By Dave Hunter (dhunter)

Freshman Chris King wins decisive point at No. 5 singles.....

              Murray, Ky., Feb. 3 – Less than 24 hours after suffering a 5-2 loss in their season opener at Austin-Peay, the Vincennes University tennis team came back to defeat Murray State, 5-2, at Murray, Ky.. Sunday morning.
            “It was a great bounce-back win for us,” said Trailblazer coach Ron Albers. “It was short night, getting to the hotel at 10:30 and getting up play at 9 o’clock this morning to play another Ohio Valley Conference school which shut us out last year.”

            VU (1-1) set the stage early by capturing the doubles point with two wins in the three eight-game pro-set doubles matches.

            Freshman Justin Harlow (Tewantin, Australia) and sophomore Binky Nikou (Greenwood, Ind., Center Grove) lost at No. 1 to Murray State’s Hunter Gerlach and Chris Horton which put the pressure on the two and three doubles teams which were still on the court.

            Vincennes secured the point when sophomore David Jackson (Indianapolis Pike) and freshman Chris King (Barbados) edged-out Nicholas Ksiezopolski and Yuri Pompeu, 9-8(4) at No. 2 and sophomore Jaime Esteban (Barcelona, Spain) and freshman Tony Kanavos (Munster, Ind., HS), beat Jadir Junior and Adam Perry, 8-6, at three.

            “The focus was to bring the intensity from the start of the doubles and continue it for the entire match,” Albers said. “The doubles matches were close. Jackson and King closed out the tiebreak leaving it up to Tony and Jaime to secure the point and they did.”

            Murray State took a 2-1 lead by winning the No. 3 and 4 singles matches.

            Ksiezopolski defeated Esteban, 6-4, 6-3, and Horton downed Nikou, 6-2, 7-6(4)

            “Once again, Jaime’s not in shape,” Albers said. “He’s going to get some major work in the next few weeks. I’ll work around his academic schedule to get him more court time”

            “Nikou was struggling with his serve to stay in the first set,” Albers said. “He had a break in the second set and couldn’t close him out. Horton’s a senior and he played a big match.”

            The Trailblazers pulled even when Jackson beat Gerlach, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0, at second singles.

            “David played another outstanding match,” Albers said. “He came out in the played with no let up and dominated the third set.”

            Harlow took two tiebreak sets off Pompeu, 7-6(4), 7-6(3) to win the No. 1 singles match to give Vincennes a 3-2 lead.

            “Harlow played two tremendous sets and tiebreaks,” Albers said. “It’s the reason we play D-1 schools, where we can be pressed against a quality opponent. He was down a break most of the second set, but broke back when Yuri was serving 5-4.”

            Since Murray State has only four indoor courts, the outcome came down to fifth and sixth singles.

            King swept by Jadir Junior, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 5 to give VU the win before Bean split sets with Mikel Headford, 4-6, 6-2, and then won a match tiebreak 10-3.

            “They were nervous,” Albers said. “I told them they were here to play big matches and today’s their shot.”

            “King went out and did exactly what he needed to do. It’s the kind of match play I expect during the season.”

            “McKenzie came back against good indoor players with big serves and big forehands. “He did better getting into rallies in the second set and played well during the tiebreak.”

            “The hallmark of the past is here,” Albers said. “We want to dominate tiebreaks and 3-settters when it’s all about who wants to win. We go 2-0 in 3’s and 4-1 in tiebreaks today, that’s stepping up when the match is on the line. It’s a great start for this group.”

            In exhibition singles matches, freshman Jimmy Dunseith (Port St. Lucie, Fla., SLW Centennial) defeated Perry, 8-4.

            Sophomore Chuck Hodge (Pickerington, Ohio, North) lost to Mason Johnson, 8-5, who also beat VU sophomore Andrew Bartelmo (Rock Hill, S.C., Northwestern), 8-2.

            The Trailblazers are idle until Feb. 25 when they play at Cumberland, Tenn., University.

Trailblazers 5; Racers 2