PIKEVILLE – The University of Pikeville men’s tennis team got its season off to a 1-1 start, knocking off the University of Charleston and falling to Eastern Kentucky University.
The Bears knocked of NCAA Div. II Charleston 7-2 on Friday, but Saturday’s match was a 9-0 sweep by Eastern Kentucky.
Pikeville will be back in action on Saturday when it opens Mid-South Conference play at St. Catharine College. First serve is set for 1 p.m.
Bears 7, Eagles 2: The Bears swept the three doubles match to build a comfortable lead and cruised to the win by taking four of six in singles.
Sophomores Sven Rodenbusch and Marcos Fondelius picked up an 8-2 win in No. 1 doubles over senior Samuel Humphrey and sophomore Dennis Okoth. In No. 2 doubles, sophomore Connor Smith and Demitry Babenkov knocked off junior Matthew Sherba and senior Richard Williams 8-4, while No. 3 doubles went to freshmen Luis Lerchundi and Gonzalo Garcia by a 9-7 score over freshman James Gammell and sophomore Gabe Seymour.
In singles, play, Rodenbusch beat Sherba 7-6 (1), 6-2 at No. 1. Charleston picked up wins at 2 and 3, with Humphrey beating Babenkov 7-6, 7-6 and Gammell beating Smith 3-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Pikeville finished it out with Fondelius beating freshman Jacob Lorenz 6-3, 0-6, 10-8; Garcia knocking off Williams 6-2, 6-1; and senior Lucas Oliveira holding off sophomore Nick Bakos 6-3, 2-6, 6-0.
Colonels 9, Bears 0: Eastern Kentucky improved to 5-6 with a sweep of the Bears on Sunday afternoon.
In singles, the results were as follows: Daridge Saidi def. Rodenbusch 6-2, 6-4; Juanjo de la Llera def. Babenkov 6-4, 7-6; Alex Alvaro def. Fondelius 6-0, 6-0; Lucas Smets def. sophomore Miguel Perez 6-1, 6-3; Joao Maio def. sophomore Gonzalo Garcia 6-1, 6-1; and Florian Graskamp def. freshman Jose Marval 6-2, 6-1.
In the three doubles matches, Alvaro/de la Llera def. Rodenbusch/Sernandez-Fondelius 8-5; Maio/Saidi def. Babenkov/Oliveira 8-1; Dombrowski/Smets def. Garcia/Lerchundi 8-6.






