TYLER, Texas -- The dual-match between the top two teams in the Lone Star Conference came down to the final singles match at Summers Tennis Center on Tuesday afternoon.
Yudai Watanbe of UT Tyler was trailing
Stephen Slocombe of Midwestern State by a set and a break midway through the second set, but the junior from Japan rallied to win No. 6 singles, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, and lifted No. 7-ranked UT Tyler over No. 28-ranked Midwestern State, 4-3.
With the victory the Patriots improve to 17-1 overall with an 8-0 record in the LSC. Midwestern State falls to 12-8 overall and 5-1 against conference foes.
Germano Setti kept the Mustangs in the dual by claiming a 6-3, 6-4 triumph over Jordi Garcia at No. 4 singles after the Mustangs had dropped matches in the first three positions. Setti extended his personal winning streak in singles to five matches and has won his last three matches in straight sets.
In a must-win match,
Killian Guillou improved to 11-0 in singles this season with a victory over Carl Wessel, who retired for the Patriots trailing 6-5 in the third set. Wessel won the first set at No. 4 singles 6-3, but Guillou took the second set, 6-3.
Luis Diaz Argente, ranked No. 50 among Division II singles players, fell to 13th-ranked Joaquin Bianchi of UT Tyler at No. 1 singles, 6-4, 6-1. Diaz had won seven consecutive sets in a four-match winning streak for the Mustangs and had only dropped nine games in his last three matches before facing Bianchi.
Gonzalo Fernandez, ranked No. 6 in the nation, defeated MSU senior
Charles Heffernan at No. 2 singles, 6-2, 6-3, and won his 19th consecutive singles match for the Patriots. Heffernan suffered his first loss in a conference dual after five consecutive wins in singles.
Egor Shestakov, a 6-1 junior from Russia, gave the Patriots a 3-1 lead in the dual by dealing
Marcal Miret Avante a 7-5, 6-3 loss at No. 3 singles. Miret is 4-2 in conference matches and 12-7 in singles overall this season.
Midwestern State grabbed the early lead by winning the doubles point. Miret and Setti won their third consecutive doubles match for the Mustangs, defeating Bianchi and Wessel at No. 2 doubles, 6-2.
Heffernan and Guillou earned their fourth-straight doubles victory with a 6-2 triumph over Jordi Garcia and Jonas Dixon.
Diaz and Slocombe lost a tiebreak to Shestakov and Fernandez, 6-7 (4).
Midwestern State returns home to face Cameron in an LSC showdown at MSU Tennis Center on Thursday. First serve is scheduled for noon.
-- MSUMustangs.com --
