Tulane University
Michigan State
Men's Tennis Mauls Michigan State
Mar 6, 2002 | Men's Tennis
March 6, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - - The Tulane men's tennis team swept all three doubles matches and then posted wins in three of the top four singles spots to claim a 4-3 over Michigan State at the Goldring Tennis Center on Wednesday.
Tulane, ranked 35th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll, improves to 8-2 overall. Michigan State, listed 60th by the ITA, falls to 9-5 overall.
The Green Wave jumped out to an early 1-0 lead by winning the opening doubles point, rallying at No. 2 and 3 doubles to post victories. Down 5-2 at No. 3 doubles, the Tulane tandem of Mattias Westerberg and Alex Dion won 6 of the next seven games to post an 8-6 triumph over MSU's Goran Topalo and Mike Jonckheere. The Wave captured the doubles point at the No. 1 spot when Victor Romero and Goran Vasiljevic combined to post a 9-7 win over MSU's Eric Simonton and Jimmy McGuire. Tulane also won at No. 2 doubles when Hannu Piiroinen and Jorge Livano fought back from a 7-6 deficit to claim a 9-8 win over Chris Mitchell and Adam Hourani.
Tulane wrapped up the dual match victory in impressive fashion, quickly posting wins at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 singles to take an insurmountable 4-0 lead.
Victor Romero, playing in place of No. 14 Michael Kogan, posted a 6-4, 6-0 win over Mitchell at No. 1 singles. Romero is ranked 49th by the ITA. Westerberg gave Tulane a win at the No. 2 spot, turning in a 6-0, 6-3 win over Andrew Formanczyk to give Tulane a 3-0 lead. Piiroinen clinched the dual match victory for Tulane at No. 4 singles with his 6-3, 6-1 win over MSU's McGuire.
Michigan State claimed wins at No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6 singles, but the match had long been decided at that point.
Tulane returns to action on Sunday, as the Green Wave play host to Florida Atlantic at the Golding Tennis Center in the Tulane campus. The match is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
No. 35 Tulane 4, No. 60 Michigan State 3
March 6, 2002 - New Orleans, La.
Singles
No. 1 No. 49 Victor Romero (TU) def. Chris Mitchell (MSU), 6-4, 6-0
No. 2 Mattias Westerberg def. Andrew Formanczyk (MSU), 6-0, 6-3
No. 3 Goran Topalo (MSU) def. Jorge Livano (TU), 2-6, 7-5, ret.
No. 4 Hannu Piiroinen (TU) def. Jimmy McGuire (MSU), 6-3, 6-1
No. 5 Eric Simonton (MSU) def. Alex Dion (TU), 6-1, 6-4
No. 6 Cameron Marshall (MSU) def. Goran Vasiljevic (TU), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
Doubles
No. 1 Romero/Vasiljevic (TU) def. Simonton/McGuire (MSU), 9-7
No. 2 Piiroinen/Livano (TU) def. Mitchell/Hourani (MSU), 9-8
No. 3 Westerberg/Dion (TU) def. Topalo/Jonckheere (MSU), 8-6
Players Mentioned
