Raiders Win Again, 4-1, over UTC

Senior Andreas Siljestrom won in singles and doubles against Chattanooga, helping the Blue Raiders to a 4-1 victory in their second match on Wednesday. (Dan Anderson)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee won all three doubles matches and three of the completed singles outings, as the 43rd-ranked Blue Raiders defeated Chattanooga, 4-1, late Wednesday at the Racquet Club of Murfreesboro, the squad's second victory of the day.

Middle Tennessee (3-1) won the doubles point easily but had to fight through difficult singles matches to post the victory over its in-state rival.

In doubles, Andreas Siljestrom and Morgan Richard defeated Badr Bouabdellah and Peter Sauska, 8-1, at No. 2, before Marc Boiron and Joao Paoliello clinched the point with an 8-5 win at No. 3 over Razvan Axente and Michael Hangstefer. Marco Born and Marc Rocafort finished off the doubles sweep with an 8-4 triumph at No. 1 over Mark Fynn and Tim Mittiga.

The Mocs squared the match at one with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3, victory by Fynn over Born at No. 2, but Rocafort put the Blue Raiders back ahead with a 6-2, 6-4, win against Axente at No. 3.

Siljestrom, ranked 41st nationally in singles, then defeated Bouabdellah, 7-6 (3), 6-2, at No. 1, before Richard finished off the team victory with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (4), triumph at No. 4 over Ssauska.

Mittiga was up a set and tied 5-all with Boiron at No. 5 for UTC and Paoliello led by a set and was tied 2-all with Pavel Vostrikov at No. 6 when the match ended.

"I'm really proud of the team and their efforts in these difficult situations with two tough matches," head coach Dale Short said. "Chattanooga is every bit as good as Kentucky.

"The guys competed hard. It was an emotionally and physically draining match against Kentucky and then to come back two hours later and keep battling is terrific. And I want to say that I really appreciate Marco continuing to play on a bad ankle, taking his guy to three sets and really giving us a lift."

Middle Tennessee ends its six-match homestand Saturday with two more matches, facing 52nd-ranked Virginia Tech at Noon and Florida Atlantic at 7 p.m.

#43 Middle Tennessee 4, Chattanooga 1
SINGLES
1. (41) Andreas Siljestrom (MT) def. Badr Bouabdellah (UTC), 7-6 (3), 6-2
2. Mark Fynn (UTC) def. Marco Born (MT), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3
3. Marc Rocafort (MT) def. Razvan Axente (UTC), 6-2, 6-4
4. Morgan Richard (MT) def. Peter Sauska (UTC), 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (4)
5. Tim Mittiga (UTC) led Marc Boiron (MT), 6-3, 5-all, DNF
6. Joao Paoliello (MT) led Pavel Vostrikov (UTC), 6-2, 2-all, DNF
Order of Finish: 2,3,1,4*

DOUBLES
1. Born-Rocafort (MT) def. Fynn-Mittiga (UTC), 8-4
2. Siljestrom-Richard (MT) def. Bouabdellah-Sauska (UTC), 8-1
3. Boiron-Paoliello (MT) def. Axente-Michael Hangstefer (UTC), 8-5
Order of Finish: 2,3*,1