Agate

ELON, N.C. – The Elon men’s tennis team opened up the 2012 home season at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center in impressive fashion with a 7-0 win over Tennessee Tech today, Feb. 3. The Phoenix improves to 1-2, while the Golden Eagles fall to 1-4.
 
“It was really good to see the team at full strength today after battling a lot of illnesses recently,” said Elon head men’s tennis coach Michael Leonard. “It was also Juan Madrid’s first collegiate match and to see him compete and come out with a win was great.”
 
Cameron Silverman and Eric Turner got the Phoenix off to a good start at number one doubles with a 8-3 win over Syrym Abdukhalikov and Artem Tarasov. Elon clinched the doubles point after a strong 8-1 win at number three by Stefan Fortmann and Madrid over Vasily Eremeev and James Crawford. Tennessee Tech's duo of Alex Chen and Alejandro Bueno earned the Golden Eagles lone victory over Jordan Kaufman and Andrew Prince, 8-5, at number two.
 
Elon won all six singles matches in straight sets, starting at number five as Kaufman defeated Tarasov, 6-2, 6-1. Fortmann also made quick work of his opponent, Chen, at number two, claiming a 6-3, 6-1 victory to put the Phoenix up 3-0.
 
Silverman clinched the match win for the maroon and gold by defeating Abdukhalikov, 6-2, 7-5, at number one. On court three, Turner won easily over Bueno by a score of 6-2, 6-4.
 
In the first singles match of his collegiate career, Madrid picked up the first set over Eremeev at number four, 7-5, before rolling in the second set to a 6-2 victory. Carlos Arboleda sealed the sweep for the maroon and gold with a 6-4, 6-0 win at number six.
 
The Phoenix will return to action on Sunday, Feb. 5, with a 1 p.m. match against Gardner Webb.