.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan
Bulls Rally for Senior Day Win
4/6/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
BUFFALO, NY - In a punch-counter punch match with both teams searching for a critical win, the Buffalo (11-5, 1-1 MAC) men's tennis team came from behind to defeat Mid-American Conference rival Western Michigan (11-10, 0-2 MAC) 4-3 Sunday afternoon. Sebastian Ionescu's tiebreaker win in the third set would clinch the win and ignited a packed crowd of spectators.
In a similar start to the Binghamton match from Friday night, the Bulls would drop the doubles point on a close decision. The Broncos took a tiebreaker win at first doubles to clinch the point, but the Bulls were on the verge of taking third doubles and vying for the point.
As singles play got underway, Pablo Alvarez made short work of his match at third singles to pull the Bulls even at 1-1 in the dual, winning 6-4, 6-3. That set off a back and forth between the two teams, with Western winning at fifth singles before the Bulls answered back to tie it up again. Sergio Arevalillo lost an early lead to drop his first set at number four singles, but roared to a 6-2, 6-2 result in the next two sets for UB. The Broncos would win a third-set match at sixth singles to put them up 3-2 and on the brink of victory.
The top two singles flights were deep into the third set by the time the crowd had pooled around them court-side at Miller Tennis Center. Damien David would provide the most impressive win of the day, and Ionescu would win the most important match of the day in quick succession. David, playing at first singles, won a quick 6-3 first set before his opponent would answer with an equally dominant 6-2 win. With the support of the crowd behind him, David would break serve to tie the dual at 3-3 with a 7-5 third-set win.
I can't say enough about the way Damien has played this weekend," head coach Lee Nickell said of his junior standout. "(Nadin) Indre is the best player in the conference by far and Damien raised his level and beat him on his best surface. It was a great performance."
That would put all eyes on Ionescu, who had started a third-set tiebreaker as David was finishing up his win on the next court over. He went up 3-1 early in the tiebreak before it would be evened up at 4-4. He rallied to win the next three points and was swarmed by his teammates after clinching the win.
"I couldn't be more proud of this group and the way they played. Western's a great team and they're picked to win the conference year in and year out. For us to win like we did was amazing."
The match was the final home event for a pair of graduating seniors, Yevgeniy Jason Shkodnik and Jason Simon.
"They (Simon and Shkodnik) are the glue that holds this team together," Nickell said. "They keep the chemistry going and they keep everyone focused and happy. These two have meant the world to this program and have been a major contributor to not just the success we're having this season, but over their entire careers here at UB."
The team will have just under two weeks to prepare for its final weekend of the regular season, with a MAC tournament bid still on the line. It will be at Northern Illinois up first on Friday, April 18 before the regular-season finale Sunday at Ball State.
Doubles
1. Indre/Greiner def. David/Mehta, 8-7
2. Cahn/Payne def. Arevalillo/Hannestad, 8-5
3. Treis/Hamilton vs. Ionescu/Sharma, 7-6 DNF
Order of Finish: 2,1, DNF
Singles
1. David def. Indre, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
2. Ionescu def. Greiner, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6
3. Alvarez def. Cahn, 6-4, 6-3
4. Arevalillo def. Beckwith, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
5. Hamilton def. Hannestad, 6-2, 7-5
6. Treis def. Mehta, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3,5,4,6,1,2
