OMAHA, NEB. - In what may serve as a wake-up call for the Drake men's tennis team in its attempt towards winning a third straight State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship title, the Bulldogs overcame dropping the doubles point to notch a come-from-behind 4-2 victory over Southern Illinois in the tournament semifinals on Saturday (April 26).

Drake extended its record to 23-0 with the victory, while the Salukis finished their campaign at 11-13.

“I felt we came out a little flat in doubles but it seemed to wake the guys up as it put them in a situation down 1-0 where they needed to step up in singles to get four victories,” Drake head coach Chase Hodges said. “The guys all realize the need to play better tennis, but we'll take wins all day long.”

The Bulldogs were a little off their game in doubles play as the Salukis were able to claim the point stinging Drake for losses at the Nos. 1 and 3 positions.

Falling for the first time in 11 matches and only the second time of the dual season, the tandem of senior Dalibor Pavic (Adelaide, Australia) and junior Maor Zirkin (Kibutz Hazor, Israel) dropped an 8-6 decision versus Anton Leonenko and Lucas Waked at the top position.

Freshman Mauricio Ballivian (Santa Cruz, Bolivia) and junior Ivan Mendoza (Wellington, New Zealand) forced a winner-take-all tilt at the No.2 slot after downing Mariano Restrepo and Chase Miller, 9-7 at the third position.

The contest came down to the wire on the No. 2 court before Hugo Vidal and Sebastian Rubiano dealt the Bulldog duo of sophomore Bokang Setshogo (Gaborone, Botswana) and junior Ricardo Lau (Tegucigalpa, Honduras) a 9-8 (7-3) setback.

The tide soon turned on the singles court as Setshogo made quick work of Leonenko at the fifth singles hole, squaring the match at one with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Zirkin provided Drake a 2-1 lead on the strength of his 6-2, 6-2 triumph versus Vidal at No. 2.

The lead swelled to 3-1 with Pavic notching his 205th career victory bettering Waked at No. 1, 6-3, 6-2.

Moving up in Drake's singles line-up to the third position, Ballivian had his 13-match winning streak snapped as Restrepo posted a 6-4, 6-3 decision.

For the second straight contest, Mendoza sealed the deal for Drake clinching the deciding point as he collected a 6-2, 6-1 victory at the No. 6 hole.

The Bulldogs will be in search of their third consecutive MVC Championship title and NCAA Tournament berth as Drake battles Wichita State in the league's title tilt on Sunday (April 28) at Noon.

“We get to play for a conference championship tomorrow and that is exciting,” Hodges commented. “We hope to go out and play our best tennis against a very talented Wichita State team.”

No. 50 Drake def. Southern Illinois, 4-2
Omaha, Neb. ? April 26, 2008
Records: Drake (23-0), Southern Illinois (11-13)

Singles:
No. 1 No. 76 Dalibor Pavic (DU) def. Lucas Waked (SIU), 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 Maor Zirkin (DU) def. Hugo Vidal (SIU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Mariano Restrepo (SIU) def. Mauricio Ballivian (DU), 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 Bokang Setshogo (DU) def. Anton Leonenko (SIU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 5 Ricardo Lau (DU) vs. Sebastian Rubiano (SIU), 0-6, 6-1, unfinished
No. 6 Ivan Mendoza (DU) def. Chase Miller (SIU), 6-2, 6-1

Doubles:
No. 1 Leonenko/Waked (SIU) def. Zirkin/Pavic (DU), 8-6
No. 2 Vidal/Rubiano (SIU) def. Lau/Setshogo (DU), 9-8 (7-3)
No. 3 Mendoza/Ballivian (DU) def. Restrepo/Miller (SIU), 9-7