EVANSVILLE, Ind. - - The Belmont Bruins men's tennis team has punched their ticket to the ultimate finale in their chapter as OVC members. The team advanced to the 2022 OVC Championship match after besting conference fifth seed Eastern Illinois 4-0 earlier today.
The last time the Panthers and Bruins played, Belmont got over some errors in execution to best the team 5-2 two weeks back in Charleston. This time around the feisty Bruins were not going to leave any point on the playing surface.
In doubles play, Belmont managed to get that point they lost at Eastern Illinois back. On court one, the best pairing for BU made their point loud and clear. Behind steady rotation, sound communication, and quick adjustments on the fly, all-conference duo Jack Randall and Arthur Toledo took down Cameron Slabbert and Charles Courteau 6-4.
One court over on pair two, the dynamic duo of Tomas Luis and Diego Castro looked as seasoned as their two-year partnership suggests. After dealing with a slight hiccup that allowed Christos Kyrillou and Thomas Wallace to cut their deficit down from 5-2 to 5-4, Luis and Castro closed the deal like CEOs: 6-4.
Doubles' point was secured.
In singles, Belmont got set one takedowns on all six slabs. From wreckings like Toledo's 6-1 win to another gritty opening set that Luis brought home against Kyrillou 7-5, the range in drama made this win more satisfying than an extra big piece of cookie dough in your late night Haagen-Dazs ice cream. Still, Belmont made sure to shut the door.
The first to climb the mountain was BU wins leader Ian Cruz. The sophomore from Brazil captured court three with two 6-1 finishes against Cameron Slabbert.
Just like doubles, the finish came in rapid fire fashion for Belmont. After Cruz, seniors Toledo and Taisei Miyamoto both sealed the semifinal victory after two sets.
Now, the Bruins have one final date with OVC glory. In their path, the second seed in the tournament out of Tennessee Tech. These two teams have played once before. It seems like the OVC title is always a coin toss between Belmont and TTU.
The Bruins and Golden Eagles have battled each other four times in the conference tournament. Two of those matches were the OVC Championship matches in 2021 and 2018. Each side has beaten the other, but Belmont took down TTU last year to end the program's dominance after winning the OVC tournament four straight times.
Last week, Belmont beat Tennessee Tech 5-2 on Senior Day to win their second OVC regular season crown. Vengeance is on TTU's mind after they beat Tennessee State in the semifinals. Meanwhile for Belmont, it is the last chapter in this incredible conference rivalry.
The championship match will begin tomorrow at 2 p.m. on the grounds of the Wesselman Tennis Center in Evansville, Ind.
DOUBLES
Arthur Toledo/Jack Randall (BEL) def. Cameron Slabbert/Charles Courteau (EIU) 6-4
Tomas Luis/Diego Castro (BEL) def. Christos Kyrillou/Thomas Wallace (EIU) 6-4
Tyler Carlin/Leighton Brandon (EIU) vs. Alfred Wallin/Taisei Miyamoto (BEL) unfinished
SINGLES
Arthur Toledo (BEL) def. Leighton Brandon (EIU) 6-1, 6-0
Tomas Luis (BEL) vs. Christos Kyrillou (EIU) 7-5, unfinished
Ian Cruz (BEL) def. Cameron Slabbert (EIU) 6-1, 6-1
Alfred Wallin (BEL) vs. Charles Courteau (EIU) 6-1, unfinished
Diego Castro (BEL) vs. Tyler Carlin (EIU) 6-4, unfinished
Taisei Miyamoto (BEL) def. Pau Riera (EIU) 6-1, 6-1
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