April 17, 2009

Box Score

ORLANDO, Fla. - East Carolina's record-breaking season came to an end as the Pirates dropped a 4-2 decision to Southern Miss in the first round of the 2009 Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship Tournament Friday morning at the UCF Tennis Complex.

The Golden Eagles (10-8) advance to play top-seeded Tulsa in Saturday's quarterfinal round, while ECU completed its season with a 19-5 record - the highest win total in program history.

Oscar Machuca's 6-0, 6-7, 6-3 victory over Bryan Oakley in a No. 6 matchup clinched the triumph for Southern Miss, which also handed the Pirates a 5-2 regular season setback April 4 in Greenville.

East Carolina trimmed the deficit to 3-2 on Henrik Skalmerud's 6-7, 6-2, 6-2 win over Diego Machuca at No. 4 before Oakley and Aleksey Kochetov engaged in two more three-set battles at No. 5 and No. 6 to determine the outcome. Kochetov was leading Strate Krstevski 3-6, 7-6, 3-2 but play was halted once Oscar Machuca nailed down his victory for the match-deciding fourth point.

Southern Miss swept doubles action, using an 8-6 decision by Patricio Alvarado and Markus Wessinghage over Kochetov and Skalmerud at No. 2 to secure the opening point. Jan Burmeister and Andrew Poole opened pairs play by defeating Denis Ermilov and Jaroslav Horvath 8-3 in a No. 1 meeting.

Alvarado and Domagoj Anic posted 6-1, 6-1 and 6-1, 6-2 singles wins against Horvath and Ermilov at No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, to help the Golden Eagles quickly extend their lead to 3-0. Stephen Whitwell accounted for the Pirates' first score by dismissing Poole 6-1, 7-6 in a No. 2 showing before Skalmerud added his three-set victory.

No. 5 SOUTHERN MISS 4, No. 4 EAST CAROLINA 2
Singles Play
No. 1 - Patricio Alvarado (USM) def. Jaroslav Horvath (ECU); 6-1, 6-1
No. 2 - Stephen Whitwell (ECU) def. Andrew Poole (USM); 6-1, 7-6
No. 3 - Domagoj Anic (USM) def. Denis Ermilov (ECU); 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 - Henrik Skalmerud (ECU) def. Diego Machuca (USM) ; 6-7, 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 - Aleksey Kochetov (ECU) vs. Strate Krstevski (USM); 3-6, 7-6, 3-2, did not finish
No. 6 - Oscar Machuca (USM) def. Bryan Oakley (ECU); 6-0, 6-7, 6-3
Doubles Play
No. 1 - Jan Burmeister/Poole (USM) def. Ermilov/Horvath (ECU); 8-3
No. 2 - Alvarado/Markus Wessinghage (USM) def. Kochetov/Skalmerud (ECU); 8-6
No. 3 - Anic/Diego Machuca (USM) vs. Oakley/Whitwell; (ECU) 6-2, did not finish
Team Records: Southern Miss 10-8, East Carolina 19-5