.  The Colombian downed Austin, 6-2, 6-1, to clinch the victory for the homestanding Flames.

Yadav posted the team's final point of the afternoon.  After taking the first set, 6-4, from Daniel Grauel, Yadav breezed through the second set, 6-0, for his fifth win of the year.

The Spartans battled for their two points on the afternoon, taking them in the No. 1 and No. 2 match.  Culver needed a tiebreaker to get past Tuus in the opening set, of the No. 1 match, while Marks needed a deciding breaker to defeat Thomas at No. 2.

Liberty will wrap up the week on Saturday, hosting Winthrop.  The Big South match is slated to begin at 1 p.m. and live updates will be available for the contest.

Liberty 5, Norfolk State 2
DOUBLES
1. Culver/Marks (NSU) def. Tuus/Lemmi (LU), 8-7 (7)
2. Thomas/Stayt (LU) def. Romanzini/Austin (NSU), 8-1
3. Segur/Yadav (LU) def. Mourillon-Swift/Braga (NSU), 8-1

SINGLES
1. Culver (NSU) def. Tuus (LU), 7-6 (4), 6-1
2. Marks (NSU) def. Thomas (LU), 2-6, 6-1, 10-7
3. Lemmi (LU) def. Braga (NSU), 6-2, 6-1
4. Segur (LU) def. Romanzini (NSU), 6-1, 6-4
5. Yadav (LU) def. Gravel (NSU), 6-4, 6-0
6. Azuero (LU) def. Austin (NSU), 6-2, 6-1