Men's Tennis Opens Season With Win Over Illinois State

Saturday, January 19

Louisville, Ky.

9:00 AM ET

University of Louisville

Illinois State

Men's Tennis Opens Season With Win Over Illinois State

January 19, 2002 | Men's Tennis

Jan. 19, 2002

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville men's tennis team defeated Illinois State 5-2 Saturday at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.

The Redbirds opened the match by winning the doubles point as Ricky Heath and Jason Smit outlasted Cody Conley and Paulo Carvalho 9-7 at the top seed and Brent Steven and Ciaran Foley defeated Alex Sivertsen and Jake Kirts 9-7 at the two-spot. Louisville's Brent McCombe and Matt Mayer combined to defeat Marek Blaskovic 8-6 at No. 3.

In singles action, Conley defeated Smit in straight sets, 6-1, 7-5 at No. 1. Heath notched the only singles point for Illinois State with a 7-5, 6-2 decision over Carvalho at the two-spot. Sivertsen defeated Benjamin Pettinori 6-4, 6-2 at No. 3, Octavian Nicodim beat Andy Martin 6-0, 6-1 at the four-spot, Sebastian Aspillaga won over Foley 7-6, 6-7, 6-2 at No. 5 and Mayer clinched the win with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-2 come from behind victory over Steven at No. 6.

"This was a tough match," said head coach Rex Ecarma. "When you face adversity, a hero usually rises to the top - today it was Matt Mayer. He and Brent McCombe won our only doubles match, and then he came back from the graveyard of being down 6-3, 5-1 to win the fourth and deciding point of the match. Freshmen Octavian Nicodim and Sebastian Aspillaga won under pressure and played like upperclassmen."

U of L (1-0) will play the second half of their opening doubleheader against Northern Iowa at 5:00 p.m. today at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center.

LOUISVILLE MEN'S TENNIS RESULTS (1/19/02)

SINGLES1 - Cody Conley (UL) d. Jason Smit (ISU) 6-1, 7-52 - Ricky Heath (ISU) d. Paulo Carvalho (UL) 7-5, 6-23 - Alex Sivertsen (UL) d. Benjamin Pettinari (ISU) 6-4, 6-24 - Octavian Nicodim (UL) d. Andy Martin (ISU) 6-0, 6-15 - Sebastian Aspillaga (UL) d. Ciaran Foley (ISU) 7-6, 6-7, 6-26 - Matt Mayer (UL) d. Brent Steven (ISU) 3-6, 7-6, 6-2DOUBLES1 - Heath/Smit (ISU) d. Conley/Carvalho (UL)  9-72 - Steven/Foley (ISU) d. Sivertsen/Jake Kirts (UL) 9-73 - Matt Mayer/Brent McCombe (UL) d. Pettinori/Marek Blaskovic (ISU) 8-6