By Dave Hunter (dhunter)

Sophomores Jackson, Esteban post singles wins.....

            Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 25 – The Vincennes University Tennis team dropped a 6-3 decision to NAIA, No. 19-ranked Cumberland College in Nashville, Tenn., Monday afternoon.

            The Trailblazers played without top singles player, freshman Justin Harlow, who is sidelined indefinitely with a rotator cuff injury.

            “When you’re minus your No. 1 player, everybody has to step up and take advantage of every opportunity and we didn’t do it today,” Vincennes coach Ron Albers said.

            The Bulldogs (5-1) won two of the three doubles pro-sets to open play and four of six singles matches.

            The Blazers (1-2) got singles wins from sophomore David Jackson, 7-6(5), 6-2, over Vyacheslav Glebov at No. 1 and from sophomore Jaime Esteban, 6-1, 6-0, over Shayan Mirhosseini at No. 2.

            “They really stepped today,” Albers said. “David was tight at the start of the tiebreak. He played an aggressive style and took control and didn’t let his opponent in the second set.

            “Jaime has done some intense conditioning the last two weeks and he’s played more positive tennis, taking control of points. It was a long 6-1 6-0 match.”

            Jackson and freshman Chris King captured their No. 1doubles match, 8-2, over Mike Basler and Roger Phantanak.

            Freshman McKenzie Bean went three sets at sixth singles, losing to Sebastian Jonsson, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

            “McKenzie was up a set, then had a lapse at the start of the second set and the kid got back in it and beat him,” Albers said. “If you play a loose game, an experienced player will step in and take advantage and he did.”

            Sophomore Binky Nikou and freshman Jimmy Dunseith had a 7-5 lead over Glebov and Mirhosseini at third doubles before losing, 9-7.

            “They’re a very good team, deep and experienced and were in the national tournament last season,” Albers said. “We didn’t have enough horsepower today.”

            The Trailblazers will play six matches in Orlando, Fla., starting Mar. 2 against Webber, Fla., University.

Cumberland 6, Vincennes 3
Singles
No. 1 – David Jackson (VU) def. Vyacheslav Glebov, 7-6(5), 6-2
No. 2 – Jaime Esteban (VU) def. Shayan Mirhosseini, 6-1, 6-0
No. 3 – Roman Shkurupiy (C) def. Binky Nikou, 6-3, 6-1
No. 4 – Edgar Galea (C) def. Chris King, 6-2, 6-1
No. 5 – Mike Basler (C) def. Jimmy Dunseith, 7-6(5), 6-1
No. 6 – Sebastian Jonsson (C) def. McKenzie Bean, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 6, 2, 3, 1, 4, 5
Doubles:
No. 1 – Jackson-King (VU) def. Basler-Roger Phantanak, 8-2
No. 2 – Shkurupiy-Galea (C) def. Esteban-Tony Kanavos, 8-5
No. 3 – Glebov-Mirhosseini (C) def. Nikou-Dunseith, 9-7
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
Exhibition Singles: Chuck Hodge (VU) def. Phantanak, 9-8(5)