ETSU clinches eighth win in last nine matches

BRISTOL, Tenn. (April 3, 2015) - The 63rd-ranked ETSU men's tennis team extended its win streak to five matches Friday with a 7-0 victory over non-conference opponent Appalachian State at the Bristol Racquet & Fitness Club in Bristol, Tenn. With the win, the Buccaneers, who have won eight of their last nine matches, improved to 5-0 at home.

ETSU began the day by capturing the doubles point with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 positions with the duos of Ismael Merino (Lima, Peru) and Diego Nunez (Monterrey, Mexico), and Conner Huertas (Lima, Peru) and Sebastian Yllera (Cinco Saltos, Argentina) each earning victories.

With their 8-4 win at No. 3 Doubles, Huertas and Yllera extended their doubles win streak to four matches.

Nunez, Huertas, and Merino then earned singles victories to seal the win for the Buccaneers (9-7).

"We played a solid tennis team today," ETSU head coach Yaser Zaatini said. "Even though App was without their No. 2 player, each of our guys competed well."

David Biosca (Sant Fruitos de Bage, Spain), Rogerio Ribeiro (Sao Paulo, Brazil), and Yllera also earned singles victories, with Ribeiro winning in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 2 Singles.

With his victory at the No. 1 spot, Biosca extended his singles win streak to a team-best five matches. Meanwhile, Merino and Ribeiro extended their own singles win streaks to four matches.

Due to inclement weather, Friday's match, which was originally scheduled to be played at the Dave Mullins Tennis Complex at ETSU, was moved indoors to the Bristol Racquet & Fitness Club.

"I hated that the weather is beautiful all week, and it rains on the weekend during our match time and forces us to play away from campus," Zaatini said.

ETSU, which has posted an 8-1 record since Feb. 14, will look to continue its winnings ways as the Bucs host non-conference opponent Georgia State Saturday, April 4 at 1:00 p.m. The Bucs' lone loss in their last nine matches came on the road to No. 5 Georgia.

"I am proud of the effort," Zaatini said. "Now, we've got to get ready for tomorrow's match."

RESULTS

#63 ETSU 7, Appalachian State 0

Singles competition
1. David Biosca (ETSU) def. Oliver Casey (APP) 6-4, 7-5
2. Rogerio Ribeiro (ETSU) def. Scott Webster (APP) 7-6, 0-6, 10-7
3. Diego Nunez (ETSU) def. Zach Bost (APP) 6-1, 6-3
4. Conner Huertas (ETSU) def. Jan-Willem Kleynhans (APP) 6-2, 6-2
5. Sebastian Yllera (ETSU) def. Trey Morris (APP) 6-4, 6-2
6. Ismael Merino (ETSU) def. Robert Jenkins (APP) 6-1, 6-0

Doubles competition
1. Rogerio Ribeiro/David Biosca (ETSU) vs. Jan-Willem Kleynhans/Zach Bost (APP) 7-3, unfinished
2. Ismael Merino/Diego Nunez (ETSU) def. Oliver Casey/Scott Webster (APP) 8-6
3. Sebastian Yllera/Conner Huertas (ETSU) def. Steve Lake/Trey Morris (APP) 8-4

Match Notes:
Appalachian State 8-10
ETSU 9-7; National ranking #63
Order of finish: Singles (3,4,6,1,2,5)

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 4 vs. Georgia State - 1:00 p.m.

VENUE INFORMATION

Both of this weekend's matches will be played at the Buddy Hartsell Courts at the Dave Mullins Tennis Complex on the campus of ETSU. In the event of inclement weather, matches could be moved indoors to the Bristol Racquet & Fitness Club in Bristol, Tenn. Please follow the Bucs on the platforms listed below for updates regarding changes to playing sites, etc.

Directions to Dave Mullins Tennis Complex (ETSU): http://bit.ly/1OBxZIp

Directions to Bristol Racquet & Fitness Club: http://bit.ly/1byXyul

FOLLOW THE BUCS

• Receive live game updates and behind-the-scenes access of ETSU Men’s Tennis by following @ETSUMensTennis on Twitter.
• ETSU fans wanting to receive Buccaneer news, score updates, in-game promotions and much more sent to their mobile device can do so by signing up for “Buc Updates.” Click here to sign up today!