ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The No. 35 Eckerd men's tennis team battled to defeat UT Dallas (Texas), 5-2 at the Fred Bullard Courts on Tuesday afternoon.
The Tritons (8-4) topped the Comets (2-7) after dropping the doubles point in a split decision, but rallying back to win five of six singles matches.
Eckerd fell in the doubles point in a split decision, with the No. 3 pairing of Eric Asakura and Lukas Palla taking their match 6-1, UT Dallas split the match with a 6-3 win in the No. 2 spot. The point was decided in the top pairing, with the Tritons falling 6-4.
Batu Ataseven picked up his 30th career singles victory to start singles play for Eckerd. He knocked off the Comets' top Travis Rafferty, 6-2, 6-0. Mario Kirkov put up an incredible battle in the No. 2 spot, coming back from a 6-0 first set deficit, to send the match to three sets. He took the match in a 10-8 set three thriller for Eckerd to lead 2-1.
Asakura also managed to force a third set, but was unable to find the victory, falling 10-3 in set three, for the match to be tied at two.
Marshall Hulett won his position 6-3, 6-1, for a 3-2 Triton advantage. Palla clinched the match for Eckerd with a 6-0 straight set shutout performance in the No. 6 spot. Adrian Gheorge sealed the deal with a 6-4, 6-4 victory in the No. 5 spot, for Eckerd to take the match, 5-2.
Eckerd is back at the Fred Bullard Courts tomorrow at 11:00 AM to face Franklin Pierce (N.H.).
Singles competition
1. Batu Ataseven (ECM25) def. Travis Rafferty (UTDM) 6-2, 6-0
2. Mario Kirkov (ECM25) def. Snehin Yerragudi (UTDM) 0-6, 6-3, 10-8
3. Benjamin Dubois (UTDM) def. Eric Asakura (ECM25) 7-5, 3-6, 10-3
4. Marshall Hulett (ECM25) def. Eddy Shteyn (UTDM) 6-3, 6-1
5. Adrian Gheorghe (ECM25) def. de Freitas Zanellat (UTDM) 6-4, 6-4
6. Lukas Palla (ECM25) def. Harshom Gupta (UTDM) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles competition
1. Benjamin Dubois and Travis Rafferty (UTDM) def. Batu Ataseven and Mario Kirkov (ECM25) 6-4
2. Giritharan D and Eddy Shteyn (UTDM) def. Adrian Gheorghe and Marshall Hulett (ECM25) 6-3
3. Eric Asakura and Lukas Palla (ECM25) def. Harshom Gupta and Snehin Yerragudi (UTDM) 6-1
