FORT WAYNE, Ind.- The Western Illinois men's tennis team fell just short of locking up an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after dropping a narrow loss to Oral Roberts, 4-3, at the Dr. Rudy and Rhonda Kachmann Tennis Center.
Oral Roberts (7-9) stole the doubles point from the Leathernecks (14-6) after winning at No.1 and No. 3 doubles. The lone doubles win came from senior Martin Boström and junior
Sean Ragee-Nelson, who improved their season record to 12-0 by beating Clemons Geercken and Dennis Troyke, 9-8 (3).
Western rebounded from losing the doubles point to take a 3-2 lead. At No. 2 singles, Boström cruised to a victory over Alex Dargel, 6-2, 6-1, while Ragee-Nelson defeated Geercken in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, at No. 5 singles. Junior
Neil Lesinski split the first two sets with Cuan Farquharson, but blanked Farquharson in the last set to win the match, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0.
However, the Golden Eagles fought back and claimed the last two matches, each in three sets, to defeat the Leathernecks, 4-3, and end Western's season in the conference championship for the second straight season.
Singles1. Alex Kotsiuk (ORU) def.
Zach Frisch (WIU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
2.
Martin Bostrom (WIU) def. Alex Dargel (ORU) 6-2, 6-1
3.
Neil Lesinski (WIU) def. Cuan Farquharson (ORU) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
4. Denis Troyke (ORU) def.
Francisco Ortiz (WIU) 6-4, 6-0
5.
Sean Ragee-Nelson (WIU) def. Clemens Geercken (ORU) 6-3, 7-5
6. Dario Beslic (ORU) def.
Andy Jones (WIU) 7-6 (5), 5-7, 6-1
Doubles1. Kotsiuk/Dargel (ORU) def. Frisch/Lesinski (WIU) 8-5
2. Bostrom/Ragee-Nelson (WIU) def. Geercken/Troyke (ORU) 9-8 (3)
3. Farquharson/Beslic (ORU) def.
Michael Tiu/
Michael Schild (WIU) 8-3