March 3, 2012

WICHITA, Kan. - After facing No. 62 ranked Wichita State, the UIC men's tennis team (1-7) powered through its match-up with Washburn to come away with its first win of the season. While the Flames fell 6-1 to the Shockers at the Sheldon Coleman Tennis Complex on Saturday afternoon, they came out on top of the Ichabods in a 6-1 decision at the Wichita Country Club later in the evening.

"The team played strong in the doubles and closed out the singles with good intensity," head coach Hans Neufeld said.

UIC came away with the doubles points in both of its matches, combining for 4-of-6 wins. Despite falling in singles play against WSU, the Flames captured 5-of-6 matches over Washburn.

Beginning the day against Wichita State, Maurizio Feoli and Alan Reifer topped Tomislav Gregurovic and Guillermo Nicol at No. 2, 9-7, as Scott Shepardson and Nate Kirk defeated Kester Black and Nestor Perez at No. 3, 8-6. Despite dropping their set at No. 1, Alexander Raa and Rahul Kamath took No. 46 David Cavalcanti and Matheus Pereira to a final of 9-7.

While the Shockers came away with the singles points, Feoli and Kamath took each of their matches to three sets before falling to their opponents. At No. 4, Feoli faced Nicol and grabbed the first set before going down, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. Kamath faced Perez at No. 6 and claimed the first set as well, but ended in a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 final.

A Wichita native, Kirk rotated into singles for the first time since facing Chicago on Jan. 21, but went down, 6-3, 6-1, in his match at No. 5 against Juan Estenssoro.

At the doubles mark against Washburn, Raa and Kamath came back at No. 1 to take out Arkadiusz Kozaczuk and Maciej Winiarz, 8-2, while Shepardson and Kirk captured their second doubles win of the day at No. 3 over Dario Paletti and Steven Fletcher, 8-2. Feoli and Reifer fell 8-5 in their No. 2 match with Bobby Florence and Pascal Laucht.

James Li (No. 2) and Kirk (No. 5) came out on top of the singles with the Ichabods in taking each of their victories in two sets, while the rest of the Flames took their matches to three. Li claimed victory over Laucht at No. 2 in a 6-4, 6-4 final, as Kirk returned to the familiar courts at the Wichita Country Club and defeated Winiarz, 7-5, 6-2.

After coming away with their first sets, Raa and Reifer battled through to ­­capture their matches at No. 1 over Kozaczuk, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-2, and No. 3 over Fletcher, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2), respectively. Also going to three, Feoli dropped his first against Florence at No. 4, but came back to take the match 3-6, 6-4, 10-6, while Kamath could not hang on at No. 6 versus Chance Joost, dropping in a final 6-7 (8), 6-4, 10-4.

The Flames break from the courts and return home on March 16, when they host Olivet Nazarene at 7 p.m. (CT).


No. 62 Wichita State 6, UIC 1
Doubles:
1. No. 46 David Cavalcanti/Matheus Pereira (WSUM) def. Alexander Raa/Rahul Kamath (UIC) - 9-7
2. Maurizio Feoli/Alan Reifer (UIC) def. Tomislav Gregurovic/Guillermo Nicol (WSUM) - 9-7
3. Scott Shepardson/Nate Kirk (UIC) def. Kester Black/Nestor Perez (WSUM) - 8-6

Singles:
1. Matheus Pereira (WSUM) def. Alexander Raa (UIC) - 6-2, 6-2
2. David Cavalcanti (WSUM) def. James Li (UIC) - 6-4, 6-4
3. Tomislav Gregurovic (WSUM) def. Alan Reifer (UIC) - 6-0, 6-0
4. Guillermo Nicol (WSUM) def. Maurizio Feoli (UIC) - 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
5. Juan Estenssoro (WSUM) def. Nate Kirk (UIC) - 6-3, 6-1
6. Nestor Perez (WSUM) def. Rahul Kamath (UIC) - 2-6, 6-2, 7-5


UIC 6, Washburn 1
Doubles:
1. Alexander Raa/Rahul Kamath (UIC) def. Arkadiusz Kozaczuk/Maciej Winiarz (WU) - 8-2
2. Bobby Florence/Pascal Laucht (WU) def. Maurizio Feoli/Alan Reifer (UIC) - 8-5
3. Scott Shepardson/Nate Kirk (UIC) def. Dario Paletti/Steven Fletcher (WU) - 8-2

Singles:
1. Alexander Raa (UIC) def. Arkadiusz Kozaczuk (WU) - 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-2
2. James Li (UIC) def. Pascal Laucht (WU) - 6-4, 6-4
3. Alan Reifer (UIC) def. Steven Fletcher (WU) - 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2)
4. Maurizio Feoli (UIC) def. Bobby Florence (WU) - 3-6, 6-4, 10-6
5. Nate Kirk (UIC) def. Maciej Winiarz (WU) - 7-5, 6-2
6. Chance Joost (WU) def. Rahul Kamath (UIC) - 6-7 (8), 6-4, 10-4