Men’s Tennis Competes with Quakers

Saturday, January 30

Philadelphia, Pa.

10 a.m.

Middle Tennessee

Penn

1/31/2016 10:45:00 AM | Men's Tennis

Blue Raiders drop to .500 on the season

By: Matt Posey, @MTAthletics

PHILADELPHIA – Middle Tennessee's men's tennis team concluded their two-game road swing with a matchup on Saturday morning against Penn, who defeated the Blue Raiders 5-2.

All three matches in doubles action went down to the wire, but the Quakers took the first point of the match when the dust settled. Ayed Zatar Cordero and Gonzalo Morell Raschiatore delivered a 6-4 win at the No. 1 doubles spot to start play. No. 2 doubles fell to Penn, defeating MT 7-6, and Penn's No. 3 duo clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 win.

Miguel Negre Fernandez and Morell Raschiatore delivered the only two points in the match for the Blue Raiders by winning in singles action.

Negre Fernandez defeated Thomas Spratt 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 4 spot, while Morell Raschiatore took care of business at No. 2, winning 6-0, 6-3.

Although the Quakers took the rest of the matches, MT hung in at all spots in the lineup. Gian Issa was unable to come back from losing his first set in a tiebreak, but kept the match very close all the way to the end. Luis Morillo Diaz saw his first singles action of the season, losing by a score of 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 6 spot.

That 6-2 first set score at No. 6 was the largest margin of victory for the Quakers. Six of the eight singles sets that Penn won were by two games or less.

MT, now 2-2, returns home for nine consecutive home matches at the Adams Tennis Complex. Next on the docket for the Blue Raiders will be No. 45 ITA ranked Louisville. The Cardinals enter competition with MT on Feb. 3 with a 3-3 record, losing their last two matches.

There is free admission to all matches throughout the tennis season and there will be free food for the match against Louisville, while supplies last.

Middle Tennessee vs Penn
1/30/2016 at Philadelphia, Pa.
Penn 5, Middle Tennessee 2

Singles competition
1. Kyle Mautner (PENN) def. Dima Zyhmantovich (MT) 6-4, 6-3
2. Gonzalo Morell (MT) def. Josh Pompan (PENN) 6-0, 6-3
3. Matt Nardella (PENN) def. Gian Issa (MT) 7-6 (9-7), 6-4
4. Nicholai Westergaard (PENN) def. Ayed Zatar Cordero (MT) 6-4, 6-4
5. Miguel Negre (MT) def. Thomas Spratt (PENN) 6-4, 6-4
6. Blaine Willenborg (PENN) def. Luis Morillo Diaz (MT) 6-2, 7-5

Doubles competition
1. Ayed Zatar Cordero/Gonzalo Morell (MT) def. Austin Kaplan/Nicholai Westergaard (PENN) 6-4
2. Thomas Spratt/Blaine Willenborg (PENN) def. Gian Issa/Miguel Negre (MT) 7-6
3. Kyle Mautner/Matt Nardella (PENN) def. Dima Zyhmantovich/Luis Morillo Diaz (MT) 6-3

Match Notes:
Middle Tennessee 2-2
Penn 2-2