April 18, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla.(SMU)- For the fourth-straight year, SMU (16-10) will advance to the semifinals of the Conference USA Men's Tennis Championship. The Mustangs, a No. 3 seed, eliminated host and sixth seeded UCF, 4-2, on Friday, April 17 at the UCF Tennis Complex on the campus of UCF in Orlando, Fla.
After losing the doubles point, SMU (15-10) racked up single wins at No. 1, 3, 4 and 5 for the victory.
SMU's Robin Fahgen, who's ranked 65th in the nation, picked up the first point with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Marc Rocafort of UCF (10-11). The Mustangs also picked up a straight-set win at No. 5 as Darren Walsh defeated Joe DeLinks, 6-4, 6-1.
The final two points were more difficult to come by as both were decided in three sets. Artem Baradach won at No. 4 singles with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 win over UCF's Johan Beigart, while David Costa clinched the match at No. 3 singles with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Blaze Schwartz.
UCF recorded its only single point at No. 2 when Tarek Ben Soltane defeated SMU's Chris Hooshyar, 6-3, 6-4. The Knights also scored the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and 3. The biggest win for UCF occurred at the No. 1 doubles slot when Schwartz and Beigart upset the 53rd-ranked doubles team of Walsh and Adham el-Effendi, 9-8.
SMU will face the winner between a match up of Rice and UAB in the 3:00 p.m. semifinal match on Saturday.
Tennis Match ResultsSMU vs UCF4/17/09 at Orlando, Fla.
#68 SMU 4, UCF 2
Singles competition1. #65 Robin Fahgen (SMU) def. Marc Rocafort (UCF) 6-0, 6-32. Tarek Ben Soltane (UCF) def. Chris Hooshyar (SMU) 6-3, 6-43. David Costa (SMU) def. Blaze Schwartz (UCF) 2-6, 6-1, 6-34. Artem Baradach (SMU) def. Johan Beigart (UCF) 2-6, 6-3, 6-05. Darren Walsh (SMU) def. Joe Delinks (UCF) 6-4, 6-16. Eugene Dolgovykh (UCF) vs. Gaston Cuadranti (SMU) 6-3, 3-6, unfinished
Doubles competition1. Blaze Schwartz/Johan Beigart (UCF) def. #53 Darren Walsh/Adham el-Effendi (SMU) 9-8 (7-4)2. Chris Hooshyar/Artem Baradach (SMU) def. Tarek Ben Soltane/Joe Delinks (UCF) 8-63. Eugene Dolgovykh/Marc Rocafort (UCF) def. Robin Fahgen/Gaston Cuadranti (SMU) 8-4
Match Notes:SMU 16-10; National ranking #68UCF 10-11Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (1,5,2,4,3)2009 Conference USA Championship Quarterfinals
