NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Using a strong rally in singles play, Belmont Men's Tennis advanced to the Semifinals of the 2017 Ohio Valley Conference Championship on Friday afternoon at Centennial Sportsplex. The fourth-seeded Bruins won their battle over in-state rival Austin Peay, the No. 5 seed, 4-1, in a rematch of last year's opening round contest.
The Governors grabbed the doubles point, taking wins at Nos. 1 and 2. The duo of senior Bruno Russo (Sao Paulo, Brazil)and freshman Vincent Sterkens (Antwerp, Belgium) won at No. 3, 6-2.
However, BU turned up the heat on the singles side. Sophomore Zak Khan (London, United Kingdom) gave Belmont its first point of the afternoon with a straight set win at No. 4, 6-2, 6-1. Newly crowned co-Freshman of the Year Sterkens followed, also winning in straight sets at No. 3, 6-1, 6-3. All Conference First Team honoree senior Cedric Dujacuier (Feluy, Belgium) played through long sets to come out victorious at No. 1, 6-2, 6-3.
The other newly named co-Freshman of the Year, Hendrik Inno (Someru, Estonia) had one of the longest matches of the day, fighting off a late rally from Austin Peay's Manuel Montenegro, to win, 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5). His effort helped seal the 4-1 win for Belmont and lift the team to the semifinals for the first time since 2014.
Belmont returns to action on Saturday for the semifinals of the OVC Championship. The No. 4 Bruins face off against No. 1 Tennessee Tech at Centennial Sportsplex. Match time is set for 1 p.m., if inclement weather does not force play indoors. Please continue to visit BelmontBruins.com and the team's Twitter account (@BelmontTennis) for any up-to-date changes.
