NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. – The Niagara men's tennis program snapped a 10-match losing streak to the Fairfield Stags with a convincing 6-1 victory on Saturday night.
Niagara (9-9, 3-2 MAAC) had fallen to the Stags in 10 straight encounters, including five times in the MAAC Semifinals before triumphing on Saturday for its first win in the series since April 2008. The 6-1 margin is the largest since March 2007.
The Purple Eagles claimed the doubles point for the second consecutive meeting with t the Stags (8-6, 2-2 MAAC). The No. 3 pair of Lorenz Schwojer and Mathieu Lacassee held off the dual of Cameron Amyot and Peter Colliard, 8-6, to win the first match while the top pair of Michael Elortegui and Inaki Belloso handled Ian Tesmond and Ofir Solomon, 8-4.
NU used the momentum from the doubles point to rack up two quick victories in singles. Schwojer notched his fourth straight win with a comprehensive 6-0, 6-0 rout in five singles. Olivier Dufour-Coursol had little trouble with Amyot in four singles, winning 6-1, 6-2. After losing in No. 2 singles, Lacasse clinched the match for the Purple Eagles with a 7-5, 6-1 win in No. 6 singles. David Raymond improved to 5-0 in conference matches with a straight set win in three singles and Elortegui outlasted Tesmond in No. 1 singles, 6-4, 5-7, 10-8.
Niagara will play at rival St. Bonaventure on Tuesday.
Niagara University 6, Fairfield 1 Singles competition
1. Elortegui, Michael (NIA) def. Tesmond, Ian (FFDM) 6-4, 5-7, 10-8
2. Solomon, Ofir (FFDM) def. Belloso, Inaki (NIA) 6-4, 6-3
3. Raymond, David (NIA) def. Zlobinsky, Dennis (FFDM) 6-2, 7-5
4. Dufour-Coursol, O. (NIA) def. Amyot, Cameron (FFDM) 6-1, 6-2
5. Schwojer, Lorenz (NIA) def. Merinder, Bjorn (FFDM) 6-0, 6-0
6. Lacasse, Mathieu (NIA) def. Colliard, Peter (FFDM) 7-5, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Elortegui, Michael/Belloso, Inaki (NIA) def. Tesmond, Ian/Solomon, Ofir (FFDM) 8-4
2. Raymond, David/Dufour-Coursol, O. (NIA) vs. Merinder, Bjorn/Zlobinsky, Dennis (FFDM) 4-7, unfinished
3. Schwojer, Lorenz/Lacasse, Mathieu (NIA) def. Amyot, Cameron/Colliard, Peter (FFDM) 8-6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (5,4,2,6,3,1)
