TULSA, Okla. – The Illinois State men's tennis team went 1-1 to open the spring season, with a 7-0 sweep over Arkansas Pine Bluff, followed by a 4-0 loss to host-Tulsa – a team that received votes in the ITA national rankings – Thursday at the Michael D. Case Center.
"For it being our first matches of the spring, I couldn't be more proud of how the guys played today," said head coach Mark Klysner. "We battled hard on each court and definitely had chances to beat a nationally ranked team like Tulsa."
Illinois State earned the doubles point versus Arkansas Pine Bluff, as Egehan Sertkaya and Peter Foersom defeated Jualon Greig and Le'Darrien Ledbetter 6-4, and Dylan Steffens and Matias Chomali swept Simon Lewis and Khusto Ledwaba 6-0. In singles play, Urh Krajnc Domiter defeated Sajid Rahman, 6-2, 6-2, Steffens beat Simon Lewis, 6-3, 6-2, Andreas Boers beat Aravind Vangala, 6-2, 6-2, Sertkaya topped Jualon Greig, 6-4, 6-3, Chomali defeated Le'Darrien Ledbetter, 6-1, 6-0, and Foersom swept Khusto Ledwaba, 6-0, 6-0.
Later in the day versus Tulsa, the Redbirds opened the match by dropping the doubles points, as Foersom and Sertkaya fell to Majed Kilani and Or Ram-Harel, 6-2, and Steffens and Chomali lost to Jarod Hing and Daniel Santos 6-3. In singles play, Krajnc Domiter fell to Majed Kilani, 6-3, 6-3, Sertkaya lost to Daniel Santos, 6-3, 7-6, and Chomali dropped a close match to Jarod Hing, 6-4, 7-5.
The Redbirds remain on the road to face Arkansas this Sunday, Jan.22 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. To stay up to date on ISU men's tennis, follow them on Twitter: @RedbirdMTEN.
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