CARBONDALE, Ill. – The 28th-ranked Drake men's tennis squad registered its 20th victory of the season to improve to 3-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference on the strength of a 4-3 triumph at Southern Illinois on Saturday (April 13).
The Salukis stole the early momentum in the affair capturing victories at the Nos. 1 and 2 doubles positions to secure the doubles tally and take a 1-0 lead into singles play.
The Bulldogs were undaunted by the deficit as Drake collected four unanswered triumphs to post its third-consecutive 20-win campaign.
Senior James McKie (Edinburgh, Scotland) began the rally dispatching Brandon Florez on the No. 1 court, 6-2, 6-4.
Sophomore Ben Mullis (Leicestershire, England) put the Bulldogs ahead to stay besting Martijn Admiraal at No. 5, 6-2, 6-1.
Garnering his team-leading 34th singles win of the season at the No. 3 position to give Drake a 3-1 advantage was junior Robin Goodman (Cambridge, England), who downed Badr Cherradi, 6-3, 6-2.
Earning the match-clinching point with a 6-4, 6-0 triumph at the No. 6 slot over Rafael Cuadrillero was senior Ryan Drake (Hilton Head Island, S.C.). The victory improved Drake to 5-1 in singles matches during the spring campaign.
Southern Illinois captured a pair of third-set tiebreakers on the Nos. 2 and 4 courts to account for the final 4-3 margin.
Drake returns home for its first match at the Roger Knapp Tennis Center in more than two months when the Bulldogs battle Illinois State next Saturday (April 20) at 1:00 p.m.
NO. 28 DRAKE (20-2, 3-0 MVC) DEF. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (12-4, 3-1 MVC), 4-3
APRIL 13, 2013 • CARBONDALE, ILL.
SINGLES:
No. 1 James McKie (DU) def. Brandon Florez (SIU), 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 Jorge Cavero (SIU) def. Alen Salibasic (DU), 4-6, 6-2, 10-7
No. 3 Robin Goodman (DU) def. Badr Cherradi (SIU), 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 Jonny Rigby (SIU) def. Jean Erasmus (DU), 6-3, 6-7 (4), 10-7
No. 5 Ben Mullis (DU) def. Martijn Admiraal (SIU), 6-2, 6-1
No. 6 Ryan Drake (DU) def. Rafael Cuadrillero (SIU), 6-4, 6-0
Order of finish: 1,5,3,6,4,2
DOUBLES:
No. 1 Admiraal/Florez (SIU) def. Erasmus/Salibasic (DU), 9-7
No. 2 Cherradi/Rigby (SIU) def. Ben Lott/McKie (DU), 8-3
No. 3 Goodman/Mullis (DU) def. Cavero/Szymon Opieczonek (SIU), 8-1
Order of finish: 3,2,1
