Birds Come From Behind For Sunday Win At Ball State

MUNCIE, Ind. – Down 3-1 on the road to Ball State on Sunday, the Illinois State men's tennis team rallied to win the final three singles matches of the contest to come away with a 4-3 win over the Cardinals. With the win, the Redbirds improved to 7-5 this spring.

"It was an amazing comeback by the boys today. We lost the deciding doubles match to go down 1-0 and during singles at one point, we were down 3-1 and the remaining three matches were all in third sets," head coach Mark Klysner said. "Big credit to Diego Le Gal Perez for getting us on the board, followed by our two freshmen pulling out some gutsy three-set victories. What a match at No. 1 singles, where Polo won it in a third set. We needed a win like this today."

The duo of Jorge Adair Bartra Quispe and Zacharias Rankloo Rasmusson helped earn the Redbirds a doubles match win to start the day, as they defeated Ball State's Eli Herran and Bryce Bonin, 6-1. However, the Cardinals picked up wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots to take the doubles point. 

Ball State picked up a win at No. 2 singles to go up 2-0 in the contest, before Le Gal Perez defeated Vince Orlando 7-5, 6-2, to get the Redbirds on the board. A win at the No. 4 spot increased Ball State's lead to 3-1 in the match, and that's when the Redbirds began their comeback. Freshmen Nam Pham and Melker Isaakson each picked up three-set wins to tie the match at 3-3, as all eyes moved to court No. 1 and the match between Pol Botifoll Rius and Chris Adams. Botifoll Rius won the first game 6-3 before Adams won the second 6-3, sending the match to a deciding third set where Botifoll Rius charged back for a 6-2 victory to help ISU come from behind for the 4-3 win. 

The Redbirds continue their spring season at home next Saturday, February 15, when they host a split doubleheader against the Illinois Institute of Technology and UIC. The first match is scheduled to start at 11 a.m., with the second contest set for 4 p.m. at the Bloomington Tennis Center.

ISU (4) Butler (3)
Doubles:
Chris Adams/Vince Orlando (BALL) def. Aleksa Lazarevic/Diego Emilio Moura Herrera (ISU) 7-6 (10-8)
Thibault De Negri/ Parrish Simmons (BALL) def. Diego Le Gal Perez/Melker Isaakson (ISU) 6-1
Jorge Adair Bartra Quispe/Zacharias Rankloo Rasmusson (ISU) def. Eli Herran/Bryce Bonin (BALL) 6-1

Singles:
Pol Botifoll Rius (ISU) def. Chris Adams (BALL) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
Thibault De Negri (BALL) def. Diego Emilio Moura Herrera (ISU) 6-0, 6-1
Diego Le Gal Perez (ISU) def. Vince Orlando (BALL) 7-5, 6-2
Parrish Simons (BALL) def. Jorge Adair Bartra Quispe (ISU) 7-5, 6-4
Melker Isaakson (ISU) def. Eli Herran (BALL) 0-6, 7-5, 6-0
Nam Pham (ISU) def. Bryce Bonin (BALL) 6-4, 0-6, 7-5

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