No. 11 Bearcats too much for Wolves in spring opener

Box Score

NEWBERRY, S.C. – The Newberry men’s tennis team opened the spring season with a 9-0 defeat against the No. 11 team in the nation and No. 3 team in the Southeast Region, the Lander Bearcats.

Newberry (1-2) battled the Bearcats (1-0) in doubles action as at No. 2 sophomore Mohammed Chakir (Rabat, Morocco) and junior Cal Loveridge (Derby, Derbyshire, England) played the closest match of doubles action. Despite a strong effort from the Wolves pair, Lander’s Samuel Poutignat and MAxime Desmars edged Chakir and Loveridge 8-6.

At No. 3 doubles sophomore Jeffery Kiser (Newberry, S.C.)  and freshman Carlos Nicolopulos (Valencia, Venezuela) pushed Lander’s Paul-Henri Arrigoni and Stefan Klemenz, before droping the 8-4 decision.

Lander swept the Wolves in singles action, with the tightest match of the afternoon coming at No. 1 singles. Playing against the No. 15 player in the country and No. 5 singles player in the region, sophomore Michael Saunders (Christchurch, New Zealand) pushed Arrigioni in two sets, but was edged 6-3, 6-4.

Newberry returns to the courts on February 5 when the Wolves travel to Belmont Abbey for a 2 p.m. match-up.

(11 National/3 Southeast) Lander 9 – Newberry 3
Feb. 1, 2012
Newberry, S.C.
Cannon Tennis Courts

Singles
No. 1: (15/5) Paul-Henri Arrigoni (LU) def. Michael Saunders (NC) 6-3, 6-4
No. 2: Adam Jonsson (LU) def. Vinicius Botelho (NC) 6-3, 6-3
No. 3: (-/18) Samuel Poutignat (LU) def. Mohammed Chakir (NC) 6-0, 6-1
No. 4: Oscar Axelsson (LU) def. Cal Loveridge (NC) 6-2, 6-3
No. 5: Diego Zegarra (LU) def. Carlos Nicolopulos (NC) 6-4, 6-0
No. 6: Maxime Desmars (LU) def. Jeffery Kiser (NC) 6-0, 6-2

Doubles
No. 1: (11/3) Jonsson/Axelsson (LU) def. Saunders/Botelho (NC) 8-2
No. 2: Poutignat/Desmars (LU) def. Chakir/Loveridge (NC) 8-6
No. 3: Arrigoni/Klemenz (LU) def. Kiser/Nicolopulos (NC) 8-4