Redbirds Edged Out By North Dakota, 4-3

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – In a back-and-forth contest that came down to the final singles match to decide a winner, Illinois State was clipped 4-3 by North Dakota in Summit League action Saturday night at the Evergreen Racquet Club.

UND got off to a good start, by winning on court 1 and 3 in doubles to secure the first point of the match. However, the Redbirds battled back to begin singles play with three wins to take a 3-1 advantage. Nam Pham picked up a straight-set 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 1 and Melker Isaksson followed with a 7-5, 6-2 win at No. 3 for the second point of the match for ISU. A win by Diego Emilio Moura Herrera at No. 5 then made it 3-1 in favor of the Redbirds.

Wins on court 6 and court 4 by North Dakota tied the match at 3-3, leaving the decision to the match on court two between ISU's Pol Botifoll Rius and UND's Edmond Aynedjian. Botifoll Rius won the first set and Aynedjian won the second to send it to the third and deciding set. Aynedjian took the early advantage and never looked back, as he won the third by a score of 6-2 to clinch the match for the Fighting Hawks.

The Redbirds are back in action next Saturday, April 9, against Oral Roberts with first serve set for Noon in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

FINAL SCORE: North Dakota (4), Illinois State (3)

Singles: 
1. Nam Pham (ISU) def. Gerhard Sullwald (UND) 7-5, 6-4
2. Edmond Aynedjian (UND) def. Pol Botifoll Rius (ISU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. Melker Isaksson (ISU) def. Cian McDonnell (UND) 7-5, 6-2
4. Nikita Snezhko (UND) def. Diego Le Gal Perez (ISU) 6-4, 0-6, 6-1
5. Diego Emilio Moura Herrera (ISU) def. Riley Odell (UND) 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
6. Dylan Leeman (UND) def. Arvid Hjalte (ISU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2

Doubles:
1. Gerhard Sullwald/Nikita Snezhko (UND) def. Arvid Hjalte/Zane Kohrs (ISU) 6-4
2. Melker Isaksson/Diego Le Gal Perez (ISU) vs. Edmond Aynedjian/Cian McDonnell (UND) 5-5, unfinished
3. Riley Odell/Dylan Leeman (UND) def. Dominick Cuchran/Diego Emilio Moura Herrera (ISU) 6-2

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