Monday, 04/11/2011

Anderson, S.C.----Wingate University senior Fernando Montemurro (Sao Paulo, Brazil) claimed the winning point at number five singles as the number 39 Bulldogs outlasted Anderson (S.C.) University 5-4 at the Max Grubbs Memorial Courts Monday. Montemurro and his teammates have won 11 matches in row.

In 2010, Montemurro won a three-set marathon to give Wingate (15-3 overall, 8-0 SAC) a 5-4 victory over soon-to-be SAC member Anderson (at Wingate). This year, Montemurro outlasted AU freshman Trey Halbauer (Charleston, S.C.) 7-5, 7-6. Earlier in the day, Montemurro teamed with countryman Greg Machado (Sao Paulo, Brazil) to defeat Anderson’s Deni Mehagic and Loic Ambrose 8-3 in the number three doubles match.

Montemurro was Wingate’s only double winner Monday. The Bulldogs started the afternoon with two doubles victories. Wingate junior Matthew Lichtenstein (Darnestown, Md.) and senior Braeden Patchell (Oakville, Ontario) earned an 8-2 victory at the number two doubles flight to go with the Montemurro-Machado triumph.

In singles, Wingate junior Andrew Owen (Kitchener, Ontario) defeated Trojan junior Ilya Zakharov (Tomsk, Russia) 7-5, 6-2 at the number two flight. Bulldog freshman Ryan Forbes (Charlotte, N.C.) stopped AU sophomore Loic Ambrose (Paris, France) 6-3, 6-2 at the number six singles position.

Next on the agenda for Wingate is a Saturday home contest versus SAC foe Brevard College at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs will honor Montemurro, Patchell and senior classmate Louis Villarroel (Maraval, Trinidad) in pre-match festivities (at approximately 12:15 p.m.). The Anderson Trojans (8-8 overall, 6-2 SAC) visit the Brevard Tornados (13-5 overall, 7-0 SAC) Tuesday for a 2 p.m. tilt.