WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Cleveland State men's tennis team picked up a 4-0 victory over Youngstown State in their Horizon League Semifinal match Saturday, advancing to their second straight #HLMTEN Championship match.
Cleveland State vs. Youngstown State PDF Box Score
From The Sidelines
"The doubles point was monster for us today, our No. 1 doubles team weathered the storm and we were able to get the doubles point, which was a huge momentum builder for us. Luke was able to overcome some adversity in his match, and he played great today to get us our second point. Nico got us our second singles win today, and it wasn't his most efficient win, but he got the job done. He did a good job of keeping his focus and closing out the match. Matt was the clincher for us, and he played a very good third set to give us the team win. This was a total team effort today, and we are excited to be in the championship match tomorrow." – Head coach Brian Etzkin
Match Notes
· 2018 Record: 16-10
· The Vikings were playing in their 13th straight Horizon League semifinal and advanced to their ninth championship match.
· Cleveland State now stands at 25-10 in Horizon League Tournament play over the last 16 seasons.
· Under head coach Brian Etzkin, the Vikings are now 19-7 against Youngstown State.
· The trio of Nico Mostardi, Matthew Terry and Luke Phillips are now fourth on the CSU Single-Season Wins List with 27 career wins this season.
· Luke Phillips is now 8-0 against league opponents this season, including a perfect 7-0 mark during the regular season.
The Points
· The Vikings were able to pick up the early doubles point, with Nico Mostardi and Benjamin Slade earning a 7-5 win at the top of the lineup and William Malm and Luke Phillips notching a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles. Mostardi and Slade were down 5-1 at No. 1 doubles, but fought off match point and battled back to earn the 7-5 victory.
· Luke Phillips put the Vikings up 2-0 with a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles, earning his victory over Vasileios Vardakis. Phillips picked up his eighth win out of his last nine matches, and improved to 27-11 overall this year.
· Nico Mostardi gave the Vikings a 3-0 advantage with a win at the top of the lineup, posting a 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 victory over Danylo Veremeichuk. Mostardi now owns a team-best 27-7 singles record this season.
· Cleveland State's clinching point came from Matthew Terry at No. 2 singles, as he earned a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Joao Garretto to give the Vikings the 4-0 victory. Terry is now 27-11 overall this season.
Up Next
· Cleveland State will take on top-seeded Detroit Mercy in the championship match tomorrow (Sunday, April 29) at 2:00 p.m.
The Results
Doubles
1. Mostardi/Slade (CSU) def. Vardakis/Garretto (YSU), 7-5
2. Malm/Phillips (CSU) def. Veremeichuk/Dahan (YSU), 6-3
3. Mekawi/Kritzinger (YSU) def. Radosevic/Terry (CSU), 6-3
Singles
1. Nico Mostardi (CSU) def. Danylo Veremeichuk (YSU), 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3
2. Matthew Terry (CSU) def. Joao Garretto (YSU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
3. Luke Phillips (CSU) def. Vasileios Vardakis (YSU), 6-4, 6-4
4. Benjamin Slade (CSU) vs. Bassem El Mekawi (YSU), 3-6, 7-5, 1-2, unf.
5. Gabriel Evtimov (CSU) vs. Yossi Dahan (YSU), 7-6(5), 5-4, unf.
6. Mirko Radosevic (CSU) vs. Alonso Lauz (YSU), 6-7(7), 2-5, unf.