CHARLESTON, Ill. - - Belmont University men's tennis defeated Eastern Illinois, 6-1, Friday afternoon from Darling Courts.
The Bruins quickly seized the doubles' point, as seniors Marko Ilic (Zagreb, Croatia) and Taisei Miyamoto (Chiba, Japan) and freshmen Diego Castro (Ribeirão Preto, Brazil) and Tomas Luis (Tavira, Portugal) earned convincing wins at first and second doubles, respectively.
Belmont carried momentum into singles, as Ilic, junior Arthur Toledo (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and Luis showcased sharp, all-court play and a full command over their Panther opponents.
Each won in straight sets, with the Bruins clinching the match on Luis' 6-4, 6-0 victory over Leighton Brandon.
Miyamoto and freshman Alfred Wallin (Malmo, Sweden) also earned straight-set victories; only a tough-luck, 10-point breaker for Castro denied Belmont the sweep.
Belmont (9-2, 2-1 OVC) returns to action Monday, April 5 vs. Chattanooga. First serve is set for 1 p.m. CT from the Belmont Tennis Complex.
Belmont 6, Eastern Illinois 1
Doubles
1. Ilic/Miyamoto (BEL) def. Srivastava/Hernandez (EIU), 6-3
2. Luis/Castro (BEL) def. Kyrillou/Wallace (EIU), 6-2
3. Toledo/Briggs (BEL) vs. Brandon/Courteau (EIU), 5-5, unfinished
Singles
1. Ilic (BEL) def. Srivastava (EIU), 6-3, 6-1
2. Toledo (BEL) def. Hernandez (EIU), 6-1, 6-1
3. Luis (BEL) def. Brandon (EIU), 6-4, 6-0
4. Kyrillou (EIU) def. Castro (BEL), 6-2, 2-6, 12-10
5. Miyamoto (BEL) def. Courteau (EIU), 6-0, 6-4
6. Wallin (BEL) def. Slabbert (EIU), 6-3, 6-4
