PROVIDENCE, R.I. (March 4, 2008) - The No. 56 ETSU men's tennis team defeated the Brown Bears in a hard-fought match, 4-3 on Tuesday night at the Pizzitola Center Courts. ETSU improves to 8-3 on the year while the Bears fall to 8-6.

The Bears took the early 1-0 lead as they claimed the doubles point. In the No. 3 position Saurabh Kohli and Charlie Posner defeated Daniel Isaza (Medellin, Colombia) and Lisandro Picardo (Mar del Plata, Argentina) 8-6 while the 53rd-ranked duo of Sebastian Serrano (Cartagena, Colombia) and Enrique Olivares (Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela) fell to Noah Gardner and Sam Garland, 8-6 in the No. 2 slot. In the No. 1 position Alex Ahlgren (Tyreso, Sweden) and Oscar Posada (Valencia, Venezuela) defeated Chris Lee and Basu Ratnam, 8-5.

The Bucs then went on to win four out of the six single matches to rally for the win. In the top position No. 61 Enrique Olivaers dropped Chris Lee, 6-4, 6-4 while Sebastian Serrano defeated Saurabh Kohli in the second position in a hard-fought match, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Senior Lisandro Picardo maintained his perfect record in dual action as he defeated Basu Ratnam, 6-4, 6-3 as Daniel Isaza dropped Sam Garland, 7-6, 6-1 in the sixth position to clinch the win for the Bucs.

Brown secured its other two points as Predrag Burmazovic (Belgrade, Serbia) fell to Jonathan Pearlman, 6-3, 6-1 in the third slot while Oscar Posada fell to Kendrick Au, 7-6, 3-6, 1-0(8) in the No. 5 position.

"It was an incredibly tough match and hard fought. The conditions were tough and the courts were quick. I'm extremely proud of how hard they fought and how much they cared even in these tough conditions.  I'm just really proud to be working with this team," said head coach Yaser Zaatini.  

The Bucs will be back in action on March 5 as they take on Harvard. The match is set to begin at 2 p.m. Follow all ETSU men's tennis action at www.ETSUBucs.com.

#56 ETSU 4, Brown 3

Singles

No. 1- #61 Enrique Olivares (ETSU) def. Chris Lee (Brown) 6-4, 6-4

No. 2- Sebastian Serrano (ETSU) def. Saurabh Kohli (Brown) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

No. 3- Jonathan Pearlman (Brown) def. Predrag Burmazovic (ETSU) 6-3, 6-1

No. 4- Lisandro Picardo (ETSU) def. Basu Ratnam (Brown) 6-4, 6-3

No. 5- Kendrick Au (Brown) def. Oscar Posada (ETSU) 7-6, 3-6, 1-0(8)

No. 6- Daniel Isaza (ETSU) def. Sam Garland (Brown) 7-6, 6-1

Order of Finish - 1, 4, 3, 2, 6*, 5

Doubles

No. 1- Ahlgren/Posada (ETSU) def. Lee/Ratnam (Brown) 8-5

No. 2- Garland/Gardner (Brown) def. #53Olivares/Serrano (ETSU) 8-6

No. 3- Kohli/Posner (Brown) def. Isaza/Picardo (ETSU) 8-6